Linux in The News 8-7-23

MX Linux 23 “Libretto” is now available for download as the latest stable version of this lightweight Debian-based distribution featuring KDE Plasma, Xfce, and Fluxbox editions.

Derived from the latest and greatest Debian GNU/Linux 12 “Bookworm” operating system series, MX Linux 23 comes with the long-term supported Linux 6.1 LTS kernel series by default for all three editions supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

However, MX Linux’s AHS (Advanced Hardware Support) editions are powered by the latest Linux 6.4 kernel series for those who need its new features and the extra hardware support where the Linux 6.1-powered images fail to detect your hardware. The AHS editions are available with KDE Plasma and Xfce desktops only for 64-bit systems.

All three MX Linux editions have been updated to include the latest versions of their pre-installed desktop environments. They come with KDE Plasma 5.27 LTS, Xfce 4.18, and Fluxbox 1.3.7.

New features include support for swapfiles in the installer when using the “regular” auto installation method, support for PipeWire and WirePlumber for managing audio instead of PulseAudio, and nala command-line APT frontend as the default backend for MX Updater.

The installer also received various UI adjustments, seamless legacy grub-pc updates, various fixes for grub-install functions, additional help guidance right in the installer GUI, and removal of the “dump” entries that might be clogging up your NVRAM.

MX Linux 23 also enables UFW as the default firewall, adds a more obvious “check media” function to the live boot menus on all three editions, updates MX apps that include various enhancements like support for launching them with individual policy kit configurations, and fixes numerous bugs.

The Fluxbox edition received many new configuration options, special “appfinder” configurations for the Rofi file manager replacing xfce4-appfinder, as well as support for theming Fluxbox using MX Tweak’s theme module.

All three editions now include the popular Orca screen reader and a screen magnifier tool for accessibility. In addition, the Xfce edition now uses xfce4-screensaver as the default screen locker.

You can download MX Linux 23 right now from the official website. MX Linux 21 “Wildflower” users can upgrade their installations by following the instructions provided by the devs here.

Source Credit: 9 to 5 Linux

LMDE 6 Codenamed “Faye”, Linux Mint 21.3 Is Planned for Christmas 2023

The Linux Mint project unveiled today some initial details about the next major release of the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint distribution, as well as the highly-anticipated Debian-based LMDE 6 (Linux Mint Debian Edition) release.

Many of you have asked us if we know anything about LMDE 6, the answer comes today from Linux Mint project leader Clement Lefebvre that work started on Linux Mint Debian Edition 6, which will be codenamed as “Faye” and will hopefully be based on the latest Debian GNU/Linux 12 “Bookworm” release.

Unfortunately, there’s no ETA for the final LMDE 6 release yet, but rest assured that you’ll be the first to know when the beta version will be available for public testing if you’re eager to install it on your personal computer.

One thing is for sure, LMDE 6 will include all the new features and changes introduced in Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria”, but with a Debian base rather than an Ubuntu base. This means that if LMDE 6 is based on Debian Bookworm, it will ship with the long-term supported Linux 6.1 LTS kernel series.

While working on LMDE 6, the Linux Mint devs also plan to release an EDGE ISO for Linux Mint 21.2, which will be powered by the more recent Linux 6.2 kernel rather than Victoria’s Linux 5.15 LTS kernel. As you can imagine, the new kernel stack will make installations on newer hardware more smooth.

Also today, Clement Lefebvre unveiled the fact that the next major release in the Linux Mint 21 series, Linux Mint 21.3, is planned for Christmas 2023. No surprises here, but what’s interesting is the fact that the team promises some cool new features, improved Secure Boot support, and hopefully initial Wayland support.

While Linux Mint 21.3 will still be based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), the Linux Mint devs are already keeping an eye on the major changes coming to the next Ubuntu LTS release in April 2024, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, especially the Snap-related changes and promise to offer Linux Mint users the same Snap-free experience in future releases.

Source Credit: 9 to 5 Linux