Calculate Linux is a Linux distribution optimized for fast deployment in an organization environment. It is based on the Gentoo Linux project and includes many preconfigured functions. Calculate Linux is distributed in five flavours: Calculate Linux Desktop (CLD), Calculate Directory Server (CDS), Calculate Linux Scratch (CLS), Calculate Scratch Server (CSS), and Calculate Linux Container (CLC). Bootable live CDs are available for all versions. They can be used to install Calculate Linux on a hard disk drive or USB flash drive.

Features

Calculate Linux features rolling release model of binary updates, however, it remains compatible with Gentoo source packages through Portage. It features a custom graphical installer allowing the user to configure many options during the install including the preference of Pulse Audio or Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) for sound. It can be installed on a USB flash drive or hard drive with ext4, ext3, ext2, ReiserFS, btrfs, XFS, jfs, NILFS2 or FAT32. The Interactive System Build allows changing the distribution and creating new ISO images. Like its parent Gentoo, Calculate Linux does not use systemd and instead uses the OpenRC init system. Calculate Linux includes a natively developed set of tools named Calculate Utilities, based on the Qt5 framework. These tools offer the option to configure and update the system as well and assemble custom LiveCD images.

Versions

Version history

Reception

In 2017, Robert Rijkhoff reviewed Calculate Linux 17.6 for DistroWatch Weekly: If you're interested in Gentoo but don't want to dive in head-first then Calculate might be for you. The project's documentation could be improved but if you're an experienced Linux user than I'm sure you'll slowly get familiar with Portage's more advanced features. I think people who want to avoid systemd should also consider Calculate. The distro is perfectly usable without ever compiling software from source. Everything "just worked" and the developers have clearly made a huge effort to make a polished operating system.