Why SakuraOS
SakuraOS is based on Arch Linux. You get Arch's up-to-date software, with the setup already done and a way to undo changes that go wrong.
What it is
SakuraOS installs Arch Linux's own packages, straight from Arch's servers, unchanged. On top of them it adds a few pieces of its own: a graphical installer, restore points you can go back to from the boot menu, automatic updates, an App Store, and a tuned kernel. These come from SakuraOS's own package repository.
It is a rolling release. There are no big version upgrades every six months or two years. Your system updates a little at a time, and you always have the current release of every program.
What it adds to Arch
| Arch Linux | SakuraOS | |
|---|---|---|
| Installing | A guided script (archinstall) or a manual install | A graphical installer. Its questions are about you, such as your language and your account, not about how Linux is set up. See Installing. |
| Desktop | You choose and install one | KDE Plasma, set up and themed |
| Going back after a bad update | Up to you to set up | A restore point before every update, and a recovery screen in the boot menu. See Going back. |
| Updates | You run them | Installed automatically at night, after a restore point, holding back anything that needs a manual step. See Updates. |
| Installing applications | pacman in a terminal | An App Store covering Arch's packages, Flatpak, Snap, AppImage and the AUR. See App Store. |
| Kernel | The standard Arch kernel | A CachyOS-based kernel for processors from about 2013 onward, and the standard Arch kernel for older ones. See Kernel. |
| The AUR | No helper installed | Off until you turn it on. When on, you see each build script before it runs. See The AUR. |
Who it is for
- People who want current software and a modern desktop without assembling the system themselves.
- People coming from Windows or macOS who would rather not use a terminal for everyday tasks.
- Arch users who want restore points and recovery set up for them.
Who it may not suit
- If you want to choose every part yourself, plain Arch Linux is the better starting point. SakuraOS makes those choices for you: the desktop is KDE Plasma, the file system is BTRFS, and the boot loader is Limine.
- If you need software that changes rarely, such as for a server or a managed office computer, a distribution with long-term support releases will suit you better than a rolling release.
- If your computer is not a 64-bit PC with UEFI firmware, SakuraOS will not install. See System requirements.
SakuraOS and the Arch community
Because SakuraOS uses Arch's packages, most of the Arch Wiki applies to it and is an excellent reference. Some things are different, though: the boot loader, restore points and updates work the SakuraOS way, described in this wiki.
SakuraOS is not affiliated with the Arch Linux project. If you have a problem, ask in the SakuraOS community first rather than in Arch's forums, since the cause may be something SakuraOS does differently.
Last checked against the SakuraOS release of 3 October 2026. If your system behaves differently from this page, the page is wrong: please report it.