The 269th edition of the 9to5Linux Weekly Roundup brings you the notable developments in the Linux sphere for the week ending December 7th, 2025. This recap highlights several important software releases and distributions that might have slipped under your radar.
Key Updates of the Week
- Numerous software updates were released, including for VLC media player, Wireshark network protocol analyzer, Audacity audio editor, Calibre e-book manager, PeaZip file archiver, and fwupd firmware updater.
- New Linux distributions rolled out this week are Alpine Linux, Arch Linux, Raspberry Pi OS, and Ubuntu Touch.
- Noteworthy happenings include the end of life for the Linux 5.4 kernel series and the launch of a new Linux laptop by TUXEDO Computers.
Highlights
- Fwupd 2.0.18: Now supports Lenovo Legion Go 2.
- GNU Linux-libre 6.18: Released, targeting users who prioritize software freedom.
- Raspberry Pi 5: Now available with 1GB RAM for approximately $45.
- GStreamer 1.26.9: Improves support for DeckLink capture cards and Spotify integration.
- Ubuntu Touch OTA-1.1: Introduced VoLTE support for Fairphone 4 and Volla Phone 22.
- Arch Linux December 2025 ISO: Released with the Archinstall 3.0.14 installer.
- Linux Mint 22.3: Codenamed “Zena”, is expected to launch around Christmas 2025.
- NVIDIA 590 Linux graphics driver: Public beta released, featuring enhanced Wayland support.
Software Releases
This week saw substantial updates to various applications:
- Audacity 3.7.6: Introduces FFmpeg 8 support and a new spectrogram analysis feature.
- Calibre 8.16: Adds AI-related features and bug fixes.
- VLC 3.0.22: Now includes an AMD GPU frame rate doubler filter.
- Wireshark 4.6.2: Updated to enhance protocol and capture file support.
- Alpine Linux 3.23: Launched with the Linux kernel 6.18 LTS alongside GNOME 49 and KDE Plasma 6.5.
Upcoming Releases for Next Week
Look forward to:
- Mozilla Firefox 146
- KDE Plasma 6.5.4
- Pop!_OS 24.04/COSMIC
- Linux kernel 6.19 Release Candidate
For detailed insights into these releases, check out the following links:
- Fwupd 2.0.18 Release
- GNU Linux-libre 6.18 Kernel
- Raspberry Pi 5 Announcement
- GStreamer 1.26.9 Release
- Ubuntu Touch OTA-1.1 Update
- Arch Linux December 2025 ISO
- NVIDIA 590 Driver
Stay tuned for more updates next week!