The vision behind Nautilus Linux was born from a deep belief in the talent, innovation, and capability waiting to be unlocked. Through initiatives like Fix My Computer, we uncovered a striking gap—the asymmetry between what users and developers aspire to achieve and the tools currently available to them. This revelation became our driving force. By rallying around a shared purpose and vision, we strive to embrace agility, ensuring uncompromising quality, accelerating innovation, and continuously delivering value. Our mission is to meet the ever-evolving demands of our users and, ultimately, to empower the warfighter with tools that adapt as quickly as the challenges they face. When united by a common goal and equipped with the right platform, the possibilities are limitless. Nautilus Linux isn’t just an operating system—it’s a catalyst for transformation, breaking down barriers to unlock the full potential of developers and users alike.
The design and prototyping of Nautilus Linux was crafted by the dedicated team at 2 Twelve Solutions, based in Crystal City, Virginia. The journey began with an ambitious mission: to find the perfect balance of cost, performance, integration, and supportability. To achieve this, the team meticulously tested various Dell and HP laptops with different configurations, pushing the limits to identify the best trade-offs. This hands-on approach often required trial and error, with countless trips between their homes, the office, and the datacenter to test and refine various implementations and integrations. Managing up to six laptops at a time—each with unique specifications—was a labor-intensive process, fraught with challenges and the occasional mishap. Many of these test laptops bore the scars of hard work—scratches, cracks, and dents that stand as a testament to the relentless drive of the 2 Twelve Solutions team. Through their perseverance, the team forged Nautilus Linux into a platform that meets the highest standards of performance and adaptability. Every challenge they faced strengthened their commitment to delivering a solution that developers can depend on—built on real-world insights and hands-on expertise.
In its early days, the project lacked an official name and was informally referred to as the Linux Developer Workstation. At DoN IT West 2024, the team set out to gauge interest and gather valuable insights. They engaged participants who showed curiosity, seeking honest reactions to the prototype. The goal was clear: to ensure they were heading in the right direction. Behind the scenes, the team was already soliciting internal feedback, collaborating with developer groups, and gathering requirements to shape what would eventually become Nautilus Linux. Their efforts were fueled by a commitment to understanding what the platform needed to deliver in terms of functionality, adaptability, and developer experience. The warm interest at AFCEA and the invaluable hands-on feedback received during the event inspired the team to keep iterating. Their mission was to strike the fine balance between open capabilities and an exceptional developer experience—a goal that remains at the heart of Nautilus Linux today.
The next chapter of our journey took us to DoN IT East in Norfolk, where the Linux Developer Workstation made its debut with a bit more personality. This time, we showcased it on a dedicated demo table, accompanied by a looping presentation that highlighted its capabilities and the real-world use cases it could enable. Over the course of three days, the steady stream of interest and feedback we received was invaluable. Attendees eagerly shared their challenges, which quickly became our challenges to solve. Their insights helped refine our vision, ensuring that Nautilus Linux would address real-world needs and pain points. This event also marked one of our most significant milestones: PEO Digital leadership officially named the pilot project “Nautilus Linux.” The name embodies the spirit of innovation and adaptability that continues to define the platform today.
As the project moved beyond the prototype phase, the team began envisioning the end-to-end process required to scale Nautilus Linux effectively. They quickly realized that supporting hardware, mass provisioning images, managing asset inventory, handling warranties and recalls, and orchestrating the logistics to deliver endpoints into developers’ hands would demand a level of expertise that was infeasible for them to build internally. Sometimes, success isn’t just about what you know—it’s about who you know. The team remembered meeting an IT VAR (Value-Added Reseller) on the show floor at DoN IT West, who were based just outside Washington, DC. Enter NCS Technologies, a small business IT VAR that stands out through its vertically integrated approach, combining warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and engineering under one roof. Operating out of a state-of-the-art 108,000 sq. ft. facility in Manassas, Virginia, NCS was perfectly positioned to support the team’s needs—just 40 miles from the Pentagon and Washington Navy Yard. A site visit to NCS confirmed the team’s instincts. They discovered a partner with deep expertise in hardware supply chain management and cutting-edge capabilities, including specialized machinery capable of imaging, provisioning, and testing up to 2,400 endpoints simultaneously. This collaboration gave the project the operational backbone it needed to transition from concept to reality, paving the way for Nautilus Linux to scale and succeed.
We’re heading back to San Diego, the city where Nautilus Linux first
gained momentum. This time, we’re returning with a platform that’s not
only more refined but also ready for broader deployment. Nautilus
Linux has moved beyond the prototype phase and is now in mass
production, built around the fully spec’d HP ZBook Firefly 14 G11—a
powerhouse designed to meet the demands of modern developers. With 80
Nautilus Linux endpoints set to be fielded soon, we’re excited to
demonstrate how this standardized, high-performance solution is ready
to empower developers with the tools they need to innovate and
succeed. San Diego was the starting point for our journey, and now
it’s the perfect stage to showcase just how far we’ve come.
The next chapter for Nautilus Linux is the most exciting yet—putting it directly into the hands of developers like you. If you’re ready to be part of the Nautilus Linux journey, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we can shape the future of development. A heartfelt THANK YOU to the developers! Your passion, feedback, and innovation drive everything we do.