Release v0.2.9 · kan-linux/kan

Overview

Kan-Linux v0.2.9 (kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso) was released on Oct 24(1024, aka Programmer's Day in China), 2026.

The codename is ZhenGu(贞固). It comes from the I Ching quote: steadfast and solid, fit to carry things forward.

This release brings numerous bug fixes and enhancements on top of v0.2.8.

Core features

Concise: With a far smaller LiveISO footprint (ubuntu-26.04-desktop-amd64.iso ~6.1 GiB, pop-os_24.04_amd64_generic_27.iso ~3.3 GiB, cachyos-desktop-linux-260809.iso ~3.0 GiB, omarchy-4.0.6.iso ~6.3 GiB, deepin-desktop-community-25.2.0-amd64.iso ~6.5 GiB, kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso ~2.0 GiB), it provides Omarchy-comparable desktop UI and keybindings plus powerful development environments for programmers and AI Agents.
Source-built: Build LiveISO from scratch within a single monorepo, not dependent on any existing Linux distribution. Built from source in-tree, with only Go, Rust and Firefox as pinned official prebuilts.
Secure: Kan-Linux starts with zero external network activity by default. No silent update checks, no telemetry, no phone-home. Kan-Linux only talks when you tell it to. Verify it yourself with the bundled Wireshark. More advanced hardening is planned.
Agent-first(WIP)

Highlights

Full multimedia support (video playback with ffplay, Firefox(official prebuilt) or VLC media player)
Integrate a preliminary, feature-limited, customized Omarchy desktop shell(source code can be found at https://github.com/kan-linux/omarchy/tree/kan)
Functional lightweight File Manager(powered by strata)
Featured Snipping Tool(powered by lazycat's classical screenshot)
Improved TUI installer(source code can be found at https://github.com/kan-linux/installer)
Functional Chinese input support(powered by fcitx5)
Functional session management (login manager daemon and greeter)
Functional Image Viewer
Kan-Linux v0.2.9 brings support for mainstream AI Agents for the first time
Official website: https://kan-linux.org/

Toolchain for programmers and AI agents

GCC 16.2.0
LLVM 23.1.4
Python 3.15.0
Go and Rust can be installed on demand via your preferred AI agent / LLM skills
- Instruct your preferred agent:
  - download https://kan-linux.org/patches/install-prebuilts.sh to /opt/skills/install-devtoolchain.sh
  - execute sudo /opt/skills/install-prebuilts.sh to install Go / Rust / MiMo-Code.
It ships with many other non-GUI development tools, making it friendly to AI Agents and targeted at programmers and AI researchers

LiveISO download and integrity verification

wget https://github.com/kan-linux/kan/releases/download/v0.2.9/kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso
wget https://github.com/kan-linux/kan/releases/download/v0.2.9/kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso.sha256

You can verify the downloaded LiveISO image with the SHA256 checksum.

sha256sum -c kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso.sha256

If the output shows OK, the file is intact.

$ sha256sum -c kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso.sha256 
kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso: OK

How to use LiveISO

Launch LiveISO

You can try the LiveISO on your favorite Linux OS (make sure QEMU is installed).

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 4G -smp 2  -cdrom kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso -device virtio-vga-gl,xres=1920,yres=1080 -display gtk,gl=on  -smbios type=1,manufacturer="kan-linux",product="kan-linux 0.2.9",version="0.2.9" -usb -device usb-tablet -audiodev pa,id=audio0,out.buffer-length=100000,in.buffer-length=100000,timer-period=1000 -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=audio0 -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0

Install Kan-Linux from LiveISO

Create virtual disk

qemu-img create -f qcow2 kanlinux.qcow2 20G

Launch LiveISO with the virtual disk

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 4G -smp 2 -drive file=kanlinux.qcow2,format=qcow2,if=virtio -cdrom kan-linux-0.2.9-x86_64.iso -boot d -device virtio-vga-gl,xres=1920,yres=1080 -display gtk,gl=on -smbios type=1,manufacturer=Kan-Linux,product=Kan-Linux 0.2.9,version=0.2.9 -usb -device usb-tablet -audiodev pa,id=audio0,out.buffer-length=100000,in.buffer-length=100000,timer-period=1000 -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=audio0 -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0

Install Kan-Linux to the virtual disk from LiveISO

Launch the installed Kan-Linux from the virtual disk

qemu-system-x86_64 -enable-kvm -cpu host -m 4G -smp 2 -drive file=kanlinux.qcow2,format=qcow2,if=virtio -device virtio-vga-gl,xres=1920,yres=1080 -display gtk,gl=on -smbios type=1,manufacturer=Kan-Linux,product=Kan-Linux 0.2.9,version=0.2.9 -usb -device usb-tablet -audiodev pa,id=audio0,out.buffer-length=100000,in.buffer-length=100000,timer-period=1000 -device intel-hda -device hda-duplex,audiodev=audio0 -netdev user,id=net0,hostfwd=tcp::2222-:22 -device virtio-net-pci,netdev=net0

Keyboard shortcuts in desktop mode

Super + Return: Launch terminal
Super + Shift + Return: Launch Firefox (online movie playback supported)
Super + F: Launch file manager
Ctrl + Q: close window
Ctrl + Space / Right Shift: Toggle between Chinese and English input(English is the default)

Remote Login for convenient troubleshooting

You may access the LiveISO or installed Kan-Linux via SSH from your favorite host machine:

For Kan-Linux LiveISO

ssh -p 2222 root@localhost  (root's password is root)

ssh -p 2222 kan@localhost   (kan's password is kan)

For installed Kan-Linux

ssh -p 2222 username@localhost   (username and password are specified during Kan-Linux installation)

Known Limitations

The Omarchy desktop shell is currently feature-limited.
Only single-user desktop use is supported for now.
The installer supports only single-OS installation to a specified partition across multiple disks; LUKS encryption is not yet supported.
A stale frame appears between the last splash screen frame and the login UI. This issue is planned to be fixed in future releases, to be resolved in v0.3.0
Rendering issue in VLC media player
Locale and Shell session issue, to be resolved in v0.3.0
MiMo Code login issue, to be resolved in v0.3.0
Toolchain completeness and consistency issues, to be resolved in v0.3.0. We aim for full self-hosting in v0.3.0 (All subsequent development, building and iteration of Kan-Linux will happen inside Kan-Linux itself)
Currently tested only under QEMU. Native boot for physical x86-64 PCs and laptops is planned for future releases. This LiveISO is for evaluation in QEMU only. DO NOT install it to physical hardware. , to be resolved in v0.3.0