v1.0.1 Obsidian · out now

The server OS
built for the ones
who mean it.

Monolith OS is a lean, server-focused Linux distribution on Arch Linux: custom kernel, unified mnctl CLI, branded TUI and web dashboards, integrated monitoring, hardened security, k3s, snapshot-safe upgrades, and zero-config app templates. One tool, one config, one box.

Download v1.0.1 View on GitHub
  • 3 TTY ISOs
  • 5 Rust binaries
  • 50+ mnctl subcommands
  • 0 bloat
Built on Arch Linux
Powered by Rust 1.95+
Container runtime Docker / Podman
Cluster k3s
License MIT
Why Monolith OS

One tool. One config. One box.

Most distros are general-purpose. Monolith is single-purpose: run servers, run them well, and stop fighting the box. Everything you'd cobble together yourself - firewall, monitoring, containers, VPN, backups, reverse proxy, app templates - is wired in from boot.

One CLI for everything

mnctl is a 50-subcommand multi-call CLI. Services, containers, deploys, k3s, VPN, ISO builds - same verbs, same flags. No 7 tools and 3 dialects.

Hardened by default

Default-deny nftables, key-only SSH on :2222, AppArmor profiles, fail2ban, sysctl hardening. Boot it on a VPS, leave it.

Snapshot-safe upgrades

mnpkg upgrade takes a Btrfs snapshot via snapper before touching the system. One command rolls it back. No more 3am panic.

Three surfaces, one brand

The web dashboard mnweb, the TUI mntui, and the installer all share the same emerald + cyan aurora palette and the same data model.

Zero-config templates

mnctl template deploy minecraft --name pvp and you have a hardened container with reverse proxy, TLS, backups, and Prometheus targets.

Tier-aware

Ship lite to a 512 MB VPS, full to a home server, pro to a k3s node. Same image family, same workflow.

Profiles

Three tiers. Pick yours.

Each ISO ships with the matching [system].profile baked into /etc/monolith/monolith.toml, so mnctl profile show on first boot reports the correct tier.

lite

Just enough.

  • 1 vCPU · 512 MB-1 GB RAM
  • 8 GB disk
  • Web UI off, monitoring off
  • Discord bots, microservers, edge nodes
Download lite ISO monolith-1.0.1-lite-x86_64.iso · 1.25 GB
full
Recommended

The default home server.

  • 2 cores · 2 GB RAM
  • 20 GB disk
  • Web UI on, monitoring on, containers on
  • Single-node home/work server
Download full ISO monolith-1.0.1-full-x86_64.iso · 1.25 GB
pro

Production-grade.

  • 4+ cores · 8+ GB RAM
  • 100 GB disk
  • Everything from full + k3s, etcd cluster
  • Cluster nodes, build hosts, prod boxes
Download pro ISO monolith-1.0.1-pro-x86_64.iso · 1.25 GB
Three surfaces

Same data, three ways to look at it.

Whatever's at hand - SSH, browser, or a console plugged into the rack - Monolith gives you the same numbers, the same brand, the same shortcuts.

mnctl 
$ mnctl service list
● nginx.service                     active   running
● docker.service                    active   running
● monolith-mnweb.service            active   running
● postgresql.service                active   reloading
● fail2ban.service                  failed   exit-code

$ mnctl template deploy minecraft --name pvp
✓ pulled image itzg/minecraft-server:java21
✓ created volume monolith-app-pvp
✓ started monolith-app-pvp.service
✓ proxied at pvp.example.com (TLS)
✓ Prometheus target attached
Download

v1.0.1 "Obsidian"

Three TTY-only x86_64 ISOs. Same kernel, same installer, same Monolith binaries pre-vendored under /usr/local/bin/. The [system].profile baked into /etc/monolith/monolith.toml is the only difference.

lite
monolith-1.0.1-lite-x86_64.iso 1.25 GB · x86_64 TTY ISO
SHA-256
full
monolith-1.0.1-full-x86_64.iso 1.25 GB · x86_64 TTY ISO · recommended
SHA-256
pro
monolith-1.0.1-pro-x86_64.iso 1.25 GB · x86_64 TTY ISO
SHA-256
tar
monolith-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz 3.6 MB · binary tarball for existing Arch Linux

All artifacts SHA-256 verified · View release page

Install

From zero to box, four ways.

Whichever path you pick, you land in the same place: a Monolith box with mnctl, mntui, mnweb, snapper, nftables, SSH on :2222, and a working app-template engine.

# 1. Download (pick your tier)
curl -L -o monolith.iso \
  https://github.com/shirou-eh/Monolith/releases/download/v1.0.1/monolith-1.0.1-full-x86_64.iso

# 2. Verify the SHA-256
curl -L -O https://github.com/shirou-eh/Monolith/releases/download/v1.0.1/monolith-1.0.1-full-x86_64.iso.sha256
sha256sum -c monolith-1.0.1-full-x86_64.iso.sha256

# 3. Write to a USB stick (replace /dev/sdX)
sudo dd if=monolith.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

# 4. Boot from the stick - the live system auto-launches the installer.

Read the full installation guide →

Cookbook

Look how short it is.

Each line is a copy-pasteable recipe. mnctl --help and mnctl <verb> --help cover the rest.

# Day 1
mnctl info system && mnctl profile show
mnctl security audit
mnctl monitor status

# Containers / app deploys
mnctl template deploy minecraft --name mc-pvp
mnctl deploy app /opt/my-compose-repo --name api
mnctl container logs api --follow

# Reverse proxy with automatic TLS
mnctl proxy add api.example.com \
  --service monolith-app-api.service --tls

# Backups
mnctl backup create --tag pre-upgrade
mnctl backup restore --snapshot <ID>
# Kubernetes (k3s)
mnctl kube install --role server
mnctl kube install --role agent \
  --server https://control:6443 --token <TOK>
mnctl kube kubectl get pods -A

# Disk health
mnctl disk smart status
mnctl disk smart test --type short /dev/sda

# VPN
mnctl vpn create wg0
mnctl vpn peer add wg0 \
  --pubkey <K> --allowed-ips 10.0.0.2/32

# Updates - snapshot-safe
mnctl update apply --reboot-if-needed
mnctl update rollback
3TTY-only ISOs
5Rust binaries
50+mnctl subcommands
14+app templates
Support

Stuck? Write me on Discord.

If you hit a wall, found a bug, or just want to brainstorm a setup, ping me on Discord. I read every message.

Discord

shiro_eh

Send a friend request or DM directly. I usually respond within a day.

Open in Discord

Report an issue

Bug? Open a GitHub issue with logs, distro version, and reproduction steps.

github.com/shirou-eh/Monolith/issues →

Discussions

Ask broader questions, share your setup, or propose features.

github.com/shirou-eh/Monolith/discussions →

Installation guide

Long-form, copy-pasteable, day-1 cookbook. Read it before asking.

github.com/shirou-eh/Monolith/blob/main/INSTALL.md →