Fathom-OS Project Log: Vision, Status & Milestones

This post was updated on June 8, 2026 at 11:09 PM EDT to reflect the current state of the project. Fathom-OS has moved from planning to active development.

Follow the journey of building a deeper Linux, one decision at a time.

What is Fathom-OS?

Fathom-OS is a custom Linux distribution being built from scratch using the Linux From Scratch (LFS) methodology. It is designed for developers, sysadmins, and minimalist users who want full control without unnecessary complexity.

The project is in active development. A dedicated build host is running and the LFS 13.0-systemd build is underway. Follow along in the build series below.

Current Status

Project name confirmed: Fathom-OS
Project home: the Fathom-OS category here on the site
Source repository: private at this time
Build methodology confirmed: Linux From Scratch, full source build
Build host online: dedicated VM (10 vCPUs, 32 GB RAM, 245 GB LFS partition)

We are currently not accepting contributors or publishing builds, this post serves as a log of major decisions, design progress, and roadmap updates.

Development Philosophy

Modular by default, every component (scripts, pages, CSS, UI) is isolated and replaceable.
Terminal-first. GUI may come later, but command-line experience is the priority.
Clarity over clutter, nothing ships unless it’s clean, documented, and justified.
Solo-driven by Dennis Ayotte. Every build decision, command, and configuration is done by hand. AI is used as a reference tool for questions and documentation, nothing more.

Planned Milestones

Version	Goal
`v0.1.0`	Fully documented build environment + modular bootstrap scripts
`v0.5.0`	Minimal ISO with live environment and install options
`v1.0.0`	Core release with optional modules, documentation, and live CLI demo

These milestones are fluid and may change as we test tools, explore packaging strategies, and refine the OS’s identity.

How to Follow Along

I use this log to post:

Screenshots of new visuals or shell interfaces
Development logs and changelogs
Design decisions, tradeoffs, and reworks
Internal milestones

This log is updated as the project progresses.

Dev Log

Chapter 2.2: Host System Requirements (June 8, 2026)
Chapter 2.4 and 2.5: Partition and Filesystem Setup (June 8, 2026)
Chapter 2.6 and 2.7: Setting $LFS and Mounting the Partition (June 9, 2026)
Chapter 3: Packages and Patches (June 9, 2026)
Chapter 4: Final Preparations (June 9, 2026)
Chapter 5: Compiling a Cross-Toolchain (June 10, 2026)
Chapter 6: Cross Compiling Temporary Tools (June 11, 2026)
Chapter 7: Entering Chroot and Building Additional Temporary Tools (June 12, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 1: API and Core Libraries (June 13, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 2: The Toolchain (June 17, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 3: System Libraries and the Final GCC (June 20, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 4: Terminal Libraries and the Shell (June 25, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 5: Build Tools and Perl (June 27, 2026)
Chapter 8 Part 6: Perl Modules and Python (July 5, 2026)