CachyOS
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| CachyOS | |
|---|---|
 | |
 CachyOS with KDE Plasma | |
| Developer | Peter Jung ("ptr1337"), Vladislav Nepogodin ("vnepogodin"), and community contributors |
| OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Initial release | July 2021 |
| Latest release | 260628 / June 28, 2026 |
| Marketing target | Desktop computing, gaming, and handheld gaming PCs |
| Package manager | Pacman (with community AUR helpers) |
| Supported platforms | x86-64 |
| Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux kernel, custom-patched) |
| Userland | GNU |
| Default user interface | KDE Plasma (default); GNOME, Xfce, Hyprland, COSMIC, and others available |
| License | Free and open-source software (predominantly GPL and other free-software licenses) |
| Official website | cachyos |
CachyOS is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Arch Linux that focuses on performance optimizations for modern x86-64 hardware, including gaming workloads. It rebuilds its kernel and core packages with CPU-architecture-specific compiler optimizations while retaining Arch's Pacman package manager and compatibility with the Arch User Repository (AUR).[1][2] The project provides both a graphical installer built on Calamares and a command-line installer, a choice of more than a dozen desktop environments and window managers, and a dedicated "Handheld Edition" aimed at devices such as the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go.[1]
Since 2024, CachyOS has attracted increased attention in the Linux enthusiast press for its rapid growth in popularity, including reaching the top spot in DistroWatch's page-hit ranking in 2025 and, in March 2026, overtaking Arch Linux as the distribution with the most user-submitted compatibility reports on ProtonDB.[3][4]
History
[edit]According to the project's own documentation, CachyOS originated between 2020 and 2021, when developer Peter Jung (known by the online handle "ptr1337") collaborated with another developer, using the handle "Hamad", on a CPU scheduler patch called cacULE (originally referred to as "Cachy"), which was designed to improve desktop responsiveness.[5] Jung subsequently became interested in building a full Arch Linux-based distribution around CPU-architecture-specific package optimizations (the "x86-64-v3" build target), and the first installable CachyOS images were released in July 2021, with early development based in Germany.[6] Vladislav Nepogodin (known as "vnepogodin") joined as a co-founder, and the project was later joined by Piotr Gorski ("sir_lucjan"), who took on the role of kernel maintainer.[5] The distribution's name derives from the "Cachy" scheduler.[5]
Broader technology-press coverage of CachyOS began to appear from late 2022 onward, when it was described as a newer entrant among Arch-based distributions aimed at combining Arch's rolling-release model with out-of-the-box performance tuning.[7] The project has since issued monthly ISO snapshots and expanded its scope to include a gaming-handheld-focused edition and, as of 2026, publicly stated plans for a server-oriented edition.[8]
Features
[edit]Kernel and package optimization
[edit]CachyOS ships a custom-patched Linux kernel (linux-cachyos) that defaults to the BORE CPU scheduler, while also offering alternative schedulers such as EEVDF, BMQ, sched-ext, and cacULE.[9][10] Core system packages and kernel builds are compiled separately for the x86-64-v3 and x86-64-v4 microarchitecture levels and for AMD's Zen4 architecture, using link-time optimization (LTO) and, for a subset of core packages, profile-guided optimization (PGO) and post-link optimizers such as BOLT/Propeller.[2][9] The project's developers describe these package-level optimizations as producing measurable, though workload-dependent, performance gains over a stock Arch Linux installation, including in compile times and game frame rates.[9]
Installer and desktop environments
[edit]CachyOS provides both a graphical installer, based on Calamares, and a text-based command-line installer for more advanced configuration.[10][6] The live installation medium ships with KDE Plasma by default, while the installer offers a large number of additional desktop environments and window managers, including GNOME, Xfce, Hyprland, COSMIC, Sway, i3, LXQt, Cinnamon, Budgie, and UKUI.[6][3] Supported filesystem choices for installation include Btrfs, XFS, F2FS, ext4, and ZFS.[10]
Handheld Edition
[edit]CachyOS publishes a "Handheld Edition" that preconfigures controller input handling and power-management tweaks for portable gaming PCs, with official support for devices including the Steam Deck (LCD and OLED models), the ASUS ROG Ally, and the Lenovo Legion Go and Legion Go S.[6]
Reception
[edit]Popularity rankings
[edit]CachyOS attracted increased attention from the Linux community press through 2024 and 2025 as its ranking on DistroWatch's page-hit statistics rose sharply, culminating in it taking the top position on that ranking in mid-2025 and again for the 2025 calendar year overall, ending a multi-year run at the top by MX Linux.[3][11] Coverage in outlets such as The Register and FOSS Force noted that DistroWatch's hit-counter statistics measure page visits rather than installation numbers or usage share, and cautioned against treating the ranking as a definitive popularity measure, while still describing it as a notable signal of rising interest in the distribution.[3][6]
In March 2026, the gaming-focused analytics site Boiling Steam reported that CachyOS had overtaken Arch Linux in the volume of user-submitted game-compatibility reports on ProtonDB, a crowdsourced database of game performance under Proton on Linux; Arch Linux had held that top position since 2021.[8] The change was subsequently covered by other technology outlets, which attributed CachyOS's growth to its pre-configured performance tuning, driver handling, and gaming-oriented utilities appealing to users who might otherwise manually replicate such tweaks on a plain Arch Linux installation.[4]
Reviews
[edit]Reviewing CachyOS in 2025, The Register's FOSS desk found the distribution's Xfce, UKUI, and COSMIC desktop options to work well overall, while noting some installer glitches on the version tested and describing CachyOS as an "opinionated" distribution.[3] FOSS Force similarly highlighted the breadth of desktop-environment choice offered during installation and the distribution's automated kernel-module handling tools as notable strengths.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "CachyOS — Distrowatch's Top Distro Has Speed, Polish and Features". FOSS Force. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 "CachyOS — Blazingly Fast OS based on Arch Linux". CachyOS. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "CachyOS hits the top of the Distrowatch charts". The Register. 2025-08-20. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 "CachyOS dethrones Arch as the top desktop distro for Linux gamers on ProtonDB". XDA Developers. 2026-03-15. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 3 "FAQ & Troubleshooting Guide". CachyOS Wiki. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "CachyOS — Distrowatch's Top Distro Has Speed, Polish and Features". FOSS Force. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- ↑ Delony, David (2022-11-08). "CachyOS: The Brand-New Friendly, Performance-Tuned Arch Linux Derivative". MakeUseOf. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 "CachyOS Is Now the Most Popular Desktop Distro on ProtonDB". Boiling Steam. 2026-03-14. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 3 "CachyOS". FOSS Wiki. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- 1 2 3 "CachyOS". HandWiki. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
- ↑ "CachyOS Topped DistroWatch's Rankings". Linuxiac. 2025-08-15. Retrieved 2026-07-06.