The MX Linux team has announced the Release Candidate (RC1) version of the upcoming MX Linux 25 distribution, which is based on Debian 13 “Trixie.” This release focuses on several enhancements and fixes, particularly addressing issues encountered with encrypted /home partitions by introducing systemd-cryptsetup in the systemd-based ISOs.
MX Linux 25 continues to utilize the long-term supported Linux kernel 6.12 LTS for standard editions, while the Advanced Hardware Support (AHS) editions feature a Liquorix-flavored Linux 6.15 kernel. Users will see new Conky configurations included, offering options to toggle between 12-hour and 24-hour time displays based on their locale.
Moreover, this version brings notable updates such as new mx-ease and mx-matcha themes, improved live-kernel-updater performance by excluding Memtest from kernel options, and enhancements to the live-usb-maker utility, allowing it to work better in “update” mode.
The Nvidia-installer has seen improvements too, with a fallback mode for the NVIDIA developer repository, alongside better compatibility with Wayland. Additionally, the mx-updater utility has been modified to ensure that automatic updates function smoothly.
MX Linux 25 RC1 also resolves a display issue with the GRUB bootloader for older Intel graphics hardware, updates the default .bashrc file, and fixes issues in the installer and various MX tools, including the service-manager. The Xfce edition has received an updated Whisker Menu with a new settings format, while the KDE Plasma edition boasts new root actions and service menus in the Dolphin file manager.
Lastly, the Fluxbox edition has undergone adjustments to its default toolbar configurations and styles, with Audacious replacing DeaDBeeF as the default audio player, addressing a bug related to desktop display of the installer.
For further details and to download the live ISO images featuring Xfce 4.20, KDE Plasma 6.3.6, and Fluxbox 1.3.7, visit the release announcement page. It’s important to remember that this is a pre-release version, intended for testing purposes and not recommended for production use. The developers are seeking feedback on the installer, particularly regarding traditional installations with EXT4 and Btrfs filesystems.