A modern, immutable operating system that brings the power of containers and reproducible environments to your desktop. Experience a rock‑solid foundation that stays rock-solid, with complete flexibility in your user environment.
Zena features niri — a sleek, column-based tiling window manager for Wayland. Windows arrange themselves automatically in a flowing layout that maximizes screen space and minimizes clutter. Paired with Dank Material Shell, you get dynamic theming, smooth animations, and a desktop that’s both beautiful and incredibly efficient.
Smart Tiling • Dynamic Themes • Smooth Animations
What ships is solid. What you add is yours.
Core principles for a better desktop experience
Powered by CachyOS kernel with LTO optimizations for a snappier experience
Encrypted home directories, atomic updates, and Secure Boot support
Built-in Nix means any tool you need is just a command away
Purpose-built isolation: Nix profiles, Flatpak apps, containers, and multi-user separation
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Isolated Environments | Per-user isolation: Separate encrypted homes, Nix profiles, and configurations for each account |
| Smart Tiling Workspace | Niri automatically arranges windows in columns on an infinite strip |
| Atomic Updates | Update the entire OS as a single image with instant rollbacks |
| Portable Encrypted Homes | Your home directory is a secure, portable container — take it anywhere |
| Nix & Zix | Access 120,000+ packages with Nix, use zix for easy management |
| Container-Native | Podman and Distrobox ready out‑of‑box for safe isolation |
| Dynamic Desktop | Dank Material Shell brings smooth animations and dynamic theming |
| Gaming On Demand | One command sets up Steam, Heroic, Lutris, and more |
Complete separation between environments while sharing the same robust foundation.
Each user's home directory is individually encrypted with LUKS
Different tools, versions, and configurations per user
Separate Distrobox and Podman environments for each user
Each user's home directory is encrypted separately
Users can install different tools without conflicts
Flatpak isolates GUI applications per user
Distrobox environments are user-specific and isolated
Perfect for family or team computers where each user needs their own setup
Keep work tools and personal environments completely separate
Your encrypted home can be moved to another Systemd based system
Each layer adds protection and separation, ensuring your tools and data stay isolated from other users.
Zena ships with a minimal base. You add what you need
With Nix built‑in, you have access to over 120,000+ packages instantly — all in your user environment:
Python, Node.js, Go, Rust, Java
Neovim, VSCode, JetBrains IDEs
htop, tmux, ripgrep, fzf
zix: Nix user packages with both imperative commands and declarative
zix.json
Zix is a Nix user package manager that gives you the best of both worlds: imperative convenience for quick changes and declarative consistency for reliable environments.
Quick, command-line driven package management for rapid changes:
$ zix add neovim nodejs python3$ zix remove rust go$ zix apply$ zix search firefox$ zix rollbackPerfect for: Quick experimentation, trying new tools, and on-the-fly adjustments.
Define your environment in a zix.json file for
reproducibility:
// zix.json - Shareable setup{ "packages": [ "neovim", "nodejs", "python3", "ripgrep", "fzf" ]}$ zix applyPerfect for: Team environments, reproducible setups, and configuration as code.
Create isolated environments for different projects or workflows:
Your everyday tools available system-wide
Different packages for different projects
Test environments that can be discarded
# Create a new profile for a project$ zix profile create web-dev# Switch to the web-dev profile$ zix profile switch web-dev# Add packages to this profile$ zix add nodejs typescript# List all profiles$ zix profile list# 1. Start with imperative experimentation$ zix add python3 neovim git# 2. Edit the config file$ nano zix.json# 3. Apply declarative changes$ zix applyZena delivers daily image-based updates while respecting your workflow. The immutable design means you can update with confidence that your current version stays rock-solid until you're ready to move forward.
Because Zena is immutable, your current version remains completely stable regardless of how long you use it. Whether you update daily or stay on a version for weeks, you're always on a rock-solid foundation.
Unlike traditional systems that degrade over time, Zena's immutable design means every version is as stable as the day it was installed.
Grab the latest ISO, flash it, and boot. Guided installer handles everything
Simple TUI for account creation, timezone, and home directory setup
Log in to your desktop. Install tools and start working
Love games? Run one command and we'll set up everything you need:
$ gaming installWe'll set up a dedicated Gaming Distrobox based on CachyOS v3 with Steam, Heroic, Lutris, ProtonUp‑Qt, and everything else you need.
Zena gives you gaming optimizations from the host to the container:
Unlike setups where only the host or only the container is optimized, Zena delivers performance at every level.
The gaming environment runs in a CachyOS v3 Distrobox, giving you the latest gaming libraries and tools. All launchers appear right in your app menu — no fuss, all performance. Your games benefit from both host-level kernel optimizations and a containerized, up-to-date gaming environment.
System stays locked and verified
Default encryption for your data
Enable with a few steps
Mandatory access controls enabled by default
Fedora bootc for immutable images
CachyOS (LTO optimized)
Niri + Dank Material Shell
Podman + Distrobox
Nix + Zix + Flatpak
Systemd
Zena is open and built in the open. We welcome ideas, code, and feedback.
Zena is a community-driven project. Here are simple ways you can help us grow:
Every contribution helps, no matter how small:
Support the development and maintenance of Zena:
Every contribution helps sustain the project
Made with by
JianZcar
Special thanks to all contributors who make Zena possible.
Grateful for the bootc community and everyone who shares their knowledge.
Zena stands on the shoulders of giants.
Thank you for being part of this journey.