NEWS
NEWS
In the news: New Arch-Based Linux Distribution; elementary OS 7; Nitrux 2.5 with Kernel 6.0 and KDE Plasma 5.26; Zorin OS 16.02; Linus Torvalds Considers Dropping i486 Support; Firefox 106; First Release Candidate of Linux 6.1 Kernel; Juno Computers Announces New Tablet for Preorder; and VirtualBox 7.0.
New Arch-Based Linux Distribution Aims to be Beginner-Friendly
CachyOS (https://cachyos.org/) has one goal, to create a beginner-friendly Arch-based Linux operating system that can be used by anyone, regardless of how much experience they might have.
One might think Arch wouldn't be the best distribution to serve as a base for such an operating system, but the developers have opted to go that route. And with the help of KDE Plasma, which is installed by default, the distribution certainly shows promise that they'll achieve their goal.
Of course, if KDE Plasma isn't your jam, you can go with Cutefish, i3, Gnome, Openbox, Wayfire, LXQT, bspwm, Kofuku, or Xfce.
Like most Arch spinoffs, CachyOS has a GUI installer that is just as point-and-clicky as any user-friendly Linux distribution. Another thing you might find interesting about CachyOS is the developers include a custom version of Firefox, called Cachy Browser, which is focused on privacy, security, and freedom.
The one caveat to CachyOS is that it doesn't install much in the way of software. You'll find the standard KDE Plasma tools and not much else.
One thing to keep in mind is that CachyOS is new, so it doesn't quite achieve the goal of user-friendliness. In fact, given its current state, I wouldn't recommend the OS to anyone other than experienced users.
However, I have faith the developers will continue to simplify the Arch experience with this interesting take on the distribution. You can learn more and download CachyOS here (https://cachyos.org/).
elementary OS 7 Getting Closer to Release
Danielle For», Founder & CEO of elementary OS, has announced that the team is now preparing for the release of 7.0 (https://blog.elementary.io/updates-for-october-2022/). With all blocking window manager issues resolved, the team is ready to move forward.
At this point, the remaining tasks are mostly centered around builds, infrastructure, etc. But even with the OS in this position, the team is still adding more polish to the release.
But what can you expect with elementary OS 7.0? The team has been fairly closed-mouthed about the project, but we do know that it will include Flatpak 7.1 (based on Gnome 43) and a number of Gtk 4 improvements.
Other expected features include a modernized look for app icons, a more responsive design, and major improvements to the App Center and System Settings tools. One goal the team has is to fit the desktop for any device (including mobile). That's their idea of a responsive design.
For anyone thinking 7.0 will bring a massive visual change to the distribution, you'll be disappointed. Pantheon will remain the same Pantheon you've grown accustomed to, but with much more polish.
To find out more about what 7.0 might bring, follow the official elementary OS blog (https://blog.elementary.io/).
Nitrux 2.5 Released with Kernel 6.0 and KDE Plasma 5.26
Nitrux (https://nxos.org/) is a Linux distribution (based on Debian) that emphasizes the use of AppImages for end-user software. And, instead of employing systemd as its init system, Nitrux uses OpenRC.
To make things even more interesting, Nitrux adds a suite of convergent applications – called Maui Apps – as well as a curated collection of free and open source software.
More importantly, however, Nitrux 2.5 is now available and is the first non-systemd distribution to include both kernel 6.0 and KDE Plasma 5.26. To be specific, Nitrux uses the 6.0.6 XanMod kernel, KDE Plasma 5.26.2, KDE Frameworks 5.99.0, and KDE Gear 22.08.2.
As well, the developers decided to change their policy about including the NVIDIA proprietary driver with the default installation.
According to the official release notes (https://nxos.org/changelog/release-announcement-nitrux-2-5-0/), "We've decided to change our policy about including this particular piece of proprietary software to make this distribution more accessible to users and to avoid creating a separate ISO file. The minimal ISO does not include the NVIDIA Proprietary driver, as we want to keep the size of the ISO image small."
Other features in the new release include the Bismuth KWin plugin (to add a tiling feature to the window manager), updates for the AMD Vulkan driver, and the inclusion of Distrobox (for container creation).
Download an ISO for Nitrux 2.5 here (https://osdn.net/projects/nitrux/downloads/77946/nitrux-nx-desktop-20221102-amd64.iso/).
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.