KNULLI vs ROCKNIX
KNULLI
knulli.orgROCKNIX
rocknix.orgSide by side
| Figure | KNULLI | ROCKNIX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Emulation Frontends | 7.7 (#14) | 7.9 (#12) |
| Audience | The project focuses on devices with unavailable or outdated kernel sources, limited GPU support, or devices its team chooses to support. | The project describes itself as a plug-and-play operating system built by gamers for gamers. |
| Device support limit | If a device is not listed among the installation package downloads, the site says there is no public release for it and warns against using another device's package. | Supported devices are listed in the wiki, and adding a device requires contributed work and direct access to that device. |
| Installation | Installation requires downloading a device-specific image and flashing it to an SD card or the device's internal storage. | ROCKNIX is installed by downloading a device image, flashing it to an SD card or internal storage, and booting the device. |
| Licensing | KNULLI combines open-source components under their respective licenses and includes some components licensed for non-commercial use only. | ROCKNIX build configuration, scripts and embedded utilities are licensed under GNU GPL Version 2, while its branding uses CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. |
| Support | The project uses Discord for discussions and provides a wiki with setup and troubleshooting guides. | ROCKNIX offers no formal support and is provided as-is through community help channels. |
Plans
In their own words
KNULLI
KNULLI is free, open-source custom firmware for supported retro-gaming devices, including handhelds and bartops. It runs on Linux and self-hosted setups, with supported platforms including Anbernic RG series, GoRetroid Pocket 5 and Mini, Miyoo Flip, Powkiddy RGB30 and X55, Orange Pi Zero 2w, and TrimUI Brick and Smart Pro. The system provides EmulationStation or Simplemenu/Simplermenu+ frontends, RetroArch, and multiple libretro cores. It adds RetroAchievements, netplay, cover art, and thumbnail scraping through ScreenScraper, TheGamesDB, and ArcadeDB. Wireless and Bluetooth features depend on the device, while external USB wireless adapters are supported. Syncthing synchronizes saves between KNULLI devices or backs them up to a NAS, not a cloud. Installation requires a device-specific image flashed to an SD card or internal storage. Games, BIOS files, saves, and themes must use a strict case-sensitive folder structure.
ROCKNIX
ROCKNIX is a free, immutable Linux distribution for handheld gaming devices, focused on retro gaming emulation. Installation means downloading a device image, flashing it to an SD card or internal storage, then booting the device. It supports local and remote multiplayer, save states, video filters, in-game touch controls on supported devices, and custom performance and power profiles. Bluetooth audio and controller connections, HDMI and USB audio/video output, and music and video playback are also included. Cloud and LAN synchronization are available through Syncthing and rclone; built-in VPN support covers WireGuard, Tailscale and ZeroTier. ROCKNIX integrates RetroAchievements and automatic game scraping. Achievement support varies by emulator and game and requires an internet connection. Steam and Heroic Games Launcher are supported on arm64. Updates can be installed over the air from EmulationStation or manually with an update tar file. There is no formal support; the project is provided as-is through community help channels. Supported devices are listed in the wiki, and adding a device requires contributed work and direct access to it.