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Please read all this information before starting. You may already know some parts, but it is good that you read these warnings.

Minimum requirements

For Pear Edition: x86_64 hardware with at least the following. These are the minimums — more is always better.

Memory

8 GB RAM

Storage

30 GB free

Processor

5 cores, x86_64

Arch or Debian — your choice

Every edition ships on both bases. Pick the one that fits how you use your computer.

Debian Edition

Rock-solid and predictable. Packages change slowly, so nothing breaks unexpectedly — but support for very recent hardware (new GPUs, Wi-Fi cards...) can lag behind. Best for older computers and anyone who values stability above all.

Arch Edition

Rolling release, always up to date with the newest drivers and packages. Excellent compatibility with new hardware — but updates ship constantly, so a version can introduce changes. Best for modern computers.

rEFInd or GRUB — your hardware decides

The ISO ships with both bootloaders. Pick the one your computer supports.

rEFInd

The closest to the Mac experience and the most comfortable to use. It requires a computer with UEFI support — it will not boot on legacy BIOS.

GRUB

The classic bootloader. Works on any machine, including legacy BIOS. Choose this if your computer does not support UEFI.

Two installers included

Every edition comes with two ways to install the system.

Calamares

Still being polished. It works as a fallback — if the Pulsar Installer fails for any reason, try Calamares.

Flash the USB correctly

How you write the ISO to the USB drive matters.

Support for Ventoy still in testing

If something is wrong, let us know and if so, implement the solution if you want.

Don't use Balena Etcher

Balena Etcher is very picky and complains to a minimum. It gives more problems than an old car. We recommend using gnome-disks or any other.

After installing: remove the USB

The one step almost everyone forgets.

Unplug the USB before rebooting

Once the installer restarts your computer, remove the USB. You're probably fine if you forget, but it's best to remove it.

Ready to download?

Grab the latest release from GitHub, read the release notes and pick the edition for your hardware.

Download the ISO