Nitrux 2.9.1 Available and Uses a Newer Linux Kernel

The developers of the systemd-free Linux distribution, Nitrux, have released a new version of the operating system (version 2.9.1) which includes kernel 6.4. This Debian-based distribution is immutable and uses the KDE Plasma desktop environment as a base to form its own unique desktop, called NX Desktop.

Although this is just a point release, it shifts to the Liquorix Linux kernel, version 6.4.8, the latest KDE software (including KDE Frameworks 5.108 and KDE Gear 23.04.3), and is built against Qt 5.15.5.

You'll also find a few new bits, such as the Kernel Boot tool that simplifies the process of booting different kernels. Another addition is the Hardware Probe Tool, which makes hardware detection easier and more reliable. As well, fuse-overlayfs has been added for rootless containers. Finally, you'll enjoy built-in support for AppImages and a suite of convergent applications (called Maui Apps), such as Index, Nota, Station, VVave, Pix, Clip, Buho, and Shelf.

Other software highlights include the latest NVIDIA proprietary drivers (version 535.86.05), the latest MESA stack (23.3), an updated patch for the AMD Zdnbleed vulnerability, and Firefox 116.

You can read the full release announcement here and download an ISO from the official download page (https://fosstorrents.com/distributions/nitrux/).

Zorin OS 16.3 Available

If you're a fan of Zorin (or of user-friendly open source operating systems), you should be excited about the new 16.3 release.

This latest upgrade includes the highly anticipated Zorin OS Upgrader, which allows users to easily upgrade between releases and editions of Zorin OS without having to re-install the OS. With the new upgrader, you can even go from, say, Zorin OS 16 Core to Zoron OS 16 Pro or Zorin OS 15 to Zorin OS 16. This feature has been in development for over a year and is now considered stable.

Other improvements include new features for Zorin Connect, which allows you to run commands on your computer directly from the Android power menu, improved playback controls when Spotify is playing content on your computer, a monochrome icon for Android 13+, and more.

You'll also find the latest version of popular apps such as LibreOffice, as well as built-in support for Flatpak, AppImage, and Snap.

Zorin OS 16.3 is powered by the same kernel that ships with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and includes updated drivers to support even more hardware (such as NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070, 4060 Ti, and 4060).

Version 16.3 has already been officially released. You can download an ISO from the official Zorin OS download page (https://zorin.com/os/download/).

Mageia 9 RC1 Available for Download

The first release candidate of Mageia 9 is now available. This first look at the latest release follows the last beta release from May 2023 and has resolved several "stubborn" issues as well as included a number of security fixes and updates.

In terms of updated packages, you'll find kernel 6.4.3, glib 2.36, gcc 12.3.0, rpm 4.18.0, Chromium 114.0.5735.198, Firefox ESR 102.13, LibreOffice 7.5.4.2, and Mesa 23.1.3.

As far as desktops are concerned, Mageia 9 makes available the following: KDE Plasma 5.27.5, Gnome 44.2, Xfce 4.18.4, and LXQt 1.3.0.

You'll find installation media for both 32- and 64-bit architecture. The latest release installation media has been reduced in size and is, in fact, the smallest since Mageia 4.

It's also important to note that the Mageia RPM database no longer uses the old, unmaintained Berkeley DB. In its place, Mageia 9 uses SQLite. If you're upgrading from version 8 of the OS, that database will be automatically converted.

As expected, this is still a testing release and shouldn't be used for production or your daily driver.

You can read the full release notes (https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Mageia_9_Release_Notes) and download the RC1 candidate from the official Mageia download page (https://www.mageia.org/en/downloads/prerelease/).