About

WMT OS is a modern Linux distribution for netbooks built on the WonderMedia WM8505 SoC, based on Debian 13 (Trixie). It's currently a solo project by me, Logan Russell.

I got my first WM8505 netbook in 2012 and never quite put it down. By 2014 I was on the linux-vtwm mailing list, where the chip was being brought to mainline, trying to get it running on mine. It booted, and for the most part that's where it stayed. The mainline effort wound down, and the rest of the hardware went unsupported as the years passed. A decade later I had the tools to finish the job. WMT OS is the result, the support I've always wanted these machines to have.

Credits

Special thanks to the following projects:

linux-vtwm: For pioneering mainline support for WonderMedia SoCs, including the WM8505.
projectgus/kernel_wm8505: For archiving VIA's original BSP patches, which served as an invaluable reference throughout this modernization effort.

License

The WMT OS build system, this site, and the project's own packages are released under the MIT License. The kernel fork is GPL-2.0, and the software in the images carries its own licenses.

Trademarks

WMT OS is an independent project, not affiliated with Debian, WonderMedia Technologies, or VIA Technologies. Debian is a registered trademark owned by Software in the Public Interest, Inc.