Feel peak Windows was 7? You might like Kumander Linux

Kumander Linux, a Linux distribution that has been around for several years, is set to release version 3.0 soon. While it may not boast technological innovation, its appeal lies in its nostalgic design. Underneath its surface, it runs Debian 13.6 with Xfce 4.20, which are reliable and well-established choices. What sets Kumander apart is its appearance, as it aims to resemble Windows 7.

It does not replicate Windows' commercial assets or trademarks, but instead uses a combination of free and freeware components. The distribution includes popular tools like LibreOffice, GIMP, Google Chrome, PuTTY, Audacity, and VLC. It also replaces some of Xfce's stock tools with custom ones, such as a more robust Task Manager and an easy-to-use Software Center.

Although Kumander is not the smallest distro, with a 4.25 GB download and 11 GB for a full installation, its lightweight Xfce desktop makes it efficient, taking around 725 MB of RAM at idle. The distro's About page provides information about its origins, which are rooted in the Filipino culture, as the name "Kumander" is an indirect tribute to Commodore computers.

This is believed to be the first distro from the Philippines. The customization efforts, while effective, may go a bit too far in some cases, such as when a terminal window displays a prompt resembling Windows' style. Despite this, Kumander Linux 3 offers an appealing combination of Debian stability and Xfce simplicity for those who miss the aesthetics of Windows 7.