MEMegaSec·Dec 16, 2025
There's a Github link for the os, but it is under some strange not-quite OSS or Free Software license... https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel
In Umbrel – Personal Cloudgetumbrel
umbrel
TypeScript2021–2025
getumbrel / umbrel
umbrel
An elegant home server OS. Run AI agents, store your files, backup your photos, and do more with over 300 apps in the Umbrel App Store.
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13Distinct people
13Mentions
0Explicit recommenders
12.6KGitHub stars
What to know before exploring
What it is
An elegant home server OS. Run AI agents, store your files, backup your photos, and do more with over 300 apps in the Umbrel App Store.
GitHub
Where it is used
No documented product use was verified in the last source check.
What people are saying
No recommendation phrase was found in the indexed comments.
No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.
Also in these discussions
No other repository is repeatedly linked in the same discussions.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 8–Nov 15 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/15/2026, 2:04:58 PM UTC.
No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year13 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2021-12-09 08:21:34 UTC to 2025-12-16 02:11:39 UTC.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 5 | 0 | 5 |
What Hacker News says
5 sourcesYou misunderstand how licensing works. They can build an entirely closed source OS around the Linux kernel if they want. The only thing they'd have to publish is the changes to the kernel itself. I don't see why they'd need to modify the kernel so they'd have to publish absolutely nothing!
But to answer your question, umbrelOS is debian. You're right that they don't advertise that fact anywhere (that I've seen). They use rugpi to build a preconfigured image that includes their changes and their software. All the details are indeed public and open, if you know what you're looking for:
https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/tree/master/packages/os
In Umbrel – Personal CloudYes looks like they offer the OS for Raspberry pi and "any x86 system"
https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel
In Umbrel – Personal CloudSorry, isn't this running an open-source OS? The header has a link to a github with a non-commercial license[0].
If so, couldn't you just use the OS on non-premium-priced mini-PC hardware and never have to worry about them locking you out of your box? I guess maybe it's concerning if you're being forced to update by the OS? I've never actually run a system like that, but was considering umbrel OS (didn't actually know about the hardware until this post), so if I'm being naive about something, it's in earnest.
[0] https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel
In Umbrel – Personal CloudHere's a comparison on running it on your own hardware vs. theirs: https://github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/wiki/umbrelOS-on-Umbrel-...
In Umbrel – Personal Cloud