AcreetionOS Project Governance

AcreetionOS is an independent, community-focused Linux distribution project. This document outlines our governance model, decision-making process, financial transparency, and commitment to integrity. We believe that how a project is governed is just as important as the code it produces. Check out the Contributor Hub for live development stats and ways to get involved.

AcreetionOS is led by its founding Co-Lead Developers—a father-daughter team:

• Darren (@cobra3282000) Co-Lead Developer — Father
• Natalie Cole-Clift Spiva (@spivanatalie64) Co-Lead Developer — Daughter

We currently operate as a small, efficient team to ensure that our technical vision and commitment to user sovereignty remain consistent. As the project grows, additional contributors and maintainers will be onboarded through a transparent merit-based process.

• Technical Direction Decisions regarding core architecture (e.g., XLibre/X11, kernel configs, repository structure, default package selection) are made by the lead developers. This ensures consistency and prevents scope creep from diluting the project's vision.
• Community Input We actively solicit feedback from our community on Discord , Root , and via GitHub Issues and Pull Requests . Major user-facing changes are discussed with the community before implementation, and bug reports and feature requests are reviewed regularly.
• Forking and Downstream As a free and open-source project, anyone is welcome to fork our code. However, the name "AcreetionOS" and its official repositories are managed exclusively by the core team to protect project identity and trust.

Our Wiki and the docs/ folder in each repository serve as the authoritative source for project documentation. Community members are encouraged to contribute improvements, corrections, and translations. All documentation is version-controlled alongside source code to ensure it stays accurate and up-to-date.

We maintain a style guide for contributors to ensure consistency across documentation. Review and merge of documentation changes follow the same process as code changes, with lead developers providing final approval.

Our ISO Hosting Provider Program allows trusted third parties to host and distribute AcreetionOS ISOs. Governance of this program includes:

• Application and Vetting Prospective hosting providers must apply and be reviewed by the core team to ensure they meet reliability and security standards.
• Service Level Expectations Hosting providers are expected to keep mirrors up-to-date and accessible. Providers that fail to maintain acceptable service may be removed from the program.
• Revocation The core team reserves the right to revoke hosting provider status at any time if a provider acts against the project's interests or fails to meet obligations.

This program is designed to expand distribution reach while maintaining trust and quality for end users.

We maintain our own set of repositories. This is not just a technical choice; it is a governance philosophy. By controlling our repositories, we ensure:

• Stability We decide when packages are updated, preventing "bleeding edge" breakages.
• Security We can quickly patch vulnerabilities independently of upstream Arch.
• Control We prioritize software that aligns with our users' needs, not just upstream defaults.

• Open Development All core OS build scripts and custom tools are developed in the open on GitHub and GitLab . Anyone can review, audit, or contribute to our codebase.
• Financial Independence We currently fund AcreetionOS entirely out of our own pockets—domain registration, server costs, build infrastructure, and tooling. This financial independence guarantees that no outside entity can exert influence over the project's direction or priorities. We do not accept corporate sponsorships or advertising revenue.
• No Hidden Agenda Our politics are separate from our code. We are here to build a better operating system for everyone, regardless of their background. We do not collect telemetry, serve ads, or bundle unnecessary software.

Our long-term vision is to transition AcreetionOS to a formal community governance model as the project matures and attracts a broader contributor base. This transition may include:

• Community Election Establishing a community-elected steering committee to oversee project direction.
• Governance Charter Drafting a formal governance charter that defines roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
• Sustainable Funding Exploring community-driven funding models such as donations or a non-profit foundation to ensure long-term financial sustainability without compromising independence.

Our goal is to build a project that outlasts any single contributor and remains a trusted, independent operating system for decades to come.