MX Linux 25: Switch to Debian Trixie Base
MX Linux 25 updates its base to Debian Trixie. When downloading, interested users must decide whether they want systemd or sysVinit.
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On the weekend, the maintainers of MX Linux released version 25 of the Linux distribution. It now relies on the current Debian Trixie base. Additionally, interested users must now decide when downloading the ISO file whether they want to use the modern systemd or the older sysVinit.
In the version announcement, the MX Linux developers explain that they had to separate systemd and sysVinit because current Debian kernels did not work with the previously used systemd-shim packages that allowed combining the init systems into one ISO. Therefore, in addition to the systemd images for the Xfce, Xfce-AHS (Advanced Hardware Support), and Fluxbox desktop environments, there are also sysVinit versions. The versions at release are now Xfce 4.20, Fluxbox 1.3.7, and KDE Plasma version 6.3.6.
The current Debian kernel 6.12.48 is used as the kernel, except for Xfce-AHS, which uses the 6.16 “Liquorix” kernels – which stand out due to particularly low latencies, for example in the audio-video sector. The developers have now migrated the Qt-based MX tools to Qt 6, and most apps have benefited from bug fixes and improved translations. The previous update tool is being retired and replaced by “mx-updater.”
Improvements in the Installer
The installer can now replace existing Linux installations, using partition information from fstab for a fresh installation while retaining the home directories. It can also set up zram-swap devices and supports 64-bit Secure Boot installations. This requires a signed kernel, which is why the AHS releases with Liquorix kernel cannot be used with Secure Boot.
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New configuration options have been added to the Fluxbox release. The KDE Plasma version has received adjustments for new configuration options in Plasma 6.3.6. Wayland is used by default there, but X11 is still available in the session selection dialog. The Xfce version has also received unspecified configuration adjustments. Particularly noticeable in all versions are the revised themes and artwork in this release. On a dedicated website, the developers explain how the migration process works smoothly between the main MX versions.
In mid-2023, MX Linux 23 was released, the last version that had a version jump in its base. At that time, the developers switched to Debian 12 with the code name Bookworm.
(dmk)
