Who should use layer 02?

What LainOS Layer 02 Is and What It Is Not

What it is

LainOS Layer 02 is a systemd-free Arch Linux derivative built around Protocol 7 — a custom init architecture using OpenRC as PID 1. It is a serious, stable, daily-driver operating system built on Unix principles. Every component does one job. Every service is auditable. The entire system is transparent from the kernel up.

It is designed for users who want to understand and own their system at a fundamental level.

What it is not

Layer 02 is not a rice platform. It is not designed to make visual customization easy. It does not have a large ecosystem of themes and widgets built on top of a managed session layer. If you want to heavily customize the visual appearance of your desktop without touching the underlying system, Layer 01 is the better choice for that workflow.

Why ricing Layer 02 is different

On Layer 01, systemd manages your session. It handles login, sets up your environment, manages your user services, and provides a stable platform that desktop software can build on top of. This makes it easy to layer visual customization on top without thinking about what's underneath. You're building on a managed surface.

On Layer 02, you are closer to the metal. There is no managed session layer doing things for you. When you want to change something, you are changing the actual system — not a setting on top of a system that abstracts everything away. This is more powerful and more transparent, but it requires deeper knowledge and more deliberate work.

Customizing Layer 02 means understanding OpenRC service scripts, the Wayland session initialization chain, how seatd and the login1 facade interact with applications, and how Protocol 7 fills the gaps left by removing systemd. The reward is a system you fully understand and fully own. The cost is that nothing is abstracted away for you.

Should I use layer 02?

Layer 02 rewards users who want to understand their system, not users who want to configure it without understanding it. If your goal is a highly customized desktop with minimal effort, use Layer 01. If your goal is a system where you understand every running process and every service dependency, Layer 02 is built for you.

The Unix philosophy means one tool, one job, standard interfaces. It does not mean easy. It means honest.