MX Linux 23 is here: Your favorite Debian-based OS gets even better!
MX Linux 23, the latest stable version of the popular operating system, is now available for download. This release is built on the sturdy foundation of Debian 12 “Bookworm” and MX repositories. Just as with previous versions, MX Linux 23 defaults to sysVinit while keeping systemd as an optional choice for installed systems.
One of the most noticeable changes in this release is the revamped live boot menus, featuring a more prominent “check media” function. This new feature offers an automatic media check before proceeding to boot, thus providing a smoother user experience.
MX Linux 23 brings with it an array of major desktop versions, including Xfce 4.18, Fluxbox 1.3.7, and KDE/Plasma 5.27. These upgrades are sure to offer a range of choices to cater to the diverse preferences of users.
Accessibility remains a key focus with all releases now featuring the Orca screen reader and a screen magnifier tool. The two desktop environments, Fluxbox and Xfce, utilize the magnus screen magnifier, while KDE/Plasma employs kmag. Although Orca does not appear in the menus due to Debian’s packaging, it can be manually launched and is configurable in KDE’s integrated accessibility settings.
MX Tools have seen a number of updates in this release, with bug fixes and enhancements across many MX applications. An exciting addition is a new application called “User Installed Packages”. Available on both MX-21 and MX-23, this application generates a list of packages installed by a user on one system, and enables that list to be imported onto another system, streamlining migration between major versions.
The widely-used MX Snapshot tool has been improved to help users better customize their snapshot boot options. In addition, many MX-Tweak options have been updated to accommodate polkit changes, expanded theming options on Xfce and Fluxbox, and new configuration items.
Another update is that MX-Updater can now be configured to use nala as a backend rather than the standard apt. Furthermore, all releases have transitioned from pulseaudio to pipewire and wireplumber.
Notably, the UFW firewall is now enabled by default. This change may impact some users, particularly with printer setups.
Fluxbox users will be pleased with many new configuration options, including special “appfinder” configurations for rofi. The Fluxbox release relies less on Xfce applications, retaining only Thunar as the file manager.
For the KDE/Plasma crowd, several tweaks to the settings have been implemented to handle new configuration options available in Plasma 5.27.
Finally, the release boasts improved translation/localization, with numerous languages added, despite some work still in progress.
You can download version 23 of the Linux-based operating system here now.
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