LiaisonOS is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed for amateur radio emergency communications.
It provides a live and installable operating system with a bilingual English and French interface, a web dashboard for launching common radio workflows, support for USB persistence, and a preconfigured collection of digital communications tools for field use, preparedness groups, radio clubs, and individual operators.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Runs as a live USB system or can be installed permanently with Calamares.
- Provides a bilingual English and French interface with language selection at first boot.
- Includes JS8Call, WSJT-X, fldigi, Direwolf, Pat-Winlink, YAAC, and a YAAC SAR plugin.
- Provides preconfigured Wine 32-bit support for selected Windows amateur radio applications.
- Includes VARA HF, VARA FM, and VarAC preinstalled for digital communications workflows.
- Offers a web dashboard with one-click launch options for multiple operational modes.
- Supports USB persistence so saved callsign, grid, radio, map, and application settings can be restored across reboots.
- Includes offline-oriented tools such as maps, repeater information, reference material, and field logging with ADIF export.
- Supports a range of radios from Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Xiegu, Elecraft, QRP Labs, and others.
- Provides tools for APRS, Winlink, packet BBS access, digital chat, FT8/FT4, and radio programming.
| Working state: | Active |
| Desktop: | GNOME |
| Init Software: | systemd |
| Package Management: | APT |
| Release Model: | Fixed |
| Platforms: | x86_64 |
| Home Page: | liaisonos.com |
| Developer: | Sylvain Deguire (VA2OPS) |
| This article is part of our Big List of Active Linux Distributions. |
What's a Linux distribution ("distro")? |
| A distro provides the user with a desktop environment, preloaded applications, and ways to update and maintain the system. Each distro makes different choices, deciding which open source projects to install and provides custom written programs. They can have different philosophies. Some distros are intended for desktop computers, some for servers without a graphical interface, and others for special uses. Because Linux is an open source operating system, combinations of software vary between Linux distros. |