Zen OS Documentation

Welcome to the comprehensive documentation for Zen OS Zebu. This guide will help you get the most out of your minimalist Linux distribution.

Getting Started

Zen OS is designed to be intuitive from the first boot. Here's what you need to know to get started:

First Boot

After installation, Zen OS will boot into a clean, minimal desktop environment. The default configuration includes:

  • i3-gaps window manager for efficient workspace management
  • Custom Zen status bar with system information
  • Application launcher accessible via Super key
  • Terminal emulator pre-configured with zsh and useful aliases

Basic Navigation

Super + Enter # Open terminal Super + d # Application launcher Super + Shift + q # Close window Super + [1-9] # Switch to workspace Super + Shift + [1-9] # Move window to workspace

Desktop Environment

Zen OS uses a custom desktop environment built around i3-gaps, optimized for productivity and minimal distractions.

Window Management

The tiling window manager automatically arranges windows for optimal screen space usage:

  • Windows automatically tile without overlapping
  • Resize windows with Super + r, then arrow keys
  • Toggle floating mode with Super + Shift + Space
  • Fullscreen toggle with Super + f

Status Bar

The top status bar displays essential system information including CPU usage, memory, network status, and time.

Package Management

Zen OS uses apt package manager with additional Zen-specific repositories and tools.

Basic Commands

sudo apt update # Update package lists sudo apt upgrade # Upgrade installed packages sudo apt install <package> # Install a package sudo apt remove <package> # Remove a package apt search <query> # Search for packages

Zen Package Manager

The zen command provides additional functionality:

zen install <package> # Install with optimizations zen remove <package> # Clean removal zen update # System update with cleanup zen theme <name> # Apply system theme

System Configuration

Zen OS configuration files are located in predictable locations and use simple formats.

Configuration Locations

  • ~/.config/zen/ - User-specific Zen settings
  • ~/.config/i3/config - Window manager configuration
  • ~/.zshrc - Shell configuration
  • /etc/zen/ - System-wide Zen settings

Display Settings

# Set display resolution xrandr --output <display> --mode <resolution> # Multiple monitor setup zen display config

Development Tools

Zen OS comes pre-configured with a comprehensive development environment.

Pre-installed Tools

  • Git with sensible defaults
  • Node.js and npm
  • Python 3 with pip
  • Docker and docker-compose
  • VS Code with Zen theme
  • Vim with modern configuration

Development Workflow

# Quick project setup zen create project <name> <type> # Language-specific environments zen env python # Activate Python environment zen env node # Activate Node.js environment zen env docker # Start Docker daemon

Customization

Zen OS is highly customizable while maintaining its minimalist philosophy.

Themes

Switch between built-in themes:

zen theme dark # Dark theme (default) zen theme light # Light theme zen theme minimal # Ultra-minimal theme zen theme custom # Your custom theme

Keybindings

Customize keybindings by editing ~/.config/i3/config:

# Example custom binding bindsym $mod+shift+b exec firefox

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for Zen OS.

Boot Issues

  • If the system fails to boot, try recovery mode from GRUB
  • Check system logs with journalctl -b
  • Verify disk space with df -h

Performance Issues

# Check system resources htop # Monitor system services systemctl status # Clean package cache sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt autoclean

Getting Help

If you need additional help: