Founder Preview

Mann Industries Linux

MI Linux is a polished Debian Testing / Forky-based GNOME desktop OS built for everyday users who want modern hardware support, gaming ready performance, privacy-respecting defaults, and a clear update path.

Download ISO Release Notes

Release: MI Linux Forky Founder
Base: Debian Testing / Forky
Desktop: GNOME
Status: Founder Preview

mi-linux@founder:~$ verify-release
ISO: mi-linux-forky-founder-amd64.iso
Size: 2,490,040,320 bytes
SHA256: 8970674a65feb7f2...
SHA512: 4acf57493ee82cf9...
Source: GitHub public recipe

What is MI Linux?

A real installable Linux desktop, not just a theme pack.

Mann Industries Linux, short name MI Linux, is a Debian Testing / Forky-based desktop operating system project from Mann Industries. The first public release is MI Linux Forky Founder — Founder Preview.

MI Linux is being created for people who want a polished, beginner-friendly Linux desktop without giving up modern hardware support, gaming-ready performance, privacy, or control over system updates. It is not just a theme pack. The goal is a real installable operating system with a live ISO, Calamares installer, MI Linux update path, documentation, checksums, signatures, and a public build recipe.

Why it was made

MI Linux was created because many Linux choices force users to pick between extremes: very stable but older packages; very current but too risky for normal users; polished desktops that hide too much control; powerful systems that expect new users to know too much up front; and app ecosystems that push users toward unwanted defaults.

MI Linux is designed to sit in the middle: more current than Debian Stable, calmer than raw Debian Testing, polished enough for beginners, and transparent enough for advanced users. The Founder Preview is the first step toward a Mann Industries desktop OS that can be downloaded, verified, booted, installed, updated, and improved in the open.

Download

Get MI Linux Founder Preview

The full ISO is hosted on MannCloud. Checksum files are published alongside it so you can verify the download before writing it to a USB drive.

Founder Preview ISO Bootable live/install image for x86_64 PCs SHA256 Verify ISO integrity SHA512 Stronger checksum verification GitHub Release Release notes and assets

Why MI Linux

More than a theme. Built like a real OS.

Curated Forky base

Designed around a delayed Debian Testing / Forky model: newer than Debian Stable, calmer than raw Testing.

Polished GNOME desktop

MI Linux will feel familiar from the start, with a bottom taskbar, its own visual identity, Firefox, ONLYOFFICE, Flatpak, Flathub, and GNOME Software included.

Gaming ready

Planned support for i386 multiarch, Vulkan, GameMode, MangoHud, controllers, and Proton tools without overloading the base install.

Privacy-respecting defaults

No telemetry, no required online account, no automatic usage reporting, and user-controlled bug reporting.

Real release artifacts

Bootable ISO, checksums, release notes, known issues, public source, and MannCloud-hosted downloads.

Mann Industries identity

Branding, wallpaper, boot and install identity, welcome app, update manager, and a dedicated apt repository.

Verification

Verify before you install

After downloading the ISO, compare it with the SHA256 or SHA512 file. The checksum should match exactly before you write the USB.

Size: 2,490,040,320 bytes
SHA256: 8970674a65feb7f2801c94ee3a344aba7518ce3281bb83bd38ba5ad40d45439d
SHA512: 4acf57493ee82cf92d6da9daa98236aa0ff8448c042ea64d75ac9db82c76ab0f6b96ed17f5b75bab9b29fc326d1db5a1285afcb8bea6ca80f3e7c64a92736ffa

sha256sum -c mi-linux-forky-founder-amd64.iso.sha256
sha512sum -c mi-linux-forky-founder-amd64.iso.sha512

Update server

Signed MI Linux apt repository

Installed systems use the MI Linux update server at apt.mannindustries.org. The Founder Preview channel is forky-founder, with a separate forky-tester channel for early testing.

Types: deb
URIs: https://apt.mannindustries.org
Suites: forky-founder
Components: main
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/mi-linux-archive-keyring.gpg

Install path

Try it live, then install with Calamares

DownloadGet the ISO and checksum files from MannCloud.
VerifyCheck SHA256 or SHA512 before writing the image.
Write USBUse Rufus, balenaEtcher, GNOME Disks, Ventoy, or the repo helper script.
Boot liveStart the USB in UEFI or Legacy BIOS and try the live desktop.
InstallLaunch Install MI Linux and follow the Calamares installer.

Install guide USB guide Known issues

Open build recipe

Review the project on GitHub

Build scripts, live-build configuration, package sources, documentation, and website files are public for review and feedback.

Open GitHub repo