Welcome!

Unlock a New Level of Control with Ditana GNU/Linux

Welcome to Ditana GNU/Linux, where the flexibility of Arch meets user-friendly guidance. Say goodbye to the compromises of other distributions and embrace a system that puts you in the driver’s seat.

Is Ditana Right for You?

Ditana is perfect for:

• Power Users: Take full control of your system with extensive configuration options, without constantly relying on the terminal. Thanks to our custom-developed installation wizard and a powerful framework, you can choose from multiple filesystems (ZFS, BTRFS, XFS, EXT4), initrd systems (BusyBox, systemd), and kernel parameters.

• Security Enthusiasts: Retain control over security features with customizable kernel security mitigations for CPU vulnerabilities, which are often only partially enabled by default in other distributions. Check out all documentation tagged with security for details on our pre-configured security measures and how to tweak them to meet your needs.

• Performance Seekers: Experience a system that automatically tunes your hardware for optimal performance, whether you’re running a high-end workstation or a minimalist server. Our automatic hardware tuning features can be reviewed and adjusted during installation to ensure you’re always getting the best out of your setup.

• Developers: Work in a stable, customizable environment you can tailor to fit your coding needs. Beyond optional advanced locale configurations, Ditana uses a sophisticated Raku-powered framework for system-wide Linux configuration, relying on JSON definitions and selectively using Ansible for specific tasks (like custom HOOKS). This approach means you can manage packages, dependencies, and detailed configurations more elegantly than with typical scripting methods.

• Learners: Dive into Linux system administration with abundant documentation in the installer, on the website, and across our Ditana GitHub repositories. Our built-in AI assistant (connectable to local LLMs or OpenAI’s ChatGPT) offers in-installer help dialogs and guided command suggestions, making it easier for you to grasp Linux concepts step by step.

Why Ditana Stands Out

• Smart, Unified Installation: A single ISO for everything—Ditana’s intelligent installer adapts automatically to your hardware and guides you through setup with clarity. Thanks to the transparent settings.json approach, developers can more easily troubleshoot or enhance support for uncommon hardware configurations.

• Security You Control: Ditana comes with pre-configured security features so you’re protected from the start. All security aspects, including CPU vulnerability mitigations, are transparent and fully adjustable, giving you the freedom to customize how your system handles potential threats.

• Performance Optimized for You: Through automatic hardware tuning, Ditana ensures top performance in various scenarios. Default performance settings, which are accessible during installation, can be fine-tuned to meet specific needs for gaming, productivity, or server workloads.

• Enhanced Desktop Experience: Enjoy an improved XFCE desktop setup with automatic display DPI detection, intelligent scaling, and tweaks that help avoid NVIDIA driver conflicts. Everything is designed to work seamlessly out of the box.

• Sophisticated Configuration Framework: Under the hood, a powerful Raku-based system uses JSON to declare dependencies, define package specifications, and control advanced configurations. When needed, our framework selectively relies on Ansible in the backend (e.g., for HOOKS), giving you fine-grained control without the complexity of traditional scripting.

• Simplified Package Management: Keep things straightforward by sticking to Arch’s native pacman and the AUR—no more juggling multiple package systems. Learn more in our Design Philosophy.

• Automatic System Snapshots: During pacman and AUR updates, Ditana automatically creates system snapshots. The ZFS edition is especially powerful, generating snapshots on the fly without reboots and making sure the pacman database is included as well.

• Integrated AI Assistant: A complex built-in AI assistant helps with system administration, either via its graphical interface or right in the terminal. You decide which commands to execute, maintaining full control. You can connect it to a local LLM setup or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, granting you both flexibility and privacy.

Built on Arch, Enhanced by Ditana

While maintaining full compatibility with Arch Linux, Ditana introduces:

• A user-centric installation framework with advanced options
• Enhanced security features with detailed guidance
• Unified package management using pacman and the AUR
• Intelligent performance optimizations

Your Feedback Matters

We believe in the power of community and continuous improvement. While we’ve strived to create an exceptional Linux distribution, we recognize there’s always room to grow.

Seeking Input from Advanced Users

If you’re adept at installing Arch Linux via the official installation guide using terminal commands, you might find Ditana’s installer lacking certain options, despite its extensive configurability. We’re eager to hear from users like you about any features or configurations you feel are missing. Your insights are invaluable in helping us enhance the installer to better meet the needs of advanced users.

Commitment to Arch Principles

Although Ditana is built upon Arch Linux, we acknowledge that we’re not active members of the Arch developer community. With over 25 years of professional experience poured into Ditana, it’s possible that some solutions may be unconventional or diverge from Arch’s design principles. If you notice any discrepancies or areas for improvement, we’d greatly appreciate your constructive feedback to help us align more closely with Arch’s philosophy.

A Solo Endeavor Open to Collaboration

The current state of Ditana is the result of a single developer’s dedication. Despite thorough testing on various hardware and countless bug fixes, we recognize that some issues may have been overlooked. We’re on the lookout for Linux-savvy individuals who are interested in contributing to the project. Whether it’s through code contributions, bug reports, or feature suggestions, your participation can make a significant difference.

Tested Hardware and Call for Testers

We’ve rigorously tested Ditana on a range of hardware to ensure stability and performance:

While this hardware pool provides a solid foundation, we know it’s not exhaustive. We encourage users with different systems to test Ditana and share their experiences. If you encounter any issues, please report them on GitHub. Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve compatibility and performance across a wider range of hardware.

Ditana for Servers

Rolling-release distributions like Arch Linux are uncommon choices for server environments. However, we’ve had excellent experiences using Ditana on servers due to its consistent package management and streamlined maintenance. By relying solely on pacman and the AUR, you avoid juggling multiple package systems, simplifying updates and security patches.

For integration with hosting providers, support for tools like Cloud-Init is often required—a feature we’re planning to implement. In the meantime, Ditana’s installer is well-suited for single, self-managed servers. We’ve developed an experimental systemd service to keep our servers continuously updated. While not yet publicly released, this solution has proven effective and underscores Ditana’s potential in server environments.

Join Our Community

Be part of a growing community that’s shaping the future of Ditana:

• GitHub: Contribute code, report issues, or explore our codebase.
• Discord: Connect with other users, get support, and share ideas.
• Stay Updated: Receive regular security patches and new features.

Your involvement is vital to Ditana’s evolution. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, a system administrator, or a Linux enthusiast, your contributions help us build a better, more versatile distribution.

Get Started Today

Ready to redefine your Linux experience? Download the latest Ditana ISO from our download page and let our smart installer guide you through a personalized setup.