openKylin is a community Linux distribution jointly initiated by Kylin Software and other Chinese technology companies, first released in 2022. It is positioned as China's first desktop operating system open-source community project, aiming to build a fully open, collaboratively developed OS for Chinese users, enterprises, and government institutions alike.
Origins and Mission
The project grew out of the long-running Kylin OS family, which has roots going back to early government-backed Linux initiatives in China. openKylin specifically targets the open-source community model — inviting contributions from developers worldwide while maintaining a strong focus on Chinese language support, local software ecosystems, and compliance with Chinese software standards and regulations.
UKUI Desktop Environment
openKylin ships with UKUI (Ubuntu Kylin User Interface), a desktop environment developed in-house by the Kylin team. UKUI is designed to feel familiar to users migrating from Windows, with a taskbar-style panel at the bottom, a Start-menu-like application launcher, and polished visual theming. The interface is clean, consistent, and responsive, making it approachable for first-time Linux users, especially those in enterprise environments transitioning from Windows XP or Windows 7.
Ubuntu Foundation
Built on Ubuntu's solid foundation, openKylin inherits the APT package manager, the vast Debian/Ubuntu software repository, and long-term support cycles. This means users have access to thousands of applications via the terminal or the built-in App Store. The distribution ships with multimedia codecs included out of the box, reducing friction for new users.
Localization and Software Ecosystem
One of openKylin's standout qualities is its exceptional Chinese language support. Input methods, fonts, locale settings, and bundled applications are all deeply integrated for Chinese users. The distribution ships with WPS Office (the widely used Chinese productivity suite), Chinese-language browsers, and various tools optimized for the domestic software ecosystem. International users can also use the distro in English, though some third-party tools may still default to Chinese interfaces.
Performance and Hardware Support
openKylin performs well on mid-range hardware. The UKUI desktop, while visually polished, is more resource-intensive than lightweight alternatives like Xfce or LXQt, but on modern hardware — even modest laptops with 4 GB of RAM — the experience is smooth. The distribution supports x86_64 architectures as well as ARM64, reflecting China's growing interest in home-grown CPU architectures like Phytium and Kunpeng.
Community and Development
The openKylin community is growing rapidly, with active development hosted on the official Gitee platform (China's GitHub alternative). Version 2.0 brought significant improvements in hardware compatibility, UKUI 6.0 refinements, better Wayland support, and updated core packages based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. The community publishes regular updates and maintains a bug tracker, forums, and documentation in both Chinese and English.
International Accessibility
While openKylin is primarily designed for the Chinese market, it is fully usable by international audiences. The installer supports English, and the UKUI desktop can be configured in multiple languages. However, international users may find that some pre-installed applications and update mirrors are optimized for China-based network infrastructure, which can occasionally impact download speeds outside of China.
Overall, openKylin represents a significant milestone in China's open-source software movement. It is a competent, stable, and polished distribution that holds real appeal beyond its primary market — particularly for users interested in alternative desktop Linux experiences with strong enterprise credentials.