About CyberDreams
Get your head out of the cloud
CyberDreams.info began as a late-90s/early-00s style personal project. An attempt to recreate the experience of owning your digital life outside of the distractions of news, taxes and order.
We create and maintain the **CyberDreams Sneakernet Platform** βA purpose-built Linux edition designed from the ground up for air-gapped, physical-first use.
Progress
> Packaging has begun on the first real version. A shortlist of bundle applications and content was approved. Custom accents such as a unique installed, first run dialog with resources and discrete branding to replace Debian branding (per the license). The challenge has been selecting UI presets that seem decently modern while not getting lost in wasteful features.
Why we exist
β’ Modern computing has become a race to the bottom in it's features and capabilities. Powerusers are distrusted and expected to comply with pay tiers and limited features for the sake of everything 'just working'.
β’ Most updates and apps assume you have unlimited bandwidth and trust the cloud. Most updates in modern software can radically change your experience and workflow, denying the users to revert.
β’ We believe the internet is largely a tool for brainless consumerism and control and modern computers and applications play into this.
Our platform is agnostic of current tech trends and intends on establishing universal norms that deliver a fun, useful experience to anyone with a computer. Major applications that the OS uses as a core feature of the system will have official versions that can be upgraded/downgraded but suggested standards will exist.
How it works
β’ **Primarily offline** β Install once from physical media and run forever without phoning home or ever needing an update.
β’ **Sneakernet native** β File distribution, updates, and even new applications happen via physical media by design.
β’ **SMOLNET friendly** β The CyberDreams software deliberately blocks web (http/s www) traffic but allows many other things. For those who choose to network their machines there is an intuitive interface for network configuration planned.
β’ **Reproducible & verifiable** β Every release includes sources and a complete local apt repository.
β’ **Neo-retro creative focus** β Tuned for real work: music, writing, graphics, coding, and offline creativity. It's essentially having the world at your fingertips without it being able to have you.
β’ **No telemetry. No dependencies to update.** Just clean Debian packages, AppImage support, and our own metapackages.
How itβs different
This is not another distro. It is a complete ecosystem:
β’ Bootable live/install media kits with everything pre-configured
β’ Preinstalled hardware options. These are machines that have been refurbished and save from decades of non-use all with their own distinct personalities.
β’ Quarterly physical media packs sent to your door. You make the choice of the media type and we deliver.
β’ Automation that makes the Sneakernet aspect as easy as stopping for coffee. Automatic sneaker drive detection and scripted file transfers. Sit down, plug in and get ready to see what's new.
Everything is built, tested, and shipped from Indiana. No venture capital. No cloud dependencies. Just a few dudes living like it's 1998.
Learn exactly how the platform works
Last updated: April 2026