arkOS was a Linux distribution based on Arch Linux, designed primarily for hosting web sites and services on cheap ARM-based devices such as Raspberry Pi, Cubieboard 2, Cubietruck or BeagleBone Black, with plans to expand to other platforms such as x86.[1][2][3][4] It was in operation from 2014 to 2017.
| Developer | Jacob Cook |
|---|---|
| OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
| Working state | Discontinued |
| Source model | Open source |
| Latest release | 0.8.1 / October 19, 2016 |
| Available in | English |
| Package manager | pacman |
| Platforms | ARM |
| Support status | |
| Discontinued | |
History
Jacob Cook, arkOS' primary developer, originally conceived the idea of arkOS after realizing the extensive amount of time it required to set up his own self-hosted services. He explained it by saying: "I had a good deal of experience with Linux and system administration, but it still took a huge amount of time and research to get the services I wanted set up, and secured properly."[5] Cook aims to reduce dependence from cloud services and make data collection harder.[6]
As of March 2014, arkOS was in its developing stages. The creator of arkOS had also set up CitizenWeb organization,[7] which was responsible for the development of the operating system. CitizenWeb also solicited money through a successful crowdsourcing campaign to finish the platform.[8]
In April 2017 arkOS was discontinued,[9] with the lack of resources as the principal reason.[10] The source code remains available on GitHub.[11]
