> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # This New Distro Wants to Achieve What Ubuntu Failed to Do Nearly a Decade Ago - URL: https://itsfoss.com/luma-first-look/ - Published: 2026-10-13T16:39:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-13T16:39:19.000Z - Description: Currently in beta, it pairs Prairie, a new desktop, with a native app suite and an AI assistant. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: First Look Remember [Ubuntu’s convergence dream](https://itsfoss.com/projects-ditched-by-ubuntu/)? One operating system across your desktop, tablet, and phone, with apps that adapt to whichever screen you’re using. Canonical pursued that vision with Unity 8 and Ubuntu Phone before pulling its investment in 2017\. Now, a new project called [Luma](https://simplyluma.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) wants to tackle a similar ambition. It’s early days, and only a desktop build is available to download. But its plans go well beyond becoming another desktop Linux distro. The project's founder, [Nick](https://github.com/nmcmil?ref=itsfoss.com) (*nmcmil*), has worked with a small group of people to achieve this, with the group answering to no shareholders or investors and taking all the key project-related decisions themselves. When I tested it, it was built on Fedora 44 and ran a recent version of the Linux kernel. The team does say that they have reworked enough of the stack that it doesn't count as a typical distro. Their [blog on AI](https://simplyluma.com/blog/luma-and-ai?ref=itsfoss.com) also points out that the distro features AI-assisted contributions, with contributors being held responsible for any work that carries their name. 🚧 This distro is still pre-release and should not be treated stable enough for daily use or production deployments. ## Luma: Overview ⭐ ![luma linux distro lock screen](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-lockscreen.png) The desktop is called **Prairie**, and the team describes it as a hard fork of *GNOME*. Its goal is to provide a shell, windows, fonts, and apps that all look and feel the same. Apps are built with *GTK* and *Libadwaita*, with the project shipping LumaUI as a toolkit outside developers can use to make their software feel at home on the system. Luma’s original code is licensed under **Apache 2.0**, and anything taken from upstream retains its original license. The distro **comes with pre-installed apps** built for it; these include *Depot* as the app store, *Viola* as the browser, *Charlie* as the email client, and *Tide* for any music needs, alongside the self-explanatory *Filer*, *Notes*, *Photos*, and *Messages*. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-desktop-view.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-fastfetch-output.png) If you opt for the [Creative Collection](https://simplyluma.com/creative?ref=itsfoss.com), you get access to *Canvas* for design, *Focus* for RAW photo editing, *Grid* for spreadsheets, *Stage* for slides, *Write* for documents, *Reel* for video edits, and *Sessions* for audio mixing. You also get *Ari*, **the built-in AI assistant** that's meant to work with local models, so everything can stay on your own hardware. Package support is covered too. I installed apps through *DNF5*, *Flatpak*, and *Snap* on the October 11 nightly, and all three worked. *Valet* takes care of *AppImage*, *DEB*, *EXE*, and *APK* files, which is how Windows and Android apps are meant to sit alongside native ones. It also tells you who made an app and what it can access before you install it. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-valet.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-terminal-package-tools-demo.png) Android support comes from an optional subsystem based on *Waydroid*, and compatibility varies by app. Luma is meant to be one system across desktop, tablet, and phone, so apps adjust their layout and controls to the screen size and to touch or mouse input. There's also the optional *Luma Connect* app that handles sync for apps, settings, and files across devices. ## For Smartphones Too! ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-mobile-notes.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-mobile-home-screen.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-mobile-photos.png) Luma also wants to be your smartphone's OS. The team names the **Fairphone 6** and the **Google Pixel 9** family as its targets and says it plans to support more phones and tablets. With what I can see from the screenshots they shared with us, the interface looks like it's on par with modern Android and iOS offerings, while sticking to a very measured approach for the colors and elements it employs. The Luma folks are directing people to their hub's [bounty board](https://hub.simplyluma.com/bounties?ref=itsfoss.com) to vote for the devices they want and pledge money towards getting them supported. ## Test it Now ![the luma installer](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/luma-installer.png) **Luma's clean installation experience.* Luma's [download page](https://simplyluma.com/download?ref=itsfoss.com) lists a single 7.2 GB x86\_64 *nightly ISO* as the recommended way to try the distro out. It needs a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor with at least two cores running at 2 GHz or faster, 4 GB of RAM, and 40 GB of storage, with an SSD preferred. An ARM64 build is yet to make an appearance here, so people on that platform will have to wait a bit. Similarly, creative apps like *Grid*, *Stage*, *Reel*, *Sessions*, and *Canvas* are also set for a later arrival. [Luma](https://simplyluma.com/download?ref=itsfoss.com)