F.A.Q - Gaming-Linux-FR/GLF-OS GitHub Wiki

What is GLF OS ?

GLF OS is the name of one of the craziest projects undertaken by the Gaming Linux Fr community. This project consists in creating an operating system based on strict specifications, and fully developed by the community, for the community.

[!IMPORTANT] Please note that secureboot must be disabled for GLF-OS to work for now.

Do you plan to offer a completely offline installation ?

No, we use a NixOS feature called Flocon that requires an internet connection to work.

I want to install GLF OS on my PC. How do I do that ?

  1. Check that your PC meets the system requirements available here.
  2. Create a bootable USB drive as explained here.
  3. Follow all the steps to install GLF OS described here.

How long does installation take on average ?

[!IMPORTANT] Installation time refers to the moment you click Install.

Installation time depends on your bandwidth. For example, with fibre-optic Internet and a recent machine, expect the installation to be 8 to 12 minutes long.

How much data is being downloaded during installation ?

We provide all compiled binaries in the ISO. As a result, most packages do not need to be downloaded during installation.

However, please note that the boot loader (grub) is being downloaded during installation.

We have observed a minimum of 500MB downloaded during installation.

Downloading is slow during installation !

The servers distributing the package build cache (known as Cachix) can sometimes be slowed down during the day depending on current traffic.

My installation is stuck at 46% !

Due to the nature of Nix, the calamares installer does not receive any information about the download progress, package compiling, etc. Thus, the progress bar appears to be stuck at 46% while the installation is not. You can click on the small magnifying glass at the bottom right of the installer to see what is happening.

[!IMPORTANT] This display issue is not directly our responsibility; it is also present with NixOS. We do not intend to fix it, as the low added value compared to the enormous amount of work involved is not worth the investment.

I only see GNOME and KDE as desktop environment choices. Do you intend to support other desktop environments ?

As of this stable release, there are no plans to add other desktop environments.

I've just installed GLF OS and the software center is not there. What should I do ?

The software library we offer on GLF-OS is Easy Flatpak and it is provided in flatpak. It is installed right after the system installation and may take several tens of minutes to download depending on your connection.

More information about this here.

Can I switch GLF OS to “unstable” ?

GLF OS is available in two versions:

  • GLF OS Stable: The optimal version of GLF OS, a perfect mix of fresh packages and stability. We leverage all the capabilities of NixOS to provide you with a reliable system for everyday use. Enjoy the best of both worlds: gaming packages receive the latest updates, while the rest of the system evolves in major steps every six months (similar to Fedora), ensuring a solid and tested foundation.
  • GLF OS Rolling: The ultimate bleeding-edge experience! This version is constantly updated, ideal for testing the latest features and ensuring compatibility with new hardware. It is a choice for experienced users who are aware that bugs or problematic rebuilds may occur temporarily.

If you have already installed the stable version, you can switch to the unstable version by following these steps :

  1. Go to /etc/nixos
  2. Edit the flake.nix file to delete the content and replace it with the following :
# flake.nix (CORRIGÉ - Pour iso-cfg - Version "via GitHub" - Révisé)
{
  description = "GLF-OS ISO Configuration - Installer Evaluation Flake";

  inputs = {
        nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
        glf.url = "github:Gaming-Linux-FR/GLF-OS/rolling";
        nixpkgs-unstable.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
};

  outputs =
    {
      nixpkgs,
      nixpkgs-unstable,
      glf,
      self,
      ...
    }: 

    let
      system = "x86_64-linux"; 

      # Configuration pour le nixpkgs stable (sera le 'pkgs' par défaut)
      pkgsStable = import nixpkgs {
        inherit system;
        config.allowUnfree = true;
      };

      # Configuration pour le nixpkgs unstable (sera passé en argument spécial)
      pkgsUnstable = import nixpkgs-unstable {
        inherit system;
        config.allowUnfree = true;
      };
    in
    {
      nixosConfigurations."GLF-OS" = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
        inherit system; # Maintenant 'system' est défini
        pkgs = pkgsStable; 
        modules = [
          ./configuration.nix 
          glf.nixosModules.default 
        ];

        specialArgs = {
          pkgs-unstable = pkgsUnstable; 
        };
      };
    };
}

[!IMPORTANT] We only recommend this procedure for people who want to run tests or in the case of very recent hardware that is not supported in the stable version.

How does my system update ?

Updates are automatic on GLF OS. For more information on how they work, go here.

[!IMPORTANT] Regular rebooting is recommended to ensure that all updates are applied.

How can I display or remove the information displayed at the top of the screen when launching a game ?

A graphical tool called Mangohud Presets is available for this purpose. More information here.

I have a problem with GLF OS, what should I do ?

The best thing to do is to let us know so that we can help you solve it or identify a bug that needs to be fixed. To do this, you can let us know on Discord or on Github, the links for which are available here.

I want to submit an improvement, how do I do that ?

To do so, you can let us know on Discord or on Github, the links for which are available here.

Where can I find information about the latest news ?

All our release notes are available here, and any new features will be announced there.