Redox OS is the fastest Linux distro I've tested, and you should try it despite what it's missing

This is a bit of a departure for me in the Linux distribution review area because Redox OS isn’t exactly a new Linux distribution. It’s an experimental, UNIX-like, general-purpose, microkernel-based OS is written in Rust. Even after a year or so in development, Redox OS is nowhere near ready for regular (if any) usage. Nevertheless, it certainly impresses me.

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Not with its looks. Redox OS is fairly average-looking.

Not with the amount of pre-installed apps. Redox OS only includes a handful of apps.

Not because of its stability. Being a pre 1.x release, Redox OS is not stable.

What is it about this operating system that has me so intrigued? Speed.

In all of my years of testing and using operating systems, I’ve never experienced anything this fast. Click on an app, and it’s instantly open… and I do mean instantly.

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Of course, given the state this OS is in, it shouldn’t surprise you that not all the apps work. For example, the Netsurf app (web browser) opens but doesn’t do anything. After you open Netsurf, you can’t even close it (for whatever reason), nor does it render the default webpage. Redox OS also borrows from System 76’s COSMIC (which will hopefully enjoy a 1.0 release this year), by using some of its apps, such as COSMIC Terminal, COSMIC Text, and COSMIC File Manager.

Still, it’s crazy how fast this thing is. I’m used to my OSes working with a certain level of speed. Pop!_OS on my Thelio desktop is a beast, but Redox OS, running as a virtual machine with limited RAM and CPU, runs circles around Pop!_OS in the speed category.

Part of that could be the fact that there’s not a lot going on under the Redox OS hood. Given how few apps are installed, there’s probably not a ton of background applications and services running. Even so, when an app opens this instantly, the developers are doing something right.

It could be that Redox OS is written in Rust, which solves some of the most frustrating memory management problems commonly associated with C and C++ (two popular programming languages for operating systems).

When you combine that level of speed with a familiar-looking desktop, it’s fairly easy to draw the conclusion that this project could be something special. Although, I wouldn’t suggest you rushing to the Redox OS page and downloading an ISO. No. The OS is far too incomplete for that. Even the installation doesn’t quite work as explained in the Installation documentation. The best way to experience Redox OS is via a virtual machine, where you can see for yourself how fast it is, but don’t expect to be productive in any way, as there’s very little there to help you with whatever task is at hand.

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If you read the Welcome.txt included in the virtual machine image, you’ll see that Redox is “an operating system written in Rust, a language that focuses on safety and high performance.” As well, it says, “Redox _is not_ just a kernel, it’s a full-featured operating system, providing packages … that together make up a functional and convenient operating system.”

Of course, “functional” is relative at the moment. It took me a few tries (which really consisted of stopping and restarting the VM) but I didn’t finally get Netsurf to run properly and, unfortunately, it’s quite underwhelming. For instance, although it does display website content, it’s incapable of rendering most sites properly. Hopefully, in the future, Redox OS will be able to find a better option for a web browser. I don’t care how fast your OS is — without a viable web browser, it’s not useful.

The other apps on the OS offer a range of usability. For example:

• The Calendar app displays a calendar, but you can’t add anything to it.
• The terminal app works, but randomly locks up the system.
• File Manager works, but you often have to refresh the view to see any changes.
• I believe Sodium is a Minecraft client, but there’s no way of knowing for sure because the app doesn’t do anything.
• The image viewer only displayed the desktop wallpaper image and nothing else.
• Periodic Table displays exactly what you expect… the periodic table.
• I have no idea what Pixelcannon is, but it certainly doesn’t do anything other than display a smiling cartoon face.

There’s no Settings app, no right-click desktop menu, and quite a few other options missing. Even so, Redox OS still manages to impress me with its unmatched speed.

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I hope those behind Redox OS continue their work because Redox OS could be the future of desktop operating systems. If this OS is successful, it’ll go a long way to prove that Rust is an outstanding choice for desktop development, and more and more Linux distributions might pick up on that idea.

If you want to see just how fast an operating system can function, I highly recommend that you spin up a Redox OS virtual machine and see for yourself.