Bodhi Linux

What Bodhi Linux does

Bodhi Linux is a community-driven, non-profit open-source Linux distribution project founded in 2010 by Jeff Hoogland and currently led by Robert "ylee" Wiley (Lead Developer since June 2019). It distributes a lightweight, minimalist operating system built on Ubuntu LTS releases, paired with the Moksha desktop environment—a fork of Enlightenment E17 built on the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL). The distribution is offered in six ISO flavors (Standard, Debian, HWE, s76, AppPack, and Legacy 32-bit) targeting users seeking a minimal base they can customize, including those reviving older hardware with minimum specs as low as a 32-bit 500MHz processor, 512MB RAM, and 5GB storage. Its defining technical claim is that the default Moksha desktop runs in under 100MB of RAM, positioning Bodhi as a resource-efficient alternative to mainstream operating systems.

The project is maintained by a small volunteer core team (approximately 3 active developers plus documentation, forum, and sys-admin contributors) and operates as a non-profit without formal corporate ownership or venture funding. Bodhi Linux is free to download; revenue is generated through voluntary community donations (PayPal and Patreon at $5/month or $50/year tiers), branded merchandise sold via Spreadshirt (T-shirts, water bottles, flash drives), and an affiliate referral partnership with DuckDuckGo that monetizes default search queries in its bundled Chromium browser. Distribution channels are self-serve ISO downloads from bodhilinux.com, with repository mirrors in North America, Europe (Paris), and Asia (Singapore) to serve a global user base. Customer segments are entirely consumer/individual Linux users, power users building minimal workstations, and legacy-hardware users—not enterprise customers.

The project follows a semi-rolling release model on Ubuntu LTS, with major version releases approximately every two years (5.0.0 in August 2018, 6.0.0 in May 2021, 7.0.0 in August 2023). The company_description_short and product portfolio also include the Moksha Desktop, the AppCenter (a curated WordPress-based software store), the Terminology terminal emulator, and the Swami configuration panel.

Name

Bodhi Linux

Legal name

Bodhi Linux

Website

https://bodhilinux.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bodhi Linux is a community-driven, non-profit open-source Linux distribution built on Ubuntu LTS with the lightweight Moksha desktop environment. It serves individual users, power users, and legacy-hardware owners seeking a minimal, highly customizable OS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Linux Operating System Distribution

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMADAB

PC/Desktop Software Stores

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/App Stores, Distribution & Developer Platforms

Keywords

• Linux distribution
• Open source operating system
• Lightweight desktop environment
• Ubuntu based distribution
• Moksha desktop

Headquarters

HQ city

Ladson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: Community donations through PayPal, Patreon, and monthly/yearly membership programs ($5/month or $50/year). Patreon tiers offer exclusive content access.
2. Merchandise Sales: Bodhi-branded merchandise including T-shirts, water bottles, and flash drives sold through Spreadshirt store.
3. DuckDuckGo Partnership: Partnership with DuckDuckGo for default search engine in Chromium browser, generating revenue through browser searches.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bodhi Linux develops and distributes a free, open-source Linux operating system based on Ubuntu LTS releases, bundled with the Moksha desktop environment (a fork of Enlightenment E17). The distribution is available in six ISO editions (Standard, Debian, HWE, s76, AppPack, and Legacy 32-bit) targeting users who want a minimal, lightweight, highly customizable OS capable of running on older hardware with as little as 512MB of RAM.

Product overview

Bodhi Linux is a single, unified Linux distribution built around the Moksha Desktop environment, designed as a lightweight and minimalist operating system. The core offering is Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, available in six editions: Standard Edition (Ubuntu-based), Debian Edition (beta), HWE Edition (newer kernel), s76 Edition (bleeding-edge kernel), AppPack Edition (pre-loaded software), and Legacy 32-bit Edition. The product portfolio includes Moksha Desktop as the default window manager, the AppCenter for curated software distribution, Terminology as the default terminal emulator, and Swami as the configuration control panel. All editions share the minimalist philosophy of providing a base system allowing users to customize their workstations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 Standard Edition The main operating system distribution based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with a minimal and lightweight base designed for user customization, shipping with Moksha Desktop by default.
• Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 Debian Edition A Debian-based variant of Bodhi Linux with minimal and lightweight base, currently in beta testing.
• Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 HWE Edition Same as Standard Edition but with the most recent kernel (HWE kernel) to support newer hardware.
• Bodhi Linux s76 Edition Same as Standard Edition but with the bleeding-edge 6.4.6-76060406 kernel for hardware that requires the latest kernel support.
• Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 AppPack Edition Same as Standard Edition but pre-installed with additional themes and applications including productivity, graphics, internet, multimedia, and office software suites.
• Bodhi Linux Legacy (32-bit) Edition 32-bit edition supporting older hardware including Non-PAE CPUs, for machines that cannot run 64-bit operating systems.
• Moksha Desktop The default window manager for Bodhi Linux, a fork of Enlightenment E17 written using the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL). Known for minimal resource usage (under 100MB RAM) and high customizability.
• AppCenter

Quantifiable outcome

• Runs in less than 100MB of RAM (compared to typical 1-4GB for modern desktop environments)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DuckDuckGocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBodhi Linux has a partnership with DuckDuckGo that helps generate revenue. Chromium browser is set to use DuckDuckGo as default search engine. Users can configure other browsers to use Bodhi Linux's DuckDuckGo search URL (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%s&t=bodhi) to support the project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• antiX: A lightweight, community-maintained Linux distribution based on Debian (with antiX-MX variants) targeting older and lower-spec hardware. Direct competitor to Bodhi's Legacy and Debian editions in the lightweight/revive-old-hardware niche.
• Linux Mint: One of the most popular community-driven Linux distributions based on Ubuntu, with a strong focus on usability and out-of-the-box experience. Directly comparable to Bodhi as a community-led Ubuntu-based distro targeting desktop users.
• Xubuntu: An official Ubuntu flavor using the Xfce desktop, designed to be lightweight and user-friendly. Comparable to Bodhi as a community-supported, Ubuntu-based lightweight distro targeting similar end users.
• Zorin OS: A community/commercial Ubuntu-based distribution focused on Windows-user familiarity and ease of use. Comparable to Bodhi as an Ubuntu-derived alternative OS, though targeting a different user segment (Windows migrants vs. power users).
• Puppy Linux: A community-driven, ultra-lightweight Linux distribution designed to run entirely in RAM on very old hardware. Direct competitor to Bodhi Legacy edition in the minimal-footprint, legacy-hardware segment.
• Linux Lite: A community Ubuntu-based Linux distribution explicitly designed to be lightweight and revive older hardware, with minimum system requirements similar to Bodhi. Direct competitor in the lightweight Ubuntu-derived segment.
• Lubuntu: An official Ubuntu flavor using the LXQt desktop, focused on lightweight performance on older hardware. Direct competitor to Bodhi in the lightweight Ubuntu-flavored category with similar minimum-spec ambitions.
• elementary OS: A community-developed Ubuntu-based Linux distribution with a custom desktop environment (Pantheon) focused on visual polish and minimalism. Comparable to Bodhi as a niche distro with a bespoke DE experience over Ubuntu.

Broad incumbents

• Ubuntu (Canonical): The upstream base for Bodhi Linux and the dominant commercially backed Linux distribution. Comparable as the broader incumbent Linux ecosystem that Bodhi's lightweight customizations sit on top of.

Others

• Enlightenment: The original E17 desktop environment and Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL) from which Bodhi's Moksha desktop is forked. Directly comparable as the upstream technology stack for Bodhi's differentiating desktop.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ylee2130
• Facebookfacebook.com/bodhilinux

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bodhi Linux