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 stable. What you add is yours.
Three core principles for a better desktop experience
Powered by CachyOS kernel with LTO optimizations for a snappier experience
Encrypted home directories, atomic updates, and optional Secure Boot
Built-in Nix means any tool you need is just a command away
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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
Use zix: zix add helix fish starship
$ zix add neovim nodejs python3$ zix add rust go$ zix add helix fish starshipZena follows Fedora closely and delivers daily image-based updates sometimes multiple times per day without sacrificing stability.
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 with Steam, Heroic, Lutris, ProtonUp‑Qt, and everything else you need. Launchers appear right in your app menu — no fuss, all performance.
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.
Ready to try a desktop that stays stable while you customize everything?