The Clear Linux OS team has announced the shutdown of the project, marking the end of its 10-year existence in the open-source ecosystem.
Clear Linux is a Linux distribution developed and maintained by Intel, featuring aggressive optimizations for Intel hardware. Binaries are compiled using tuning flags designed explicitly for Intel CPUs.
It was a minimalist, modular OS that utilized software bundles for faster app installation and automatic performance tuning for optimal speed and power efficiency.
The distribution was primarily aimed at software developers, performance enthusiasts, and those working in cloud or server environments.
In an announcement to the Clear Linux forums, the team says the project will no longer receive security patches or any other updates. Therefore, its user base should migrate to other distributions for safety.
"Effective immediately, Intel will no longer provide security patches, updates, or maintenance for Clear Linux OS, and the Clear Linux OS GitHub repository will be archived in read-only mode," reads the announcement.
"So, if you're currently using Clear Linux OS, we strongly recommend planning your migration to another actively maintained Linux distribution as soon as possible to ensure ongoing security and stability."
Although Intel has not officially explained why it's shutting down the project, it could be due to low user adoption coupled with a high maintenance burden.
Considering that Clear Linux OS relied on its own package management and update system, as it is not a fork of another distribution, it required substantial engineering resources to provide user support.
Another key point may be Intel's ongoing efforts to consolidate and tighten its operations, scaling back niche internal projects that don’t provide strategic value, and focusing more on new targets, such as agentic AI.
Although Clear Linux OS is now abandoned, the team behind it says it will remain invested in the Linux ecosystem and continue to provide Intel hardware optimizations that can be applied to other distributions and open-source software.
If you rely on Clear Linux OS, you are recommended to migrate to another distribution as soon as possible, as the lack of updates means the system will become vulnerable to flaws with known/public exploits in a short time.
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Original Article Published at Bleeping Computer
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