📖 Documentation

ZelixOS Wiki

Everything you need to know about installing, using, and customizing ZelixOS.

Welcome to ZelixOS

ZelixOS is a modern, user-friendly Linux distribution powered by KDE technology. Whether you're new to Linux or a seasoned user, ZelixOS provides a clean and efficient experience out of the box.

This wiki covers everything from installation to advanced configuration, so you can get the most out of your ZelixOS experience.

Installation Guide

1. Download ZelixOS

Head to the Downloads page and grab the latest ISO image.

2. Create a Bootable USB

Use one of the following tools to flash the ISO to a USB drive (minimum 4 GB):

  • Rufus (Windows)
  • Balena Etcher (Cross-platform)
  • Ventoy (Multi-boot USB)

3. Boot from USB

Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You may need to change the boot order in your BIOS/UEFI settings (usually reached by pressing F2, F12, or Del during startup).

4. Install ZelixOS

Follow the on-screen Calamares installer. Select your language, timezone, partitioning scheme, and create your user account. The installation should take about 10–20 minutes.

First Steps After Installation

1. System Update

Open a terminal and run:

sudo pacman -Syu

2. Install Essential Software

Use Zelix Essentials to quickly install common applications, or install manually: 

sudo pacman -S firefox vlc gimp libreoffice

3. Configure Backup

Open Zelix Backup from the application menu and set up your first backup to protect your files.

System Requirements

For the best experience, we recommend the following specifications:

  • CPU: Dual-core 1.5 GHz (Quad-core 2.0 GHz+ recommended)
  • RAM: 2 GB minimum (4 GB+ recommended)
  • Storage: 20 GB minimum (40 GB SSD recommended)
  • GPU: Integrated graphics (Dedicated GPU recommended)
  • Network: Internet connection for initial setup

Zelix Essentials

Zelix Essentials is a one-click software installer that lets you set up your system in seconds.

Features

  • Curated list of popular applications
  • One-click batch installation
  • Category-based browsing (browsers, media, office, dev tools)
  • Automatic dependency resolution

How to Use

Launch Zelix Essentials from the application menu. Browse or search for apps, check the ones you want, and click Install Selected.

Zelix Backup

A simple and effective backup solution for both system and personal files.

Creating a Backup

  1. Open Zelix Backup from the application menu
  2. Select the folders you want to back up
  3. Choose a destination (external drive, network, or local folder)
  4. Click Start Backup

Restoring from Backup

  1. Open Zelix Backup
  2. Switch to the Restore tab
  3. Select your backup file
  4. Choose the files to restore and click Restore

Zelix Cleaner

Clean temporary files and free up disk space with a single click.

What It Cleans

  • Package manager cache
  • Temporary files
  • Orphaned packages
  • Old log files
  • Thumbnail cache

Welcome Application

The Zelix Hello (Welcome) app greets you on first boot and helps you set up your system.

What It Offers

  • Quick setup wizard for common settings
  • Links to documentation and community
  • System information overview
  • One-click access to Zelix tools (Essentials, Backup, Cleaner)

Accessing Welcome App

The Welcome app launches automatically on first boot. You can re-open it anytime from the application menu by searching for Zelix Hello.

KDE Plasma Desktop

ZelixOS ships with a customized KDE Plasma desktop for a modern, powerful experience.

Key Features

  • Highly customizable panels and widgets
  • Virtual desktops for organized workflows
  • Built-in file manager (Dolphin)
  • Activities for context-based workspaces

Basic Navigation

  • Application Menu: Click the logo in the bottom-left panel or press Super
  • System Tray: Bottom-right corner for notifications, network, and volume
  • Virtual Desktops: Ctrl + F1–F4 to switch between desktops

Customizing Your Panel

Right-click the panel → Edit Panel. You can add widgets, adjust height, change position, and more.

Themes & Icons

Changing Themes

Open System Settings → Appearance → Global Theme. Browse installed themes or download new ones from the KDE Store.

Installing New Themes

Click Get New Global Themes in the theme settings. You can also install themes manually by extracting them to ~/.local/share/plasma/desktoptheme/.

Popular Theme Collections

  • Layan
  • Sweet
  • Nordic
  • Dracula

Icon Themes

Change icons via System Settings → Appearance → Icons. Popular choices include Papirus, Tela, and Reversal.

Essential Terminal Commands

System Updates

sudo pacman -Syu          # Full system update
sudo pacman -Sy           # Sync package databases
sudo pacman -Su           # Upgrade packages only

Installing Software

sudo pacman -S package    # Install a package
sudo pacman -R package    # Remove a package
sudo pacman -Ss keyword   # Search for a package
pacman -Qi package        # Package info

System Information

neofetch                  # System overview
uname -r                  # Kernel version
df -h                     # Disk usage
free -h                   # Memory usage
htop                      # Process monitor

Troubleshooting

System Won't Boot

Boot from the live USB and use chroot to repair your system. Check for corrupted packages with pacman -Qk.

WiFi Not Working

Check if your wireless driver is loaded:

lspci | grep -i wireless
sudo dmesg | grep -i wifi

Install missing firmware if needed: sudo pacman -S linux-firmware

Graphics Issues

For NVIDIA GPUs, install the proprietary driver:

sudo pacman -S nvidia nvidia-utils

For AMD GPUs, the open-source driver is usually built in. Ensure mesa is installed.

Audio Not Working

pactl info                # Check PulseAudio status
sudo systemctl restart pipewire  # Restart audio service

Package Manager Issues

sudo pacman -Scc          # Clear all package cache
sudo pacman-key --init    # Reinitialize keyring
sudo pacman-key --populate archlinux

Performance Issues

Use Zelix Cleaner to free up space. Check resource usage with htop. Disable unnecessary startup services with systemctl disable servicename.

Development on ZelixOS

Development Tools Available

  • VS Code — Feature-rich code editor
  • Git — Version control
  • Python 3 — Pre-installed
  • Node.js — Available via pacman
  • GCC/G++ — C/C++ compiler

Setting Up Development Environment

# Install common development tools
sudo pacman -S base-devel git nodejs npm python-pip

# Clone a project
git clone https://github.com/user/project.git
cd project

Docker Support

# Install Docker
sudo pacman -S docker docker-compose

# Start Docker service
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

# Add your user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER