Is Maze Linux based on Arch?

Yes. Maze Linux is built on Arch Linux and follows a rolling-release model, so you always get current packages. You get Arch's power without the manual assembly — a complete, hardened KDE Plasma 6 desktop is ready on first boot.

Do I have to configure the security and privacy tools myself?

No. AppArmor, firewalld, Maze Guard, auditd, Tor, VPN and MAC randomization are already enabled and configured out of the box. Local AI via Ollama is also ready to run, fully offline.

Can I try it without installing?

Yes. Maze ships as a Live ISO — boot it from USB and try the full desktop before installing. When you're ready, a guided installer sets it up in minutes.

Does Maze Linux collect any telemetry?

No. Maze has zero telemetry — nothing phones home and there is no tracking. Privacy is the default, not an option you have to turn on.

What are the hardware requirements?

A 64-bit (x86-64) CPU with UEFI (no BIOS/Legacy), at least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended, 16 GB for local AI) and 40 GB of disk space. Secure Boot and full-disk encryption are supported.

Is it free and open source?

Yes. Maze Linux is free to download and use, and built on open-source software.

Maze Linux / Wiki

Running Maze Linux in a Virtual Machine

Maze Linux ships as a bootable live ISO — you can run it in a virtual machine without installing anything. The live environment is the full system: all security services, Ollama, the Maze desktop, and every pre-installed app are active. Nothing is stripped down.

Turn on UEFI in the VM — otherwise it will not boot. Maze is UEFI-only; most hypervisors default to legacy BIOS, and the ISO simply won't start there (black screen or "no bootable medium"). Leave Secure Boot off in the VM — plain UEFI is all it needs. Each section below shows where the switch is.

Note: Some security features behave differently in a VM. AppArmor and firewalld run normally, but MAC randomization applies to the virtual NIC (not your physical adapter).

Requirements

	Minimum	Recommended
RAM	4 GB allocated to VM	8 GB+ (needed if you want to run Ollama)
CPU	2 cores, 64-bit	4+ cores with hardware virtualization
Disk	None (live mode)	—
Host OS	Linux, Windows, macOS	—

Maze ships with zram compressed swap, which helps when RAM is tight — but local AI models (llama3, etc.) need headroom. If you plan to use Ollama inside the VM, allocate at least 8 GB.

QEMU / KVM (Linux — Recommended)

QEMU with KVM gives near-native performance and is the best way to test Maze on Linux.

Install QEMU:

# Maze Linux / Arch
sudo pacman -S qemu-full edk2-ovmf

# Fedora
sudo dnf install qemu-kvm edk2-ovmf

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install qemu-system-x86 ovmf

edk2-ovmf / ovmf is the UEFI firmware for QEMU — without it QEMU boots in legacy BIOS mode and the ISO will not start.

Boot the ISO:

qemu-system-x86_64 \
  -enable-kvm \
  -drive if=pflash,format=raw,readonly=on,file=/usr/share/edk2/x64/OVMF_CODE.4m.fd \
  -m 6G \
  -cpu host \
  -smp 4 \
  -cdrom mazelinux-*.iso \
  -boot d \
  -vga virtio \
  -display gtk

-drive if=pflash,…OVMF_CODE… — boots the VM in UEFI mode (required). The path differs per distro: Fedora /usr/share/edk2/ovmf/OVMF_CODE.fd, Debian/Ubuntu /usr/share/OVMF/OVMF_CODE_4M.fd
-enable-kvm — hardware acceleration (Linux hosts only, requires kvm kernel modules loaded)
-m 6G — 6 GB is a comfortable amount for the full desktop + security stack
-cpu host — exposes your real CPU flags to the VM; improves compatibility with some Maze tools

Press Ctrl+Alt+G to release keyboard/mouse from the QEMU window.

VirtualBox

Download and install VirtualBox. On a Linux host, load VirtualBox's kernel modules — without them no VM starts ("Kernel driver not installed (rc=-1908)"):
```
sudo modprobe -a vboxdrv vboxnetflt vboxnetadp
```
On Arch-based hosts (including Maze) install the modules first: sudo pacman -S virtualbox virtualbox-host-modules-arch (or virtualbox-host-dkms for a non-default kernel).
Click New. The wizard has collapsible sections — fill in the three shown below, then press Finish:

Name and operating system — Give the VM a name and pick the Maze ISO Image right here — no need to attach it later. Set OS to Linux, OS Distribution to ArchLinux and OS Version to Arch Linux (64-bit). Leave "Proceed with Unattended Installation" unticked.
Virtual hardware — tick "Use EFI" — Base Memory at least 4096 MB (8 GB+ if you want to run Ollama), 2+ CPUs (4 recommended). Tick "Use EFI" — this is required; without it the ISO does not boot.
Virtual hard disk — Only to try the live system? Choose Create Virtual Machine Without a Virtual Hard Disk. To install Maze into the VM, create a new VDI disk of at least 40 GB (60 GB is comfortable). No need to pre-allocate.

Optional: Settings → Display → set Video Memory to 128 MB and enable 3D Acceleration.
Click Start. Forgot EFI? Turn it on later under Settings → System → Motherboard → Enable EFI.

VirtualBox uses software rendering unless Guest Additions are installed. The desktop will work, but may feel sluggish compared to QEMU/KVM. Wayland compositing effects may be reduced.

VMware Workstation / Fusion

Create a new VM → Use ISO image → select the Maze Linux ISO.
Guest OS: Linux → Other Linux 6.x kernel 64-bit.
RAM: 4 GB minimum, 6–8 GB recommended.
Click Finish, but don't start it yet: open VM Settings → Options → Advanced → Firmware type and choose UEFI (required — the ISO does not boot in BIOS mode).
Start the VM.

What works in the live VM

Feature	Works in VM?
KDE Plasma desktop	Yes
AppArmor / firewalld	Yes
ClamAV / QLAM	Yes
Entropy Shield (Tor + I2P)	Yes
MAC randomization	Yes (applies to virtual NIC)
Ollama / local AI	Yes — needs enough RAM allocated
GPU acceleration (Ollama)	No — VM GPU passthrough is not supported out of the box
Guided installer	Yes — you can install to a virtual disk from live mode

Tips

Screen resolution: If the display is small, open System Settings → Display & Monitor and set your preferred resolution.
Clipboard sharing: In VirtualBox, enable Shared Clipboard under Settings → General → Advanced. In QEMU, use -device virtio-serial -chardev spicevmchannel with a SPICE display.
Secure Boot stays off in the VM. Boot in plain UEFI mode with Secure Boot disabled — you will not see the blue MOK key-enrollment screen. That step only applies to real hardware (see First Boot / MOK).
Want to install? Once you're satisfied with the live session, click Install Maze Linux in the dock and follow the Installation Guide.