OpenEuler, a Chinese enterprise Linux distribution, showcased its growing ecosystem at Open Source Summit Europe, where it occupied the only dedicated booths for Linux distributions. The project, now stewarded by the OpenAtom Foundation, has evolved from its origins as Huawei's community version of EulerOS, which achieved official UNIX certification. OpenAtom was co-founded in 2020 by Huawei alongside Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent, and Inspur, a company that previously developed the certified K/UX distribution.

The shift from CentOS Linux to CentOS Stream in December 2020 created a vacuum that Chinese vendors filled differently than Western communities. While projects like Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux pursued RHEL compatibility, Chinese firms abandoned their own CentOS-based variants and UNIX certification efforts to focus on new infrastructure tools. This strategic pivot aligns with broader national priorities, though the timing coincided with U.S. export restrictions on Huawei in 2019.

OpenEuler now offers a dual release model: LTS versions like 24.03 (June 2024) and frequent innovation releases, with the latest being 26.09. The distribution supports multiple architectures, including x86-64, 64-bit Arm, RISC-V, and LoongArch, with minimal builds for 32-bit Arm. Five installation ISOs exist, ranging from a 1.5 GB network installer to a 25 GB "everything" desktop edition.

At the summit, OpenAtom distributed a "Focus Guide" detailing AI capabilities and migration tools. The DevStation image, tested in VirtualBox, boots into an installer named Heolleo offering Simplified Chinese or English interfaces. After installation, users can switch to English via settings, though some interface elements remain in Chinese. The default GNOME 49 desktop includes preinstalled extensions like Dash to Panel, while optional environments such as Deepin, UKUI, MATE, Xfce, and Kiran are also available.

Notable technical features include the Intelligence BooM stack for LLM development, the x2openEuler migration tool, and the iSula container engine. The distribution emphasizes compatibility with Chinese processors from Hygon, Phytium, and Kunpeng, reflecting its domestic hardware focus. Unlike Western alternatives that maintain RHEL compatibility, OpenEuler represents a distinct path shaped by regional collaboration and infrastructure priorities.