A frugal, portable and flexible OS.
Vanilla Dpup is a lightweight, community-built operating system based on Puppy Linux and Debian.
Like Puppy, it has that 2000s look and features a curated selection of preconfigured, lightweight applications for a variety of daily computing tasks like browsing and note-taking. Like Debian, it's compatible with a huge range of computers and applications. Vanilla Dpup tries to strike the right balance between lightweight and practical, while improving efficiency and security.
Currently, the 10.0.x release series receives security and stability updates, while the 11.0.x series is in development.
This release series is based on Debian Bookworm packages and cuts the amount of technical debt and legacy cruft accumulated in Puppy Linux throughout the years, to prepare for big and disruptive changes like the deprecation of X.Org and GTK+ 2 in favor of Wayland and GTK+ 3 or 4, and the adoption of overlay as a replacement for aufs.
Those familiar with Puppy Linux will enjoy improved responsiveness, low resource usage, reliable package management with apt-get, GTK+ 3 ports of classic themes, GTK+ 3 ports of lightweight applications lost to time, a modern audio stack with PipeWire and Bluetooth support, fast web browsing thanks to DNS caching, ad blocking and privacy tweaks, Landlock-based sandboxing for internet-facing applications, a fast save2flash that makes flash drives last longer, shell completion, man pages, keyboard shortcuts, easy installation of drivers, multi-language support and even a Wayland preview.
BookwormPup64 is based on an old Vanilla Dpup 10.0.x build: it omits enhancements introduced later (like the improved save2flash), contains more applications, consumes more resources out-of-the-box, and doesn't have a fully automated and transparent build process that incorporates all Debian security and bug fixes frequently. If you like BookwormPup64 but prefer something leaner and lighter, perhaps less user friendly, Vanilla Dpup could be what you're looking for.
| Flavor | X.Org | Xwayland |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | The safe bet | The best of both worlds, mostly |
| VSync | Requires compositor | Built-in |
| Suitable for Gaming | Yes | Mostly yes |
| Range of Supported GPUs | Wide | Limited |
| Multi-Monitor Support | Normal | With caveats |
| HiDPI Support | Limited | With caveats |
| Flatpak Support | Limited | Better |
This version is in development but close to release, tracks Debian Trixie and completes the multi-year migration effort to Wayland by replacing the traditional Puppy desktop with labwc and waybar.
This version boots faster, shuts down faster, feels faster, improves Debian compatibility and includes new features like save folder encryption, improved multi-monitor support, screen recording, simpler installation, more flexible management of saved sessions and better documentation.
It's built by a revamped build system that makes it easy to develop, rebuild and customize.
These are development builds that track Debian Unstable, contain the newest packages and break often. Use at your own risk.