Discover Side GNU/Linux: A Minimalist Open-Source Distro

Discover Side GNU/Linux: A Minimalist Open-Source Distro

Table of contents:-

A Desktop Reimagined: Simplicity Without Sacrifice

Tools of the Trade: Scripting, Packaging, and Bare-Metal Control

Community and Continuity: Small Teams, Big Vision

In Closing

In an age where mainstream Linux distributions grow ever more feature-rich—and, occasionally, more complex—there remains a quiet but persistent appetite for systems that put simplicity, transparency, and user agency first. Side GNU/Linux (or simply Side) is such a system: a deliberately minimalist, independently developed distribution that stands apart not through flashy tooling or commercial backing, but through principled design and a refreshingly no-frills ethos.

Born from the Python-based packaging infrastructure of the now-dormant Pisi Linux (and by extension, the Turkish Pardus project), Side is a distro that honours its heritage while carving its own identity. It is designed for those who appreciate knowing how their system works—developers, tinkerers, educators, and long-time GNU/Linux users who favour a lean stack and direct control over abstraction layers. With no installation helpers, only a rudimentary web browser, and a desktop environment forked from an earlier era of LXDE, Side isn’t for everyone—but for its intended audience, it’s a rare and rewarding gem.

Let’s unpack what makes Side tick—not as a nostalgic throwback, but as a living experiment in intentional computing.

A Desktop Reimagined: Simplicity Without Sacrifice

Side’s interface centres on the Simple Desktop Environment, or SDE—a fork of the legacy LXDE codebase that consciously retains its dependency on GTK 2. In an ecosystem that has largely migrated to GTK 3 or 4 (or Qt), this choice is neither accidental nor outdated; it is architectural. By preserving GTK 2, Side ensures compatibility with a vast array of older but stable utilities and avoids the resource overhead—and sometimes the behavioural quirks—of modern toolkits. The result is a desktop that launches swiftly, consumes minimal RAM, and remains responsive even on modest hardware.

SDE’s panel is highly customisable: users can tweak layout, add or remove applets, define launchers, and adjust visual styling directly via configuration files—no GUI wizard required. This reflects Side’s broader philosophy: expose the mechanism, don’t hide it. You’re not handed a pre-baked workflow; instead, you’re invited to assemble one that fits your habits and needs.

Beneath SDE, Side offers Openbox, a mature, standards-compliant stacking window manager: lightweight, stable, and extensively documented. Notably, there is no compositor enabled by default. Transparency, shadows, animations—all absent unless explicitly added by the user. Again, this isn’t a limitation but a design constraint: performance and predictability take precedence over visual flair. For users seeking a distraction-free workspace—be it for coding, writing, or system maintenance—this spartan aesthetic becomes a virtue.

Tools of the Trade: Scripting, Packaging, and Bare-Metal Control

Side’s backbone is PiSi, the Python-based package manager originally developed for Pardus. Unlike `apt`, `dnf`, or `pacman`, PiSi treats package metadata as structured XML and relies on Python scripts for build and install logic—offering exceptional transparency and auditability. Every installation, removal, or upgrade is a series of readable, scriptable steps. Want to know exactly what a package does on your system? Read its `.pspec.xml` and accompanying action scripts.

System administration in Side GNU/Linux is equally direct. There are no graphical helpers for service management or updates. Instead, users interact with the system via two core commands: `pisi` (for packages) and `service` (for daemons and init tasks). Running `pisi help` or `service help` in the terminal yields concise, functional documentation—no web searches required. This approach assumes competence but rewards curiosity: learning Side GNU/Linux means learning how GNU/Linux systems operate at a foundational level.

As for applications, Side ships with astonishing restraint. The only web browser included is Lynx—a text-only, keyboard-driven browser renowned for speed, privacy, and accessibility. It renders no JavaScript, no images, no trackers—just pure HTML. While unsuited for modern web apps, Lynx excels for reading documentation, navigating developer portals, or retrieving plain-text resources (e.g., via `curl` or `wget` pipelines). Its presence underscores a truth Side embraces: not every task requires a GUI.

Likewise, there is no office suite, no multimedia player, no email client in the base image. What you get is a functional shell environment, core Unix utilities, a C compiler toolchain, and the means to build up—not tear down—from a known, clean state. This makes Side ideal as a base for custom live system, embedded appliances, or secure kiosks where minimal attack surface is paramount.

Installation follows the same ethos: Side provides only a live ISO—currently at version `0.1.3`, weighing in at 1.7 GB—with the Calamares installer restored. The live user is `uglyside`, password `live`. Side GNU/Linux doesn’t discourage newcomers; yet it simply doesn’t pretend that system setup is trivial. In doing so, it cultivates deeper understanding.

Community and Continuity: Small Teams, Big Vision

Though lean in scope, Side is not a solo vanity project. Development is coordinated openly on Codeberg—a privacy-respecting alternative to corporate platforms—with repositories for the distribution core, PiSi, and documentation. The lead contact, reachable at `uglyside@yandex.ru`, actively solicits feedback, feature requests, and bug reports. Meanwhile, Vadim Ushakov (`wandrien.dev@gmail.com`) maintains the Simple Desktop Environment independently—highlighting a healthy separation of concerns and modular collaboration.

Documentation lives at `side.codeberg.page`, including a handbook covering installation, desktop setup, package repositories, Radicle integration (a decentralised code collaboration tool), and troubleshooting. While still evolving, the materials are pragmatic and jargon-light—consistent with Side’s overall tone: unpretentious, technically grounded, and quietly confident.

The distro also maintains a presence on SourceForge, where ISO releases are hosted and project activity tracked. That Side opts for both Codeberg (for development) and SourceForge (for distribution) speaks to a pragmatic openness: use the right tool for the job, even if it means coexisting across platforms.

Importantly, Side’s minimalism isn’t austerity for its own sake. It’s an invitation—to question defaults, to reduce layers of indirection, to own your stack. In a world of immutable infrastructure and containerised abstractions, Side reminds us that sometimes, the most empowering tool is a well-documented shell prompt and a text editor.

In Closing

Side GNU/Linux won’t replace your daily-driver OS—and it doesn’t intend to. Rather, it serves as a reference implementation of what a desktop GNU/Linux system could be when stripped to its essentials: a stable kernel, a scripting-friendly package manager, a customisable but lightweight GUI layer, and nothing more than what the user explicitly adds. It’s ideal for teaching system internals, prototyping embedded UIs, or simply reconnecting with the Unix philosophy in its purest form.

For those willing to trade convenience for clarity, Side offers not just a distro—but a mindset.

Disclaimer: All product and project names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. "Side GNU/Linux", "Simple Desktop Environment (SDE)", "PiSi", "Lynx", and "Openbox" are used descriptively and in good faith to accurately represent the technologies discussed. The Distrowrite Project strives for factual precision and welcomes corrections. We encourage the ethical, legal, and responsible use of open-source software—respecting licenses, contributing upstream where possible, and acknowledging the voluntary labour that sustains these communities.

References  

1. Side GNU/Linux webpage  

2. Side GNU/Linux Handbook Index  

3. Side GNU/Linux distribution - Codeberg.org)  

4. Side GNU/Linux distro download | SourceForge.net)

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