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An independent, source-only Linux distribution built around one idea: you don't install a system, you craft one.
Keru (ける) is a Linux distribution where virtually nothing is decided for you. Every foundational component — init system, C library, filesystem, kernel, privilege-elevation tool, network stack — is a variable you resolve at install time. What lands on your disk is precisely what you chose, compiled from original source.
The name comes from ける・けいとうてき (keru keitō-teki), roughly "craft your system." It's the whole point stated as a phrase.
Keru is deliberately split into three pieces so each stays small and legible:
| Repo | What it holds |
|---|---|
| KeruOS | This repo — the installer, profile system, build pipeline, and website. |
| kama | The package manager. A ~225-line shell script. The "kiln" that fires recipes. |
| kama-packages | The recipe repository — plain shell scripts that describe how to build each package. |
Keru belongs to the line of source-and-choice distributions that includes Gentoo and Nix. Where Keru differs: it takes the "no opinion" stance further than any of them. Gentoo still picks most of your stack for you; Keru asks you to form the whole opinion up front, then builds exactly that.
Keru is in active development. The first installable release, 0.1, will ship as a bootable ISO. Until then, the repositories document the design, philosophy, and the build pipeline it's all wired through.