Developer | MX Dev Team |
---|---|
OS family | Linux (Unix-like) |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Open source |
Initial release | 24 March 2014 |
Latest release | 23.3 [1] / May 19, 2024 |
Available in | Multilingual |
Update method | APT |
Package manager | Apt |
Platforms | x86-64, i686 |
Kernel type | Monolithic (Linux) |
Default user interface | Xfce, Fluxbox & KDE |
License | Linux Foundation Sublicense No. 20140605-0483 |
Official website | mxlinux |
MX Linux is a Linux distribution based on Debian stable and using core antiX components, with additional software created or packaged by the MX community. [2] The development of MX Linux is a collaborative effort between the antiX and former MEPIS communities. The MX name comes from the "M" in MEPIS and the "X" in antiX — an acknowledgment of their roots. The community's stated goal is to produce "a family of operating systems that are designed to combine elegant and efficient desktops with high stability and solid performance".
MX Linux uses Xfce as the main desktop environment, to which it adds a free-standing KDE Plasma version and, in 2021, a stand-alone Fluxbox implementation. Other environments can be added or are available as "spin-off" ISO images.
MX Linux began in a discussion about future options among members of the MEPIS community in December 2013. [3] Developers from antiX then joined them, bringing the ISO build system as well as Live-USB/DVD technology. To be listed on the Linux distribution clearinghouse Web site DistroWatch, MX Linux was initially presented as a version of antiX. It received its own DistroWatch page with the release of the first public beta of MX-16 on November 2, 2016.
MX Linux has four desktop editions:
A table of current MX Linux Development Team supported releases and how long Debian will provide Long Term Support. [27]
Version | Release | Kernel [28] | Kernel (AHS) [29] | Notes | Debian LTS support [30] ends: |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
[1] | MX-23.3 all DE'sMay 19, 2024 | 6.1.90 | 6.8.9 | 3rd refresh of MX 23. AHS now has the 6.8.9 Liquorix Kernel. | Debian 12.4 December 2026 |
[19] | MX-23.2 all DE'sJanuary 21, 2024 | 6.1.x | 6.6 | 2nd refresh of MX 23. AHS now has the 6.6 Liquorix Kernel. | Debian 12.4 December 2026 |
[18] | MX-23.1 all DE'sOctober 15, 2023 | 6.1.x | 6.5 | All ISOs updated to the newest 6.1 Kernel and AHS now has the 6.5 Kernel. | Debian 12.2 [31] December 2026 |
[17] | MX-23 all DE'sJuly 31, 2023 | 6.1.0 [32] | 6.4.0 | Xfce Desktop Environment upgraded to 4.18 | Debian 12 "Bookworm" [33] December 2026 |
[34] | MX-21.3 all DE'sJanuary 15, 2023 | 5.10 | 6.0 | Debian 11 “Bullseye” To be defined; roughly July 2024 to June 2026 | |
[15] | MX-21.2.1 all DE'sSeptember 18, 2022 | 5.18 | 5.19 & 6.0 kernel are in the AHS repo. [35] | ||
[13] | MX-21.2 all DE'sAugust 28, 2022 | 5.18 | |||
[12] | MX-21.1 all DE'sApril 9, 2022 | 5.16 | 5.14 & 5.16 Kernel available in Package Manager [36] | ||
[37] | MX-21 AHSNovember 22, 2021 | 5.14 | |||
[38] | MX-21October 21, 2021 | ||||
MX-19.4.1 | April 8, 2021 | Debian 10 “Buster” [39] June 30, 2024 | |||
[40] | MX-19.4March 31, 2021 | 4.19 | |||
MX-19.3 | November 11, 2020 | ||||
MX-19.2 KDE | August 16, 2020 | ||||
[41] | 19.2May 31, 2020 | ||||
MX-19.1 | February 14, 2020 | ||||
MX-19 | October 21, 2019 | ||||
MX-18 | all releases | Debian 9 “Stretch” June 30, 2022 | |||
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version |
MX Linux has basic tools like a graphic installer that handles Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) computers, a GUI-based method to change a Linux kernel and other core programs.
It includes MX Tools, [42] a suite of user-oriented utilities, many of which were developed specifically for MX, while some were forked from existing antiX applications or are existing antiX applications; a couple were imported with permission from outside sources. These tools are also available in Debian Stable-based Linux distributions, and some of the main tools are as follows:
A particularly popular one is MX-snapshot, [43] a GUI tool to remaster a live session or installation into a single .ISO file. [44] The "cloned" image is bootable from a disk or USB flash drive, maintaining all settings, allowing an installation to be completely backed up, and/or distributed with minimal administrative effort, since an advanced method of copying the file system developed by antiX Linux uses bind-mounts to perform the "heavy lifting".
Minimum
Recommended
The developers of MX Linux also have been releasing "Community Re-spins" which are treated as unofficial releases. There are MX-Workbench, MX_Minimal, MX_CLI and so on. [45]
MX users can further customize these re-spins by using a software application called "MX Snapshot". Some community members exchanging posts at MX Forum and distribute their custom respins. [46] AV Linux [47] is one of well-known respins. [48]
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