SparkyLinux

{{Infobox OS

| name = SparkyLinux

| logo = SparkyLinux-logo-200px.png

| logo_size = 110px

| screenshot = Sparky6-xfce.png

| caption = SparkyLinux 6.0 "Po Tolo" with Xfce

| website = {{url|https://sparkylinux.org}}

| developer = SparkyLinux team{{cite web|url=https://sparkylinux.org/team|title=SparkyLinux Team|access-date=20 August 2021}}

| family = Linux (Unix-like)

| source_model = Open source

| released = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2012|05|05}}{{cite web|url=https://linuxiarze.pl/sparkylinux-1-final/|title=SparkyLinux 1.0 wersja finalna|date=5 May 2012 |access-date=20 August 2021 |website=Linuxiarze.pl}}

| language = Multilingual

| latest_release_version = {{wikidata|property|reference|P348}}

| latest release date = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|P348|P577}}}}

| kernel_type = Monolithic (Linux)

| userland = GNU

| supported_platforms = IA-32, x86-64, ARM

| ui = LXQt, MATE, Xfce and KDE

| updatemodel = APT (front-ends available)

| package_manager = dpkg (front-ends available)

| license = Mainly GPL and other free software licenses, minor additions of proprietary

| working state = Current

}}

SparkyLinux is a desktop-oriented operating system based on the Debian operating system.

The project offers a ready-to-use operating system with various desktops to choose from.{{Cite web|url=https://wiki.sparkylinux.org/doku.php|title = SparkyLinux Wiki |website=Sparky Wiki}} SparkyLinux is released 3-4 times per year to provide the latest versions of all applications.

History

The project was born in October 2011 as an Ubuntu remix with Enlightenment as the default desktop having the name ue17r (Ubuntu Enlightenment17 Remix). After a few months of testing, the base system was changed to Debian and renamed SparkyLinux.{{cite web |author1=pavroo |title=ue17r |url=https://archiveos.org/ue17r/ |website=ArchiveOS |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=13 October 2021}}

Features

SparkyLinux has two main "flavors": the "stable flavor", which is based on the latest Debian stable, and the “rolling flavor”, which is based on the testing (next stable) branch of Debian and uses a (semi-)rolling-release cycle. Additionally, it includes a collection of tools and scripts to help users with easy administration of the system.{{cite web |author1=pavroo |title=About |url=https://sparkylinux.org/about/ |website=SparkyLinux |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=18 December 2024}}

The default desktop environments are LXQt (former LXDE), MATE, Xfce, and KDE, but users can install other desktops via 'Sparky APTus'.

As Sparky ISO image features a few proprietary packages, the 'Sparky APTus' provides a small tool called 'Non-Free Remover' which can easily uninstall all 'contrib' and 'non-free' packages from the system.{{cite web |author1=pavroo |title=Sparky APTus |url=https://sparkylinux.org/sparky-aptus/ |website=SparkyLinux |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=20 September 2023}}

Since 2023, the project has offered storage persistence from a utility that writes USB disk images. The feature so far only works on the MinimalGUI version of SparkyLinux.{{Cite web |last=pavroo |title=Sparky 2023.01 + Persistence |url=https://sparkylinux.org/sparky-2023-01-persistence/ |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=SparkyLinux |date=20 January 2023 |language=en-US}}

Special editions

GameOver Edition, targeted to gamers. It features a large set of free and open-source games and some needed tools.
Rescue Edition, provides a live system and a large number of applications for recovering broken operating systems.
Multimedia for audio, video, and HTML pages editing.
MinimalCLI and MinimalGUI.{{r|ABOUT}}