Clear Linux OS terminated as Intel trims the fat • The Register

Intel has abruptly killed off Clear Linux OS, ending Chipzilla’s decade-long adventure in this part of the Linux world.

In a statement on the Clear Linux Project forums, Intel said it would continue to contribute to the wider Linux arena, but the end was nigh for the operating system.

It also instructed users to migrate as quickly as possible, since Intel would no longer be patching, updating, or maintaining the OS.

Seriously? No grace period, users are supposed to instantly migrate? That’s not very serious honestly

The abrupt end comes as Intel’s new boss, Lip-Bu Tan, reportedly admitted that the company had fallen out of the top ten semiconductor companies. Cuts and layoffs have become a feature of the company, and the relatively obscure Clear Linux OS project seemed unlikely to escape the chopping block.

Clear Linux OS was optimized for Intel silicon (although the tweaks also worked for AMD chips). It arrived in 2015, initially aimed at cloud workloads, but also found its way onto the desktop. In addition to performance optimizations, the operating system was relatively minimal. Its stateless architecture, where a separation between the user and system files is maintained, also had its admirers.

Compared to the big beasts of the Linux world, it was always a niche player. However, as with many niche distributions, it had its devoted fans. Those fans clearly did not include Intel’s new boss.

The Clear Linux OS repo is to be archived in read-only mode, meaning that a fork will be required if anyone chooses to pick up the baton.

One user on the Clear Linux forums commented: “Seriously? No grace period, users are supposed to instantly migrate? That’s not very serious honestly.”

It’s a fair point, although the limited usage of Clear Linux OS means its sudden shutdown is unlikely to cause more than a few ripples.

The post concludes: “A heartfelt thank you to every developer, user, and contributor who helped shape Clear Linux OS over the last 10 years. Your feedback and contributions have been invaluable.”

But not so invaluable that Intel was willing to keep throwing cash onto this particular bonfire. ®