More than 11 years · Arch based · No systemd

Full control over process supervision.

Obarun is an Arch Linux based distribution built around 66, its service manager. Declarative service files, readable logs, no hidden magic, and repositories that stay in step with Arch.

Flavours minimal · JWM Arch x86_64 Maintained more than 11 years

/etc/66/service/sshd frontend

[Main]
Type = classic
Description = "OpenSSH daemon"
[Start]
Execute = ( /usr/sbin/sshd -D )
[Event]
EventType = signal
From = ( network )
On   = ( SIGHUP SIGUSR1 )
Do   = reload

$ 66 enable sshd

$ 66 start sshd

Base: Arch Linuxrolling release
Init & supervision: 66no systemd anywhere · 66-tools provide 66-userd for user tracking
Repositories: obcore · obextraobservice · obcommunity · obarchive · all Arch repositories remain valid
Service files: INI formatread it, edit it, done

Why Obarun

A reliable alternative, not a compromise.

Based on Arch Linux, Obarun provides not only a reliable alternative but a service management experience like no other, tailored to give professionals total control.

Development

Obarun's tools are developed internally with a focus on professionalism, ensuring seamless integration and reliability. This approach guarantees transparency, stability, and alignment with the system's core philosophy.

Packaging

All packages are built transparently, with build logs available for review, and automatically added to the repositories. This process ensures that the latest updates are always available.

Community

The Obarun community consists of Linux users who prioritize transparency, control, and simplicity. Collaboration and open idea exchange are key. Participation in discussions and forums is encouraged for all users.

66 · service manager

Declare a service once. 66 handles the rest.

A complete toolbox to declare, implement and administer services with minimal code.

frontend

Frontend Service Files Declaration

Service files are written in an INI format, making them straightforward to read and edit.

event

Declarative Event Handling

A service states what it reacts to inside its own frontend file: the kind of event, where it comes from, which signals to watch and what to do. The sshd example above reloads on SIGHUP or SIGUSR1, and nothing else had to be written for it.

scandir

Nested Scandir Supervision

Regular users have their own independent scandir directories, separate from the root, ensuring user-specific supervision without interference.

instance

Instance Service File Creation

Supports instantiated service.

logger

Automatic Logger Creation

Automatically creates dedicated loggers for each service, covering both classic and oneshot service types.

depends

A Reproducible Dependency Graph

Resolving dependencies is the baseline any service manager owes you. What 66 guarantees is the graph itself: the same declarations produce the same start and stop order, on every machine and at every boot, not an order that happens to work today.

parser

Identifier Interpretation

Supports specific identifiers that are replaced at parse time to simplify service file creation.

snapshot

Snapshot Management

Allows the creation and management of snapshots of your service system, enabling easy backup, recovery, and sharing of service states across multiple hosts.

notify

Service Notification

Ensures services are fully ready before managing their dependency chains, using a readiness notification mechanism.

Behaviour benefits

boot optional

Independent of Boot Management

66 can supervise services independently of the boot process, making it optional to use 66 from startup. It is also fully compatible with virtualization platforms like containerd, Podman, and Docker, allowing for easy monitoring of services within containers.

logs

Readable Logs

Logs are stored in a human-readable format for easier analysis and debugging.

fd holding

File Descriptor Holding for Log Pipes

Utilizes file descriptor holding for efficient log piping, enhancing reliability and performance.

News

Latest from news.obarun.org

Click a news title to get to the article.

2026-08-31

Obarun ISOs are now built automatically every month

Obarun ISOs are now built automatically every month Dear Obarun Community, Obarun install images are no longer built by hand. A GitLab pipeline now builds them on its own, on the first day of every month, and publishes them without anyone having to press a button. The download page always …

Eric Vidal

2026-08-31

obinstall — the new Obarun installer

obinstall — the new Obarun installer Dear Obarun Community, Obarun has a new installer. It is called obinstall, it is available in [obextra], and it replaces the historical obarun-install and its companion obarun-install-themes. It offers two ways to install the system: a graphical wizard that runs in a browser, and …

Eric Vidal

2026-08-22

Upgrading to 66 0.9.1.0

Upgrading to 66 0.9.1.0 Dear Obarun Community, The new release of 66 is available in the Obarun testing repositories. This post is not a description of what changed inside 66, the changelog already does that. It tells you what you have to do to bring an existing system to 0.9.1.0, …

Eric Vidal

Support

Obarun is independent. Support is what keeps it that way.

Built and maintained by a small team for more than 11 years, Obarun is an independent project. If the system is useful to you, backing it is what keeps the work going.

Donations

Individual donations are welcome, whatever the amount.

Sponsorship

Obarun is also looking for sponsors. If your organisation relies on Obarun and wants to back its development, get in touch.

Community

Ask, read, contribute.

The wiki covers installation and daily administration, the forum is where the harder questions get answered, and the whole source tree is public.