Polished Xfce desktop
Xfce 4.20 with the Orchis GTK theme and Papirus icons — a modern, cohesive look that stays fast on any hardware.
v1.2Obsidian is out — built on Debian 13Simple. Stable.
Simple. Stable.
Basalt Linux.
A free Debian-based Linux distribution with the Xfce desktop — lightweight, beginner-friendly, and built in Pakistan. Everything works out of the box, on old and new hardware alike.
- Base
- Debian 13 Trixie
- Desktop
- Xfce 4.20
- RAM
- 1 GB min
- License
- MIT · Free
BasaltLinuxFeatures
Why choose Basalt Linux?
A beginner-friendly Debian distribution that stays out of your way — fast to install, quick to learn, and easy to keep updated.
Ready out of the box
Browser, file manager, media player and office tools pre-installed. Add what you need — nothing you don't.
Debian stable foundation
Built on Debian 13 (Trixie): the full Debian repository, familiar APT commands, and a rock-solid upgrade path.
Lightweight by design
Boots on 1 GB of RAM and a 64-bit CPU. A genuine lightweight Linux distro for old laptops as well as new machines.
APT, Flatpak & Snaps
Manage everything with APT, then reach for Flathub when you want sandboxed apps — one command each, no lock-in.
Secure & maintained
Inherits Debian's security updates and long support cycles, with a public issue tracker for anything we ship.
Screenshots
See Basalt in action
A clean, modern desktop experience out of the box — no themes to configure, no apps to remove.
Welcome app
First boot greets you with quick actions — install apps, read the guide, get support.
Calamares installer
A guided, partition-aware install that finishes in a few minutes.
Get started
Install Basalt Linux in about ten minutes
Download the ISO, write it to a USB drive, and boot it before you install. Nothing is lost until you say so.
Debian 13 (Trixie) · Xfce 4.20 · 64-bit · SHA256 checksums provided
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Basalt Linux is a general-purpose Linux distribution built on Debian 13 (Trixie). It offers a clean, ready-to-use experience with the Xfce desktop environment — designed for beginners and everyday users.
Yes, Basalt Linux is completely free and open source. Build scripts and website are MIT licensed; the included packages (kernel, GNU tools, Xfce) retain their respective licenses.
A 64-bit (x86_64) processor, 1 GB of RAM and 10 GB of disk space — the same minimums Debian publishes for a desktop install. 2 GB of RAM and an SSD are recommended for comfortable everyday use.
Basalt Linux is maintained by Qaisar Rafique, who started the project and handles its releases. Development happens publicly on GitLab.
Yes. Basalt Linux is built in Pakistan and distributed worldwide. It is a Debian-based distribution aimed at everyday users who want a lightweight, beginner-friendly desktop.
Report issues on our GitLab or check the known issues. For community support, join our Discord server — the team and other users hang out there.