Frequently Asked Questions

FAQWhat is GlouOS?¶

GlouOS is a fast, lightweight Linux distribution built from the ground up for playing and making games. It ships a tuned kernel and automatic GPU drivers, and its installer can set up your favourite apps for you, so you can go from a blank USB stick to your first game, or your first build, as quickly as possible.

FAQWho makes GlouOS?¶

GlouOS is owned and maintained by Nonay. It is free to download, and everyone is welcome to report issues or suggest improvements.

FAQWhat are the system requirements?¶

GlouOS runs comfortably on most PCs from the last decade. As a rough guide:

FAQHow do I install GlouOS?¶

Download the latest release from the packages archive, write it to a USB stick, and boot from it. GlouOS boots straight into the graphical installer, which walks you through the rest, with no command line required at any step.

FAQHow do I update GlouOS?¶

Pull the latest packages from a terminal at any time:

sudo glouos update

Every update creates a snapshot first, so you can always roll back if something misbehaves.

FAQWhich GPUs are supported?¶

NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics all work out of the box. GlouOS detects your hardware on install and pulls the correct drivers automatically, keeping them in sync with each system update so you never have to hunt one down.

FAQCan I play my Steam and Windows games?¶

Yes. Steam, Lutris, Heroic and Bottles are all a quick install away, and Proton lets the vast majority of Windows games run without any extra setup. The tuned gaming kernel focuses on lower input lag and steadier frame rates.

FAQCan I use VR?¶

Yes. GlouOS is VR-ready from the first boot: the runtime and drivers are set up for you, so you can plug in a supported headset and play SteamVR and OpenXR titles without extra setup. See Virtual reality for the details.

FAQIs GlouOS good for game development?¶

That is one of the reasons it exists. Popular engines, compilers and SDKs are available through Flatpak, and the low-latency kernel and up-to-date graphics stack make it a solid platform for building and profiling games as well as playing them.

FAQHow do I install software?¶

The installation wizard lets you pick apps like Steam, Discord, Spotify and OBS Studio to set up right away. After that, install more apps from a terminal with Flatpak:

flatpak install <app>

FAQHow do I roll back a bad update?¶

GlouOS takes an automatic snapshot before every update. If a change causes trouble, pick the previous snapshot from the boot menu (or the Control Center) and your system returns to exactly how it was, with nothing to reinstall.

FAQIs GlouOS free?¶

Yes. GlouOS is free to download and use.

FAQWhere do I get help?¶

Start with this wiki. The search box covers every page. For anything it does not answer, the GlouOS community can help, and you can follow release news on the News page.