 DistroWatch Weekly |
| DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 1037, 18 September 2023 |
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Welcome to this year's 38th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
There is a sea of Linux distributions in the world, a vast collection of closely related operating systems which offer different approaches, interfaces, release cycles, and package management tools. In this haystack of distributions it can be difficult to find the right needle for your needs. This week, in our Questions and Answers column, we talk about locating distributions with specific characteristics and how to unify software management. First though, we explore the Bodhi Linux distribution, a lightweight Ubuntu-based project featuring the Enlightenment window manager. Joshua Allen Holm talks about Bodhi and his impressions of this high performance distribution in our Feature Story. Then, in our News section, we talk about Fedora upgrading its version of KDE Plasma as the developers consider switching Plasma to offering Wayland sessions only. We also talk about the Zevenet distribution being discontinued in favour of two new project forks while openSUSE introduces a new, slowly rolling branch of its distribution. In our Opinion Poll this week we would like to hear how many of our readers actively engage in beta testing new versions before their final release. Let us know about which distributions, if any, you beta test. Plus we are pleased to share the releases of the past week and list the torrents we are seeding. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
This week's DistroWatch Weekly is presented by TUXEDO Computers.
Content:
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| Feature Story (By Joshua Allen Holm) |
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0
Bodhi Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution that is based on Ubuntu. The latest release, version 7.0.0, is built on top of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Bodhi features the Moksha desktop environment, which is a fork of the Enlightenment 17 window manager.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 currently has three images available for download. Each of the three ISOs is approximately 1.3GB and comes with almost identical software, except for the version of the Linux kernel. The Standard image comes with Linux 5.15, the HWE (Hardware Enablement) version comes with Linux 6.2, and the s76 version comes with Linux 6.4.6. I briefly tried out all three versions as live desktops and the only issue I had was that the s76 image required turning off Secure Boot, which the other two images did not require. A fourth image, called AppPack, is forthcoming; this image will come with more software preinstalled.
Because the kernel in the Standard image was modern enough to work well with my hardware, I opted to use that version as the basis for this review. Everything covered in this review with be applicable to any of the three versions, but the two versions not tested have the additional benefit of having the kernel version updated whenever there is a new Ubuntu HWE kernel or, in the case of the s76 version, for every new kernel version.
Installing Bodhi Linux 7.0.0
Booting from the flash drive to which I copied the Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 Standard image brought up a live desktop environment. The first things that appeared were screens asking me to select the language and keyboard layouts. They both had English preselected, but only the first screen had the selection English visible on screen. One the second screen, I had to scroll to see that English was preselected. Minor issue aside, after making selections on both screens, the live desktop loaded and everything was ready to go.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The live desktop
(full image size: 1.1MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
The installer for Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is Ubiquity, which is the same installer used by Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Aside from superficial colour changes because of theming, the only difference between Ubuntu 22.04's and Bodhi 7.0.0's installation process is the info screens that describe Bodhi instead of Ubuntu. The installation process is the same standard prompts found in almost all Linux installers.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Ubiquity installer
(full image size: 755kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Despite the installer being the standard Ubiquity installation experience, I did experience one odd issue that I have never experienced before when installing Ubuntu or any of the other Ubuntu-based distributions. Bodhi's installer really did not seem to like it when the background process for updating the APT repository package information was taking too long. If I connected to Wi-Fi before running the installer, the installer would not launch or eventually fail with a not very useful error message. If I waited until I was sure that the APT cache was fully updated, or if I did not connect to Wi-Fi until the installer prompted me to do so, I had a much smoother experience.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Installer error
(full image size: 881kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
The Moksha Desktop
Moksha is what sets Bodhi apart from other Linux distributions. While Moksha can be installed on other distributions (though the instructions for doing so often involve compiling from source), Bodhi is Moksha's "home" distribution. Moksha is developed for Bodhi and is what makes Bodhi what it is.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Moksha desktop
(full image size: 1.3MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Moksha's goal is to be light and customizable. According to Bodhi Linux's Moksha Guide, Moksha "straddles the line between a window manager and a desktop environment." Moksha is lighter than GNOME, KDE Plasma, and the like, while providing more options than a simple window manager.
When using Debian 12's default GNOME desktop on this same hardware, the memory usage with no applications running is about 1,400MB. Moksha on Bodhi Linux 7.0.0, uses about 400MB total. On this particular hardware the saving of a gigabyte of RAM is not super important for general computing tasks, but it is still welcome.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Activate Presentation Mode prompt
(full image size: 1.1MB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Being light does not mean that Moksha is lacking in features. In fact, there is one feature I wish I had when running other desktop environments. When I was waiting for the installer to complete its task, the screen had started fading out, so I woke up the screen by moving the mouse. Because I did this within seconds of it fading to black, I was asked if I wanted to turn on presentation mode to stop the system from sleeping.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The Moksha Settings panel
(full image size: 542kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Moksha, like most software projects, has the occasion rough edge, but nothing was completely lacking. The basic layout of the Moksha desktop is familiar enough for anyone who has used a standard taskbar at the bottom of the screen with an application menu on the left and sundry utilities on the right of the graphical user interface. The number of customization options might overwhelm some, but those options can just be ignored. Overall, Moksha is a functional desktop with enough features to make it usable, but not necessary enough to place it ahead of other desktop environments.
Default software selection
Minimalist by design, Bodhi Linux 7.0 does not come with a lot of software. The notable preinstalled software includes the Chromium web browser, Ephoto image viewer, Leafpad text editor, Terminology terminal emulator, and Thunar file manager. Aside from various control panels or programs for installing software packages, that is an almost exhaustive list of the graphical applications preinstalled with Bodhi Linux 7.0.0.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Terminology with visual bell
(full image size: 800kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
There is not a lot there, but what is included is nice. I rather liked Terminology, especially the visual terminal bell. Everything that is there is functional and (at least for the most part) light. It would have been nice to have a lighter PDF viewer installed by default instead of relying on the one built into Chromium, but it is easy enough to install a PDF viewer.
Installing additional software
Because Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, there is plenty of software in the repositories. Additional packages can be installed using the apt command in the terminal, or using a few graphical options. The first graphical option is the curated Bodhi AppCenter, which is actually part of the Bodhi Linux website and opens in the web browser. Selecting an application from the AppCenter opens an apturl window asking to install the program. A more robust graphical option is to use the Synaptic package manger, which lists all the available packages. Lastly, there is a specialized installer for installing (or removing) one of ten web browsers (Brave, Chrome, Chromium, Falkon, Firefox, Opera, Palemoon, Slimjet, Vivaldi, and Waterfox).
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- The AppCenter
(full image size: 159kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
While most packages do come from the Ubuntu 22.04 repositories, Bodhi does add its own repository with some packages and a couple of personal package archives (PPAs) for NVIDIA legacy drivers and Firefox. That means that Firefox is a standard Deb package, not a Snap, and both Firefox's standard and ESR versions are available.
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 -- Web Browser Manager
(full image size: 649kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
Final thoughts
Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is a nice, light Linux distribution. By design, there is not a lot of preinstalled software, but the Bodhi AppCenter does provide a nice curated selection of recommended software. While my own personal preference for a desktop Linux ISO is for it to come bundled with a complete selection of preinstalled applications, and there is a forthcoming version of Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 that will do just that (the AppPack image), I can appreciate the minimalist approach taken by the currently available Bodhi images. Lightness and minimalism are Bodhi's defining features and it does what it sets out to do and does it well. Having to install all the applications post-install is not for everyone, but for those who wish to go that route, Bodhi Linux 7.0.0 is a solid choice for a starting point from which to customize the application selection.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a System76 Meerkat with the following specifications:
- Processor: Quad-core Intel Core i5-10210U @ 1.60GHz
- Storage: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 250GB
- Memory: 16GB of RAM
- Networking: Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (10) I219-V, Intel Corporation Comet Lake PCH-LP CNVi WiFi
- Display: Intel Corporation CometLake-U GT2
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Visitor supplied rating
Bodhi Linux has a visitor supplied average rating of: 9.2/10 from 80 review(s).
Have you used Bodhi Linux? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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| Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Zevenet replaced by two new projects, openSUSE introduces new rolling release branch, Fedora plans for Plasma upgrade
The Zevenet project has announced through its Twitter/X page that the distribution is being discontinued under its current name. In its place, two new projects are being developed: Relianoid and Skudonet. Both projects currently maintain the same mission of providing a dedicated load balancing operating system. The announcement reads: "Dear customers and users, Zevenet project and brand are in the process of extinction in favor of the two new awesome projects called SKUDONET and RELIANOID which will ensure the continuity of the Zevenet products and services to all our customers and users."
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The openSUSE project has introduced a new, experimental branch of its distribution. The new branch, called Slowroll, will act as a middle ground between the rapid, rolling Tumbleweed branch and the fixed Leap branch. "Slowroll is a new distribution from 2023 based on Tumbleweed, but rolling slower. With updates every one or two months with bug fixes and CVE fixes as they come in." Details and download links can be found on the new Slowroll website.
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The Fedora team is considering a proposal which could see two significant changes made to the KDE Plasma packages. Fedora 40 may see the inclusion of Plasma 6 (the next major release of KDE's desktop environment) and the removal of an X11 session option. "KDE Plasma 6 is successor to KDE Plasma 5 created by the KDE Community. It is based on Qt 6 and KDE Frameworks 6 and brings many changes and improvements over previous versions. For Fedora Linux, the transition to KDE Plasma 6 will also include dropping support for the X11 session entirely, leaving only Plasma Wayland as the sole offered desktop mode." Details of the proposal can be found on Fedora's wiki.
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These and other news stories can be found on our Headlines page.
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| Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Finding stable distributions without systemd, looking for lightweight distributions, and seeking unified package management
Looking-to-settle-down asks: Can you recommend a stable (non-rolling) distro without systemd? I tried Artix and Void, but they are both updated constantly.
DistroWatch answers: If you visit our Search page you can find a list of a few dozen projects which offer a fixed release without systemd. It's a fairly long list and covers a wide range of types of distributions - some of them are geared towards firewalls, servers, or network storage. Since you mentioned trying Artix in the past, I'm guessing you're looking specifically for a desktop distribution. In which case there is a shorter list of desktop Linux distributions without systemd and fixed releases. I recommend starting at the top of the list of search results and working your way down.
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Keeping-things-minimal asks: Which distributions can you recommend that will run on an i7 CPU with only 4GB of RAM?
DistroWatch answers: The good news is almost any Linux distribution will run comfortably on a 64-bit i7 CPU with 4GB of RAM. Most days, even with ten applications open (including at least one web browser) I don't use more than 3GB of RAM.
However, if you're worried about running out of memory you can try lighter desktop environments, which is usually where the bulk of a distribution's memory consumption occurs before you launch a large application. You might want to look at distributions featuring the Xfce or LXQt desktops. Both are lighter while still offering a nice interface with most of the key modern features.
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Streamlining-the-process asks: Why don't distributions have a unified way to handle packages, like that'll manage native packages and Flatpak/Snap?
DistroWatch answers: Some distributions do ship with a form of unified package management. Those which do not can usually add a unified package manager from their main package repositories. Both the GNOME Software and the KDE Discover software centres offer support for multiple package formats. This usually means working with whatever the native package format is (typically RPM or Deb) and Flatpak. Ubuntu's software centre works with Snap and Deb packages. The Linux Mint software centre can work with multiple package types too.
More recently we've seen some efforts to unify package management on the Rhino Linux distribution. This project's meta package manager attempts to work with Deb packages, Flatpak, and the Pacstall repository.
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Additional answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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| Released Last Week |
SysLinuxOS 12.1
Franco Conidi has announced the release of SysLinuxOS 12.1, an updated build of the project's Debian-based distribution designed for system administrators and system integrators, offering a choice of MATE and GNOME desktops. This release updates the Linux kernel to version 6.4: "SysLinuxOS 12.1 brings some improvements and bug fixes. By default, it includes the latest kernel 6.4 directly from the backports repository, replacing the removed 6.3.8 version. Additionally, VMware Player 17 has been added. Other changes relate to some system icons and further adjustments have been made in preparation for the upcoming integration of new custom repositories for SysLinuxOS. The changes apply to both editions, GNOME and Mate. Features: USB bootable; Mate and GNOME desktops; Calamares installer; Linux kernel 6.4 amd64; Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, Edge and Tor Browser; Teamviewer, Anydesk, Remmina, Zoom, Skype; Wireshark, Packet Tracer 8.2.1, GNS3, Nmap, Lssid, Etherape, Ettercap, PackETH; Packetsender, Angry Ip Scanner, Sparrow Wifi, Fast-cli, Speedtest-cli, ipcalc, iperf3...." See the release announcement, the release notes and the changelog for more details.
SysLinuxOS 12.1 -- Exploring the MATE desktop
(full image size: 605kB, resolution: 1920x1440 pixels)
Fatdog64 900
Fatdog64 Linux is a small, desktop, 64-bit Linux distribution which has its origins in the Puppy Linux family. The project has published version 900 which is based on Linux From Scratch 11.3. The release notes share highlights from Fatdog64 900: "The Fatdog64 team is pleased to announce the first release of Fatdog64 GNU/Linux 900 series. Release 900 is based on LFS (Linux From Scratch) 11.3, replacing the LFS 8.2 used in the 800 series, with packages updated to BLFS (Beyond LFS) of the same version (11.3) or newer. At the time of release there are more than 2400 packages and more will be added as time permits. Changes from Fatodg64 814: new base, updates are too numerous to list; rudimentary HiDPI support; Basesfs/savefile on 9p filesystem (mainly on QEMU); xscreenshot now supports copying to clipboard - press Ctrl-Print to activate; dconf gsettings backend to enable application settings persistence in Evince; touchegg - convert multi-touch gesture to actions; numerous bug fixes and fine tunings. Known issues: suspend/resume does not always work with certain machines; certain Radeon-based machines may require the 'radeon' module to be pre-loaded using 'loadmodules' boot parameter, otherwise the kernel might stall during the boot process, causing unnecessary delays."
Univention Corporate Server 5.0-5
Univention Corporate Server is an enterprise-class distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. The distribution has received a minor update, Univention Corporate Server (UCS) 5.0-5 which introduces new functionality to the management console along with a number of bug fixes. "Univention Corporate Server 5.0-5 is the fifth point release for Univention Corporate Server (UCS) 5.0. It contains all errata released since version 5.0-4 for bug fixes, performance improvements and security updates for Samba, Linux, OpenSSH, Bind and Python, among others. UCS 5.0-5 is available in the 'Software Update' module and can be found in our download area. In total, the new point release includes 28 security updates that we have provided since the last UCS point release, such as those for Samba, Linux, OpenSSH, Bind, and Python. We have also implemented various bug fixes in the Univention Management Console (UMC) environment and upgraded some UMC modules to the new capabilities that have been available with the UMC server since the fundamental change from UCS 5.0-4. In the future, we will be able to significantly reduce the memory consumption of UMC during operation in certain cases. Also worth mentioning is the new option of explicitly setting an empty value or deleting the value in the UMC module for the Univention Config Registry (UCR)." Additonal information is provided in the release announcement and in the release notes.
Peropesis 2.2
Peropesis (personal operating system) is a small-scale, minimalist, command-line-based Linux operating system. The project has published a minor update to its 2.x series. Peropesis 2.2 features five new additions to its default package along with several updates. The release announcement states: "Peropesis 2.2 Linux OS is released. In the new edition part of the old software was updated and a few new packages was installed. The newly installed tools are mainly intended for software development purposes. New software installed: 1. bison 3.8.2. GNU bison, is a parser generator, that generates LALR parsers. It can also generate canonical LR, IELR and GLR parsers. 2. gettext 0.22. GNU gettext is a software package, that containing tools, that commonly used for writing multilingual programs. 3. gperf 3.1. GNU gperf is a program that generates perfect hash functions for sets of key words. 4. texinfo 7.0.3. The GNU texinfo software package contains programs for writing, reading and converting info pages. Note. In the Peropesis 2.2 filesystem there is not distributed the GNU software documentation, available as info pages (/usr/share/info). 5. linux GPU drivers (drivers/gpu). These drivers are designed to serve for graphics processing units."
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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| Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 2,906
- Total data uploaded: 43.6TB
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| Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
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Summary of expected upcoming releases
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| Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Do you beta test upcoming distribution versions?
We are entering beta season for several key open source operating systems, such as Fedora, Ubuntu, and FreeBSD. These projects, combined, have millions of users who depend on their operating systems being reliable. To help achieve this reliability, each project publishes beta releases for the community to test. We'd like to hear if you participate in beta testing and bug reporting before new stable releases are published.
You can see the results of our previous poll on choosing a distribution based on its package manager in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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Do you engage in beta testing?
| Yes - I run beta releases and report bugs: | 127 (10%) |
| Yes - I run beta releases but do not report issues: | 231 (18%) |
| No - I do not run beta versions: | 674 (52%) |
| Other - I run a rolling release distro: | 266 (20%) |
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| Website News |
New distributions added to waiting list
- Skudonet. Skudonet is a fork of the Zevenet distribution which provides a dedicated load balancing operating system.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 25 September 2023. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Weekly Archive and Article Search pages. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, donations, comments)
- Joshua Allen Holm (feature review)
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| Archives |
| • Issue 1156 (2026-01-19): Chimera Linux's new installer, using the DistroWatch Torrent Corner, new package tools for Arch, Haiku improves EFI support, Redcore streamlines branches, Synex introduces install-time ZFS options |
| • Issue 1155 (2026-01-12): MenuetOS, CDE on Sparky, iDeal OS 2025.12.07, recommended flavour of BSD, Debian seeks new Data Protection Team, Ubuntu 25.04 nears its end of life, Google limits Android source code releases, Fedora plans to replace SDDM, Budgie migrates to Wayland |
| • Issue 1154 (2026-01-05): postmarketOS 25.06/25.12, switching to Linux and educational resources, FreeBSD improving laptop support, Unix v4 available for download, new X11 server in development, CachyOS team plans server edtion |
| • Issue 1153 (2025-12-22): Best projects of 2025, is software ever truly finished?, Firefox to adopt AI components, Asahi works on improving the install experience, Mageia presents plans for version 10 |
| • Issue 1152 (2025-12-15): OpenBSD 7.8, filtering websites, Jolla working on a Linux phone, Germany saves money with Linux, Ubuntu to package AMD tools, Fedora demonstrates AI troubleshooting, Haiku packages Go language |
| • Issue 1151 (2025-12-08): FreeBSD 15.0, fun command line tricks, Canonical presents plans for Ubutnu 26.04, SparkyLinux updates CDE packages, Redox OS gets modesetting driver |
| • Issue 1150 (2025-12-01): Gnoppix 25_10, exploring if distributions matter, openSUSE updates tumbleweed's boot loader, Fedora plans better handling of broken packages, Plasma to become Wayland-only, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1149 (2025-11-24): MX Linux 25, why are video drivers special, systemd experiments with musl, Debian Libre Live publishes new media, Xubuntu reviews website hack |
| • Issue 1148 (2025-11-17): Zorin OS 18, deleting a file with an unusual name, NetBSD experiments with sandboxing, postmarketOS unifies its documentation, OpenBSD refines upgrades, Canonical offers 15 years of support for Ubuntu |
| • Issue 1147 (2025-11-10): Fedora 43, the size and stability of the Linux kernel, Debian introducing Rust to APT, Redox ports web engine, Kubuntu website off-line, Mint creates new troubleshooting tools, FreeBSD improves reproducible builds, Flatpak development resumes |
| • Issue 1146 (2025-11-03): StartOS 0.4.0, testing piped commands, Ubuntu Unity seeks help, Canonical offers Ubuntu credentials, Red Hat partners with NVIDIA, SUSE to bundle AI agent with SLE 16 |
| • Issue 1145 (2025-10-27): Linux Mint 7 "LMDE", advice for new Linux users, AlmaLinux to offer Btrfs, KDE launches Plasma 6.5, Fedora accepts contributions written by AI, Ubuntu 25.10 fails to install automatic updates |
| • Issue 1144 (2025-10-20): Kubuntu 25.10, creating and restoring encrypted backups, Fedora team debates AI, FSF plans free software for phones, ReactOS addresses newer drivers, Xubuntu reacts to website attack |
| • Issue 1143 (2025-10-13): openSUSE 16.0 Leap, safest source for new applications, Redox introduces performance improvements, TrueNAS Connect available for testing, Flatpaks do not work on Ubuntu 25.10, Kamarada plans to switch its base, Solus enters new epoch, Frugalware discontinued |
| • Issue 1142 (2025-10-06): Linux Kamarada 15.6, managing ZIP files with SQLite, F-Droid warns of impact of Android lockdown, Alpine moves ahead with merged /usr, Cinnamon gets a redesigned application menu |
| • Issue 1141 (2025-09-29): KDE Linux and GNOME OS, finding mobile flavours of Linux, Murena to offer phones with kill switches, Redox OS running on a smartphone, Artix drops GNOME |
| • Issue 1140 (2025-09-22): NetBSD 10.1, avoiding AI services, AlmaLinux enables CRB repository, Haiku improves disk access performance, Mageia addresses service outage, GNOME 49 released, Linux introduces multikernel support |
| • Issue 1139 (2025-09-15): EasyOS 7.0, Linux and central authority, FreeBSD running Plasma 6 on Wayland, GNOME restores X11 support temporarily, openSUSE dropping BCacheFS in new kernels |
| • Issue 1138 (2025-09-08): Shebang 25.8, LibreELEC 12.2.0, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, the importance of software updates, AerynOS introduces package sets, postmarketOS encourages patching upstream, openSUSE extends Leap support, Debian refreshes Trixie media |
| • Issue 1137 (2025-09-01): Tribblix 0m37, malware scanners flagging Linux ISO files, KDE introduces first-run setup wizard, CalyxOS plans update prior to infrastructure overhaul, FreeBSD publishes status report |
| • Issue 1136 (2025-08-25): CalyxOS 6.8.20, distros for running containers, Arch Linux website under attack,illumos Cafe launched, CachyOS creates web dashboard for repositories |
| • Issue 1135 (2025-08-18): Debian 13, Proton, WINE, Wayland, and Wayback, Debian GNU/Hurd 2025, KDE gets advanced Liquid Glass, Haiku improves authentication tools |
| • Issue 1134 (2025-08-11): Rhino Linux 2025.3, thoughts on malware in the AUR, Fedora brings hammered websites back on-line, NetBSD reveals features for version 11, Ubuntu swaps some command line tools for 25.10, AlmaLinux improves NVIDIA support |
| • Issue 1133 (2025-08-04): Expirion Linux 6.0, running Plasma on Linux Mint, finding distros which support X11, Debian addresses 22 year old bug, FreeBSD discusses potential issues with pkgbase, CDE ported to OpenBSD, Btrfs corruption bug hitting Fedora users, more malware found in Arch User Repository |
| • Issue 1132 (2025-07-28): deepin 25, wars in the open source community, proposal to have Fedora enable Flathub repository, FreeBSD plans desktop install option, Wayback gets its first release |
| • Issue 1131 (2025-07-21): HeliumOS 10.0, settling on one distro, Mint plans new releases, Arch discovers malware in AUR, Plasma Bigscreen returns, Clear Linux discontinued |
| • Issue 1130 (2025-07-14): openSUSE MicroOS and RefreshOS, sharing aliases between computers, Bazzite makes Bazaar its default Flatpak store, Alpine plans Wayback release, Wayland and X11 benchmarked, Red Hat offers additional developer licenses, openSUSE seeks feedback from ARM users, Ubuntu 24.10 reaches the end of its life |
| • Issue 1129 (2025-07-07): GLF OS Omnislash, the worst Linux distro, Alpine introduces Wayback, Fedora drops plans to stop i686 support, AlmaLinux builds EPEL repository for older CPUs, Ubuntu dropping existing RISC-V device support, Rhino partners with UBports, PCLinuxOS recovering from website outage |
| • Issue 1128 (2025-06-30): AxOS 25.06, AlmaLinux OS 10.0, transferring Flaptak bundles to off-line computers, Ubuntu to boost Intel graphics performance, Fedora considers dropping i686 packages, SDesk switches from SELinux to AppArmor |
| • Issue 1127 (2025-06-23): LastOSLinux 2025-05-25, most unique Linux distro, Haiku stabilises, KDE publishes Plasma 6.4, Arch splits Plasma packages, Slackware infrastructure migrating |
| • Issue 1126 (2025-06-16): SDesk 2025.05.06, renewed interest in Ubuntu Touch, a BASIC device running NetBSD, Ubuntu dropping X11 GNOME session, GNOME increases dependency on systemd, Google holding back Pixel source code, Nitrux changing its desktop, EFF turns 35 |
| • Issue 1125 (2025-06-09): RHEL 10, distributions likely to survive a decade, Murena partners with more hardware makers, GNOME tests its own distro on real hardware, Redox ports GTK and X11, Mint provides fingerprint authentication |
| • Issue 1124 (2025-06-02): Picking up a Pico, tips for protecting privacy, Rhino tests Plasma desktop, Arch installer supports snapshots, new features from UBports, Ubuntu tests monthly snapshots |
| • Issue 1123 (2025-05-26): CRUX 3.8, preventing a laptop from sleeping, FreeBSD improves laptop support, Fedora confirms GNOME X11 session being dropped, HardenedBSD introduces Rust in userland build, KDE developing a virtual machine manager |
| • Issue 1122 (2025-05-19): GoboLinux 017.01, RHEL 10.0 and Debian 12 updates, openSUSE retires YaST, running X11 apps on Wayland |
| • Issue 1121 (2025-05-12): Bluefin 41, custom file manager actions, openSUSE joins End of 10 while dropping Deepin desktop, Fedora offers tips for building atomic distros, Ubuntu considers replacing sudo with sudo-rs |
| • Issue 1120 (2025-05-05): CachyOS 250330, what it means when a distro breaks, Kali updates repository key, Trinity receives an update, UBports tests directory encryption, Gentoo faces losing key infrastructure |
| • Issue 1119 (2025-04-28): Ubuntu MATE 25.04, what is missing from Linux, CachyOS ships OCCT, Debian enters soft freeze, Fedora discusses removing X11 session from GNOME, Murena plans business services, NetBSD on a Wii |
| • Issue 1118 (2025-04-21): Fedora 42, strange characters in Vim, Nitrux introduces new package tools, Fedora extends reproducibility efforts, PINE64 updates multiple devices running Debian |
| • Issue 1117 (2025-04-14): Shebang 25.0, EndeavourOS 2025.03.19, running applications from other distros on the desktop, Debian gets APT upgrade, Mint introduces OEM options for LMDE, postmarketOS packages GNOME 48 and COSMIC, Redox testing USB support |
| • Issue 1116 (2025-04-07): The Sense HAT, Android and mobile operating systems, FreeBSD improves on laptops, openSUSE publishes many new updates, Fedora appoints new Project Leader, UBports testing VoLTE |
| • Issue 1115 (2025-03-31): GrapheneOS 2025, the rise of portable package formats, MidnightBSD and openSUSE experiment with new package management features, Plank dock reborn, key infrastructure projects lose funding, postmarketOS to focus on reliability |
| • Issue 1114 (2025-03-24): Bazzite 41, checking which processes are writing to disk, Rocky unveils new Hardened branch, GNOME 48 released, generating images for the Raspberry Pi |
| • Issue 1113 (2025-03-17): MocaccinoOS 1.8.1, how to contribute to open source, Murena extends on-line installer, Garuda tests COSMIC edition, Ubuntu to replace coreutils with Rust alternatives, Chimera Linux drops RISC-V builds |
| • Issue 1112 (2025-03-10): Solus 4.7, distros which work with Secure Boot, UBports publishes bug fix, postmarketOS considers a new name, Debian running on Android |
| • Issue 1111 (2025-03-03): Orbitiny 0.01, the effect of Ubuntu Core Desktop, Gentoo offers disk images, elementary OS invites feature ideas, FreeBSD starts PinePhone Pro port, Mint warns of upcoming Firefox issue |
| • Issue 1110 (2025-02-24): iodeOS 6.0, learning to program, Arch retiring old repositories, openSUSE makes progress on reproducible builds, Fedora is getting more serious about open hardware, Tails changes its install instructions to offer better privacy, Murena's de-Googled tablet goes on sale |
| • Issue 1109 (2025-02-17): Rhino Linux 2025.1, MX Linux 23.5 with Xfce 4.20, replacing X.Org tools with Wayland tools, GhostBSD moving its base to FreeBSD -RELEASE, Redox stabilizes its ABI, UBports testing 24.04, Asahi changing its leadership, OBS in dispute with Fedora |
| • Issue 1108 (2025-02-10): Serpent OS 0.24.6, Aurora, sharing swap between distros, Peppermint tries Void base, GTK removinglegacy technologies, Red Hat plans more AI tools for Fedora, TrueNAS merges its editions |
| • Issue 1107 (2025-02-03): siduction 2024.1.0, timing tasks, Lomiri ported to postmarketOS, Alpine joins Open Collective, a new desktop for Linux called Orbitiny |
| • Issue 1106 (2025-01-27): Adelie Linux 1.0 Beta 6, Pop!_OS 24.04 Alpha 5, detecting whether a process is inside a virtual machine, drawing graphics to NetBSD terminal, Nix ported to FreeBSD, GhostBSD hosting desktop conference |
| • Issue 1105 (2025-01-20): CentOS 10 Stream, old Flatpak bundles in software centres, Haiku ports Iceweasel, Oracle shows off debugging tools, rsync vulnerability patched |
| • Full list of all issues |
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Metamorphose Linux
Metamorphose Linux was a Brazilian Debian-based distribution whose biggest goal was being simple and complete with a pleasant graphical interface for beginners or advanced users. The distribution ships with KDE Plasma as the default desktop environment and WINE was present to help users run Windows applications. UEFI support was available.
Status: Discontinued
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View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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