Intel has officially ended support for Clear Linux OS, marking the conclusion of a decade-long journey focused on performance and cloud-native innovation. As of now, the operating system will no longer receive updates, security patches, or maintenance. The project’s GitHub repository has also been archived in read-only mode.

Intel announces shutdown of Clear Linux OS

💡 What Was Clear Linux?

Clear Linux OS was launched by Intel around 2015 with a specific focus on performance, particularly for cloud workloads, container environments, and AI development. It was notable for its use of advanced compiler techniques like Profile-Guided Optimization (PGO) and Link-Time Optimization (LTO), as well as a stateless design and finely tuned kernel for Intel hardware.

Despite being Intel-centric, Clear Linux was known to deliver excellent performance even on AMD machines and gained respect in benchmarking circles and devops environments.

📣 The Announcement

Intel’s announcement reads:

“Effective immediately, Intel will no longer provide security patches, updates, or maintenance for Clear Linux OS, and the Clear Linux OS GitHub repository will be archived in read-only mode… A heartfelt thank you to every developer, user, and contributor who helped shape Clear Linux OS over the last 10 years.”

The company encourages existing users to migrate to another actively maintained Linux distribution as soon as possible to ensure continued security and stability.

Intel clarified that it remains committed to the broader Linux ecosystem and will continue contributing to various distributions and open-source projects that support Intel hardware.

📉 Why Was It Discontinued?

Intel has not given a detailed technical explanation, but the timing aligns with a period of restructuring and cost optimization within the company. Recent reports indicate major job cuts and a shift in strategic focus, possibly influencing the decision to end the Clear Linux project.

Rather than continuing to maintain a full Linux distribution internally, Intel appears to be focusing on upstream contributions and optimization within major community-supported distributions.

💬 Community Reaction

The Clear Linux community expressed a mix of disappointment and gratitude:

  • “Thanks for the wonderful memories. We definitely miss Clear Linux!”
  • “It’s truly a shame that we have to say goodbye.”

On Reddit and forums, many users appreciated the technical innovation of the distro and hoped that its optimization techniques would live on in other projects.

🔄 What Should Users Do Now?

If you’re still using Clear Linux OS, it’s important to plan your transition now. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Migrate to a supported distro: Consider distributions like Fedora CoreOS, openSUSE MicroOS, or Ubuntu Core that offer modern tooling and enterprise-grade security updates.
  • Explore Clear Linux-inspired distros: Projects like CachyOS continue some of the performance-tuned philosophies.
  • Backup your systems: Before migrating, make sure to archive configuration files, containers, and other key data.

For further reading and discussions - see the official announcement on shutdown for Clear Linux OS in the projects forum.