System76

{{Infobox company

| name = System76 Inc.

| logo = File:System76 logo.svg

| caption =

| type = Private

| industry = Computer hardware

| fate =

| successor =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|2005}}

| founder =

| defunct =

| location_city = Denver, Colorado

| location_country = United States

| locations =

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = Carl Richell (CEO)

| products = Desktops, netbooks, notebooks, servers

| num_employees =

| homepage = {{URL|https://system76.com}}

| footnotes =

}}

System76, Inc. is an American computer manufacturer{{Efn|{{cite news|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2485430/preloaded-linux-systems--weighing-the-options.html|title=Preloaded Linux systems: Weighing the options|last=Yegulalp|first=Serdar|date=October 14, 2013|work=Computerworld|access-date=2017-04-21|language=en|archive-date=2020-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802071743/https://www.computerworld.com/article/2485430/preloaded-linux-systems--weighing-the-options.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-two-reasons-why-software-companies-are-making-hardware/|title=The two reasons why software companies are making hardware|last=Sanders|first=James|date=October 28, 2015|work=TechRepublic|access-date=2017-04-21|language=en|archive-date=2020-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116103422/https://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-two-reasons-why-software-companies-are-making-hardware/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/11/system76-oryx-pro-review-linux-in-a-laptop-has-never-been-better/|title=System76 Oryx Pro review: Linux in a laptop has never been better|last=Gilbertson|first=Scott|date=November 22, 2016|work=Ars Technica|access-date=2017-04-21|language=en-us|archive-date=2020-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108102628/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/11/system76-oryx-pro-review-linux-in-a-laptop-has-never-been-better/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo-MSI-and-Compal-Barebones.99905.0.html|title=Clevo, MSI, and Compal Barebones|last=Hinum|first=Klaus|date=August 23, 2013|website=www.notebookcheck.net|language=en|others=Translated by Martina Osztovits|access-date=2017-04-21|archive-date=2019-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219045633/https://www.notebookcheck.net/Clevo-MSI-and-Compal-Barebones.99905.0.html|url-status=live}}}} based in Denver, Colorado, that sells notebook computers, desktop computers, and servers. The company utilizes free and open-source software, and offers a choice of Ubuntu or their own Ubuntu-based Linux distribution Pop!_OS as preinstalled operating systems.{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/system-76-brings-sandy-bridge-to-ubuntu-with-gazelle-and-serval/|title=System 76 brings Sandy Bridge to Ubuntu with Gazelle and Serval laptops|last=Stevens|first=Tim|date=January 25, 2011|publisher=Engadget|access-date=June 12, 2012|archive-date=July 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711155958/https://www.engadget.com/2011/01/25/system-76-brings-sandy-bridge-to-ubuntu-with-gazelle-and-serval/|url-status=live}}

History

System76 was founded by Carl Richell and Erik Fetzer.{{cite web|url=http://www.muktware.com/news/1081/exclusive-interview-system-76-ceo-carl-richell|title=Exclusive Interview With System 76 CEO Carl Richell|last=Bhartiya|first=Swapnil|date=2011-04-30|website=Muktware|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216120457/http://www.muktware.com/news/1081/exclusive-interview-system-76-ceo-carl-richell|archive-date=2013-02-16|access-date=2019-04-21|url-status=live}} In 2003, Fetzer registered the domain system76.com to sell computers with Linux operating systems preinstalled, but the idea was not pursued until two years later. The number 76 in the company name is a reference to 1776, the year the American Revolution took place. Richell explained that the company hoped to spark an "open source revolution", giving consumers a choice to not use proprietary software.

In mid-2005, the founders considered which Linux distribution to offer, with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, openSUSE, Yoper and other distributions evaluated. Ubuntu was initially dismissed, but Richell and Fetzer changed their mind quickly after a re-evaluation. Richell liked Canonical's business model of completely free software, backed by commercial support when needed. The first computers sold by System76 shipped with Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger preinstalled.{{cite web|url=https://carlrichell.com/post/2611107120/how-system76-began|title=How System76 Began|last=Richell|first=Carl|access-date=31 December 2013|archive-date=1 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101153128/http://carlrichell.com/post/2611107120/how-system76-began|url-status=live}}

In response to Canonical switching to the GNOME desktop from the Unity interface for future releases of Ubuntu in May 2017, System76 announced a new shell called Pop.{{cite web|url=https://blog.system76.com/post/160209210968/making-ubuntu-pop|title=Making Ubuntu Pop|website=System76 Blog|access-date=2017-07-22|archive-date=2017-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628094743/http://blog.system76.com/post/160209210968/making-ubuntu-pop|url-status=live}} The company announced in June 2017 that it would be creating its own Linux distribution based on Ubuntu called Pop!_OS.{{cite web|url=https://system76.com/pop|title=Pop!_OS by System76|website=system76.com|language=en|access-date=2017-07-22|archive-date=2017-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719125400/https://system76.com/pop|url-status=live}}

System76 began manufacturing their Thelio line of desktops in 2018 at a factory in Denver, Colorado. The company moved into a 24,000-square-foot warehouse.{{cite news|last= Chuang|first=Tamara: Colorado Sun|title=Why a computer maker moved manufacturing to Denver despite ongoing trade war with China|url=https://coloradosun.com/2018/11/21/why-a-computer-maker-moved-manufacturing-to-denver-despite-ongoing-trade-war-with-china/#:~:text=There%20were%20many%2C%20many%20reasons,unit%20of%20solar%2Dequipment%20company.|date=November 21, 2018|access-date=January 15, 2025}}

Products

System76's products include the Thelio series of desktops, the Meerkat mini computer, several laptops, and several rack mount servers. The computers are shipped with Pop! OS, the company's in-house Linux Distribution.

System76's computer models are named after various African animals.

In May 2016,{{cite web|url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/05/system76-releases-the-open-source-launch-configurable-keyboard/|title=System76 releases the open source Launch Configurable Keyboard|author=Liam Dawe|website=GamingOnLinux|date=2021-05-13|access-date=2023-10-08}} the company released the Launch series of mechanical keyboards, which feature the open source QMK firmware and built-in USB hubs.{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/03/system76-launch-review-linux-friendly-keyboard-with-a-usb-hub/|title=System76 Launch review: Linux-friendly keyboard with a USB hub|website=ArsTechnica|date=2022-03-08|access-date=2023-10-08}}

System76's firmware partly disables the Intel Management Engine;{{cite web |url=https://tech-docs.system76.com/components/intel/me/README.html |title=Management Engine (ME) - System76 Technical Documentation |website=tech-docs.system76.com |access-date=15 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123115846/https://tech-docs.system76.com/components/intel/me/README.html |archive-date=23 November 2021 }}{{Cite web |title=What is the Intel Management Engine? - System76 Support |date=10 January 2023 |url=https://support.system76.com/articles/intel-me/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618140504/https://support.system76.com/articles/intel-me/ |archive-date=18 June 2023}} the Intel Management Engine is proprietary firmware which runs an operating system in post-2008 Intel chipsets.{{cite web | url=https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000008927/software/chipset-software.html | title=What is Intel Management Engine?|archive-url= https://archive.today/20221230181900/https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000008927/software/chipset-software.html|archive-date= 30 December 2022|url-status= live}}

On 4 April 2023, System76's CEO and founder Carl Richell announced System76's first in-house designed laptop, code-named "Virgo".{{Cite web |author1=Mark Tyson |date=2023-04-06 |title=System76 Shows First Pics of Fully Customized Linux Laptop Prototype |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/system76-shows-off-first-images-of-its-virgo-linux-laptop-design |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=Tom's Hardware |language=en}}

=Pop!_OS=

File:Pop! OS 21.04 with the COSMIC desktop.png

Pop!_OS is a Linux distribution developed by System76 based on Ubuntu. It is intended for use by "developers, makers, and computer science professionals."{{cite web|url = https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pop_os-compare-ubuntu/|title = Pop!_OS Has Arrived: How Does It Compare to Ubuntu?|access-date = 21 November 2017|last = King|first = Bertel Jr.|work = www.makeuseof.com|date = 10 November 2017|archive-date = 4 September 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190904200226/https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/pop_os-compare-ubuntu/|url-status = live}} Pop!_OS provides full disk encryption by default as well as streamlined window management, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts for navigation. Pop!_OS comes preinstalled on System76 devices, and can also be downloaded and installed on most computers.

= COSMIC desktop environment =

COSMIC is a desktop environment for Pop!_OS. Originally intended for the Pop!_OS distribution, it is now available as a standalone desktop environment.{{Cite web |last=Purdy |first=Kevin |date=2024-08-08 |title=You can kick the alpha tires on System76’s Cosmic, a new Linux desktop |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/you-can-kick-the-alpha-tires-on-system76s-cosmic-a-new-linux-desktop/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}

Community relations

The company has sponsored the Ubuntu Developer Summit, Southern California Linux Expo, and other Open Source/Linux events and conferences.{{cite web|url=http://uds.ubuntu.com/sponsors/ |title=Ubuntu Developer Summit Sponsors |date=2012-10-01 |publisher=Canonical Ltd. |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010112439/http://uds.ubuntu.com/sponsors/ |archive-date=October 10, 2012}} Their official support forums are hosted by Canonical Ltd., the primary developer of Ubuntu.{{cite web|title=System76 Support|url=https://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=341|publisher=Ubuntu Forums|access-date=15 August 2012|archive-date=22 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922035948/http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=341|url-status=live}}

System76 is an active member in the Colorado Ubuntu Community, serving as the corporate sponsor for Ubuntu LoCo events and release parties in downtown Denver.{{cite web|last=Overcash|first=David|title=Colo Loco Team|url=https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ColoradoTeam#Corporate_Sponsors|work=LoCoTeams|publisher=Wiki.Ubuntu|access-date=29 January 2013|archive-date=17 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417164203/https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ColoradoTeam#Corporate_Sponsors|url-status=live}}{{Better source needed|reason=wiki.ubuntu.com uses user submissions without editorial oversight. It doesn't meat WP:RS|date=April 2014}}