Welcome to Stormux. Stormux provides accessible Linux images and tools based on Arch Linux ARM and Arch Linux.

Stormux images include accessibility from the first boot. The console is covered by the Fenrir screen reader, the desktop is covered by Cthulhu, and current Raspberry Pi images include the I38 accessible desktop by default. Stormux uses XLibre for the X server stack, with PipeWire, Speech Dispatcher, and RHVoice forming the main accessible audio and speech path.

You can grab the latest images for the Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, and x86_64 systems from https://stormux.org/downloads. On first boot, Stormux starts with volume calibration before continuing through setup. The configure-stormux tool handles first-boot setup and ongoing configuration, including networking, screen setup, Fenrir layout, Bluetooth on supported hardware, help, repository setup, and removing I38 for users who want a console-oriented Arch-like system. You can also choose whether I38 starts at boot and whether Fenrir remains enabled for console sessions. To use the tool later, type configure-stormux at the prompt.

If you are interested in installing the Stormux repository on an Arch Linux system, aarch64 or x86_64, you can add it manually. First, download and add the repository signing key:

curl -fsSLO https://packages.stormux.org/stormux_repo.pub
sudo pacman-key --add stormux_repo.pub
sudo pacman-key --lsign-key 52ADA49000F1FF0456F8AEEFB4CDE1CD56EF8E82

Next, edit /etc/pacman.conf and add the Stormux repository before the [core] repository:

[stormux]
SigLevel = Required DatabaseOptional
Server = https://packages.stormux.org/$arch

Then refresh the package databases:

sudo pacman -Sy

If you prefer the convenience script, it performs the same setup automatically:

curl -fsSL https://stormux.org/add-stormux.sh | sudo bash

Help is available on the Stormux email list or by selecting “Get help on IRC” from the configure-stormux menu.

Recommended Hardware

Looking for storage, a card reader, or other equipment that works well with Stormux? Visit the Recommended Hardware for Stormux page for products I use or have had good results with.

Subscribe to the Stormux Email List

To join the Stormux mailing list, send an email with the subject subscribe to the following address:

stormux+subscribe@groups.io

If your email client doesn’t open automatically, you can manually compose an email to stormux+subscribe@groups.io and set the subject to subscribe.

This page brings together hardware I use with Stormux or have had good results with. Product availability can change, but I will try to keep these links current.

The Amazon product links below are paid links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

There has been a lot of unwelcome chatter about X being deprecated. In fact, many distributions no longer ship Xorg by default. This has led to problems not only for Linux accessibility but for other applications as well. For an example of this, take a look at the KiCad blog.

Fortunately, despite best efforts to “deprecate Xorg,” it continues on, thanks to the XLibre project. At the time of writing this article, the project boasts over 500 contributors on its GitHub page. Note, it was pointed out to me that that statistic is all contributions from 2000. There is a graph that shows actual contribution information for each contributor if you are interested.