Sonata — a familiar desktop for Linux

Things your Mac can't do.

Sonata starts where other desktops stop. These come built in, no extensions, no extra apps, and work with every app you install.

A folder named Creative open over the Dock, with GIMP, Inkscape, Krita, Blender and OBS Studio — DockFolders in the DockGroup apps into folders right in the Dock, like on your phone, and open them with a click. Drag any folder from Files there too and it stays as a stack.

A locked Dock folder asking for the password — PrivacyLock any app or folderYour chats, your banking app, a whole folder of them: locked ones ask for your password every time they open. Nothing of what's inside shows on the icon.

Settings, Apps: hidden apps and app permissions — PrivacyHide apps, and choose what they can useHidden apps leave Apps, Search and the Dock; only your password brings them back. New Flatpak apps ask before they use the camera, microphone, network or your files.

The Dock menu of a browser with Open in Sandbox, and an orange S on its icon — SecurityOpen any app in a sandboxTry an app with an empty home of its own: none of your files, sign-ins or settings, and nothing it does is kept when it closes. An orange S shows which copy is sandboxed.

Settings, Wallpaper: the Sonata wallpapers, Picture or Video and the video wallpaper options — WallpaperVideo wallpapers, done rightAny video as your wallpaper, looping with a soft fade, with sound if you want it. It pauses under your windows, in games and on each display on its own, and plays blurred on the lock and login screens.

Settings, Appearance: window buttons, button colours, button size and title bars — PersonalisationMake every window yoursWindow buttons on the left or the right, in any size and colour. Rounder or squarer corners, more or less glass, any accent colour from a colour wheel, a tinted background, and the same look in Chrome, VS Code and Steam.

Windows shortcuts tooAlt+Tab, Super+D, Win+V clipboard history and more, next to the Mac ones.
A controller as your mouseUse the desktop from the couch with any Xbox, PlayStation or 8BitDo pad.
Made for gamesFull speed while you play, a frame-rate limit, and the strong graphics card picked for you.
A Control Center you arrangeAdd CPU, GPU, memory, network, FPS or a volume mixer; move and remove the rest.
Never frozen by one appAn app that runs the memory out is closed; the desktop and your other apps carry on.
Locked means lockedWith USB protection on, new USB devices stay blocked while your screen is locked.

Linux, without the learning curve.

Linux is fast, private and free. What kept people away was everything around it. Sonata takes that part off your hands.

Click, don't type

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, displays, sound, printers, users, default apps and updates all live in Settings and the Control Center. You never need a terminal.
Beautiful by default

Glass, smooth animations and one consistent look for every app, Chrome and Steam included. Light and Dark, video wallpapers, nothing to set up first.
Feels familiar

A Dock, a menu bar, a grid of your apps and the Windows shortcuts you already know: Alt+Tab, Super+D, Win+V and more.
Takes care of itself

If something goes wrong, Sonata starts again on its own and offers to reopen your apps. Games get the strong graphics card, everyday apps the one that saves memory. Updates show up as a notification.

Make it yours. All of it.

Most desktops let you change the wallpaper and the accent colour. Sonata lets you change the desktop itself, and everything follows: its own apps, other apps, the title bars it draws for them, even Steam.

Colours: Any accent from a colour wheel, a background tint for Light and Dark, button colours.
Shape: Corners of windows, the Dock and menus, window buttons on either side and in any size.
Glass: How see-through the Dock, menu bar, menus and title bars are, each on its own.
Wallpaper: Sonata's photos, your pictures, or a video with sound.
Icons: One icon style for every app, even the ones that don't ship one.

Settings, Appearance: accent colour, backgrounds, style and icons

Everything you need, ready on day one.

Files, notes, reminders, a calendar, a task manager and more, designed together, all in Light and Dark.

**Files**Tabs, quick previews, every disk mounted for you

**Settings**Your computer and your desktop, in one place

**Settings**Your computer and your desktop, in one place

**Reminders**Lists with dates and priorities

**Reminders**Lists with dates and priorities

**Calendar**Your calendars, with invites

**Calendar**Your calendars, with invites

**Task Manager**Every process, and which graphics card it uses

**Task Manager**Every process, and which graphics card it uses

**TextEdit**Plain and rich text, in tabs

**TextEdit**Plain and rich text, in tabs

**Disk Utility**Format, mount and check your drives

**Disk Utility**Format, mount and check your drives

New in 0.20: wallpapers that move.

Video wallpapers. A smooth loop, optional sound, paused under windows, in games and on each display on its own, and blurred on the lock and login screens.
Window buttons your size. A size slider, and they move in as the corners get rounder.
Folders from Files in the Dock. Drag a folder from the list or the sidebar and it stays as a stack.
A colour wheel. Pick any accent colour by dragging, with a brightness slider.
Controller shortcut. Hold LB + RB + L3 + R3 to turn desktop control on or off.

Read the full changelog

The Control Center open over the desktop

Everything you love about a Mac. And a lot it can't do.

Things your Mac can't do.

Linux, without the learning curve.

Click, don't type

Beautiful by default

Feels familiar

Takes care of itself

Make it yours. All of it.

Everything you need, ready on day one.

New in 0.20: wallpapers that move.

Made by one person, free for everyone.

Built on the work of others.

Icons, themes, fonts and pictures

Software