AgarimOS Review
AgarimOS 20261001: Void, With Six Desktops and No systemd
Some distributions differentiate themselves by adding a desktop to a familiar base. AgarimOS does something more interesting: it takes Void — one of the most independent systems in the Linux world — and gives it a choice of finished desktop flavours. According to its DistroWatch listing, AgarimOS is a desktop Linux distribution based on Void, originating in Austria, and it comes in several popular desktop flavours, all with a limited set of applications in their default states.
The latest release in DistroWatch’s feature table is AgarimOS 20261001, released on 1 October 2026, following 20251229. DistroWatch lists AgarimOS as Active and free, for the x86_64 architecture only, and categorised as Desktop and Live Medium. Its parent explains much of its character, so readers new to that family should start with our Void review — AgarimOS keeps Void’s rolling model, runit init and XBPS packages, then wraps them in a choice of ready-made desktops.
It is still a small project by DistroWatch’s numbers. AgarimOS ranks 101st in DistroWatch’s popularity rankings with 140 hits per day, yet its average visitor rating is a strong 9.0 out of 10 from 5 reviews — few reviewers, but the ones DistroWatch records rate it highly.
At a Glance
| Latest Release | AgarimOS 20261001 (1 October 2026) |
| OS Type | Linux |
| Base | Void |
| Origin | Austria |
| Desktop | Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE, Xfce (default KDE Plasma) |
| Architectures | x86_64 |
| Installer | Text mode |
| Package Manager | XBPS, with OctoXBPS graphical front-end |
| Package Formats | xbps |
| Release Model | Rolling |
| Init System | runit |
| File Systems | Btrfs, ext4, XFS |
| Category | Desktop, Live Medium |
| Price | Free (ISO image size 2,500–2,600 MB for 20261001, per DistroWatch’s feature table) |
| DistroWatch Popularity | 101 (140 hits per day) |
| Visitor Rating | 9.0 / 10 from 5 reviews |
Six Flavours, One Limited Default Install
Choice of desktop is the headline offer. DistroWatch lists Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE and Xfce as the desktops for AgarimOS, and its feature table names KDE Plasma as the default desktop for 20261001. That spread covers heavyweight, modern desktops and much lighter options in the same project, rather than asking every user to accept a single environment.
DistroWatch also stresses restraint inside each flavour: the desktops come, in its words, with a limited set of applications in their default states. A flavour-choice model will feel familiar to readers of our Linux Mint review, where choosing between desktops is part of the appeal — AgarimOS extends that idea to six environments, but on a Void rather than a Debian-family base.
runit and XBPS, Not systemd
Like its parent, AgarimOS does not use the systemd service manager, according to DistroWatch. It relies instead on the runit init scheme, and DistroWatch’s feature table confirms runit as the init software for 20261001. That is a defining technical choice: services, boot and supervision follow Void’s runit approach rather than the systemd model most mainstream distributions use.
Packages follow the parent, too. DistroWatch says AgarimOS employs the XBPS package management system, together with a graphical front-end called OctoXBPS, and its feature table lists xbps as both the package management system and the package format for 20261001. OctoXBPS matters because it gives that command-line-centred system a graphical doorway, making a Void-based desktop easier to approach without changing the packages underneath. Users who want rolling updates on a more conventional systemd base could compare it with our CachyOS review — CachyOS rolls on a different family, while AgarimOS rolls with runit and XBPS.
Small Extras That Shape the Feel
AgarimOS is not just Void with a desktop installer, in DistroWatch’s telling. The listing says the distribution also includes various optimisations and custom themes, and it names a distinctive software selection: the WezTerm terminal emulator, the Neofetch system information utility, the hBlock ad blocker, and the aria2 download tool.
Those picks say a lot about the intended feel. WezTerm, Neofetch and aria2 are tools many experienced users add themselves after installing a plainer system, while hBlock points to a desktop that arrives with an ad-blocking choice already made. Combined with the limited default application set DistroWatch notes, the picture is of a curated starting point — light on pre-installed applications, but opinionated about the utilities and look it does include.
Get An Easy Personal Loan At Sofi
Rolling on x86_64, as a Live Medium
DistroWatch lists AgarimOS’s release model as Rolling, so 20261001 is a snapshot of a system that keeps moving rather than a fixed release you replace on a schedule. Installation is listed as Text mode in DistroWatch’s feature table, Firefox is the default browser, and the journaled file systems are Btrfs, ext4 and XFS.
The download itself is substantial: 2,500–2,600 MB for the 20261001 ISO, per DistroWatch. The project is categorised as a Live Medium as well as a Desktop system, so you can run it live before committing to the text-mode install. It is also firmly single-architecture — DistroWatch lists x86_64 only — so there is no build here for older 32-bit machines or ARM boards.
Who Should Try AgarimOS?
- Void-curious users who want a finished desktop first — DistroWatch describes AgarimOS as a desktop distribution based on Void, in Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE and Xfce flavours with a limited set of applications by default.
- Users who prefer runit over systemd — DistroWatch says AgarimOS does not use systemd and relies instead on the runit init scheme, confirmed as the init software for 20261001.
- Desktop users who want a graphical front-end for XBPS — DistroWatch names OctoXBPS as the graphical front-end to the XBPS package management system AgarimOS employs.
- Rolling-release fans on modern 64-bit hardware — DistroWatch lists a rolling release model and x86_64 as the only architecture.
- Not users who need another architecture or a graphical installer — DistroWatch lists x86_64 only and Text mode installation for 20261001; users who want a different live-desktop route could also see our MX Linux review as another Debian-based option to compare.
Final Thoughts
AgarimOS 20261001, released on 1 October 2026 per DistroWatch, is a focused take on Void: free, rolling and x86_64 only, installed in text mode, managed with XBPS and OctoXBPS, and booted with runit instead of systemd. Its distinction is the combination — six desktop flavours and custom themes and optimisations on top of a base most derivatives never touch.
If you have been interested in Void but wanted a ready desktop, custom touches and a graphical package front-end from the start, AgarimOS is worth a live session. If you need systemd, a graphical installer or support for another architecture, its DistroWatch listing makes clear that this is not the distribution built for that job.
Source: DistroWatch’s AgarimOS listing, covering the AgarimOS 20261001 release of 1 October 2026.