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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Origami is a relatively new Linux distribution.
- Origami combines immutable Fedora and the COSMIC desktop.
- You can download and install this distro for free.
Origami Linux was conceived in 2021, which makes it relatively new for an operating system. The goal behind this distribution was to create something beautiful and secure. To achieve that, the developer decided to take the COSMIC desktop and marry it with an immutable Fedora base. That’s not all.
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You could also opt for an Arch base that includes the CachyOS kernel, or a version created specifically for NVIDIA GPUs.
The name Origami seems apropos, given that this operating system can “unfold” into various incarnations.
I gave Origami Linux a go to see what was what, and here’s my take.
Installation and first login
I opted to go with the standard ISO, which is the version based on immutable Fedora. Because of that, the Origami installer was very familiar, as it is the Fedora installer. If you’ve ever installed that distribution, you can install Origami. In fact, the Fedora installer is easy enough for just about anyone, as it is a total point-and-click affair.
Within roughly five minutes, I had Origami Linux up and running and ready to log in. When I logged in, I encountered the familiar sight of System76’s COSMIC desktop. The Origami developer has configured the desktop to be very straightforward, with a top panel and bottom dock.
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It took me less than 60 seconds to customize COSMIC to my liking. Without customizations, any user should be able to hop onto this desktop and feel immediately at home. With customizations, you can really make this desktop shine.
First impressions
One of the first things I noticed was that Origami’s default web browser is Zen Browser, which I totally respect. I feel there are two browsers that are ideal for Origami: Zen Browser and Opera. Why? Given that the default desktop is COSMIC, and the goal is to create something beautiful, Zen Browser and Opera are the two browsers with the best theming capability, which means you can customize it to match your desktop.
Zen Browser is one of my favorites on the market.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Next came the preinstalled apps… or lack thereof. I’m guessing the bare minimum apps that shipped with the distribution are to stick with the theme of creating a unique OS that is personalized to the user’s taste. The good news is that Origami ships with Flatpak and support for Flathub built into the COSMIC Store. Thanks to that combination, it’s very easy to install all the apps you need, such as LibreOffice, GIMP, VLC, Spotify, Slack, and so much more.
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There is one interesting preinstalled app, and that’s Cloudflare Zero Trust. This app serves as a security platform to ensure only authorized users and devices are able to access sensitive information, regardless of location. Zero Trust trusts no one and nothing. With Zero Trust, you get a more secure web browser experience, automatic protection from malware and other threats, and anytime/anywhere access to workplace apps.
Zero Trust is available, if you need it.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
The one caveat to Zero Trust is that you have to have an account. But if your company uses Zero Trust, you probably already have one.
Adding Zero Trust is important because it means businesses can take Origami seriously and trust that those using it have the necessary protections. If you don’t work with a company that uses Zero Trust, the app will be of no use to you (and expensive).
As for the other preinstalled applications, you get COSMIC Files, COSMIC Screenshot, COSMIC Settings, COSMIC Store, COSMIC Terminal, COSMIC Text Editor, Helix, and Print Settings. That’s it.
At least those apps all work very well.
Performance, stability, and security
First off, you have to go into this knowing that COSMIC Desktop 1.0 was only just released a few months ago. That being said, I’ve found this desktop environment to be remarkably stable… and fast. I don’t think there’s a Linux desktop environment like COSMIC that performs this well. Part of that is because it was written, from the ground up, with Rust, which is known for its speed.
The other part is that the System76 engineers and developers really know what it is doing, so it should come as no surprise that the 1.0 release is as stable as nearly any desktop environment.
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As a whole, Origami performs very well. I did my usual Ollama AI test and found it to stand up to just about every Linux distribution I’ve tested in the past year. Asking Ollama “What is Linux?” and it answered immediately. Asking Ollama to write a Python program that accepts user input and writes it to a file was fast and, in the end, successful.
As far as security is concerned, Origami is an immutable distribution, which levels up the usual Linux security because the core of the OS is mounted as read-only. That means anything within that core cannot be altered.
My conclusion
Although I didn’t test the Arch-based version of Origami, I can honestly say that this distribution is one that will certainly be on my radar. I love the combination of COSMIC for its customization and speed, with an immutable base for added security.
If that sounds like an operating system you would want (and who wouldn’t), download an ISO, burn it to a USB drive, and install it on a spare computer.