FAQ
What does the name mean?
Section titled “What does the name mean?”Lupi is Italian for “wolves”: a pack. You control it all with the lupi command, and its two
security levels are sheep and wolf. A sheep is calm and just grazing: that’s the everyday
default, with every protection on and nothing in your way. A wolf is alert and on the hunt: that’s
maximum caution, for travel and public places.
Why is it based on Fedora?
Section titled “Why is it based on Fedora?”Almost every distro is built on another one: Ubuntu on Debian, Mint on Ubuntu. Keeping thousands of packages patched against new security holes takes a large team, and Fedora has one. LupiOS uses Fedora Atomic, where the whole system is one image that updates at once and can roll back, with SELinux on by default. Universal Blue adds codecs and drivers, like NVIDIA’s.
LupiOS adds what Fedora doesn’t do: the hardening, network trust, the lab, Game Mode, the lupi
command and the look. You get Fedora’s fast security fixes without giving any of that up.
Is it a hacking distro, like Kali?
Section titled “Is it a hacking distro, like Kali?”No. Kali is a toolbox you boot for a job. LupiOS is the OS you use every day, and it carries Kali’s
tools with it in the Lupi Lab, a container you open with lupi lab. The
tools never touch your system. For malware samples or anything untrusted, use a separate virtual
machine.
Why is the download 6 GB? Arch’s is under 2.
Section titled “Why is the download 6 GB? Arch’s is under 2.”The LupiOS ISO holds the whole finished system: the KDE desktop, drivers, codecs, firmware and the LupiOS changes. The installer copies it onto your disk in one go, without needing the internet. Arch’s ISO is a small starter system that downloads most of the system while you install, so the ISO is only part of what you end up downloading. LupiOS does it all up front. The NVIDIA version is bigger because it includes the NVIDIA driver.
Why does it ask for a password on the first boot?
Section titled “Why does it ask for a password on the first boot?”After installing, a blue MOK management screen asks you to enroll a key, with the password
universalblue. Secure Boot only lets drivers load if they’re signed by a key your PC trusts. Some of
LupiOS’s drivers are signed by Universal Blue: NVIDIA’s driver, Xbox controller drivers (xone,
xpadneo), a virtual webcam driver (v4l2loopback), Razer device support (openrazer) and Broadcom
Wi-Fi (wl). Enrolling adds Universal Blue’s key to your PC, once.
The password isn’t a secret: everyone uses the same one. It’s there so that only someone sitting at
the PC can add a key, not a program running in the background. If you miss the screen (it has a
10-second timer), run ujust enroll-secure-boot-key and restart.
Does Secure Boot work?
Section titled “Does Secure Boot work?”Yes, and it can stay on while you install. lupi check shows a full score only with Secure Boot on.
Can I play games on it?
Section titled “Can I play games on it?”Yes. lupi setup gaming installs Steam, Heroic, Lutris, ProtonUp-Qt and MangoHud, and
Game Mode (lupi game on) gets the PC ready to play. Most Windows games run through
Proton. Games whose anti-cheat refuses Linux don’t run on any Linux, LupiOS included.
How do updates work?
Section titled “How do updates work?”LupiOS updates itself in the background, and the new version starts at your next restart. If an
update ever breaks something, choose the second entry in the boot menu: that’s the previous
version, exactly as it was. lupi update updates the system, apps and boxes right away (the new
system version still starts at the next restart).
Can I keep Windows?
Section titled “Can I keep Windows?”Yes. The safest way is to install LupiOS on its own SSD, so Windows is never touched, and pick the system in your PC’s boot menu. Back up your files first, and if Windows uses BitLocker, save the recovery key: changing boot settings can make Windows ask for it. The install guide covers this.
Who makes it?
Section titled “Who makes it?”LupiOS is a young, one-person project, built in the open on GitHub. Try it in a virtual machine first, and report anything that breaks in the issues.