MX Linux 17.1 released, Debian-based Linux distribution
MX Linux is a cooperative venture between the antiX and former MEPIS communities, using the best tools and talents from each distro. It is a midweight OS designed to combine an elegant and efficient desktop with simple configuration, high stability, solid performance and medium-sized footprint.
MX Linux relies on the excellent upstream work by Linux and the open-source community, deploying Xfce4 as Desktop Environment on top of a Debian Stable base. We draw from the core antiX system and include work and ideas used by Warren Woodford for his MEPIS project. Ongoing backports and outside additions to our repos serve to keep components current with developments.
MX Linux began in a discussion about future options among members of the MEPIS community in December 2013. Developers from antiX then joined them, bringing the ISO build system as well as the Live-USB/DVD technology. The name “MX” was chosen to combine the first letter of Mepis with the last of antiX, thus symbolizing their collaboration. In order to be listed on DistroWatch, MX Linux was presented as a version of antiX. It received its own DistroWatch page as a separate distribution with the release of the first Public Beta of MX-16 on November 2, 2016. Details here; release history here.
- Both 32-bit and 64-bit ISOs are 4.15.0-1 cores and:
- The 64-bit ISO has been patched with the Meltdown/Spectre vulnerability.
- The 32-bit ISO contains the PAE kernel,
- The kernel can be simply switched via the MX Package Installer, eg to the latest liquorix kernel or downgraded to the Debian Stable kernel (4.9);
- Latest packages from Debian 9.4 Stretch, antiX, and MX repositories, for example:
- Firefox 58.0.2 (59 is about to enter the warehouse),
- VLC 2.2.8-2 (3.0 in the Test warehouse),
- Thunderbird 52.6,
- LibreOffice 6.0.1,
- LuckyBackup 0.4.9-1,
- Passwords and Keys 3.20.0-3.1,
- And Xfce4 Terminal 0.8.3-1;
- Updated and new mx-apps:
- MX-Updater now includes the “Automatic Updates” option.
- MX-Live-USB-Maker is the front end of a new antiX live-usb-maker command line tool with more features, and it provides “copy mirrored to the hard disk (dd)” for non-antiX/MX family ISOs. “mode,
- MX-Tweaks adds a “configuration option” tab that can be used to reset lightdm and thunar custom actions to the default.
- MX Package Installer updates bring a faster experience
- In addition, almost all MX applications have translation updates;
- The MX Package Installer contains updates to the “Popular Apps” tab and features:
- Popular apps from the Debian Stable repository,
- Well-configured packages introduced from Debian Testing/Sid,
- Decentralized packages that are not included in the Debian repository and are imported from a developer’s website or another distribution repository.
- Faster performance, built-in console,
- Browsers: Google-Chrome (64 bit), Opera, swim jet, etc.
Children: Preschool, Primary, etc.
Graphics: ImageMagick, Inkscape, etc.
Messaging: Pidgin, Skype (64 bit), etc.
Network: Dropbox, Tor, and Privoxy, etc.
Office: GnuCash, Gnumeric, Abiword, okular, evince, Adobe Reader, Calibre, etc.
System: Budgie Desktop, KDE, LXDE, MATE, etc. (not configured)
Audio: Audacity, DeaDBeeF, Pithos, Spotify, etc.
Video: DVDStyler, MPlayer, OpenShot, kdenlive, etc.
Themes: New Themes and icons;
- Localization enhancements for thunar and mx-manual bring more language support.
