A real Start menu
Press the Windows key: search apps, settings and your files, pin what you use, browse All apps A to Z, and pick up recent files. Power, Settings and Files sit at the bottom.
New in 1.4Set up like one of your computers
PolyOS 7,
PolyOS 7,
on real hardware.
PolyOS started as an operating system built in Scratch by the PIXAPoLY team. This project turns it into a real desktop that boots on your PC: the PolyOS look you know, on top of Debian's drivers, Wi-Fi, apps and security.
- Free and open source
- No account needed
- Signed updates
3editions: Regular, Developer, Gaming
51apps in PolyMarket
240automated tests
25klines of code
0accounts you need
What's inside
Everything PolyOS 7 is, working for real
Every screen follows the Scratch original: its colors, shapes and layout were measured from the PolyOS 7 costumes.
Taskbar and quick settings
A floating taskbar, ^ for everything running (even Steam or Discord in the background), and Wi-Fi, Airplane mode, Energy saver and Night light a click away.
Sign in your way
The PolyOS 7 lock screen with a PIN or your password, and a recovery key if you forget it.
PolyMarket
51 trusted apps from Debian and Flathub: Discord, Spotify, Steam, VS Code, OBS and more. Google Chrome comes built in.
Files
Drag and drop, thumbnails, search, a Trash you can restore from, and Set as wallpaper for any picture.
Screens made easy
Plug in a monitor: Duplicate, Extend or one screen with Win+P, remembered for next time.
Settings that make sense
Personalization, your Account and PIN, Apps (installed, startup and usage), Storage, Display, Power (lid and power button), Privacy, Gaming and Updates, all in one place.
Drivers and firmware
Driver Manager finds graphics, Wi-Fi and sound drivers, and firmware updates from your computer's maker.
Vara
The PolyOS assistant: ask for an app or a setting, or have it help with code and 3D models, always asking before it changes anything.
Take the tour
See PolyOS, screen by screen
Real screenshots of PolyOS 1.4. Pick a part, then click through; click the big picture to see it full size.
What's new in 1.4
A new computer, set up like your old one
Install PolyOS on a new computer, connect your Poly Account, and pick one of your other computers. The new one gets its settings, edition and apps, like cloning a PC. Files stay where they are.
- Settings: taskbar, pinned apps, wallpaper, theme, clock and power options
- Edition: Regular, Developer or Gaming, with its apps
- PolyMarket apps: they install by themselves once the new computer is online
- A fresh install: PolyOS gets a drive of its own, and setup says exactly what gets replaced
No files or passwords are copied. Each computer's backup (with Poly Sync on) holds only its settings, edition and app list. Every release
Editions
One PolyOS, three ways to use it
Pick an edition while installing. Its apps arrive by themselves, and you can add the others any time in Settings.
Regular
Everything most people need: the PolyOS desktop, Google Chrome, Files, Camera, widgets and PolyMarket.
- Crystal desktop and Start menu
- 51 trusted apps one click away
- Firewall and security updates on
Developer
Change PolyOS itself: any file you put in your interface folder replaces PolyOS's built-in one.
user.cssrestyles everything- Inspect Element on PolyOS screens
- Git, Python, Node.js, VS Code
Gaming
Set up for play: Steam, Windows games with Wine, other launchers, cloud gaming and a Game Mode.
- Steam, Bottles, Heroic, Lutris
- GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Game Mode: full speed while you play
Under the hood
Safe, fast, and built on Debian
Debian provides the kernel, drivers, Wi-Fi, audio and apps. PolyOS provides everything you see: plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript in WebKit windows, placed by a Python shell on an Openbox desktop.
- Firewall on, and Debian's security fixes install by themselves
- Signed updates: PolyOS refuses an update whose signature doesn't match
- One small administrator helper, which never keeps your password
- Tuned for speed: compressed memory, SSD trimming, a lighter mode for older PCs
PolyOS interfaceDesktop, Start, Settings, Files, Task Manager, PolyMarket, setup
polyos-shellPython + GTK + WebKit, a private API on your own computer
Openbox + picomWindows, blur, shadows, rounded corners
LightDMThe PolyOS login screen
Debian 13Kernel, drivers, NetworkManager, PipeWire, apt, Flathub
Try it
Get PolyOS on your computer
PolyOS 7
Which one? Almost every Windows PC and laptop: PC (Intel/AMD). Apple Silicon Macs (in UTM, Parallels or VMware Fusion) and ARM64 computers with UEFI: ARM64.
A fresh install. PolyOS installs on a whole drive and replaces
everything on the drive you choose, including Windows if it's there.
Keeping Windows? Get the dual-boot ISO (PC, advanced): it installs PolyOS next to Windows. Back up your files and turn off BitLocker / Device encryption and Fast Startup in Windows first.
Always the newest release. Clicking a button starts the download and shows you how to install. By downloading you accept the disclaimer.
- A 64-bit computerIntel/AMD PC (UEFI or BIOS), or ARM64 with UEFI
- 4 GB of RAM8 GB for gaming
- 25 GB of diskA whole drive: everything on it is replaced
- USB drive8 GB or larger
- Download the ISOAbout 2 GB, always the newest release.
- Write it to a USB driveWith balenaEtcher, or Rufus in DD mode. Or try it in a virtual machine first.
- Start from the USBPick it in your computer's boot menu. Nothing changes until you install.
- Install PolyOS 7Choose the drive and your edition, then restart when it's done.
Questions
Good to know before you install
Is PolyOS free?
Yes. PolyOS is free and open source (GNU GPL v3 or later). There's nothing to buy and no ads.
Will installing erase my computer?
It replaces everything on the drive you choose, including Windows if it's on that drive. Back up your files first, or try PolyOS from the USB drive (nothing changes until you click Install) or in a virtual machine.
Can I keep Windows next to PolyOS?
Yes, with the dual-boot ISO (advanced). Its installer shrinks Windows' partition or uses free space, and a boot menu lets you pick PolyOS or Windows at every start. Back up your files first, and turn off BitLocker / Device encryption and Fast Startup in Windows. The main download is a fresh install on a drive of its own.
Do I need a Poly Account?
No. PolyOS works fully without one and updates itself either way. An account adds sync, device management, account recovery and, new in 1.4, setting up a new computer like one of your others.
How do updates work?
Settings › Updates downloads and installs new versions on your schedule. Every update is signed, and PolyOS refuses one whose signature or checksums don't match.
Will my Wi-Fi, graphics and games work?
Most hardware works out of the box on Debian 13. Driver Manager installs NVIDIA, Broadcom Wi-Fi and other drivers and firmware, and the Gaming edition sets up Steam, Wine and cloud gaming.
Is this the official PolyOS?
PolyOS was created in Scratch by PIXAPoLY Software; this Debian edition is made by Cryptic Software with the team's blessing. It isn't affiliated with the Scratch Foundation, Debian or Microsoft. See the disclaimer.
Where do I get help?
The install guide and documentation cover most things; for anything else, write to us from Help & Support.
Timeline
How we got here
PolyOS 1.4.3: a way out of full screen
Rest the pointer at the top of a full-screen app for Exit full screen, Minimize and Close.
PolyOS 1.4.2: your pictures, and dual boot
Pick your own picture as the wallpaper, setup fixes from testers, and the dual-boot ISO on the Download page.
PolyOS 1.4.1: your browser, every screen
Chrome or Firefox in setup, login and lock screens on every monitor, and installing again from the USB drive fixed.
PolyOS 1.4: set up like one of your computers
Copy another computer's settings, edition and apps while installing, and a fresh install on a drive of its own.
PolyOS 1.3: the cleaned-up PolyOS 7
A Windows-style Start menu, Google Chrome, easy multiple screens, PIN sign-in, and Storage, Usage and firmware updates in Settings.
PolyOS 1.1: set up once
Everything is asked before installing, so PolyOS starts straight to your desktop.
PolyOS 1.0: the first full release
Signed updates on your schedule, an optional Poly Account, and release notes in Settings › Updates.
Show the whole story
PolyOS 0.9: Poly Account and signed updates
An optional Poly Account with device management, recovery and sync; updates signed by Poly; and a new website.
PolyOS 0.8: updates without a USB drive
Online updates from Settings, touchscreen and camera drivers, a model-aware hardware check, and a themed boot menu.
PolyOS 0.7: Settings grow up
Display and Sound controls, the Apps page, true full screen, the first-start hardware check with a light mode, and a Windows Setup style drive list.
Vara becomes an agent
Code, OpenSCAD and Blender models, ROS 2 and Arduino, with your approval for every change; real app icons and ARM64 USB drives.
Downloads for PCs and ARM64
Download buttons right on this site, an install guide, and a second ISO for ARM64 computers and Apple Silicon Macs.
Editions and security
Regular, Developer and Gaming editions, firewall and security updates on by default, and speed tuning.
The PolyOS 7 look, everywhere
Login and lock screens redrawn from the Scratch original, the crystal wallpapers, the Camera app and desktop shortcuts.
PolyOS 7 comes to Debian
The desktop shell, Files, Settings, the installer with its "Cryptic Software presents" intro, and a live USB built on GitHub.
Credits
PolyOS was created in Scratch by PIXAPoLY Software (scratch.mit.edu/users/PolyOS). This edition is presented by Cryptic Software, with the team's blessing.
Disclaimer. PolyOS 7 for Debian is an independent project, provided as is, without any warranty. Installing it replaces everything on the drive you choose: back up first. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the Scratch Foundation, Debian, Microsoft or any app maker named here; their names and trademarks belong to them. Read the full disclaimer.