I don't mind "ugliness", it's not even a thing that I process alongside actual important things like user-friendliness, reliability, community and dev support. Things that actually matter.
MX is reliable. Not perfect or it will attend your every need possible, but will suffice any major demand without pushing you towards something more complicated than it needs to be. People will actively try to help and answer your questions.
I like it, I use it and its Debian. AHS helps a lot if you need something close to the newer kernels, modules and such.
Perfect for my old Apple iMac 20" (late 2006). MX Linux installs and boots perfectly and after little adjustments to make the iSight working correctly the PC works fine. I choose KDE as my DE and everything is smooth and very usable. Many modern linux system dropped support for Hardware that have 64bit processors but 32bit EFI, like this beautiful iMac and due to newer graphic cards that needs a lot of memory and energy, it is not easy to find a good distro that fits older iMacs. I think MX Linux is a great chance without compromise between usability and modern apps...
Lets give a chance and don't forget to recycle, reuse and reduce.
MX Linux is a beautiful balance between control and user friendliness that I've never seen in a linux distro before, I'm not a great programmer or linux user by any means but many distros always feel like they are focused on one of those two traits entirely and so they either end up missing features or packing in way too many needless features, but MX Linux seems to be running pretty fast and stable while having lots of decently accessible customization, builtin utilities, and easily interpreted documentation. Its not as simple as something like ubuntu but I think if you're on this website reading this your probably more than capable of handling it because its certainly easier than something like a base debian install even with a preinstalled Desktop Environment.
One of the cool features is the mx package manager because it allows you to install packages from a few different repositories like debian-testing and once its done installing it'll automatically disable the repo so if you install with a different method you don't have to manually update the sources list. I tried both the kde and xfce version and personally i prefer the kde version because it looks a little nicer but the fact they support/maintain the xfce version is awsome aswell for older hardware where ever bit of resource usage.
I think these people deserve all the support and and encouragement they can get and hope they stick to their curent philosophy unlike some other big linux distros because its been very relieving to finally find that balance between function and form :)
Version: 23.6 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-04-18 Votes: 1
Just tried 32 bit versions, main Xfce and fluxbox. I'm very impressed with Xfce , looks promising, lot of tools, htop shows around 460mb of ram after live session boots. With that left side panel looks bit like Ubuntu, nice conky monitor design, powerful aps out of the box. That's for the Xfce. Fluxbox edition is bad, needs lot of work and I recommend to look at Sparky minimal and take some inspiration there - much better lightweight distro based on Debian - MX fluxbox is using lot of apps written for different desktops and that makes it heavy. Can imagine using this distro with Xfce as daily. But my potato 2005 Acer needs lightweight system and that's why I'm staying with sparky minimal.
MX Linux is a solid desktop Linux distro for those wanting something from the Debian family but with more utilities and newer kernels and better hardware support than stock Debian stable.
For new Linux users coming from Windows I would say it is suitable for those with more technical knowledge and experience of using computers, and operating systems such as DOS, as it does require more typing at the command line interface than say Linux Mint, which i would say is better for those who are less experienced at computing as it has better GUI tools.
For users coming from Windows, it also requires more tinkering after installing to get it to look and behave more like the Windows user interface in order to be familiar and easy to use, than Mint. Watch youtube videos on how to set MX up and customise it after installing.
One area in which it is better than Mint is in the Linux kernels available for it in the MX Linux repositories. These are newer and may afford better support for newer hardware than those in Mint, including the Debian edition of Mint. For example, MX Linux lets me use my Intel AX200 wifi card whereas LMDE (and also stock Debian) does not support it. MX Linux currently has a version 6.14 Linux kernel available, whereas Mint is still stuck at 6.11 .
MX Linux also has newer kernels that have security fixes for known vulnerabilities (eg. CVE-2024-53150 and CVE-2024-53197 which are used by authoritarian regimes to hack devices of journalists and civil society members) whereas Ubuntu LTS and Linux Mint lag behind in this area (as of April 2025 still no safe kernels in those distros).
One of the strengths of MX is the set of utilities it comes with. It has useful utilities for deleting unnecessary files to free up more disk space, for tweaking the user interface, and so on.
The flagship edition of MX uses Xfce desktop environment and this is the version I like best as it comes with a very good set of utilities such as the Xfce screenshot app which is one of the best I have used, and Xfce very easy to customise. Xfce is also relatively light on system resources like RAM.
Other editions include a KDE edition (which will use more RAM than Xfce and in my opinion offers no significant advantage over Xfce to make up for this), and one using Fluxbox (lighter on system resources than Xfce but possibly less user friendly also). If you have an old computer with a slower CPU and less RAM, I would recommend MX Linux's sister distro AntiX instead of the fluxbox edition of MX, as it is designed for that use case with smaller kernels and so on. I would say MX is best for computers built during the last 15 years with at least 4 GB of RAM to the hardware made in the last year.
Version: 23.6 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-04-14 Votes: 6
Well, you see, it's like this:
I have had MX Linux since 23.4 and have been content enough, mostly. But I have been in the habit of following the releases of all of the -buntu/Ubuntu series that comes out twice a year: October and April, hence the 24.10 and depending on the "flavor" of the -buntu distro, it is either already released, (as of April 13, 2025), or in the last week of beta. Since 2017, I had been updating my releases of Kubuntu because I love the customizing abilities of KDE Plasma. I had had enough of a wee taste of Qt that went along with Plasma and so, when Plasma hit version 6, it came at a really bad time, or so the Powers That Be had told us, which explained the repeated versions and re-versions of 5.27. Supposedly. So, when I noticed that Kubuntu had once again asked us to swallow that bitter "Pill/worm-on-a-hook," one more time, once again, I switched to MX. So, holding out hope that KDE or Canonical or some other entity might finally switch to Plasma 6.xx, I was terribly disappointed. Again.
Oh, I know: what does all of this have to do with MX Linux? Simply this: I finally realized that even though I was running LXQt on Linux MX 23, everything that I really wanted in a distro or OS, if you will, was already here! I did have to do a bit of tweaking beyond the usual on-hand resources (there were not that many, as can be evidenced by the mile-and-a-half-long menu of every MX Program or Application under the sun). Seriously! MX should adopt the motto, "If we ain't got it, you don't need it!" Still, I can't shake the feeling that something is still missing! I haven't a clue what that might be but until I can think of something else that I want but likely don't actually need, MX will already have made it an option!
Yes, fine. But would I recommend MX Linux to someone who still uses Mac or Windows? Absolutely! Actually, I already have, a few times! So what are you doing still reading this? Go download MX right now!
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-04-13 Votes: 4
My experience with MX Linux has always been above average, no matter what the version number. I am a C language programmer and one thing I like is that you can associate files to be opened by programs of your choice. So if you click on a NNN.exe file, and you've associated those types of files, for example to "DOSBOX" then when you click on the file, DOSBOX will open that file. I wish that MX Linux would offer some of the other desktops. I'm using xfce. I've recently switched from Zorin 17 pro. I like it also but when I'm programming, I have to find work arounds to run those programs in DOSBOX.
The file manager and program loader is much better than the distro's that run GNOME. They are so slow.
I also wish that MX Linux would make the file manager keep the files being copied open so that you know what you are loading to a thumbdrive, or any drive for that matter. If I close that window out, there's no way to get it back and you just have to wait until the file operations have completed. You have no way of knowing what the status of that is. One work around is you can go to the file manager and look at the preferences and see if the folder you are concerned with is growing in size or not.
Thanks to the MX Linux team for making such a nice distro. Really like it and will continue to use.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-04-11 Votes: 6
MX stands out for its MX Tools.
Especially the MX Snapshot utility makes it possible to (very) easily create a live USB (with or without user environment), with an installer. This makes it great for fast deployment.
The installer is very suited for (LUKS) encrypted installs on a laptop, without the need for LVM.
BTRFS can very easily be installed with @ (root) and @home, so Timeshift lets you revert to an earlier state.
And all this out of the box.
For the most part it is Debian (bookworm), with the Debian repositories. On top of that it has MX repository.
MX's own package installer can add automagically repositories for some popular applications (Chrome, Earth, Onlyoffice, Signal...)
Downside: it uses the Debian stable repositories. Changing to testing or unstable creates a mess, unlike in pure Debian.
Got my Intel CPU MacBook Pro 2009 up and running with WiFi straight 'out of the box' which is usually a very complicated thing that other distros cannot do without a bunch of post install work and tweaking. It's Debian so I am used to the commands and works great. Boots really fast and clean UI makes this a joy to work with. Looking forward to see how this runs and so far the fan is not blowing like crazy and uses minimal resources so even on an older battery this will run for a few hours. Excelling work from the distro team and I don't have to throw away an old 'friend'.
The best system for beginners, everything is done graphically. I think the developers should modernize it a bit visually, but that's the only thing I could find fault with.xfce is even better than win7 in every aspect of support, cpu usage and memory. I say this as a former windows user, what more could you want. So if you want to start playing with linux, mx is the best for it. For programmers, if anyone is even reading this, you need to keep up with the times and improve it a bit visually, because it's really worth it, kudos to you for your work, best regards.
I have been using MX Linux as my daily driver for about four years now. I started with 19.4 and it worked great until it reached EOL. Since there's no direct upgrade path between fixed releases, I recently installed 23.2. I had some problems with WiFi but kept at it. (I am almost always mobile and usually run it off the hotspot on my phone.)
It took me a few weeks to figure out why the network manager would sometimes say "Device not configured" or "Device not managed" but I accidentally discovered that it only happened when I booted up with the power cord plugged in. (I have a 3-year-old HP laptop. Issue did not happen with 19.4. No, I haven't reported the bug yet but plan to soon.) (And yes, moving MX Linux to a new laptop is a breeze with snapshots and the live USB maker! Really awesome!! Every distro should have it!!)
That has been the only problem I've had with MX Linux in four years. In fact, today I decided to wipe the dual boot I had been messing with for over a month trying out other distros again and gave the whole machine to MX. I think it's the first time in maybe 15 years that I haven't dual booted. I have a habit of doing so in case one distro crashes, or because one might not quite do everything I need it to do. (I love you, OpenBSD, and one day soon I promise to put you back on a separate backup laptop.)
Anyway, I know we're mostly nerds here and I could throw a bunch of technical data at you, but others have already done a better job of that than I'm willing to do, so I'm just trying to give the vibe of using MX Linux as best I can. And that is, MX Linux is very stable, usable, and reliable, with tons of great tools, capable of doing pretty much every kind of daily task that I use computers for. I'm sticking with it. It has actually replaced OpenBSD as my favorite, which I never thought I'd say about any other distro. I can highly recommend it.
New pc HP Z2 tower. Took a Xfce live-usb from snapshot, installed the system on an partitioned ssd bootdisk. Added some secondary HD's and running great with my data!
Tiny obstakel: at boot I always did a full bootlisting, but it has a halt, a pause, a gap in it in MX23 and than some not too old diplays for instance HP and Fusjitsu say "stop, go to sleep and don't awake, black screen!" So I did a less full listing and all went right.
I'm extremely happy because in a few futile moments I have a new very flashy MX-system on another rather powerful pc.
That's the power of a snapshot transformed to an installable livemedium. Great backup too next to Clonezilla for instance.
This was why in 2017 I tried MX-Linux after other flavours of Linux and for years now I use it day-to-day.
MX looks so nice and functional classic.. It is so adaptable and configurable. Not a shop with candybars! But a serious desktop!
I know, some think it is legacy.. But it is not in my humble opinion. It is functional. Installed on that HP Z2 pc was another OS installed from the computershop when it arrived here. Which I formerly used to love and used very much, Mint. Now I prefer MX Xfce.
I am linux user since 2005 and I'm rating MX with 10. Here is why.
On my 4 machines, it works as good as Debian, but I have to modify very little on it to different uses. You have useful and powerful tools out of the box. Its installer is fast and gives you useful options.
It has a versatile installer which works fine to manage test repos, flatpacks, and more. However, Synaptic and Apt are available in case you need them.
Community is active, responsive, and friendly. Its documentation is comprehensive and helpful.
I would recommend it to windows people over Mint since in my experience, MX has a better stability and performance. (Mint is a great distro in my opinion)
Hope this is useful, cheers
Version: 23.5 Rating: 5 Date: 2025-03-19 Votes: 0
Booted with only 1 who-cares error. I like the screen layout on laptop with too-wide-screen. Response is quick, but something is hogging CPU ! Trimmed plenty of un-needed fat, then noticed something is hogging the disk.
Next day - Booted with same error. Screen popped up much leaner & faster. Tested browser - OK. Tested eMail - then noticed something hogging the disk. Then,,, the Time-to-upgrate box appeared with 525 things to fix !!! Are you kidding ?
In 48 hours, the sweet-little-baby is suddenly on life-support !!!
No way,,, I let it "apply" and watch in horor as it destroyed itself !
Next day - nothing flashing. Dead-end boot. Back to filthy old GRUB, where I tried the 'other' systemD boot.
It worked ! Its a black screen with cursor arrow, that I can mouse aaround. Nothing else is functional.
Grand job boys ! I'll come back in 2030 and give it another try !
This distro is fantastic. It comes with pre-made installation scripts and is easy to use.
Although people say it is difficult, I was able to install Davinci Resolve relatively easily and my computer can edit videos incredibly well.
Today is my first operating system and I think it will be difficult to find another that is as good.
The strong points are simplicity and stability. In fact, I was traumatized by other distros that would crash out of nowhere after an update. That never happened with this distro. It is incredibly stable, safe and reliable.
Esta distro é fantástica. Vem com scripts de instalação pré prontos e é de uso fácil.
Apesar de falarem que é difícil, consegui instalar com relativa facilidade o Davinci Resolve e meu computador consegue editar vídeos de maneira incrível.
Hoje é o meu primeiro sistema operacional e acho que seja difícil encontrar outro que esteja a altura.
Os pontos fortes são simplicidade e estabilidade. Na realidade, eu era traumatizado com outras distros quebrarem do nada após uma atualização. isso nunca ocorreu com esse distro. Ela é absurdamente estável, segura e confiável.
Estava em testes com outras distribuições, mas foi no MX Linux que minha máquina conseguiu desenvolver e identificar cada componente com o máximo de desempenho. Fiquei surpreso por ser um computador fraco em seus dezesseis anos de utilização.
Este sistema pelo menos até agora desde que o instalei está excelente, uso o KDE MX 23.5 64x, em um sistema operacional que se desenvolve bem e não trava, possui uma arquitetura que, para quem gosta de personalização, possui várias ferramentas de configuração, que até usuários iniciantes ficarão completamente a vontade para configurá-lo.
Muito bem construído, com um designer e interface moderna que deixou os usuários do MX Linux muito satisfeitos.
I was testing other distributions, but it was on MX Linux that my machine was able to develop and identify each component with maximum performance. I was surprised that it was a weak computer in its sixteen years of use.
This system, at least so far since I installed it, is excellent. I use KDE MX 23.5 64x, in an operating system that develops well and does not crash. It has an architecture that, for those who like customization, has several configuration tools, so that even beginner users will be completely comfortable configuring it. It is built, with a modern design and interface that will leave MX Linux users very satisfied.
What I like about MX Linux Xfce. The toolkit, especially the snapshot and USB-maker, it is fast, flashy on my not so new pc.
The OS stays out of the way, great! that is the best way for OS's, it never complaints or crashes.
Very friendly for the novice, perfect for the the advanced user. Very friendly forum too. Help is garanteed.
Not too big in memory, install is simple and straightforward Linux. Updating is a breeze and really never problems.
Repo has all, but not too much nonsense. All Debian software is easy installable with for instance Gdebi.
I search for negatives, but I can't think of one.
Maybe the style of the initial desktop with left a panel, which you can change and make more ot course.
If it stays this way I keep running MX Linux day-to-day. Very comfortable.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 2 Date: 2025-02-25 Votes: 0
I tried MX Linux a few times during last years when I was in distrohopping mood. I was very inclined to find something better than what I had. Unfortunately, each time I was dissapointed by either a good bug or a pure system crash which immediately spoiled my further investigative efforts on MX. As for the look I find it quite promissing, but the system can't be used as a daily horse. For example, when I test a new Ubuntu release I am amazed how quickly it boots, impeccable Nvidia driver installation and other good features, but on average within a week you get your nasty bug somewhere and you leave for your good old distro. Thus my rating is 2 of 10.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 2 Date: 2025-02-25 Votes: 0
After achieving good results from previous versions, I have been greatly disappointed with the latest releases. I have tried to install MX 23 multiple times on my notebooks.
Again, seeming like the developers finally got their act together with 23, bugs appeared even before I could get the install set up the way I wanted. I could not restart or shutdown from the desktop and had to use the power button to restart. It kept going back to the login screen. The options in the upper right corner of the screen were grayed out and inoperable. Again, an infinite loop became apparent at that point with no way out.
It's a real shame because MX Linux seems to have something to offer in the past, especially in the way of tools. However, it is very dated, especially the ugly, notorious installer, and it has become a real memory hog compared to earlier releases. Just like many other Linux distros, it has fallen off dramatically, especially since 19.4, which was their very best work. I have been having so much more success and satisfaction with Linux Mint and LMDE, both of which have really stood the test of time! I plan to use them for the foreseeable future.
After reading several reviews listing bad experiences I decided to list my own good experience.
I installed MX-LInux 23.5 XFCE 64 ext4 filesystem on a Dell Latitude E6530 with Intel I3 and 3.0 Gb memory (3 not 30) and Hynix SSD in dual boot config with Win7. Dell E6530 has Intel and Nvidia 5200 graphics..Uses less than 12 Gb disk space. Installed to replace a previous version of MX-LInux and I had no installation problems whatsoever.
Obviously I do not use this machine for gaming, mainly for web browsing and email using the pre-installed programs. I did install FreeTube, as standard Youtube has become unyouseable (sorry), and a few other programs, and had no problems locating and installing packages..
After 1 month trouble free I give it 10 , There is no perfect. , but it is for my needs.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-02-23 Votes: 0
MX Linux 23.x Series Review
After achieving good results from MX 18.3 and 19.4 and less so from the 21.x series, I have been greatly disappointed with the 23.x releases. I have tried to install MX 23.2 multiple times on my Lenovo Thinkpad T490 (32 GB/500 MB) and MX 23.3 on my Dell Latitude 7490 (64 GB/2.0 TB).
Again, seeming like the developers finally got their act together with 23.3 on my Latitude, bugs appeared even before I could get the install set up the way I wanted. I could not restart or shutdown from the desktop and had to use the ON/OFF button to restart. It kept going back to the login screen. The options in the upper right corner of the screen were grayed out and inoperable. Again, an infinite loop became apparent at that point with no way out.
The only way I could install 23.3 was to do an upgrade step by step from MX 21.3 to 23.0, then to 23.1, 23.2 and finally 23.3. This is really a ludicrous way to do things and another statement for the poor state of today's Linux landscape.
It's a real shame because MX Linux seems to have had so much to offer in the past, especially in the way of tools. However, it is very dated, especially the ugly, notorious installer, and it has become a real memory hog compared to earlier releases. Just like so many other Linux distros, it has fallen off dramatically, especially since 19.4, which I believe was their very best work.
I have been having so much more success and satisfaction with Ubuntu 24.0 with Snaps removed and registered the Ubuntu Pro option on three of my five laptops with updates until 2036. Linux Mint and LMDE have also both stood the test of time. I plan to be using all three of them for the foreseeable future.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-02-23 Votes: 1
I have been using MX Linux for 1 years and very happy with it's overall performance, with no major issues.
I have tried other distros like Pop OS, Ubuntu, Linux Mint,and Debian, but have always returned to MX Linux.
I believe that MX Linux has the best set of tools (MX Tools), which is essential for helping new users survive the initial few months after install Linux.
As for games, I can play most of the games I like apart ‘Battlefield’ due to the anti-cheat.
MX Linux is not perfect, but it is very stable.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-02-22 Votes: 0
MX Linux has several drawbacks that may concern some users. Firstly, it has a relatively outdated appearance compared to more modern distributions, which can be a turnoff for those seeking a sleek interface. Additionally, its package manager can be intimidating and less user-friendly for beginners. The lack of Wayland support limits advanced graphical capabilities and future-proofing. Furthermore, its default applications are somewhat dated, and the community support, while active, is tiny and not helpful. Additionally, I have had a couple lock-ups and crashes, which definitely shows it’s not a stable distro to use. Updates break the system very frequently- that’s the nature of debian distros in general, which this is based off of.
I don’t know where anyone is getting that MX is good, it’s not- it’s suboptimal due to less comprehensive driver support and fewer optimizations compared to distributions tailored for gaming, resulting in poorer performance and compatibility with gaming hardware and software.
I’ve had a lot of headaches trying to use MX, and it’s not worth your time.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-02-22 Votes: 0
I have been using MX Linux for a while, over 2 years, and my opinion about the system is very negative. First of all, the main problem I encountered was the stability of the system. Sudden freezes and crashes became frequent and unpleasant. This created a constant feeling of anxiety that anything could happen at the most inopportune moment. For example, several times I lost unsaved data due to unpredictable reboots and system errors.
In addition, package management in MX turned out to be a real disaster. There were often problems installing and updating software, and the errors I encountered were difficult to fix.
Performance issues were also not long in coming. The system works very slowly and makes working almost impossible.
In addition, support and documentation leave much to be desired. Often, the information in forums and manuals is outdated or not detailed enough. This makes finding solutions to problems that arise a time-consuming and tedious process.
Despite the presence of options for customization, the setup process is far from intuitive, a lot of options don’t apply, and if they do, things start bugging out and may crash the system. The theme is, to put it nicely, harmful to the eyes and icons don’t make sense, so it’ll be difficult trying to figure out some of the applications you want to use are This leads to additional problems and makes the system difficult to use.
Overall, using MX has become a source of constant problems and frustration. For those looking for a reliable and user-friendly operating system, MX is definitely not a good choice.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-02-17 Votes: 0
Well, at least I gave this a try. I had one disaster after another using MX- my bootloader was broken numerous times throughout my use- I have a Windows 10 install and it made sure to make that uncountable (I still need Windows for some things). This distro was pretty bloated with way too many apps, some of which do the same thing- so that's definitely unnecessary. Boot time was pretty slow, it took a few minutes if it would even fully go through booting tot he desktop- I had to force shutdown my computer numerous times and it was a 50/50 chance it would boot to the desktop or not. It could not recognize my printer or wifi card, good thing I have ethernet as a backup, but that was slow too. There is a bit of RAM usage with no programs open, which slowed down the system. There were some crashes and any workarounds from "helpful" users in the forum proved to be a blatant lie, and would mess up something else in the distro- making this overall not trustworthy to use and a pain trying to fix anything that is broken.
I see no reason to upgrade to the new version of the OS that was put out this year because my patience has worn thin trying to use MX and the colossal failure and nightmare to use it is.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-02-11 Votes: 0
I've been using MX Linux for many years and... Sorry, I installed the Xfce desktop, and twice with problems with dpkg, Wine doesn't install and Synaptic doesn't work. Frequent crashes and lock-ups making a force restart necessary.
It asks for authorization to close but even with authorization it doesn't close, I have to do it using the power button.
I know, I'm a layman, but I've always installed it without any problems, it's always worked without any problems, this time something's wrong.
I gave up on MX Linux.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-02-11 Votes: 0
Great.
Installation is easy but not very fast.
XFCE is working well.
I installed Qt6, wine, lutris.
I had to search on Internet for hints to correct errors : some packages were missing to use programs with wine. I installed with apt-get install like on GNU_Debian
Fast booting process on my laptop.
Powerful upgrade possibilities with the graphical package manager.
With XFCE there is a panel at left side off the desktop. Two virtual desktops. A monitor with some informations.
So pleased with MX linux. Every version is improved without changing your habits every now and then. Most things work out of the box. There are very good tools for maintenance and also plenty of system tools in general. I have never experienced any crash (it's debian-based so it's very stable). It also has a very low RAM usage, for example I can use it for general use with 4GB of RAM. It's ultra responsive and even though it's not the most eye candy distro -which I couldn't care less- XFCe allows you to easily tweak it to your taste. It works fine on old and new hardware. It's ideal for someone who doesn't want to mess with the system and is as easy as Mint for an ex-windows user.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 5 Date: 2025-02-02 Votes: 0
As a person who download's and tests various Linux Desktops, I have in the past been pleased with MX Linux Xfce .
This new version of MX Linux Xfce 23.5 , using Samba file sharing it's supposed to work out of the box, with the Samba config tool, however this is broken, even after setting it up double checking various settings , Now the MX computer shows up when browsing the Network form several other systems, but the shares do not and gives errors when trying to connect.
After looking at the shares it looks like it should work permissions and all, but it does not.
My advice is for the developers to test these things a little better and make sure it works "out of the box" .
As for the rest of desktop on Xfce 23.5... I did not see a large change for user experience, I'm sure there are changes under the hood which I missed, but overall works fine, however the samba file share was a show stopper for me to give a higher rating.
Ik now use MX with Xfce from 2017 various versions. Very friendly OS.
This after al lot of distrohopping Mint, PCLinuxOs, SolydX, Linux Lite, etc..
It is a perfect OS if you want smoothness and superfastness day-to-day. It stays out of the way and that is what I demand.
Instllation is a breeze. Updating the same. The system is not too big in memory.
One can make of the appearance what one likes. It is Linux after all. Extremely configurable.
Repo is fine. It is also easy to install Debian software with Gdebii.
The forum is friendly. Enjoy!
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-30 Votes: 0
Decided to install it on my Intel equipped lap top. First thing I did was clone the hard drive, just in case. Down loaded and installed the ISO to a flash drive for the installation. Instillation to the hard drive was done in a few minutes and their version of the XFCE desktop appeared on the screen. I tried to make a few changes to the taskbar- move it the top and always hide, but the changes were not completed. I thought restarting might be necessary so I hit the restart icon with no effect then the shutdown with no effect. I had to force shutdown. The following start up froze up and it turned out there was now an error in the boot record. Fixed the bootloader and reinstalled my old system.
MX Linux lacks polish, the XFCE desktop looks crude and doeen't seem to respond to changes. It broke the bootloader, even though it was the the only operating system on the SSD. I would recommend staying away from this distro, especially in the XFCE version with modern intel hardware. I wasn't about to try one of the other flavors after the disaster of MX with XFCE.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 2 Date: 2025-01-27 Votes: 0
I tried MX Linux a few times during last 3-4 years when I was in distrohopping mood. I was very inclined to find something better than what I had. Unfortunately, each time I was dissapointed by either a good bug or a pure system crash which immediately spoiled my further investigative efforts on MX. As for the look I find it quite promissing, but somehow the system can't be used as a daily horse. For example, when I test a new Ubuntu release I am amazed how quickly it boots, impecable Nvidia driver installation and other good features, but on average within a week you get your nasty bug somewhere and you leave for your good old distro. I must admit that my MX testing was never longer than a day, rather hours. Thus my rating is 2 of 10.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 3 Date: 2025-01-25 Votes: 0
The distro is good and lightweight, they've configured many things well, like the driver utility, the cleanliness, and in my opinion, it's also aesthetically pleasing.
But nothing useful works: Lutris always throws a 256 error, the Flatpak version doesn’t even start, and the NVIDIA drivers are super outdated (though, to be fair, you can install others).
The bare installation takes up way too many gigabytes, and I can’t figure out why. I’d recommend it to someone who only wants to use their PC for very basic tasks.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-24 Votes: 0
A lot of people told me coming from Windows to Linux, meant I should try, MX Linux. I was told how easy it was to use and how user friendly it was. I tried installing MX Linux on 2 computers in the house (I have four). It is not easy or user friendly. The theme and wallpaper are boring with a capital B. Asking for help in the forums meant needing to use the terminal for everything. I was instructed to use the terminal to change my desktop wallpaper. One of my computers would not boot no matter what I tried. Someone told me to edit the GRUB menu but since it would not boot and displayed a black screen, I could not do anything with it. I got it working on my desktop which was four years old, and it froze anytime it went into sleep mode. I tried disabling sleep mode, but the screen would still sometimes turn black. My laptop could not boot this and kept providing a kernel panic.
To sum up the rest;
Resource usage is a bit steep. The distro is bloated and runs pretty slow from booting, to trying to use MX Linux as a day-to-day with web browsing,, watching videos, etc. it is a pain to use this. I have also experienced a couple crashes of my system too from using MX Linux.
Not recommended.
I've been using MXLinux since 2014, starting with release 14, and it has consistently impressed me with its reliability and user-friendliness. From the very beginning, I was drawn to its lightweight nature and impressive speed. MXLinux boots up quickly and runs smoothly on even modest hardware, making it a perfect choice for older machines or those who prioritize system responsiveness.
One of the standout features of MXLinux is its user-friendly interface. The MX Tools control center provides easy access to system settings, making it simple to customize and fine-tune the operating system to my preferences. The inclusion of essential applications like the MX File Manager and the web browser makes it a truly out-of-the-box experience.
Furthermore, MXLinux boasts excellent community support. The forums and documentation are well-maintained and provide valuable assistance for users of all levels. The developers are consistently active, releasing regular updates and addressing user feedback, ensuring a stable and evolving operating system.
In conclusion, MXLinux has proven to be a reliable and enjoyable daily driver for me. Its combination of speed, stability, user-friendliness, and strong community support makes it an excellent choice for users of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced Linux enthusiasts.
For several years, I tried one Debian- or Ubuntu-based distribution or another - mainly xfce - because I wanted to finally say goodbye to Windows, but something was always wrong. Either the systems were too slow, something didn't work or didn't work smoothly, or there was a problem somewhere. Then I discovered MX, and everything fell into place: the system runs smoothly and quickly, both on a 20-year-old PC and on laptops with Pentium or newer processors. The installation is uncomplicated and surprisingly fast, everything works like clockwork, and the MX tools allow the system to be customized and administered in a user-friendly way, from package installation from the backports to individual placement of the panel. The website and wiki provide all the relevant information, from download mirrors and gpg-keys to instructions on how to upgrade without reinstalling. The whole thing is barrier-free, i.e. accessible without activated Javascript, and problems are solved quickly and in a friendly manner in the forum.
Last but not least, I like the look and feel. The in-house interfaces, the installer and the MX package installation are stylish and well thought out.
Thanks to the developers and everyone involved. I switched to Linux with MX-19 and have never regretted it since.
Since 1999 I have been a linux user. Started with SuSE, tried Redhat, Ubuntu and then switched to Linux Mint and finally decided to to stay with MX Linux. It is the most reliable distro I have used so far, Debian stable makes a huge difference. It is rock solid, extremely fast, stays out of your way and just does the job without any distractions. If you need a workhorse for daily use this is your distro. Only regret I have is not switching to MX Linux earlier. A massive "thank you" to the team for such a high quality work.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-01-19 Votes: 0
Pros:
- non-systemd,
- useful customization tools,
- relatively lightweight and fast.
Cons: the interface setup
- unintuitive setup for xfce -> i therefore brought back trinity desktop,
- some very common keyboard shortcuts don't work (alt-tab, ctrl-C ctrl-V, etc),
- ugly bootup logo,
- ugly conky widget, difficult to remove and doesn't even respect the 24 hour display for my region (and most of the world).
Conclusion: i'm ok with the distro but that would be even better in the desktop interface problems were solved.
PS: I've been using Q4OS for many years as my other daily driver, and l must say it features none of the problems mentioned above.
I got back into MX Linux two months ago in its “Plasma Desktop” version because I like the fact of having a complete distro out of the box (MX Tools + KDE software). For me, this is the most complete OS for direct use, even if on other distros you can install one by one. It just saves time.
Now MX Linux allows you to choose between systemd and sysVInit, again this is practical depending on your needs.
Updates: all drivers are updated quickly, and the latest version of Firefox is quickly available in .deb. It is also possible to use the latest kernels released.
The disadvantage is known: reinstallation of the part / every two years (or 5 years if we use the complete life cycle). This undoubtedly remains a hindrance for a more massive use of MX, otherwise the rest is impeccable, very accomplished, and it is a distro very followed by developers with a responsive forum.
Lot of advantages, only one disadvantage, for my part it's good also comparing with other distros.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 8 Date: 2025-01-18 Votes: 0
Updating from 21.3 to 23.5 is non-trivial. The official method is a fresh install over the current installation (for major upgrades like mine). There is an unofficial, but tested method which worked for me; it requires special attention and user input throughout the process. Documentation for this upgrade method is complete and straightforward. Took a while on my external HDD (non-ssd).
For reference my system and use:
Lenovo Yoga 730 i7-8550U 8GB
external WD 1T HDD
non-gaming hobbyist
programming in Rust, C, C++, Python
I would recommend MX for experienced user interested in trying System V (SysV).
I have been using MX Linux since version 23.0 (xfce/systemd) and I think it's great. The right adjustments have been made to provide an extremely stable system. However, if you're expecting a lot of bells and whistles, you're in the wrong place. I personally need a system without a lot of ballast and like to decide for myself where to put the screwdriver.
The in-house MX tools are worth mentioning. A quick backup on today's large USB sticks is even available later as a live system.
Of course, you can complain in some places, but it's still a high-level complaint.
MX Linux has convinced me personally.
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo! Finally a Linux Distro that works on my old laptop. It has all of the features I want and works well. The laptop is an old Acer Aspire 4730Z with 4GB RAM and 500GB SSD. It's got a 64-bit CPU (Intel T3400) but it's built on 32-bit architecture, so finding and installing a Linux OS has been a challenge.
MX Linux has finally allowed me to watch YouTube videos without stutter and long delays in loading. I realize most of the CPU is consumed by Firefox, but in other OS's, I didn't have that performance I wanted.
Things I like: (not an exhaustive list)
Synaptic package
Apps in Deskbar that monitor CPU and network without having to open Task Manager.
Found my WiFi without a problem
Found my network printer without a problem
Works well with the onboard audio
Very light CPU load when not on Firefox
Based on Debian and Xfce
Great menu system with lots of links
In fact, 23.5 works so well on this old hardware that I've installed it on my 64-bit machine.
Thanks for a problem solving OS.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-01-16 Votes: 0
MX is killer. Multiple flavors available. XFCE is my comfortable home on it. Their official KDE is tweaked to resemble the default XFCE--But with either, you can easily customize it using pre-built themes and/or easy customization tools.
Its package management is the Best. A number of package management tools are pre-installed, and more are available for easy installation. Special ease and quality note for "MX Package Installer".
Its Debian base is famous for its stability. MX certainly has that.
It may take a BIT longer for the newest hardware drivers to get patched into the Debian kernel, than into some Arch kernels, or into Ubuntu's, but that's the Linux world of choices. The forum and developers are great. Check it out. Run a live USB.
I never made the painful transition from Win 7 to Win 8 because... MX.
I have installed a lot of Distros, but the easy way and all working ist MX-Linux.
The Best Package for me ist MX-Linux.
No Problems with my new Forum-Mini PC with dual Head. (Ubuntu/Fedora/MX-Mint/Manjaro to slow Problems)
It was easy to use the Printer and all other parts of my working desktop.
Now I use KDE bevor it was XFCE.
There are more Apps for Live-/ios on MX-Linux.
It is fast and stable.
Thanks to Distrowatch, Distrosea an MX-Linux.
The Support is nice. (Manual, etc).
Version: 23.5 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-01-14 Votes: 0
I am highly satisfied with MX, it's stable, rock solid, reliable.
I've been playing around with Linux'es for 6 years now, changing my favourite Linux distro's about every 6-7 weeks. Since I need multiple booting with Windows, I had some trouble with getting my machine back to the necessary GRUB2 and EFI conditions and starting screens (I usually run 3-4 distros side by side). In the beginning Rescatux helped (and sometimes still does), after I had to (re-)install the current or next distro. But after I had found MX, no trouble any more. The booting into MX KDE is fast, then, if necessary, I can reanimate/arrange my distros+Windows through the wonderful MX tools, they have never let me down.
My profile: Germany, IntelNUC I5 (2018) , 8GB, 256 SSD, Windows 10pro (+ at the moment: MX KDE24.5, Manjaro, TUXEDO, Voyager)
Version: 23.4 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-13 Votes: 0
After using MX Linux from version 17.1 through the latest versions, I've found that 19.4 locks up about 4 to 5 times per hour, version 23.3 locks up a few seconds after bootup. I've used the xfce version, it freezes less but still enough that using that software is not worth the frustration of freeze-ups. I have erased all my bootup disks, and will be using another distro. Due to having to shutdown my PC using hard power off, all the boot drives (SSDs) are corrupted. Overall, my experience of MX Linux is it’s buggy, slow and has been a pain because of so many errors - trying to update the system and software, trying install and uninstall problems, it’s a frustrating mess. And not worth your time at all to use.
MX Linux just works. I really like the experience out of the box and the MX Tools got you covered in a clever and user friendly way. Despite my efforts, I have not yet been able to break anything and I really gave that a try. I find the the old school-ish feel of XFCE appealing - everything happens fast, it provides great customization without getting in the way.
Despite occasionally loading other distros to check what's new around, what keeps bringing me back to MX is that it feels like home. It is like a modest, no-nonsense hard worker, who just wants to get the job done in an unobtrusive way.
As someone, who is definitely not the most knowledgeable in the Linux world, I find my way almost too easily with MX, so kudos to the developers for crafting this excellent distro.
Version: 23.5 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-13 Votes: 0
This seems good but I wasn't able to install it on a test laptop, seems to have a lot of bugs in the installer and severe hardware compatibility limitations, including some very basic issues: it seems wasn't able to write any changes to the partition table, so the first installation said it was complete, but on reboot it couldn't find a boot device. Thereafter it couldn't delete any partitions on the HDD. This seems a very basic bug. Maybe with more development it will become a viable option for a desktop, but given the bugs encountered, I can't imagine it would be trustworthy enough for daily use.
SO, After giving a number of other new updated distro's a look, and them failing to be as complete as MX, I'm here to tell you all that, to me, EVERYTHING I need to do with a computer, from game play to 3d cad and g-coding projects just works... Maybe you want or need the "latest & greatest" (that usually break shortly after a major update) however MX stays steady and true. I like the most that it doesn't really need much fancy dressings like others seem to feel make a good OS. Just does what you want and stays out of the way... Not to say you can't make it look fancy( aka pretty) you can without much fuss..
Looks like a good OS.A nice name politically also correct, compatible, adaptive to Information Age also. I could not have chance to use it yet because of virtual issues but now i will try it in my second flash disk.Thank you everyone who worked on it.The distro or operating system is a genius idea for future as people will work on data more and they will try different operating systems to check, if answer is in different operating system as a protest move in the future. I tried Kali Linux, Ubuntu, Debian and some other Linux systems.The Linux was not ready for users for a long time without a reason but reason may be America wants to break the chain of centered system to have adaptation to a alternative culture based system instead of capitalism.
Respects
Version: 23.4 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-12 Votes: 0
MX is based on Debian and it adds utilities they think the community needs.
It does include needed maintenance features like removing trash and tmp files on a scedule and GUI that let you either install apps like deb or install USB iso, but this is built into Linux you just have to know the command line.
You cannot automatically update to the new version without reinstalling.
I don't see anything special with this distribution except the feature available to design your own boot-able custom image. But if I don't like the OS, why would I want to make my own boot-able custom install?
Frankly speaking, MX Linux is one of the best Linux distro for me. Every detail this OS is useful and clear for me. I'm happy to use it. Two years ago I understood - Linux is good choice for my homework. I have tried Linux Mint and MX Linux. Both of them are good enough. I have both OS on my PC. If you have old PCs but no older 10 years, you can easy install MX Linux. Of course you'd better study basic Linux and try to use your new knowledge on real PC. I hope Linux will become more popular OS in the world and many PC users change their Windows to Linux. Right now we have lots of full functions programs under Linux OS and their quantity grow every year.
I have been using MX Linux for a long time, and my opinion about the system is very negative. First of all, the main problem I encountered was the stability of the system. Sudden freezes and crashes became frequent and unpleasant. This created a constant feeling of anxiety that anything could happen at the most inopportune moment. For example, several times I lost unsaved data due to unpredictable reboots and system errors.
In addition, package management in MX Linux turned out to be a real disaster. There were often problems installing and updating software, and the errors I encountered were difficult to fix. To fix them, complex commands were required in the terminal, which is not suitable for users who prefer a graphical interface and a distro that’s easy to use
XFCE on here is a joke, a vertical panel to the left side of the screen just like Ubuntu and that’s deemed easy to use for people coming from Windows- which is definitely not true. MX Linux does the same thing here with not being easy to use. It’s good I could remove XFCE and install another desktop environment, and I tried KDE and loved it, that is definitely the desktop environment that is most similar to Windows. KDE is also very customizable and has tons of themes, icons, and so much more to choose from- you can make it look however you want! But it wasn’t that stable on MX Linux unfortunately, so I look forward to going to another distro where KDE is working and not crippled and stripped down by developers.
Performance issues were also not long in coming. On old hardware, the system works very slowly, despite the claims of its optimization for less powerful machines. This is annoying and makes working on such devices almost impossible.
In addition, support and documentation leave much to be desired. Often, the information in forums and manuals is outdated or not detailed enough. This makes finding solutions to problems that arise a time-consuming and tedious process.
The XFCE interface setup is also disappointing. Despite the presence of many options for customization, the setup process is far from intuitive, a lot of options don’t apply, and if they do, things start bugging out and may crash the system. The flat icons and flat theme is- to put it nicely, harmful to the eyes and icons don’t make sense, so it’ll be difficult trying to figure out some of the applications you want to use are This leads to additional problems and makes the system difficult to use.
Overall, using MX Linux has become a source of constant problems and frustration. For those looking for a reliable and user-friendly operating system, MX Linux is definitely not a good choice.
The only positive here is that it’s Linux and not Windows.
Version: 23.4 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-01-06 Votes: 0
I spent last year testing Linux distros on 4 laptops Dell Latitude E5520, dell latitude e6440, dell inspiron 15 3151, and two Lenovo x130e ThinkPads.
I tested 10 distros 67 test in total.
here is a list for the average user. ( dependability first, easy to used second, and have easy support third )
a list that offer a functioning distro for an average computer which most people have.
1. Debian 12 ( does not work well on older computers that are have less than 2 ghz, no crash , but slow to run, on a modern low spec computer it ran great and was easy to use ).
2. ubuntu ( runs great even in a very old laptop , start slow on every laptop I tested, but ran good after booting, easy to use perhaps the easiest even if it does not look like windows, it will work even if the installation had an issue, connect to all drivers ).
3. mx Linux, and antix basic for very older pcs ( no glitches work great on old and very old machines, not hard to use especially for those of us old enough to see window 95, but with a delighting fast and stable twist. the distro is fast and if you run it on a 2 ghz 4 GB RAM machine it runs amazingly )
3. mint ( stable, easy to use , windows7 like, good speed, but evetime i install it i end up deleting it and I don't know why, perhaps i did not feel that i can config the system as I wanted ).
4.zorin ( faster that ubuntu but I liked the official ubuntu better, I thought the Gnome is a better distro that a normal setting because it allow me , the user, to visually see all my application in an easy way and not go through a list like a normal window, yet it is a stable distro ) .
5. Linux light ( like ubuntu it is slow to start, but it is stable and work on very old machines, it have the mx Linux feel but with less applications which can be a good thing, after my experiment I considered this distro to be installed on one laptop that I was giving away to a friend who is not a computer person and is an older individual.)
6. pop ( fun and fast for an ubuntu based distro but not as stable as I thought, I did crash it twice )
7. lubuntu ( if you configure it may act weird, I also had network issue , only tested that one twice ).
I've been using MX Linux KDE version for last few years after spending many years on Manjaro. XFCE and KDE I liked Manjaro just fine, but updates were sometimes an advenure. My experience with MX has been rock solid and easy to update or add software through Discover application. KDE is still on 5.27.5, but is extremely stable, something everyone should desire in their daily driver. In the past 20 years, I have distro hopped from Ubuntu to Mint to Manjaro,, while testing most distros a they became available. While in reality all Linux is basically the same, I certainly appreciate the MX team and their dedication to producing a really fine linux distro.
Version: 23.4 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-05 Votes: 0
Well, at least I gave this a try. I had one disaster after another using MX Linux- my bootloader was broken numerous times throughout my use- I have a Windows 10 install and it made sure to make that uncountable (I still need Windows for some things). This distro was pretty bloated with way too many apps, some of which do the same thing- so that's definitely unnecessary. Boot time was pretty slow, it took a few minutes if it would even fully go through booting tot he desktop- I had to force shutdown my computer numerous times and it was a 50/50 chance it would boot to the desktop or not. It could not recognize my printer or wifi card, good thing I have ethernet as a backup, but that was slow too. There is a bit of RAM usage with no programs open, which slowed down the system. There were some crashes and any workarounds from "helpful" users in the forum proved to be a blatant lie, and would mess up something else in the distro- making this overall not trustworthy to use and a pain trying to fix anything thaty is broken.
Version: 23.4 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-01-05 Votes: 0
My comments refer to the Xfce version, which I find to be extremely flexible, yet lighter on resources than the KDE version.
To me, MX Linux's greatest strength over its base OS (Debian) is that most apps work as installed, without additional need to mess around with re-configuring. The exception to this was in getting external hard drives to automatically mount on boot. The "Removable Drives and Media" settings were not enough to accomplish this. Installing a Disc Manager resolved that issue.
I also appreciate the fact that MX tends to update apps to the newest version. For example, in basic Debian, Firefox ESR is used. I have had situations where banking websites considered ESR to be too old, thus no longer allowing me to log in. Because MX uses the current version of Firefox, this is not an issue . . . although I do recall a time when the newest version of Firefox had a glitch, which was quickly resolved through another update.
As a bonus, I find MX Linux to be the most visually appealing of all the Linux distros that I have tried.
Version: 21.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2025-01-04 Votes: 0
Looking down the "hits" list on the DW homepage, I don't know why MX is near the top but its popularity is well deserved. Systemd non-use is not a religious issue for me, as long as stuff works. I think I read Jack Wallen's glowing review on ZDNet and tried it (he says every distro he tries is the Best Ever). A year later was still running it.
There were no problems installing or using it, and it seemed faster & used less ram than other distros on my 2010 computer. I was attracted to the impressive list of MX tools, but after a while I realized that, being a n00b, I seldom used any of them. I like KDE and have been using that a lot, but MX uses an old version of Plasma, and that's really the only complaint I have. I use a lot of KDE apps. XFCE looks kinda plain to me and I don't have the inclination to customize it. I went back to Mint because my wife uses it, but MX would be fine for me too. That's the "ugly secret" of Linux: all distros are pretty good today.
The best human made OS ever.
Simple, based easy to configure, lightweight and very suitable for old systems, running flawlessly.
It is a very stable and rock solid Linux distribution that has everything I need to run a very performing ham radio station. It comes with some very useful preinstalled apps, first of all LibreOffice and VLC. This may not be the latest cutting edge distro, but surely one that can satisfy those wishing to use a stable and FREE platform for every day computing
Do I got to the minimum of 250 words ?
VY 73 - Denis FO5MD
Version: 23.4 Rating: 1 Date: 2025-01-03 Votes: 0
23.4 beta has a serious flaw. It will disable your windows boot when you install it on a separate drive and nothing to do with the windows drive on a separate drive. I tried several times to install and each time it would remove the windows boot manager. I dual boot so it did not work for me. Otherwise it seems like MX is just beta quality overall. I do wish that they would update MX 23.4 to a newer kernel as it has several errors on boot with some of my hardware. Slow, bloated, full of crashes and lock-ups is the last thing to say here.
i like mx linux, MX Linux is a friendly distribution great for those coming from Window$, MX Linux impresses with its blend of stability and user-friendliness.
Came from Arch, i'm glad that theres distro makers like the mx team out there, that make such a great job like the team of mx linux. Thanks guys. The only gripe i have is the initial gui, i have to customize it a little bit, after installation
Fast and snappy much quicker than mint, An amazing specimen of engineering. Works reliably as an installed system or as a live system.
1) If you destroy something in systemd, you can still use SysVinit, so it's a system with a “parachute” for systemd.
2) You have stable compatibility with Debian.
3) You have a well-designed vertical panel that saves space horizontally.
4) Great MX tools.
5) The system is more responsive than other 4 I've tested.
6) If you buy new hardware, you can simply add AHS repositories and have the new device supported almost as fast as the rolling distribution, but remaining more stable.
I have been using MX Linux since version 19.4, now it's MX Linux 23.4.
Since 1990, daily work on the PC has made up a large part of my private and professional work. In these 34 years, I have used countless operating systems on my hardware. Starting with DOS-4.01 to DOS-6.22, from Windows 2.0 to Windows 10. Extensive use of Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Debian, Xubuntu, Kubuntu and Manjaro Linux. Previously worked with various content management systems such as Joomla and Drupal under XAMPP and WAMP. Today I work with Typo3 under Composer, Docker and DDEV. All of these applications run perfectly under MX Linux. For me, MX Linux with the XFCE desktop is by far the best operating system I have ever worked with. A thousand thanks to the development team.
I wanted a Linux distro that was easy to configure and custom build a desktop environment and interface that was as close to Windows 7 as possible. After using Linux Mint for several years, I was unable to get the GUI user interface I wanted. But with MX Linux with all its configuration tools and with the included XFCE desktop, I was able to build a complete Windows 7 clone desktop and user interface. All folder icons in the file manager match Windows 7 Explorer by installing a icon theme file that was available. Using CSS properties, i was able to get the application Whisker menu to match the Windows 7 Start menu. The Panel can be completely configured to has the same look and feel as the Windows 7 taskbar. Also the desktop background and screen saver are a perfect match to what I had in Windows 7. But with MX Linux the system is much, much faster then running Windows 7 up to Windows10 on the same desktop hardware. (Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 desktop tower). MX Linux was able to find all my hardware during the install process and everything work right from the start. Even my Brother Laser printer was seen and configured automatically on the bootup of the MX Linux OS. Also the applications provided in MX Linux and also available from the Software package manager, are just as good and even better then most Windows application. I can now do in GIMP everything I use to do in Photoshop. By using MX Linux, I will never go back to MS Windows for my daily productivity and working computer system. This is a stable and rock solid Linux distribution that has everything I wanted and more. Think you MX Linux team.
MX Linux is a friendly distribution great for those coming from Window$: although this is not graphically identical to Win, its functionalities mostly resembles those of the more well known operating system. It is also lightweight and very suitable for old systems, running flawlessly on an old Atom Netbook with 2 GB RAM and 160 GB HDD. Its only drawbacks so far are some dialogs (obviously unresizable) that does not fit vertically into very small screens and the old boring problem of windows hard to resize, due to the minuscule size of the border that can be grabbed with the mouse pointer. It comes with some very useful preinstalled apps, first of all LibreOffice and VLC. This may not be the latest cutting edge distro, but surely one that can satisfy those wishing to use a stable and FREE platform for every day computing :)
Version: 23.4 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-12-06 Votes: 0
MX Linux has several drawbacks that may concern some users. Firstly, it has a relatively outdated appearance compared to more modern distributions, which can be a turnoff for those seeking a sleek interface. Additionally, its package manager, Synaptic, can be intimidating and less user-friendly for beginners. The lack of Wayland support limits advanced graphical capabilities and future-proofing. Furthermore, its default applications are somewhat dated, and the community support, while active, is smaller than more popular distributions like Ubuntu. Additionally, MX Linux's use of sysvinit instead of the more widely adopted systemd can lead to compatibility issues with software and services optimized for systemd. Gaming on MX Linux is also suboptimal due to less comprehensive driver support and fewer optimizations compared to distributions tailored for gaming, resulting in poorer performance and compatibility with gaming hardware and software.
If you are looking for a stable linux distro that is very user friendly, then look no farther than MX Linux. I was a big fan of Linux Mint, but after an update that kept crashing my system, I decided it was time for a change. I tried CachyOS, Zorin and TUXEDO, and all of these were very good distros. After doing some research I ended up installing MX Linux, and I haven't looked back. This distribution has all the features I need, and it is very stable. Since installing this close to a year ago, I have not had one glitch. This is a great distro and one that I can highly recommend.
Version: 23.4 Rating: 8 Date: 2024-11-27 Votes: 0
I have used MX Linux since version 14. In addition to the latest version, I have also used LMDE and Xorin Os. The reason for this has been that I have noticed that the development direction of MX Linux has somehow been lost. It has become more and more a tool for Linux experts. As a regular user, I have not needed them very often. I have also not liked the desktop options. The xfce version of MX Linux always has a lot to configure to make it look nice. With other distributions, you can start working right away. MX Linux is of course a good and stable distribution, but I am now tired of it. For the basic user, it would be good if they made a Mate version of it. It is a respin version that is available, but I have not wanted to use it, so I have switched to other distributions.
Version: 23.4 Rating: 7 Date: 2024-11-07 Votes: 0
I've been a MX LINUX user for 5 or 6 years now. Never dissapointed when it comes to speed, because my laptop is 12 years old. Intsatllation is a breeze but customization takes a while to complete because I don't like the way the default desktop looks. I moved to Zorin about a year ago, then to linux mint 22. Not for lack of stability. One thing I like about MX linux is you can associate a file type to open with a program that is installed on the system. I've installed other programs on Mint and Zorin for example, and the file association picker doesn't always show the new program as an option as it does with MX linux. So now you have to find some other work around to run your file. Example: running an .exe file in DOSBOX. Works great in MX Linux, but not in Zorin, Debian 12, Linux Mint 22, PopOS, etc. Thankyoiu MX team for making your software run smooth on this old laptop of mine, but I really don't like XFCE so an upgrade is a necessity for me. Once I get more speed and memory, I will likely switch back to Mint, even though some of the features exclusive to MX will be missing.
MX Linux impresses with its blend of stability and user-friendliness. The Xfce desktop environment is sleek and responsive, making navigation a breeze. The installation process is straightforward, and the inclusion of MX Tools simplifies system management significantly. I appreciate the community support and extensive documentation available, which makes troubleshooting easier for newcomers. While it could benefit from more pre-installed software options, overall, MX Linux delivers a robust and enjoyable experience for both beginners and seasoned users alike. Feel free to adjust the vote or any part of the review to better reflect your personal experience!
Came from Manjaro and thought i had to have the bleeding edge arch based distro to be the cool kid on the block. Im surprised how much more faster this distro works on all my mini pcs and notebooks, so i changed my habits and will install mx linux on all my computers. Im glad that theres distro makers like the mx team out there, that make such a great job like the team of mx linux. Thanks guys. The only gripe i have is the initial gui, i have to customize it a little bit, after installation, but there are so many possibilities, that even that is no real problem.
Best Linux flavor out there. I have never been disappointed to try it. Besides the useful tools it includes that make you daily routines easier, lays behind a stability which I never regret. Both xfce and kde versions are doing pretty good. This distro is amazing blazing fast. The ability to create your own iso is a gift. I tried it on HP, Dell and think pads computers and it works surprisingly well. The only thing I do after instaling is personal customization because the desktop layout must be more appealing in my point of view. Keep on the good work. Thanks to MX Linux dev team. Congratulations
For years I was using Manjaro KDE on my old laptop Dell Latitude 5430 (8Gb RAM). After change to MX Linux KDE it is much faster. That's a pitty I have changed so late. Another plus of MX Linux is possibility of making mirror/backup of installed distro in form of iso. Greate! It seems that other components are working well and smooth. Till now only installing of caffeine-ng was a little bit complicated - it is a pitty it is not addede to official repos. I hope that distro will continue in future.
This is style of linux I have longed to see for some time now. My first foray was with Mepis back in 2006 on a pentium. Today MX Linux runs on every peice of hardware I throw at it both very old and very new, even old macbooks and every piece of hardware just works. It even runs software that I see others complain about all the time with ease. OBS for one. If you need more AV centric AVLinux is now based on MX Linux. Since it uses such minimal resources I use it as a server running jellyfin for a TV box and server, in one. It works better at gaming than the Gaming OS's i tried for my intel system running a Nvidia 1650, Nothing massive for hardware i know, but before installing MX Linux, I had all kinds of errors on that system, and terrible framerates. When i switched to MX Linux and installed steam, again everything just worked with minimal tweaking if any at all. It even has a 386 version which can be run on very old hardware and it revives it for a modern OS that just works.
I've been seeing people complain about silly things with MXLinux. My experience it that it simply works, with a variety of hardware. MS Winders is a paid for OS that is probably the only other system that has run this cleanly for me for the last 20 years. Like Winders, you have to know where to go to adjust things to your discretion. Spend the time to learn it. I recently reconfigured MX to act and look like Winders just to see if I could. It was fun! The update process patches all the holes so I suggest people just let it run.....and not be so upset over not having absolute control over every minute process. This is a VERY solid system. Spend the time and get to know it. Its solid, stable, and is ready out of the box.
For BIOS only computers , that means OLD. boot after install is a problem.
in 2024 MX Linux Xfce is one of the few that will BOOT after install..with my ACER 5315 laptop
If i look at only the latest versions so as to get the longest security updates. Of the Ubuntu variants only Lubuntu will boot after install. Between Lubuntu and MX Linux ,some of the advantages of MX
PROS
MX installer gives a brief guide to the choices as you work thru the install menus
MX installer updates itself over the internet, during the install, fixing some bugs, a very nice feature.
MX installer gives an easy option to create a separate home partition and explain WHY its a really good idea. ( they dont give a guide on sizes though )
MX seems to render the fonts much more clearly. .
MX allows installation of Flatpacks from sources outside MX, This is good because Flatpacks are likley to be more up to date. So if you need the latest version this is another option to get it.
MX comes with a very usefull welcome panel , with videos and FAQ
MX includes a 160+ page user manual . You probably wont need it, but its there.
MX Tools allows you to adjust settings easily and allows choices other distros dont have easy access to.
CONS
MX after install you should run Synaptic package manager, click Refresh, then click Mark updates, then run/ install them.
even if you chose to download files and codex during install, you still need to update the system
In the past my machine ran Ubuntu , until they dropped support, then Mint cinnamon until they dropped support.
MX runs much faster than both of them. ( the machine came with VISTA and I had it updated all the way to Windows 10 with dual boot )
I have not tried Mint Xfce yet.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 2 Date: 2024-08-09 Votes: 0
Well, they say MX Linux is very stable and it is number one in the world. I agree that it is quite reliable. Maybe even more stable than the original Debian. But are there any other positive things for an average user, I wonder. Let me look at the distro as an inexperienced person who sees MX Linux at the very first time and wants to work immediately after installing but not to spend much time fixing pronlems.
Firstly, the vertical panel. When I make it horizontal (more comfortable for me), alas, it covers the titles of the windows. And I haven't found any simple way to fix it.
Secondly, if you leave it vertical and open a lot of windows, the panel stretches down beyond the screen border. (Unlike in Ubuntu`s Unity where the buttons were comfortably arranged in an expanding way.)
That all is a real shame. It shouldn`t be nowadays. XFCE has been existing for many years, it is almost perfect nowadays, there is no need to do such a mess to it.
But there is one more sad moment: it's impossible to switch off the updates checking. There is no such an option in the update manager.
I don`t want any softwae to use the internet connection without my concent and permission. Even if it is safe and helpful, even if I trust the developes totally, I just don`t want it - that`s a matter of principle.
Thus, despite all my love to Debian and Debian-based distros, I will not use MX Linux untill XFCE is not so distorted and the internet connections are totally controlled by the user (afrer all, a user simply has a right to controll them).
So far I can use Devian which is actually ready for work out-of-the-bix. And, certainly, Linux Mint Debian Edition, though it is a little slower.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-08-08 Votes: 0
After using MX Linux Xfce from version 17.1 through version 21.3, I've found that 19.4 locks up about 4 to 5 times per hour, version 23.3 locks up (freezes such that CTRL-ALT-DELETE does not restart the PC) 10 or 15 seconds after bootup. I've used the XFCE version (18.3 and 19.4). It freezes less but still enough that using that software is not worth the frustration of freeze-ups.
I have erased all my bootup disks, and will be using another distro. Due to having to shutdown my PC using hard power off -- all the boot drives (SSDs) are corrupted.
Overall, my experience of MX Linux is it’s buggy, slow and has been a pain because of so many errors- trying to update the system and software, trying install and uninstall problems, it’s a frustrating mess. And not worth your time at all to use.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-08-06 Votes: 0
I could handle being on MX Linux for about 20 minutes, their flavor of XFCE was not good,buggy and slow on modern hardware, their software center was not good and there wasnt a clear way to update anything using it, so i resorted to a terminal to update packages. To add their mirrors are slow and rely primarily on debian sources to properly work. The animations are ok and smooth but the overall experience for what is classified as their "Flagship" Distro is garbage. If you want a good lightweight distro just use Mint.
This distro made me appreciate the Linux OS in a new way.
For starters, the Desktop Environment. XFCE isn't known for being very "pretty," but MX Linux ships with a pre-configured interface that makes it look spiffy. Added features like Conky, the drop-down terminal, themes, and Whiskers Panel are some nice quality-of-life additions.
And interestingly I have found it to be more feature-rich than Cinnamon. For example, I have more options for configuring window behavior and opacity in the compositor. It's faster too!
The repositories and software installer give you everything you need - flatpaks included.
MX Linux is not exactly hand-holdy, but I actually like the "built in my basement" feel. It's utilitarian. What it lacks in eye candy, it makes up for in functionality and stability.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 7 Date: 2024-08-02 Votes: 0
KDE-Plasma on i5 Gen8 SSD Dell Laptop; only one OS; fresh installed; (added: nix)
The combo Plasma, Debian and the good work from MX makes this distro a great choice for daily tasks.
Sadly there are some bugs (Dolphin oom's when in some directories; sudden death while in use; lost boot device [their manual knows how to solves this] ; ... ).
Will try to install the 21 and upgrade it - because this is a 11/10 os.
However, would be the better way to share the bugs with the MX-Team first.
Still one of the best distros - but more bugs than usual.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-07-31 Votes: 0
I've been using MX Linux for many years and... Sorry, I installed 23.3 Xfce 64Bits twice, and twice with problems with dpkg, Wine doesn't install and Synaptic doesn't work. Frequent crashes and lock-ups making a force restart necessary.
It asks for authorization to close but even with authorization it doesn't close, I have to do it using the power button.
I know, I'm a layman, but I've always installed it without any problems, it's always worked without any problems, this time something's wrong.
I gave up on MX Linux.
This time I will try SolydXK.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-07-28 Votes: 0
Concept seems ok but I wasn't able to install it on a test laptop, seems to have a lot of bugs in the installer and severe hardware compatibility limitations, including some very basic issues: it seems I wasn't able to write any changes to the partition table, so the first installation said it was complete, but on reboot it couldn't find a boot device. Thereafter it couldn't delete any partitions on the HDD. This seems a very basic bug Maybe with more development it will become a viable option for a desktop, but given the bugs encountered, can't imagine it would be trustworthy enough for use.
I use MX linux on a IMAC 24 Core 2 duo born in 2009. It has 8GB of Ram and a "classic" HDD.
Everything works perfectly an fluently.
This distro is very adapted to old comuters but it's a very modern system.
Graphic card is recognized, as soudcard, wifi, ethernet, bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
Installation was very easy without any trouble.
This computer is now used everyday for routine work.
I have installed many distro (ubuntu, lubuntu, slackware, fedora) but with mint this one is clearly the easieast to manage, even for a "normal user"
I don't work with PC but sincerely consider it for your old Mac.
Many of my medical students are using now this distro for typing their thesis on old Imacs bought for 70 to 100 euros.
Thank you
Fast and snappy much quicker than mint, even tho the laptop is 15 years old, It found and configured everything including the new blue tooth 5.0 dongle for my lovely new logi keyboard and mouse, superb, have tried lots of distros - going back 20 years, being a mint fan for many years, but coming back to this is a nice surprise, I'm convinced, Impressed and converted, so many nice touches too, like watching apt do its stuff, it is helpful/educational and great entertainment using the Package Installer. 10/10 Nice work guys ^^
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-07-27 Votes: 0
MX (21.3) was tolerable but annoying, but since version 23 its quality declined. Bluetooth, pipewire problems. (With debian 12 xfce there wasn't problems). Its appearance also was buggy. I think devs released this version way too soon.
Devs also not responding to problem request.. its sad this really was a good distro. I thinks devs are really busy,since its dev team are too small. I used xfce version.
I really hope devs will fix these problems since i really like their mindset,but currently its unusable since i can't use my bluetooth earphones.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-07-24 Votes: 0
The language pack doesn't work, so all the formats relating to the language are wrong! I think this is a serious flaw that has not been corrected so far, July 18th. This makes the distro poor, not up to the fame of Ubuntu and Debian.
The other apps work fine, as in many other Debian-derived distros, but they don't make MX Linux great. Xfce also works well, but I don't see why it should be preferred to Cinnamon or KDE
Basically, I'm a little disappointed with it so far. As things stand, I don't think it was worth it.
MX Linux has a couple things that no other distro can match.
First of all it's package installer "MX Package Installer" is miles faster that any other software like gnome-software or discover. Not only is it faster but it doesn't lack any of the features, in particular it comes with flatpak support.
Secondly it is very fast, it comes with all the neccecary features pre setup like bluetooth, backing up, clean up tasks, update notifiers. Even with all these things, it comes out faster than most other environments.
Last of all, the installer was very easy and it's preconfigured xfce setup comes with very helpfull panel "applets"
Version: 23.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-07-19 Votes: 5
I'm new to MxLinux and have never used an XFCE desktop.
My experiance in short, this OS is extremely fast.
Like other Linux users, I also use a number of distributions and moving in-out by finding unnecessary reasons.
I've used and continue to use distributions based on GNOME, KDE, and Cinnamon, and I've discovered that this OS responds far faster than the others.
This is the USP I discovered in MX Linux (XFCE), and I noticed the difference while I was using it on the same machine back to back.
Because this operating system is based on Debian and other useful applications is readily available, I truly enjoyed using it.
I would like to thank the developers and other contributors for this outstanding distro. I plan to update all of my PCs to MxLinux in the future. I'll test out some other XFCE distributions as well to make sure it's a DE or MxLinux OS advantage.
I felt bad for myself for not giving attention for this distro before.
Number 1 in distrowatch for a reason.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 8 Date: 2024-07-19 Votes: 0
I *almost* love it. I could see using it as a daily driver for a workstation. But you can't fault people for wanting a new coat of paint. Let me elaborate:
The good: (1) Built on Debian Stable; (2) The software installer has custom repositories with Flatpaks enabled by default, which make the package base very strong; (3) XFCE is given an attractive, pre-customized interface that actually looks pretty sleek and feels responsive and quick; (4) The community forums are active; (5) The installer was essentially painless to set up a working dual-boot system with Windoze; (6) The distro overall gives the user a lot of control and doesn't make too many decisions on your behalf.
The meh: It's a retro experience -- Reminiscent of something from the early 2000s. Many people talk about the pre-bundled utilities it comes with. But take another look - those packages include a lot of things like CD burners and CD rippers (who uses those??), but not OBS studio (a glaring omission). Some of the utilities feel a bit cobbled-together with duct tape. For example, the user manual is helpful, but it's just a PDF file that looks like something I might receive from an amateur spam marketer. TheNvidia driver installer script is literally just that -- a script file that runs in a terminal (No GUI or user-friendly configuration options). The "Papirus Folder Colors" essentially just give you some hyperlinks and walk you through the download/installation.
There is nothing "wrong" with this more rustic, simple approach, since they do, in fact work. But other, more modern-feeling distros in the Debian branch will go a step further and automate a lot of those functions with attractive interfaces and GUIs.
In summary: It's like buying a used Toyota Tacoma with 40K miles on it. There's no reason you can't drive it for the rest of your life, and definitely smarter than buying a new Ram truck that will break in 3 years. And there's something charming about utilitarian minimalism. But all else being equal, other distros do basically the same thing with better aesthetics.
As a computer-savvy elder millennial, I appreciate the throwback. But all else being equal... I don't see much reason to prefer it over Mint.
Version: 21.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-07-13 Votes: 0
I recently reinstalled mxlinux 23 on a machine as the update botched my system. It is working good, but now on my Mxlinux 21.3, the gufw went out with the graphical no longer coming up with the ufw. I can use the terminal with all the usual commands to check on ufw being enable-other settings, etc. I have tried both the systemd as well as the sysVinit & both are botched as far as showing the gufw part. I like being able to see the connections, especially the multiple instances of the same software (vpn-example) to keep an eye on things as well as making sure my deny, etc. are in the rules, clicking between the rules-other tabs. This happened before with the 21 & I tried, like now uninstalling, reinstalling & even went as far as putting firewalld on (that doesn't show me the same info). I have to have to reinstall the whole system & take chances with the updates that the same thing will happen as it did before (I did reinstall the OS before to fix the problem). I like MX-linux but this happening after the botched 23 recent update is wearing on me considering this particular problem happened before. I am not one to run to complain (try to fix my problems myself). This is my third year with Linux OS's. I have near 30 different distro's I am learning & would have readily said that MX linux is at the top, but as said earlier, this is wearing on me. I don't want to be hitting my head against the wall over & over reinstalling the OS-re-setting up all the apps, etc. At the top are the Arch distros: Mabox, Manjaro (have all the different ones including Budgie), which I have minimal problems like this with (actually never had gufw go out on me). The usability-setup of MX linux's has been easy to do. Based on my high opinion of MX-linux, I will give it an 8.5 on what is going on now but there is no 8.5 to rate so I either choose 9 or 8....lol I will settle for 9 because I really do like MX-linux!!!!
Version: 23.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-07-06 Votes: 0
An amazing specimen of engineering. Works reliably as an installed system or as a live system. The most recent release now appears to have strong support for hybrid AMD / Nvidia optimus graphics chips, which was especially a pleasant discovery for me. The live system capabilities which are partly powered by the fantastic Antix Linux Live tools, is and absolutely must have for anyone who wants to enjoy the convenience, without sacrificing reliability. Discovering MX really did bring to an end my distro hoping anguish that I suffered for years. A massive well done to the MX and Antix teams.
I've used MXLinux since the 19.x version and have had very few issues. Its my goto Linux version. I've used many of the others and usually found something pretty quick that disappointed me. With Ubuntu based versions, it was their inability to find my laptop network card and Ubuntu's decision to drop 32 bit versions. Puppy Linux is too difficult to update software. Its more for temporary installations since you can't easily install security fixes. I've tried other distributions over the years starting out years ago building firewalls with Redhat. Also used some of the BSD's. For work I had to use Windows from 3.x to 10, and I work with Win 11 when needed. MXLinux fulfils the need for a stable, solid, desktop/laptop operating system without the need to constantly buy new hardware. It has a lot of software in the base version that easily compares to Windows. If you need more, I find Synaptic easy enough to work with. I love the auto notification for updates and patches. For the most part, patches are easily installed without any issues. I'm still fighting with a patch on my wife's old Windows laptop. I like things that work day in and day out. MXLinux fulfils that. Their are only two things that disappiinted me over the years. I once had a Dell laptop running version 19.x that couldn't install a patch. Updating to 21/23 fixed it. The other problem was on an old HP multimedia laptop where MXLinux couldn't seem to properly handle an attached monitor in extended mode. That's the worst of it. I supported Windows' users in an IT job for years and it was not as easy to maintain. If you really want fancy screens and menus, try the other distributions. If you are like me and just want something that's solid, fairly quick, stable, and full featured, I urge you to try MXLinux.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-07-04 Votes: 0
Have been using MX for a while now ,all good has some interesting extra features
like"copy a link without tracking etc"
"Paste without formatting",
kind of different from every other Distros I've used, has Pro Audio options etc so changed
all I had to tall audio pro,thinking it was better but messed up my creating videos option -
no sound no idea where I went wrong so maybe will re-install it!
Overall for me a great Distro as was using Kodachi 8.27 and it wouldn't update,
to the latest Mozilla Firefox 1.27 so couldn't access YouTube!
And the developer hasn't created an updated version for a year or so now!
But looking for a LINUX OS without Libre Office added and scanned with Clam TK Antivirus,
and it detected PUA's and possible malware threats so removed it
from Kodachi Linux Os!
Version: 21.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2024-07-02 Votes: 0
I have used MX-linux for several years now & until the recent update to 21.3, had no significant problems. I would have given a 10 for the ease & use- if not for what happened yesterday. I have both 23 & 21 versions (actually had about 5 on different drives). I saw there was an update on the Mx-Linux 21 drive & did the update. After the update, it was the first time that I couldn't get it to boot into the OS. It would loop in the initial boot up. I couldn't believe it!!!! I tried using the install flash drive that I installed it with to repair it but that did not work. I took the hard drive out of my computer & put it in an external enclosure to hook it up to another Linux Os as a dual boot, but that failed as it wouldn't boot into the OS. I finally bit the bullet to install Mx-linux 23 on a different drive. I tried to repair the grub through the boot repair on the 21 version (hooked up in an external enclosure to the new drive). That didn't work, so I am now moving all files from the 21 to the 23 that I had saved. I will then reinstall but put the latest version on the 21. Disappointing that the latest update ruined my system. I won't stop using MX-linux because the plus's outweigh the minus's. This is the first time MX linux update trashed-ruined my system's ability to boot into the OS.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-06-30 Votes: 0
I fully wiped a drive that was hosting a functional Manjaro install and installed MX 23 an hour ago, and it's already given me nothing but problems. I allowed it to partition the disk as it pleased and left settings on their defaults. Install completes, reboot, up pops GRUB, boot into MX. Black screen. Search forums for help, seems like it's a known issue. The accepted workaround if disabling microcode loading doesn't work (??) is mashing the enter key after boot. This actually works and I get to LightDM, enter my password, screen goes black, LightDM pops up again. The X server can't start. No information on this one besides "update your drivers" (did that already). This is a completely fresh, stock install. WTF? The LiveUSB worked fine. That's enough headache for me, thanks.
Version: 23.3 Rating: 1 Date: 2024-06-26 Votes: 0
I have used MX Linux and was happy with the transition from other Debian-based distros. However, while the appearance has improved from the previous version, the issues have not stopped. I continue to have a problem with audio and video problem across various computers and hardware. Specifically, websites containing videos including, YouTube, news sites, etc. continue to experience a problem and refuse to play. There are way too many apps installed, ram usage is atrocious with 2 gb used at idle on my computer, and there are a lot of crashes and lock-ups. Unfortunately, I have experienced countless problems causing me along with my peers to have to seek other distros.
MX Linux KDE edition is a stellar example of a Linux distribution that "just works." This edition seamlessly integrates the powerful KDE Plasma desktop environment with MX Linux's well-known stability and performance, creating a user-friendly and efficient operating system.
One of the standout features of MX Linux KDE is its thoughtful selection of pre-installed applications. Unlike many distributions that either overwhelm users with unnecessary software or leave them scrambling to install basic tools, MX Linux strikes a perfect balance. Essential applications such as LibreOffice for productivity, VLC for media playback, and Firefox for web browsing are all included by default. This curated selection ensures that users have everything they need from the start without experiencing system bloat.
Moreover, the inclusion of utilities like GPG key import tools demonstrates MX Linux’s attention to practical user needs. Importing GPG keys is a breeze, making it straightforward to set up encrypted communications and manage software repositories securely. Additionally, the system's capability to run Java programs with a simple double-click simplifies tasks that can be cumbersome on other distributions. This ease of use extends to popular applications like Minecraft, which can be launched out of the box without additional configuration – a stark contrast to the setup woes experienced on many other Linux systems.
The MX Tools suite is another highlight, offering a comprehensive set of utilities that cover virtually all aspects of system administration. Whether it's snapshot creation, package management, or system cleanup, MX Tools provide intuitive interfaces that empower both new and experienced users to maintain and optimize their system effortlessly. This suite is a testament to MX Linux's commitment to user-centric design, ensuring that complex tasks are accessible and manageable.
In summary, MX Linux KDE edition exemplifies the "just works" philosophy by combining a robust and customizable desktop environment with a well-considered selection of pre-installed applications and powerful administrative tools. This creates an operating system that is ready to meet users' needs immediately, providing a smooth, efficient, and enjoyable computing experience. I switched from opensuse tumbleweed to MX Linux KDE AHS and its wonderful, lovely experience! Everything is super smooth and works out of the box. Just the operating system (distro) that one needs. Not to forget, that MX Linux is holding its crown 1st position since decades, for a good reason! ;)
In terms of installation, it was amazing. Everything feels like a breeze, with no hiccups and no errors. Probably the fastest and smoothest exp installing OS so far for me. It might be because this is a Debian-based OS which is known for its stability.
When it comes to the aesthetic, I really like the unpolished, homemade, old, maybe "utilitarian" feel of xfce, which separates itself from KDE Plasma and GNOME. This is my first time using xfce, and I really like the super tight vertical taskbar and the shrunk app icons snuggling on it. Apps when opened cover the whole desktop, not open into little windows that overlap one another. This means that, without any adjustment, apps are given maximum vertical and horizontal space to be displayed, which I think is fantastic. An advantage with the old feel is that if some app happens to have a very bland, old-looking app icon on the taskbar, it blends in well with the rest. An example is Strawberry the music player which is the default in MX Linux. Although I hate it to guts in KDE Plasma and GNOME because the ugly app icon stands out so much, it blends surprisingly well with others on xfce.
The OS itself is very neat too. When first booting up to MX Linux, I was greeted by the PDF user manual. This is unheard of, or if they do exist, effectively non-existent on other OS, so MX Linux makes it very easy for newcomers to understand how things work. Both package managers, MX and Synaptic, are easy to use. Two advantages of Synaptic over other package managers like pacman, yay or Flatpak is that it categorizes the packages and has a search function at the same time. For non-technical audience like me, this is great because I can easily find new apps to experiment with.
I was also struck by the fact that I can control brightness out of the gate, because I cannot do so in other distros I have used like Manjaro, Mint, endeavourOS, and Fedora when I first installed them. Doing so requires me to install the NVIDIA drivers and dive into the config files while in that bright light, which if in a dark room will be very uncomfortable and makes it impossible for me to sleep. That issue does not even exist on MX Linux. Even better is that to shortcut the whole NVIDIA driver installation process, the OS includes a script that does it automatically for me, which I absolutely love.
Given how great MX Linux at solving many of the issues I have with the look, the feel, and the trouble of a Linux distro, I may stay a while to see if I can convert to Linux fully.
WOW! This distro is what a Linux distribution SHOULD be! Easy installation with no hiccups or surprises. Lots of custom system administration tools. A spectacularly polished theme and look. Functional. Stable. No politics. No drama.
Certainly the 'buntu family of distros can't compete with MX Linux, nor can most other distros.
I'm not surprised. Many years ago I was a Mepis devotee. MX Linux is next level compared to Mepis, and two levels of next level compared to virtually every other distro I've used, and I've used many. For the past several years I've been camped out over in Arch space because of the breadth and depth of available applications. Debian-based distros offer a fraction of the applications available for Arch and derivatives, like Manjaro or Endeavor. This will be MX Linux's Achilles heel, and hopefully that heel won't keep me from walking with MX Linux, because so far it impresses.
I use KDE, and while a lot of the Debian stable software is a bit dated compared to what I'm used to, I'm hoping I'll gain easy package installation and removal, quick package installation, and a stable system without giving up too much in the way of more up to date packages and and my favorite application. I'm hoping Debian has worked out some mechanism for getting more obtuse applications installed without too much pain.
I don't mind "ugliness", it's not even a thing that I process alongside actual important things like user-friendliness, reliability, community and dev support. Things that actually matter.
MX is reliable. Not perfect or it will attend your every need possible, but will suffice any major demand without pushing you towards something more complicated than it needs to be. People will actively try to help and answer your questions.
I like it, I use it and its Debian. AHS helps a lot if you need something close to the newer kernels, modules and such.
Perfect for my old Apple iMac 20" (late 2006). MX Linux installs and boots perfectly and after little adjustments to make the iSight working correctly the PC works fine. I choose KDE as my DE and everything is smooth and very usable. Many modern linux system dropped support for Hardware that have 64bit processors but 32bit EFI, like this beautiful iMac and due to newer graphic cards that needs a lot of memory and energy, it is not easy to find a good distro that fits older iMacs. I think MX Linux is a great chance without compromise between usability and modern apps...
Lets give a chance and don't forget to recycle, reuse and reduce.
MX Linux is a beautiful balance between control and user friendliness that I've never seen in a linux distro before, I'm not a great programmer or linux user by any means but many distros always feel like they are focused on one of those two traits entirely and so they either end up missing features or packing in way too many needless features, but MX Linux seems to be running pretty fast and stable while having lots of decently accessible customization, builtin utilities, and easily interpreted documentation. Its not as simple as something like ubuntu but I think if you're on this website reading this your probably more than capable of handling it because its certainly easier than something like a base debian install even with a preinstalled Desktop Environment.
One of the cool features is the mx package manager because it allows you to install packages from a few different repositories like debian-testing and once its done installing it'll automatically disable the repo so if you install with a different method you don't have to manually update the sources list. I tried both the kde and xfce version and personally i prefer the kde version because it looks a little nicer but the fact they support/maintain the xfce version is awsome aswell for older hardware where ever bit of resource usage.
I think these people deserve all the support and and encouragement they can get and hope they stick to their curent philosophy unlike some other big linux distros because its been very relieving to finally find that balance between function and form :)
Just tried 32 bit versions, main Xfce and fluxbox. I'm very impressed with Xfce , looks promising, lot of tools, htop shows around 460mb of ram after live session boots. With that left side panel looks bit like Ubuntu, nice conky monitor design, powerful aps out of the box. That's for the Xfce. Fluxbox edition is bad, needs lot of work and I recommend to look at Sparky minimal and take some inspiration there - much better lightweight distro based on Debian - MX fluxbox is using lot of apps written for different desktops and that makes it heavy. Can imagine using this distro with Xfce as daily. But my potato 2005 Acer needs lightweight system and that's why I'm staying with sparky minimal.
MX Linux is a solid desktop Linux distro for those wanting something from the Debian family but with more utilities and newer kernels and better hardware support than stock Debian stable.
For new Linux users coming from Windows I would say it is suitable for those with more technical knowledge and experience of using computers, and operating systems such as DOS, as it does require more typing at the command line interface than say Linux Mint, which i would say is better for those who are less experienced at computing as it has better GUI tools.
For users coming from Windows, it also requires more tinkering after installing to get it to look and behave more like the Windows user interface in order to be familiar and easy to use, than Mint. Watch youtube videos on how to set MX up and customise it after installing.
One area in which it is better than Mint is in the Linux kernels available for it in the MX Linux repositories. These are newer and may afford better support for newer hardware than those in Mint, including the Debian edition of Mint. For example, MX Linux lets me use my Intel AX200 wifi card whereas LMDE (and also stock Debian) does not support it. MX Linux currently has a version 6.14 Linux kernel available, whereas Mint is still stuck at 6.11 .
MX Linux also has newer kernels that have security fixes for known vulnerabilities (eg. CVE-2024-53150 and CVE-2024-53197 which are used by authoritarian regimes to hack devices of journalists and civil society members) whereas Ubuntu LTS and Linux Mint lag behind in this area (as of April 2025 still no safe kernels in those distros).
One of the strengths of MX is the set of utilities it comes with. It has useful utilities for deleting unnecessary files to free up more disk space, for tweaking the user interface, and so on.
The flagship edition of MX uses Xfce desktop environment and this is the version I like best as it comes with a very good set of utilities such as the Xfce screenshot app which is one of the best I have used, and Xfce very easy to customise. Xfce is also relatively light on system resources like RAM.
Other editions include a KDE edition (which will use more RAM than Xfce and in my opinion offers no significant advantage over Xfce to make up for this), and one using Fluxbox (lighter on system resources than Xfce but possibly less user friendly also). If you have an old computer with a slower CPU and less RAM, I would recommend MX Linux's sister distro AntiX instead of the fluxbox edition of MX, as it is designed for that use case with smaller kernels and so on. I would say MX is best for computers built during the last 15 years with at least 4 GB of RAM to the hardware made in the last year.
I have had MX Linux since 23.4 and have been content enough, mostly. But I have been in the habit of following the releases of all of the -buntu/Ubuntu series that comes out twice a year: October and April, hence the 24.10 and depending on the "flavor" of the -buntu distro, it is either already released, (as of April 13, 2025), or in the last week of beta. Since 2017, I had been updating my releases of Kubuntu because I love the customizing abilities of KDE Plasma. I had had enough of a wee taste of Qt that went along with Plasma and so, when Plasma hit version 6, it came at a really bad time, or so the Powers That Be had told us, which explained the repeated versions and re-versions of 5.27. Supposedly. So, when I noticed that Kubuntu had once again asked us to swallow that bitter "Pill/worm-on-a-hook," one more time, once again, I switched to MX. So, holding out hope that KDE or Canonical or some other entity might finally switch to Plasma 6.xx, I was terribly disappointed. Again.
Oh, I know: what does all of this have to do with MX Linux? Simply this: I finally realized that even though I was running LXQt on Linux MX 23, everything that I really wanted in a distro or OS, if you will, was already here! I did have to do a bit of tweaking beyond the usual on-hand resources (there were not that many, as can be evidenced by the mile-and-a-half-long menu of every MX Program or Application under the sun). Seriously! MX should adopt the motto, "If we ain't got it, you don't need it!" Still, I can't shake the feeling that something is still missing! I haven't a clue what that might be but until I can think of something else that I want but likely don't actually need, MX will already have made it an option!
Yes, fine. But would I recommend MX Linux to someone who still uses Mac or Windows? Absolutely! Actually, I already have, a few times! So what are you doing still reading this? Go download MX right now!
My experience with MX Linux has always been above average, no matter what the version number. I am a C language programmer and one thing I like is that you can associate files to be opened by programs of your choice. So if you click on a NNN.exe file, and you've associated those types of files, for example to "DOSBOX" then when you click on the file, DOSBOX will open that file. I wish that MX Linux would offer some of the other desktops. I'm using xfce. I've recently switched from Zorin 17 pro. I like it also but when I'm programming, I have to find work arounds to run those programs in DOSBOX.
The file manager and program loader is much better than the distro's that run GNOME. They are so slow.
I also wish that MX Linux would make the file manager keep the files being copied open so that you know what you are loading to a thumbdrive, or any drive for that matter. If I close that window out, there's no way to get it back and you just have to wait until the file operations have completed. You have no way of knowing what the status of that is. One work around is you can go to the file manager and look at the preferences and see if the folder you are concerned with is growing in size or not.
Thanks to the MX Linux team for making such a nice distro. Really like it and will continue to use.
MX stands out for its MX Tools.
Especially the MX Snapshot utility makes it possible to (very) easily create a live USB (with or without user environment), with an installer. This makes it great for fast deployment.
The installer is very suited for (LUKS) encrypted installs on a laptop, without the need for LVM.
BTRFS can very easily be installed with @ (root) and @home, so Timeshift lets you revert to an earlier state.
And all this out of the box.
For the most part it is Debian (bookworm), with the Debian repositories. On top of that it has MX repository.
MX's own package installer can add automagically repositories for some popular applications (Chrome, Earth, Onlyoffice, Signal...)
Downside: it uses the Debian stable repositories. Changing to testing or unstable creates a mess, unlike in pure Debian.
Got my Intel CPU MacBook Pro 2009 up and running with WiFi straight 'out of the box' which is usually a very complicated thing that other distros cannot do without a bunch of post install work and tweaking. It's Debian so I am used to the commands and works great. Boots really fast and clean UI makes this a joy to work with. Looking forward to see how this runs and so far the fan is not blowing like crazy and uses minimal resources so even on an older battery this will run for a few hours. Excelling work from the distro team and I don't have to throw away an old 'friend'.
The best system for beginners, everything is done graphically. I think the developers should modernize it a bit visually, but that's the only thing I could find fault with.xfce is even better than win7 in every aspect of support, cpu usage and memory. I say this as a former windows user, what more could you want. So if you want to start playing with linux, mx is the best for it. For programmers, if anyone is even reading this, you need to keep up with the times and improve it a bit visually, because it's really worth it, kudos to you for your work, best regards.
New pc HP Z2 tower. Took a Xfce live-usb from snapshot, installed the system on an partitioned ssd bootdisk. Added some secondary HD's and running great with my data!
Tiny obstakel: at boot I always did a full bootlisting, but it has a halt, a pause, a gap in it in MX23 and than some not too old diplays for instance HP and Fusjitsu say "stop, go to sleep and don't awake, black screen!" So I did a less full listing and all went right.
I'm extremely happy because in a few futile moments I have a new very flashy MX-system on another rather powerful pc.
That's the power of a snapshot transformed to an installable livemedium. Great backup too next to Clonezilla for instance.
This was why in 2017 I tried MX-Linux after other flavours of Linux and for years now I use it day-to-day.
MX looks so nice and functional classic.. It is so adaptable and configurable. Not a shop with candybars! But a serious desktop!
I know, some think it is legacy.. But it is not in my humble opinion. It is functional. Installed on that HP Z2 pc was another OS installed from the computershop when it arrived here. Which I formerly used to love and used very much, Mint. Now I prefer MX Xfce.
I have been using MX Linux as my daily driver for about four years now. I started with 19.4 and it worked great until it reached EOL. Since there's no direct upgrade path between fixed releases, I recently installed 23.2. I had some problems with WiFi but kept at it. (I am almost always mobile and usually run it off the hotspot on my phone.)
It took me a few weeks to figure out why the network manager would sometimes say "Device not configured" or "Device not managed" but I accidentally discovered that it only happened when I booted up with the power cord plugged in. (I have a 3-year-old HP laptop. Issue did not happen with 19.4. No, I haven't reported the bug yet but plan to soon.) (And yes, moving MX Linux to a new laptop is a breeze with snapshots and the live USB maker! Really awesome!! Every distro should have it!!)
That has been the only problem I've had with MX Linux in four years. In fact, today I decided to wipe the dual boot I had been messing with for over a month trying out other distros again and gave the whole machine to MX. I think it's the first time in maybe 15 years that I haven't dual booted. I have a habit of doing so in case one distro crashes, or because one might not quite do everything I need it to do. (I love you, OpenBSD, and one day soon I promise to put you back on a separate backup laptop.)
Anyway, I know we're mostly nerds here and I could throw a bunch of technical data at you, but others have already done a better job of that than I'm willing to do, so I'm just trying to give the vibe of using MX Linux as best I can. And that is, MX Linux is very stable, usable, and reliable, with tons of great tools, capable of doing pretty much every kind of daily task that I use computers for. I'm sticking with it. It has actually replaced OpenBSD as my favorite, which I never thought I'd say about any other distro. I can highly recommend it.
I am linux user since 2005 and I'm rating MX with 10. Here is why.
On my 4 machines, it works as good as Debian, but I have to modify very little on it to different uses. You have useful and powerful tools out of the box. Its installer is fast and gives you useful options.
It has a versatile installer which works fine to manage test repos, flatpacks, and more. However, Synaptic and Apt are available in case you need them.
Community is active, responsive, and friendly. Its documentation is comprehensive and helpful.
I would recommend it to windows people over Mint since in my experience, MX has a better stability and performance. (Mint is a great distro in my opinion)
Booted with only 1 who-cares error. I like the screen layout on laptop with too-wide-screen. Response is quick, but something is hogging CPU ! Trimmed plenty of un-needed fat, then noticed something is hogging the disk.
Next day - Booted with same error. Screen popped up much leaner & faster. Tested browser - OK. Tested eMail - then noticed something hogging the disk. Then,,, the Time-to-upgrate box appeared with 525 things to fix !!! Are you kidding ?
In 48 hours, the sweet-little-baby is suddenly on life-support !!!
No way,,, I let it "apply" and watch in horor as it destroyed itself !
Next day - nothing flashing. Dead-end boot. Back to filthy old GRUB, where I tried the 'other' systemD boot.
It worked ! Its a black screen with cursor arrow, that I can mouse aaround. Nothing else is functional.
Grand job boys ! I'll come back in 2030 and give it another try !
This distro is fantastic. It comes with pre-made installation scripts and is easy to use.
Although people say it is difficult, I was able to install Davinci Resolve relatively easily and my computer can edit videos incredibly well.
Today is my first operating system and I think it will be difficult to find another that is as good.
The strong points are simplicity and stability. In fact, I was traumatized by other distros that would crash out of nowhere after an update. That never happened with this distro. It is incredibly stable, safe and reliable.
Esta distro é fantástica. Vem com scripts de instalação pré prontos e é de uso fácil.
Apesar de falarem que é difícil, consegui instalar com relativa facilidade o Davinci Resolve e meu computador consegue editar vídeos de maneira incrível.
Hoje é o meu primeiro sistema operacional e acho que seja difícil encontrar outro que esteja a altura.
Os pontos fortes são simplicidade e estabilidade. Na realidade, eu era traumatizado com outras distros quebrarem do nada após uma atualização. isso nunca ocorreu com esse distro. Ela é absurdamente estável, segura e confiável.
Estava em testes com outras distribuições, mas foi no MX Linux que minha máquina conseguiu desenvolver e identificar cada componente com o máximo de desempenho. Fiquei surpreso por ser um computador fraco em seus dezesseis anos de utilização.
Este sistema pelo menos até agora desde que o instalei está excelente, uso o KDE MX 23.5 64x, em um sistema operacional que se desenvolve bem e não trava, possui uma arquitetura que, para quem gosta de personalização, possui várias ferramentas de configuração, que até usuários iniciantes ficarão completamente a vontade para configurá-lo.
Muito bem construído, com um designer e interface moderna que deixou os usuários do MX Linux muito satisfeitos.
I was testing other distributions, but it was on MX Linux that my machine was able to develop and identify each component with maximum performance. I was surprised that it was a weak computer in its sixteen years of use.
This system, at least so far since I installed it, is excellent. I use KDE MX 23.5 64x, in an operating system that develops well and does not crash. It has an architecture that, for those who like customization, has several configuration tools, so that even beginner users will be completely comfortable configuring it. It is built, with a modern design and interface that will leave MX Linux users very satisfied.
What I like about MX Linux Xfce. The toolkit, especially the snapshot and USB-maker, it is fast, flashy on my not so new pc.
The OS stays out of the way, great! that is the best way for OS's, it never complaints or crashes.
Very friendly for the novice, perfect for the the advanced user. Very friendly forum too. Help is garanteed.
Not too big in memory, install is simple and straightforward Linux. Updating is a breeze and really never problems.
Repo has all, but not too much nonsense. All Debian software is easy installable with for instance Gdebi.
I search for negatives, but I can't think of one.
Maybe the style of the initial desktop with left a panel, which you can change and make more ot course.
If it stays this way I keep running MX Linux day-to-day. Very comfortable.
After achieving good results from previous versions, I have been greatly disappointed with the latest releases. I have tried to install MX 23 multiple times on my notebooks.
Again, seeming like the developers finally got their act together with 23, bugs appeared even before I could get the install set up the way I wanted. I could not restart or shutdown from the desktop and had to use the power button to restart. It kept going back to the login screen. The options in the upper right corner of the screen were grayed out and inoperable. Again, an infinite loop became apparent at that point with no way out.
It's a real shame because MX Linux seems to have something to offer in the past, especially in the way of tools. However, it is very dated, especially the ugly, notorious installer, and it has become a real memory hog compared to earlier releases. Just like many other Linux distros, it has fallen off dramatically, especially since 19.4, which was their very best work. I have been having so much more success and satisfaction with Linux Mint and LMDE, both of which have really stood the test of time! I plan to use them for the foreseeable future.
I tried MX Linux a few times during last years when I was in distrohopping mood. I was very inclined to find something better than what I had. Unfortunately, each time I was dissapointed by either a good bug or a pure system crash which immediately spoiled my further investigative efforts on MX. As for the look I find it quite promissing, but the system can't be used as a daily horse. For example, when I test a new Ubuntu release I am amazed how quickly it boots, impeccable Nvidia driver installation and other good features, but on average within a week you get your nasty bug somewhere and you leave for your good old distro. Thus my rating is 2 of 10.
After reading several reviews listing bad experiences I decided to list my own good experience.
I installed MX-LInux 23.5 XFCE 64 ext4 filesystem on a Dell Latitude E6530 with Intel I3 and 3.0 Gb memory (3 not 30) and Hynix SSD in dual boot config with Win7. Dell E6530 has Intel and Nvidia 5200 graphics..Uses less than 12 Gb disk space. Installed to replace a previous version of MX-LInux and I had no installation problems whatsoever.
Obviously I do not use this machine for gaming, mainly for web browsing and email using the pre-installed programs. I did install FreeTube, as standard Youtube has become unyouseable (sorry), and a few other programs, and had no problems locating and installing packages..
After 1 month trouble free I give it 10 , There is no perfect. , but it is for my needs.
I have tried other distros like Pop OS, Ubuntu, Linux Mint,and Debian, but have always returned to MX Linux.
I believe that MX Linux has the best set of tools (MX Tools), which is essential for helping new users survive the initial few months after install Linux.
As for games, I can play most of the games I like apart ‘Battlefield’ due to the anti-cheat.
After achieving good results from MX 18.3 and 19.4 and less so from the 21.x series, I have been greatly disappointed with the 23.x releases. I have tried to install MX 23.2 multiple times on my Lenovo Thinkpad T490 (32 GB/500 MB) and MX 23.3 on my Dell Latitude 7490 (64 GB/2.0 TB).
Again, seeming like the developers finally got their act together with 23.3 on my Latitude, bugs appeared even before I could get the install set up the way I wanted. I could not restart or shutdown from the desktop and had to use the ON/OFF button to restart. It kept going back to the login screen. The options in the upper right corner of the screen were grayed out and inoperable. Again, an infinite loop became apparent at that point with no way out.
The only way I could install 23.3 was to do an upgrade step by step from MX 21.3 to 23.0, then to 23.1, 23.2 and finally 23.3. This is really a ludicrous way to do things and another statement for the poor state of today's Linux landscape.
It's a real shame because MX Linux seems to have had so much to offer in the past, especially in the way of tools. However, it is very dated, especially the ugly, notorious installer, and it has become a real memory hog compared to earlier releases. Just like so many other Linux distros, it has fallen off dramatically, especially since 19.4, which I believe was their very best work.
I have been having so much more success and satisfaction with Ubuntu 24.0 with Snaps removed and registered the Ubuntu Pro option on three of my five laptops with updates until 2036. Linux Mint and LMDE have also both stood the test of time. I plan to be using all three of them for the foreseeable future.
I have been using MX Linux for a while, over 2 years, and my opinion about the system is very negative. First of all, the main problem I encountered was the stability of the system. Sudden freezes and crashes became frequent and unpleasant. This created a constant feeling of anxiety that anything could happen at the most inopportune moment. For example, several times I lost unsaved data due to unpredictable reboots and system errors.
In addition, package management in MX turned out to be a real disaster. There were often problems installing and updating software, and the errors I encountered were difficult to fix.
Performance issues were also not long in coming. The system works very slowly and makes working almost impossible.
In addition, support and documentation leave much to be desired. Often, the information in forums and manuals is outdated or not detailed enough. This makes finding solutions to problems that arise a time-consuming and tedious process.
Despite the presence of options for customization, the setup process is far from intuitive, a lot of options don’t apply, and if they do, things start bugging out and may crash the system. The theme is, to put it nicely, harmful to the eyes and icons don’t make sense, so it’ll be difficult trying to figure out some of the applications you want to use are This leads to additional problems and makes the system difficult to use.
Overall, using MX has become a source of constant problems and frustration. For those looking for a reliable and user-friendly operating system, MX is definitely not a good choice.
MX Linux has several drawbacks that may concern some users. Firstly, it has a relatively outdated appearance compared to more modern distributions, which can be a turnoff for those seeking a sleek interface. Additionally, its package manager can be intimidating and less user-friendly for beginners. The lack of Wayland support limits advanced graphical capabilities and future-proofing. Furthermore, its default applications are somewhat dated, and the community support, while active, is tiny and not helpful. Additionally, I have had a couple lock-ups and crashes, which definitely shows it’s not a stable distro to use. Updates break the system very frequently- that’s the nature of debian distros in general, which this is based off of.
I don’t know where anyone is getting that MX is good, it’s not- it’s suboptimal due to less comprehensive driver support and fewer optimizations compared to distributions tailored for gaming, resulting in poorer performance and compatibility with gaming hardware and software.
I’ve had a lot of headaches trying to use MX, and it’s not worth your time.
Well, at least I gave this a try. I had one disaster after another using MX- my bootloader was broken numerous times throughout my use- I have a Windows 10 install and it made sure to make that uncountable (I still need Windows for some things). This distro was pretty bloated with way too many apps, some of which do the same thing- so that's definitely unnecessary. Boot time was pretty slow, it took a few minutes if it would even fully go through booting tot he desktop- I had to force shutdown my computer numerous times and it was a 50/50 chance it would boot to the desktop or not. It could not recognize my printer or wifi card, good thing I have ethernet as a backup, but that was slow too. There is a bit of RAM usage with no programs open, which slowed down the system. There were some crashes and any workarounds from "helpful" users in the forum proved to be a blatant lie, and would mess up something else in the distro- making this overall not trustworthy to use and a pain trying to fix anything that is broken.
I see no reason to upgrade to the new version of the OS that was put out this year because my patience has worn thin trying to use MX and the colossal failure and nightmare to use it is.
I had to search on Internet for hints to correct errors : some packages were missing to use programs with wine. I installed with apt-get install like on GNU_Debian
Fast booting process on my laptop.
Powerful upgrade possibilities with the graphical package manager.
With XFCE there is a panel at left side off the desktop. Two virtual desktops. A monitor with some informations.
I've been using MX Linux for many years and... Sorry, I installed the Xfce desktop, and twice with problems with dpkg, Wine doesn't install and Synaptic doesn't work. Frequent crashes and lock-ups making a force restart necessary.
It asks for authorization to close but even with authorization it doesn't close, I have to do it using the power button.
I know, I'm a layman, but I've always installed it without any problems, it's always worked without any problems, this time something's wrong.
I gave up on MX Linux.
So pleased with MX linux. Every version is improved without changing your habits every now and then. Most things work out of the box. There are very good tools for maintenance and also plenty of system tools in general. I have never experienced any crash (it's debian-based so it's very stable). It also has a very low RAM usage, for example I can use it for general use with 4GB of RAM. It's ultra responsive and even though it's not the most eye candy distro -which I couldn't care less- XFCe allows you to easily tweak it to your taste. It works fine on old and new hardware. It's ideal for someone who doesn't want to mess with the system and is as easy as Mint for an ex-windows user.
As a person who download's and tests various Linux Desktops, I have in the past been pleased with MX Linux Xfce .
This new version of MX Linux Xfce 23.5 , using Samba file sharing it's supposed to work out of the box, with the Samba config tool, however this is broken, even after setting it up double checking various settings , Now the MX computer shows up when browsing the Network form several other systems, but the shares do not and gives errors when trying to connect.
After looking at the shares it looks like it should work permissions and all, but it does not.
My advice is for the developers to test these things a little better and make sure it works "out of the box" .
As for the rest of desktop on Xfce 23.5... I did not see a large change for user experience, I'm sure there are changes under the hood which I missed, but overall works fine, however the samba file share was a show stopper for me to give a higher rating.
Ik now use MX with Xfce from 2017 various versions. Very friendly OS.
This after al lot of distrohopping Mint, PCLinuxOs, SolydX, Linux Lite, etc..
It is a perfect OS if you want smoothness and superfastness day-to-day. It stays out of the way and that is what I demand.
Instllation is a breeze. Updating the same. The system is not too big in memory.
One can make of the appearance what one likes. It is Linux after all. Extremely configurable.
Repo is fine. It is also easy to install Debian software with Gdebii.
The forum is friendly. Enjoy!
Decided to install it on my Intel equipped lap top. First thing I did was clone the hard drive, just in case. Down loaded and installed the ISO to a flash drive for the installation. Instillation to the hard drive was done in a few minutes and their version of the XFCE desktop appeared on the screen. I tried to make a few changes to the taskbar- move it the top and always hide, but the changes were not completed. I thought restarting might be necessary so I hit the restart icon with no effect then the shutdown with no effect. I had to force shutdown. The following start up froze up and it turned out there was now an error in the boot record. Fixed the bootloader and reinstalled my old system.
MX Linux lacks polish, the XFCE desktop looks crude and doeen't seem to respond to changes. It broke the bootloader, even though it was the the only operating system on the SSD. I would recommend staying away from this distro, especially in the XFCE version with modern intel hardware. I wasn't about to try one of the other flavors after the disaster of MX with XFCE.
I tried MX Linux a few times during last 3-4 years when I was in distrohopping mood. I was very inclined to find something better than what I had. Unfortunately, each time I was dissapointed by either a good bug or a pure system crash which immediately spoiled my further investigative efforts on MX. As for the look I find it quite promissing, but somehow the system can't be used as a daily horse. For example, when I test a new Ubuntu release I am amazed how quickly it boots, impecable Nvidia driver installation and other good features, but on average within a week you get your nasty bug somewhere and you leave for your good old distro. I must admit that my MX testing was never longer than a day, rather hours. Thus my rating is 2 of 10.
The distro is good and lightweight, they've configured many things well, like the driver utility, the cleanliness, and in my opinion, it's also aesthetically pleasing.
But nothing useful works: Lutris always throws a 256 error, the Flatpak version doesn’t even start, and the NVIDIA drivers are super outdated (though, to be fair, you can install others).
The bare installation takes up way too many gigabytes, and I can’t figure out why. I’d recommend it to someone who only wants to use their PC for very basic tasks.
I've been using MXLinux since 2014, starting with release 14, and it has consistently impressed me with its reliability and user-friendliness. From the very beginning, I was drawn to its lightweight nature and impressive speed. MXLinux boots up quickly and runs smoothly on even modest hardware, making it a perfect choice for older machines or those who prioritize system responsiveness.
One of the standout features of MXLinux is its user-friendly interface. The MX Tools control center provides easy access to system settings, making it simple to customize and fine-tune the operating system to my preferences. The inclusion of essential applications like the MX File Manager and the web browser makes it a truly out-of-the-box experience.
Furthermore, MXLinux boasts excellent community support. The forums and documentation are well-maintained and provide valuable assistance for users of all levels. The developers are consistently active, releasing regular updates and addressing user feedback, ensuring a stable and evolving operating system.
In conclusion, MXLinux has proven to be a reliable and enjoyable daily driver for me. Its combination of speed, stability, user-friendliness, and strong community support makes it an excellent choice for users of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced Linux enthusiasts.
A lot of people told me coming from Windows to Linux, meant I should try, MX Linux. I was told how easy it was to use and how user friendly it was. I tried installing MX Linux on 2 computers in the house (I have four). It is not easy or user friendly. The theme and wallpaper are boring with a capital B. Asking for help in the forums meant needing to use the terminal for everything. I was instructed to use the terminal to change my desktop wallpaper. One of my computers would not boot no matter what I tried. Someone told me to edit the GRUB menu but since it would not boot and displayed a black screen, I could not do anything with it. I got it working on my desktop which was four years old, and it froze anytime it went into sleep mode. I tried disabling sleep mode, but the screen would still sometimes turn black. My laptop could not boot this and kept providing a kernel panic.
To sum up the rest;
Resource usage is a bit steep. The distro is bloated and runs pretty slow from booting, to trying to use MX Linux as a day-to-day with web browsing,, watching videos, etc. it is a pain to use this. I have also experienced a couple crashes of my system too from using MX Linux.
Not recommended.
Since 1999 I have been a linux user. Started with SuSE, tried Redhat, Ubuntu and then switched to Linux Mint and finally decided to to stay with MX Linux. It is the most reliable distro I have used so far, Debian stable makes a huge difference. It is rock solid, extremely fast, stays out of your way and just does the job without any distractions. If you need a workhorse for daily use this is your distro. Only regret I have is not switching to MX Linux earlier. A massive "thank you" to the team for such a high quality work.
For several years, I tried one Debian- or Ubuntu-based distribution or another - mainly xfce - because I wanted to finally say goodbye to Windows, but something was always wrong. Either the systems were too slow, something didn't work or didn't work smoothly, or there was a problem somewhere. Then I discovered MX, and everything fell into place: the system runs smoothly and quickly, both on a 20-year-old PC and on laptops with Pentium or newer processors. The installation is uncomplicated and surprisingly fast, everything works like clockwork, and the MX tools allow the system to be customized and administered in a user-friendly way, from package installation from the backports to individual placement of the panel. The website and wiki provide all the relevant information, from download mirrors and gpg-keys to instructions on how to upgrade without reinstalling. The whole thing is barrier-free, i.e. accessible without activated Javascript, and problems are solved quickly and in a friendly manner in the forum.
Last but not least, I like the look and feel. The in-house interfaces, the installer and the MX package installation are stylish and well thought out.
Thanks to the developers and everyone involved. I switched to Linux with MX-19 and have never regretted it since.
Pros:
- non-systemd,
- useful customization tools,
- relatively lightweight and fast.
Cons: the interface setup
- unintuitive setup for xfce -> i therefore brought back trinity desktop,
- some very common keyboard shortcuts don't work (alt-tab, ctrl-C ctrl-V, etc),
- ugly bootup logo,
- ugly conky widget, difficult to remove and doesn't even respect the 24 hour display for my region (and most of the world).
Conclusion: i'm ok with the distro but that would be even better in the desktop interface problems were solved.
PS: I've been using Q4OS for many years as my other daily driver, and l must say it features none of the problems mentioned above.
Updating from 21.3 to 23.5 is non-trivial. The official method is a fresh install over the current installation (for major upgrades like mine). There is an unofficial, but tested method which worked for me; it requires special attention and user input throughout the process. Documentation for this upgrade method is complete and straightforward. Took a while on my external HDD (non-ssd).
For reference my system and use:
Lenovo Yoga 730 i7-8550U 8GB
external WD 1T HDD
non-gaming hobbyist
programming in Rust, C, C++, Python
I would recommend MX for experienced user interested in trying System V (SysV).
I got back into MX Linux two months ago in its “Plasma Desktop” version because I like the fact of having a complete distro out of the box (MX Tools + KDE software). For me, this is the most complete OS for direct use, even if on other distros you can install one by one. It just saves time.
Now MX Linux allows you to choose between systemd and sysVInit, again this is practical depending on your needs.
Updates: all drivers are updated quickly, and the latest version of Firefox is quickly available in .deb. It is also possible to use the latest kernels released.
The disadvantage is known: reinstallation of the part / every two years (or 5 years if we use the complete life cycle). This undoubtedly remains a hindrance for a more massive use of MX, otherwise the rest is impeccable, very accomplished, and it is a distro very followed by developers with a responsive forum.
Lot of advantages, only one disadvantage, for my part it's good also comparing with other distros.
I have been using MX Linux since version 23.0 (xfce/systemd) and I think it's great. The right adjustments have been made to provide an extremely stable system. However, if you're expecting a lot of bells and whistles, you're in the wrong place. I personally need a system without a lot of ballast and like to decide for myself where to put the screwdriver.
The in-house MX tools are worth mentioning. A quick backup on today's large USB sticks is even available later as a live system.
Of course, you can complain in some places, but it's still a high-level complaint.
MX Linux has convinced me personally.
MX is killer. Multiple flavors available. XFCE is my comfortable home on it. Their official KDE is tweaked to resemble the default XFCE--But with either, you can easily customize it using pre-built themes and/or easy customization tools.
Its package management is the Best. A number of package management tools are pre-installed, and more are available for easy installation. Special ease and quality note for "MX Package Installer".
Its Debian base is famous for its stability. MX certainly has that.
It may take a BIT longer for the newest hardware drivers to get patched into the Debian kernel, than into some Arch kernels, or into Ubuntu's, but that's the Linux world of choices. The forum and developers are great. Check it out. Run a live USB.
I never made the painful transition from Win 7 to Win 8 because... MX.
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo! Finally a Linux Distro that works on my old laptop. It has all of the features I want and works well. The laptop is an old Acer Aspire 4730Z with 4GB RAM and 500GB SSD. It's got a 64-bit CPU (Intel T3400) but it's built on 32-bit architecture, so finding and installing a Linux OS has been a challenge.
MX Linux has finally allowed me to watch YouTube videos without stutter and long delays in loading. I realize most of the CPU is consumed by Firefox, but in other OS's, I didn't have that performance I wanted.
Things I like: (not an exhaustive list)
Synaptic package
Apps in Deskbar that monitor CPU and network without having to open Task Manager.
Found my WiFi without a problem
Found my network printer without a problem
Works well with the onboard audio
Very light CPU load when not on Firefox
Based on Debian and Xfce
Great menu system with lots of links
In fact, 23.5 works so well on this old hardware that I've installed it on my 64-bit machine.
I am highly satisfied with MX, it's stable, rock solid, reliable.
I've been playing around with Linux'es for 6 years now, changing my favourite Linux distro's about every 6-7 weeks. Since I need multiple booting with Windows, I had some trouble with getting my machine back to the necessary GRUB2 and EFI conditions and starting screens (I usually run 3-4 distros side by side). In the beginning Rescatux helped (and sometimes still does), after I had to (re-)install the current or next distro. But after I had found MX, no trouble any more. The booting into MX KDE is fast, then, if necessary, I can reanimate/arrange my distros+Windows through the wonderful MX tools, they have never let me down.
My profile: Germany, IntelNUC I5 (2018) , 8GB, 256 SSD, Windows 10pro (+ at the moment: MX KDE24.5, Manjaro, TUXEDO, Voyager)
Looks like a good OS.A nice name politically also correct, compatible, adaptive to Information Age also. I could not have chance to use it yet because of virtual issues but now i will try it in my second flash disk.Thank you everyone who worked on it.The distro or operating system is a genius idea for future as people will work on data more and they will try different operating systems to check, if answer is in different operating system as a protest move in the future. I tried Kali Linux, Ubuntu, Debian and some other Linux systems.The Linux was not ready for users for a long time without a reason but reason may be America wants to break the chain of centered system to have adaptation to a alternative culture based system instead of capitalism.
SO, After giving a number of other new updated distro's a look, and them failing to be as complete as MX, I'm here to tell you all that, to me, EVERYTHING I need to do with a computer, from game play to 3d cad and g-coding projects just works... Maybe you want or need the "latest & greatest" (that usually break shortly after a major update) however MX stays steady and true. I like the most that it doesn't really need much fancy dressings like others seem to feel make a good OS. Just does what you want and stays out of the way... Not to say you can't make it look fancy( aka pretty) you can without much fuss..
This seems good but I wasn't able to install it on a test laptop, seems to have a lot of bugs in the installer and severe hardware compatibility limitations, including some very basic issues: it seems wasn't able to write any changes to the partition table, so the first installation said it was complete, but on reboot it couldn't find a boot device. Thereafter it couldn't delete any partitions on the HDD. This seems a very basic bug. Maybe with more development it will become a viable option for a desktop, but given the bugs encountered, I can't imagine it would be trustworthy enough for daily use.
MX Linux just works. I really like the experience out of the box and the MX Tools got you covered in a clever and user friendly way. Despite my efforts, I have not yet been able to break anything and I really gave that a try. I find the the old school-ish feel of XFCE appealing - everything happens fast, it provides great customization without getting in the way.
Despite occasionally loading other distros to check what's new around, what keeps bringing me back to MX is that it feels like home. It is like a modest, no-nonsense hard worker, who just wants to get the job done in an unobtrusive way.
As someone, who is definitely not the most knowledgeable in the Linux world, I find my way almost too easily with MX, so kudos to the developers for crafting this excellent distro.
After using MX Linux from version 17.1 through the latest versions, I've found that 19.4 locks up about 4 to 5 times per hour, version 23.3 locks up a few seconds after bootup. I've used the xfce version, it freezes less but still enough that using that software is not worth the frustration of freeze-ups. I have erased all my bootup disks, and will be using another distro. Due to having to shutdown my PC using hard power off, all the boot drives (SSDs) are corrupted. Overall, my experience of MX Linux is it’s buggy, slow and has been a pain because of so many errors - trying to update the system and software, trying install and uninstall problems, it’s a frustrating mess. And not worth your time at all to use.
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