OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 Rolling Release

OpenMandriva Lx 23.03 (ROME) comes just three months after the release of the .01 version of the open source operating system and brings with it some important updates. This also marks the first time OpenMandriva has offered a rolling release version of the operating system.

According to the OpenMandriva team, "OpenMandriva Lx is a unique and independent, not based on any other, Linux distribution. A direct descendant of Mandriva Linux and the first Linux distribution utilizing the LLVM compiler. This release keeps using the entire LLVM toolchain which completes the work that began in 2015, even before Android switched its compilers."

ROME ships with kernel 6.2, KDE Plasma 5.27, KDE Frameworks 5.104, KDE Gear 22.12.3, built-in support for Flatpak, Mesa 23, Wayland 1.21.0, X.Org 21.1.7, LLVM/Clang 15.0.7, GNU Binutils 2.40, GCC 12.2, GNU C Library 2.37, systemd 235, and the latest version of the Calamares GUI installer (version 3.2.61).

As far as bundled software, you'll find LibreOffice 7.5.1, Firefox 111, Chromium 110, Gimp 2.10.34, Calligra Suite 3.2.1, SMPlayer 22.7.0, VLC 3.0.18, VirtualBox 7.0.6, and plenty of other applications to keep you productive, connected, and entertained.

You can find the download link for the ROME ISO on the OpenMandriva website (https://www.openmandriva.org/release-picking) and read the full release announcement on the OpenMandriva ROME page (https://www.openmandriva.org/en/news/article/openmandriva-rome-the-rolling-release).

carbonOS: A New Linux Distro with a User Experience Focus

Have you ever run a Windows update, only to have it fail and render your desktop unusable? Many have, which is one of the reasons why some Linux distributions take great pains to ensure it never occurs on the open source operating system.

Some developers take this to the next level by using atomic updates, which means every time you go to update the operating system, it is guaranteed to succeed. Should an update fail, the system will automatically roll back the upgrade so everything continues working.

That's the route carbonOS is taking. According to the developer, "The system's layout ensures the integrity of system files. Unlike other atomic distros, carbonOS does not attempt to keep around traditional package management features: carbonOS is Flatpak-first for your apps and container-first for everything else. This will allow carbonOS to achieve unique features, like Verified/Secure Boot."

This unique approach might not translate to anything exciting on the desktop front (it uses a stock Gnome desktop) but under the hood, there's plenty to be excited about. In fact, the developer of carbonOS has one ultimate goal: "I'd love to fulfill the 'GnomeBook' dream: an OS as maintenance-free as Chrome OS, but as powerful as a real desktop OS…."

Although carbonOS is still in its infancy, you can download an early development build to test it out (https://carbon.sh/download). Just remember, this is very much a work in progress, so expect problems, quirks, and unfinished features.

Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop

The Kubuntu Focus team has released yet another device that focuses on the Kubuntu distribution and offers plenty of power.

This second-generation laptop sports an Intel i7-1260P CPU (12 cores/16 threads), that offers a 16 percent and 60 percent boost in single and multicore Geekbench 5 scores, which means enough performance to handle large, multiprocess tasks. As for graphics, the XE Gen 2 ships with Intel IRIS Xe 96 or 80 EU, and the battery reportedly gives you eight hours of power.

The laptop includes high-speed audio and data ports, such as the Thunderbolt 4, so you can attach multiple 4K displays. The total ports include RJ45 Gigabit LAN, six-in-one card reader, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C Gen 3.2 with both power-in and Display Port 1.4A, HDMI 1.4B with HDCP, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, and a combo mic/headphones jack. As well, the XE Gen 2 offers Intel Dual-Band WiFi AX201, a 14.0" IPS display (at 1920x1080), and can be configured with up to 64GB or high-speed 3200 Dual-Channel RAM and up to 2TB of 7450MBps NVMe storage with no-cost disk encryption.

The base model starts at $895 and can be purchased on the Kubuntu Focus site (https://kfocus.org/spec/spec-xe.html).