Hi! New to linux and want to make a distro with a custom GUI for passion project.

r3y

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Hi! I'm new to linux and want to make a distro with a custom GUI for my passion project (as you can probably tell from the title) any tips, tricks and just general help is greatly appreciated!

I have attached somewhat of an idea for the GUI
1628534554429.png

Thank you in advance :)
 


You said you want to make a distro with a custom GUI.....so you will be building an operating system that is Linux based?

 
You said you want to make a distro with a custom GUI.....so you will be building an operating system that is Linux based?

I was suggested to just make a distro with a custom GUI
 
I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do (because what you do with your life is your business), but being there's a plethora of distros already out there (with various custom GUIs as well), what would make yours different from the rest?
 
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I'm not going to tell you what you shouldn't or shouldn't do (because what you do with your life is your business), but being there's a plethora of distros already out there (with various custom GUIs as well), what would make yours different from the rest?
well its simply for a passion project for me and my friends, (big surprise its a console)
 
well its simply for a passion project for me and my friends, (big surprise its a console)

You don't necessarily need that for a console. You can just run a custom version of an existing distro.
 
You don't necessarily need that for a console. You can just run a custom version of an existing distro.
well i'll need a store with the game's I Specifically want, and also a way to easily download the image inside the OS, and having a dual use is cool, with a desktop mode. Will those distro's have that?
 
If you're in the OS, why would you need to download the OS?
 
well i'll need a store with the game's I Specifically want, and also a way to easily download the image inside the OS, and having a dual use is cool, with a desktop mode. Will those distro's have that?

Because Linux is fragmented into various distros (which makes Linux itself a double-edged sword), there aren't any app stores that you'd find on Windows, Mac, or Android. The closest thing to an app store on Linux would be a software manager, so maybe instead of creating entire new distro, you can create a FOSS gaming platform. By having the console also work as a desktop, you might as well make it a gaming PC.
 
well i'll need a store with the game's I Specifically want, and also a way to easily download the image inside the OS
Sounds more like you need your own website. You make your webpage look how you want it (like the image you showed above), and your friends can click and download your games from the website. People using any OS, or any web browser, can view your website and download your games
 
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Not to come off as judgmental, but I get the feeling you're a teenager. While there's nothing wrong with you using Linux at a young age (the more people who move away from Big Tech, the better), you need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to understanding how your idea would work in practical, technical, and realistic terms.

We all support you, but at the same time, we don't want you to get laughed out of the room on Shark Tank.
 
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for use on other systems

They will have already downloaded it in order to install it. It seems a strange thing to devote space and attention to. If your OS is installed, they've already downloaded it. (Unless you have a magic installer, though I suppose you could do net install remotely but that seems pretty silly.)

I welcome new distros, but it's a whole lot of work as @Lord Boltar has indicated. I'd not even be too worried about how difficult it is to build, I'd be more worried about maintaining it.
 
They will have already downloaded it in order to install it. It seems a strange thing to devote space and attention to. If your OS is installed, they've already downloaded it. (Unless you have a magic installer, though I suppose you could do net install remotely but that seems pretty silly.)

I welcome new distros, but it's a whole lot of work as @Lord Boltar has indicated. I'd not even be too worried about how difficult it is to build, I'd be more worried about maintaining it.
Yep I think that is why most new Distros are based on something else and use their repositories that way you do not have to maintain your own repositories or at least it is minimal
 


And ETA Prime's YT site has a lot of retro console gaming info

 
I don't mean to seem rude, but I think you're very new to Linux and are trying to run before you can crawl. Just by what you're saying. I'm also gonna agree with others that you're probably quit young. Still, don't let it stop you, but don't dive in the deep end before you can swim. Use a distro (Debian children are the most user-friendly) to actually do stuff on. Read docs. Understand how Linux (and any OS) works. Generation Z and beyond have and will have a tough time in these areas because you lot grew up with smartphones and IoT so your concept of computing is very different. That said, let me point you in the best direction:

I think you may do well to look into AntiX Linux. Unlike other distros, it has a very user-friendly clickety-boo tool to make your own spins/flavours/remasters/whatevs.

Basically, you need just a base system and RetroArch installed. You can map functionalities for controlling the desktop using a controller with QJoyPad. So after installing and configuring these things, you just do the cosmetic surgery (GTK themes, icons, WM themes, etc.)

When you're happy with you OS, you can use AntiX's tool to turn what you're running into a spin that should support booting live + persistence.

Further reading: https://antixlinux.com/

Honestly, any distro with the aforementioned packages will serve you well and Rasbian + RetroArch + a Rasberry Pi = a pretty cool setup, especially if you add streaming software and some socialising stuff to the mix.

Good luck.
 
I think this all started over the OP getting too excited over the SteamDeck. Its not impossible to give Valve a run for their money (considering the Deck seems like a walled garden because of it's proprietary components), but its also not easy either. As I said in a previous thread, I would like more Linux-based consoles hitting the scene, so as long as the OP is willing to learn how to make that work (instead of putting the cart before the horse), I'm all for seeing what they come up with. I just hope they take our constructive criticisms maturely and openly.
 

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