# zhovner/OneFileLinux

Live linux distro combined in one ~20MB file. Runs on any UEFI computer.

Repository: https://github.com/zhovner/OneFileLinux
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/onefilelinux
Homepage: https://hub.zhovner.com/geek/one-file-linux/
Language: C
License Family: other
Last push: 2020-05-06T17:48:51+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3113, "days_push": 2310, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1010, forks 92 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:13.011678+00:00)

## What it is
A minimal live Linux distribution packed into a single ~20MB EFI executable that boots directly from any UEFI computer's firmware without installation, a USB drive, or a boot manager.

## Use cases
- boot linux from efi partition without usb
- run linux on macbook without installing
- portable linux rescue environment single file
- bare metal linux for wifi cracking with aircrack-ng
- boot linux once without changing default boot order
- linux live distro compatible with disk encryption

## When to choose
- boot Linux on a UEFI machine without a USB flash drive
- run Linux on bare metal when PCIe WiFi access is needed for aircrack-ng
- rescue or test a system without altering its boot sequence
- boot Linux alongside FileVault or dm-crypt disk encryption
- carry a portable Linux environment in a single ~20MB file

## When to avoid
- the machine only supports legacy BIOS boot, not UEFI
- you need a persistent installed Linux system with updates
- you need a full desktop environment or graphical tools
- you require long-term support or frequent releases

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: security, networking, developer-tools
- domain: operating-systems, security, developer-tools, hardware
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: live-distro, uefi, efi-boot, single-file, bare-metal, penetration-testing, aircrack-ng, no-installation, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- zhovner/OneFileLinux (main) score 23

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:13.011678+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:11:59.660022+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/zhovner/OneFileLinux (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:13.011678+00:00, sha fdc74acd52d3)
  - homepage: https://hub.zhovner.com/geek/one-file-linux/ (fetched 2026-08-29T13:11:52.711131+00:00, sha 6f6d30151fcf)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.