Intel Shuts Down Clear Linux OS After 10 Years
Immediate stop, Github archiving, user migration: Intel pulls the connector at Clear Linux OS. The solution, which is the fastest distribution, disappears from the market after ten years. Find out more about the background.
Intel ends Clear Linux OS project
Intel surprisingly stops its optimized Linux operating system Clear Linux OS. The one presented in 2015 on the OpenStack Summit The project is ended with immediate effect – Only four years after Intel published a new desktop installer in 2019 and started his own help forum. The decision makes the Linux Community hard because Clear Linux OS was known for its excellent performance optimizations. The system offered optimizations, link-time optimizations and various kernel adjustments.
Reasons for the attitude
From now on there are no longer any security updates or maintenance work. The GitHub repository is being read. Intel recommends users to switch quickly to other Linux distributions. Intel does not call a specific reason, but the decision should be part of the current austerity measures. The company covers 15,000 jobs and admits that it is too far back in the AI race. Intel emphasizes that it continues to stay active in the Linux ecosystem and to support various open source projects. The company thanks everyone who has contributed to Clear Linux OS in the past ten years:
Be assured that Intel continues to invest heavily in the Linux ecosystem and actively support various open source projects and Linux distributions to enable and optimize intel hardware. A big thank you to all developers, users and participants who have contributed to the development of Clear Linux OS in the past 10 years. Your feedback and your contributions were invaluable. Intel community statement
What Clear Linux OS made special
Clear Linux OS was not aimed at end consumers, but at IT professionals in DevOps, AI development, cloud computing and container areas. Distribution was known for its performance optimizations on Intel hardware, used Intel’s performance libraries and compiler optimizations for faster boot times and better application performance.
Linux distributions at a glance
Distribution main target group Special strengthening basis recommendation for
| Ubuntu | Beginners & general users | User -friendliness, large community, regular updates | Debian | Linux newcomers, desktop users |
| Linux Mint | Windows climber | User -friendliness, traditional surfaces, “out of the box” equipment | Ubuntu | Users who are used to Windows |
| Fedora | Developer & interested in technology | Current software, technical innovations, the latest features | Red has | Developer, early adopters |
| Debian | Server admins & experienced users | Stability, reliability, basis for other distributors | Standalone | Server, productive environments |
| Arch Linux | Advanced users | Flexibility, minimalism, rolling release | Standalone | Experienced Linux users |
| Manjaro | Arch-entrepreneur | Arch base but more user-friendly, modern surfaces | Arch Linux | Users who want Arch, but easier |
| Pop! _OS | Developer & Power user | Hardware compatibility, modern desktop environment | Ubuntu | Developer, gaming |
| openuse | Versatile user | Flexibility (Leap/Tumbleweed), desktop & server | Standalone | Both desktop and server |
In comparisons with other distributions such as OpenSuse, Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora, Clear Linux proved to be one of the fastest performers. The system offered highly optimized software bundle, functional multi-version and autofdo for automated optimizations. As a rolling distribution, Clear Linux also released new versions several times a day and now reached version 5700.
These continuous updates ensured current optimizations and security patches. In the future, Intel wants to concentrate on improving the performance of important Linux distributions and investing more in upstream development. Projects such as Cachyos have already taken over some optimizations, so that the innovations are not completely lost.
