> For the complete Linea documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt). > Agents can fetch this page as Markdown at [https://docs.linea.build/protocol/linea-vs-lineth.md](https://docs.linea.build/protocol/linea-vs-lineth.md). # Linea vs Lineth "Linea" and "Lineth" are related but distinct: **Linea** is the public network and product, and **Lineth** is the open-source stack that powers it. This page states the distinction once, authoritatively, so the rest of the documentation can use each name precisely. ## What Linea is **Linea** is the public, permissionless zkEVM Layer 2 network that scales Ethereum, along with its product and governance: - **Linea Mainnet** and **Linea Sepolia**: the public network and its testnet. - The **Linea** brand, the **Linea Consortium** that governs the **Linea Protocol**, and user- and developer-facing products such as the **Linea SDK**. When the documentation means the network you transact on, the product, or its governance, it says **Linea**. ## What Lineth is **Lineth (formerly the Linea Stack)** is the open-source ZK-rollup stack and codebase: the protocol components, onchain contracts, and operational tooling that operators deploy. It is an incubating project at [LF Decentralized Trust (LFDT)](https://www.lfdecentralizedtrust.org/), where the open-source Linea Stack was contributed and renamed Lineth. When the documentation means the codebase, the deployable stack, or the LFDT project, it says **Lineth**. ## How they relate Lineth is both: - The **foundation of Linea Mainnet**: the public Linea network runs on Lineth. - A **stack operators can deploy** to launch their own Ethereum-compatible networks (Layer 2 or Layer 3), with configurable privacy, data availability, and finalization, while inheriting zero-knowledge security guarantees and Ethereum compatibility. A network an operator builds with Lineth is its own Ethereum-compatible network, not the public Linea network. **Protocol vs. stack:** these are different things. **The Linea protocol** is the set of rules and guarantees of the public Linea network, which is why the Protocol section keeps the name **Linea**. **Lineth** is the open-source _implementation_ of that stack: the components, clients, contracts, and tooling. So a page can correctly say "**Lineth** is comprised of these components" while still describing "**the Linea protocol**" the public network runs. note This mirrors the [LFDT naming model](https://github.com/LF-Decentralized-Trust/wiki/wiki/Naming-Guidelines#sub-project-naming-guidelines): the public network keeps its established name (Linea), while the donated open-source code project takes a distinct name (Lineth), following the same pattern as Hedera (network) and Hiero (LFDT project). ## When each name applies | You mean… | Use | | --- | --- | | The public network, Mainnet, Sepolia, L2, zkEVM | **Linea** | | The product, brand, Consortium, governance (Linea Protocol), Linea SDK | **Linea** | | The rules and guarantees of the public Linea network | **the Linea protocol** | | The open-source stack (components, clients, contracts, tooling) | **Lineth** | | The open-source rollup stack / codebase / LFDT project | **Lineth** | | A network an operator deploys using the stack | a **network built on Lineth** | On first reference within a page, the stack is introduced as **"Lineth (formerly the Linea Stack)"**, then **Lineth** thereafter. ## Next steps - Read the [Linea network overview](/protocol/overview). - Explore [Lineth](/stack), the open-source stack.