wtf is linux-control?

actuallyaridan/linux-control — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 14C++Audience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((linux-control))
    What it does
      Recreates Windows Control Panel
      Reads real pacman data
      Shows firewall rules
      Manages installed packages
    Tech stack
      Qt6
      KDE Frameworks
      libAeroQt
      CMake
    Use cases
      Manage packages visually
      Check firewall status
      Benchmark performance
      Nostalgic Windows look
    Audience
      Arch Linux users
      CachyOS users
    Notes
      Work in progress
      Some pages are placeholders

mindmap root((linux-control)) What it does Recreates Windows Control Panel Reads real pacman data Shows firewall rules Manages installed packages Tech stack Qt6 KDE Frameworks libAeroQt CMake Use cases Manage packages visually Check firewall status Benchmark performance Nostalgic Windows look Audience Arch Linux users CachyOS users Notes Work in progress Some pages are placeholders

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Manage installed Arch Linux packages through a familiar Windows-style Programs and Features screen.

REASON 2

Check for and review pacman package updates in a Windows Update style interface.

REASON 3

View firewall status and rules read from ufw without using the command line.

REASON 4

Run a Windows Experience Index style benchmark to gauge system performance.

What's in the stack?

C++Qt6KDE FrameworksCMake

How it stacks up

	actuallyaridan/linux-control	6x-u/enrinanime	ali-pahlevani/2d_scan_merger_ros2
Stars	14	14	14
Language	C++	C++	C++
Setup difficulty	moderate	hard	hard
Complexity	3/5	4/5	4/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Best supported on Arch Linux or CachyOS, needs pacman, yay, ufw, and pkexec for full functionality.

The README does not state a license for this project.

Wtf does this do

This project rebuilds the classic Windows Control Panel as a native Linux desktop app. It aims to look and feel like the old Windows 7 era Control Panel, complete with the same category based home screen, but everything behind the screens talks to real Linux system tools instead of faking the data. The app is built with Qt6 and KDE's widget libraries, along with a separate library called libAeroQt that recreates the Windows Aero visual style. It is designed to be used alongside a matching theme called AeroThemePlasma for the full look. The author is upfront that this is an early, work in progress project: several pages are placeholders that do not function yet, the code has rough edges, and it is not meant to be used as a daily driver until later in the year. The features that do work read from real system data. A Windows Update style page checks for actual package updates using the pacman package manager, and shows update history pulled from pacman's own log file. A Programs and Features page lists installed packages and lets you uninstall them, with support for reinstalling packages that came from the Arch User Repository through the yay helper tool. There is a Network and Sharing Center overview, a Firewall page that reads status and rules from the ufw firewall tool, a Power Options page, and a Performance page with a benchmark styled after the old Windows Experience Index score. The project is built specifically for Arch Linux and CachyOS, since several features depend on tools like pacman, yay, and ufw that are common on those systems, though other distributions might work with some adjustments. It can be installed from the Arch User Repository, downloaded as a pre-built binary, or compiled from source using CMake alongside Qt6 and KDE Frameworks packages. It needs pkexec for actions that require administrator privileges, such as installing or removing packages. This is one entry in a small series of Windows-alike Linux tools by the same author, alongside a separate Linux Device Manager project.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1

Help me build linux-control from source on Arch Linux using CMake and Qt6.

Prompt 2

Explain what libAeroQt is and why linux-control depends on it.

Prompt 3

Walk me through installing linux-control from the AUR with yay.

Prompt 4

Explain which features in this app are placeholders versus fully working, based on the README.

Frequently asked questions