DistroWatch

DistroWatch is a news, learning, and reviews website dedicated to open source operating systems, such as Linux and the BSDs.

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Last Notes

2026-10-29 22:13:42 UTC

Some of my personal thoughts on generative AI and its place (or lack of) in my world: http://jesse.resonatingmedia.com/updates.html

2026-10-18 21:24:22 UTC

Last week I posted that DistroWatch was receiving an unusually high number of new distribution submissions. This week we have received 28 new requests for listing projects. That's an average of four per day.
I'm in favour of distribution diversity. The flood of new submissions though is piling up and I'm concerned the good material will be lost among the LLM slop.

2026-10-12 00:11:45 UTC

DistroWatch Weekly reviews Abora OS, Butterbian, talks about what makes Linux systems break, Rocky launches OpenCourant, NetBSD surpasses its funding goals, a look behind the curtain at Chimera Linux: https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20261012

2026-10-04 21:10:31 UTC

Besgnulinux has a new edition which uses Openbox: https://distrowatch.com/12974

2026-09-29 23:32:55 UTC

The Dutch government is building its own Linux distribution: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20262

2026-09-28 00:14:36 UTC

DistroWatch Weekly covers ReactOS, offers tips on identifying a video card, reports on Garuda offers NixOS-based edition, KDE turns 30, NetBSD polishes Enlightenment port, Q4OS offers Breeze theme for Trinity, Canonical speeds up kernel patches, postmarketOS becomes Nura: https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20260928

2026-08-15 14:42:23 UTC

We now have 500 actively developed distributions in our database. That's probably enough. Everyone, you can stop making new distros. It's okay, we have a complete set.

2026-08-10 20:06:10 UTC

SparkyLinux reintroduces 32-bit support: https://distrowatch.com/12919

2026-08-06 01:21:50 UTC

Proxmox now runs on ARM processors: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20233

2026-08-01 01:26:14 UTC

4MLinux introduces a new game and improves wireless networking management: https://distrowatch.com/12907

2026-07-31 17:56:41 UTC

It's remarkable, I think I've seen more hacking attempts, DDoS attacks, and defacing attempts on websites in the past seven weeks than I have seen in the past five years. The combination of LLM-discovered vulnerabilities and the spread of easy-to-use cracking tools are making website security & maintenance a full time experience.

2026-07-27 12:45:00 UTC

Haiku will offer both Firefox and Iceweasel web browsers: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20228

2026-07-27 00:10:01 UTC

DistroWatch Weekly talks about Package Forge, games for learning Linux skills, GNOME OS on smart phones, openSUSE fixes expired repository key, Ubuntu Pro users get new Enterprise Store, Debian begins Perl upgrade and votes on LLM use, and FreeBSD freezes its port tree: https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20260727

2026-07-25 00:12:16 UTC

StartOS 0.4.0 is now available: https://distrowatch.com/12901

2026-06-24 23:13:20 UTC

KaOS has moved from systemd to Dinit, as part of its migration to a new desktop environment: https://distrowatch.com/12881

2026-06-11 21:53:43 UTC

Today would be a good day to avoid installing new packages or updates from the AUR: https://lists.archlinux.org/archives/list/aur-general@lists.archlinux.org/thread/FGXPCB3ZVCJIV7FX323SBAX2JHYB7ZS4/

2026-06-02 18:13:54 UTC

Clonezilla Live has a new release: https://distrowatch.com/12863

2026-05-22 09:59:55 UTC

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@nprofile…z0uk I like Turbo Pascal and Borland's C compiler for most things. Some Intel Assembly if I want performance.
I have written in Qbasic and GWbasic, but it has been a while and those can feel limiting.

2026-05-08 21:07:03 UTC

TROMjaro is a Manjaro-based distribution with the Xfce desktop: https://distrowatch.com/12828

2026-05-08 14:15:39 UTC

I find it strange people use the line "AI is here to stay" as a reason for adopting it. Air pollution is here to stay too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to swap out my bicycle for a diesel-powered truck.
Switching, in both scenarios, would have three effects:
1. Make the environmental situation worse.
2. Not solve any of my problems.
3. Make me gradually less capable and lazy.

2026-04-23 11:55:25 UTC

The Ubuntus are coming. Brace yourselves.

2026-04-19 20:57:14 UTC

The Debian project has elected its new leader: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20170

2026-04-04 19:27:23 UTC

Took my robot boat running a Python server that accepts commands over Bluetooth and WiFi for its maiden voyage.
The robot chassis is from Kitronik and the brain is a Pico W from Raspberry Pi.
https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/116/348/073/157/821/301/original/416c0b53d5d18be3.jpg

2026-03-24 12:51:59 UTC

Whenever I hear someone say "____ is the future!" I get the impression they don't realize what they are saying is "It's not useful now".

2026-03-07 14:53:15 UTC

When impressed with postmarketOS on my PinePhone. It's been running smoothly for the past 46 days.

2026-03-04 01:28:56 UTC

Ubuntu and Fedora discuss California's age verification law: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20145

2026-02-27 22:45:33 UTC

Jails for NetBSD is now available for testing: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20143

2026-02-27 16:31:05 UTC

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@nprofile…vuvh That is all I needed to read to remove the Duo app and cancel business with the one vendor we work with who insists on us using it.

2026-02-20 13:22:40 UTC

NetBSD's command line tools ports to other platforms: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20138

2026-02-08 18:26:34 UTC

It's good to see a new NetBSD snapshot available, now with 64-bit RISC-V support: https://distrowatch.com/12725

2026-02-04 13:17:26 UTC

Reasons why you probably won't see Rust code in NetBSD: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20129

2026-02-03 16:05:30 UTC

Helwan Linux 3.0 is now available: https://distrowatch.com/12723

2026-01-17 21:34:01 UTC

The Synex distribution has a new system installer which can set up the Debian-based operating system on ZFS: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20122

2026-01-10 22:15:20 UTC

Budgie's new version migrates from X11 to Wayland: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20118

2025-12-25 22:43:43 UTC

Maybe I am getting older, but I also think some companies are pushing solutions for the sake of taking control or squeezing money out of their customers, not trying to develop products which their users will appreciate and enjoy.

2025-12-21 02:52:49 UTC

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@nprofile…8jaf It's pretty sad they can't figure out you're at least as old as the account you created.

2025-12-14 16:24:47 UTC

I think it is telling that we are about three years into the AI craze and, still, every single time someone says to me "I asked ChatGPT ___ " or "The chatbot told me ____" I know they are about to say something completed stupid and devoid of facts. Every single time.

2025-11-30 16:18:19 UTC

Write the documentation you want to see in the world.

2025-11-20 00:33:32 UTC

The yt-dlp program (used for fetching video and audio streams from websites) now has an optional dependency. This soft dependency helps work around blocks put in place by Google to prevent access to YouTube:
https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/15012

2025-10-13 15:44:44 UTC

Fedora is under pressure from Red Hat to adopt more AI tools: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20075

2025-10-09 21:53:56 UTC

Okay, I think that's all the Ubuntu news I'll be posting for a while. Back to our usual routine for the next six months.

2025-06-16 00:25:34 UTC

DistroWatch Weekly talks about the SDesk distribution, renewed interest in Ubuntu Touch, Google holding back Pixel source code, Ubuntu dropping GNOME's X11 session, GNOME increasing dependency on systemd, Nitrux changing its desktop, a BASIC box running NetBSD, EFF turning 35: https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20250616

2025-06-12 13:22:52 UTC

Bad news for Pixel owners and the open source projects trying to support them: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=20008

2025-05-27 17:42:29 UTC

AlmaLinux OS 10.0 released with compatibility for x86_64-v2, which was dropped by their upstream distro: https://distrowatch.com/12456

2025-05-25 01:25:12 UTC

The Auroa project, a member of the Fedora family, has been added to our database: https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=aurora

2025-05-20 20:36:13 UTC

Fedora has confirmed plans to drop X11 support in GNOME for Fedora 43: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19995

2025-05-08 11:30:17 UTC

A new snapshot from Raspberry Pi OS for all of your Raspberry Pi needs: https://distrowatch.com/12443

2025-05-01 12:45:13 UTC

Was disappointed today to learn Barns and Noble doesn't allow customers to download ebooks, even those offered without DRM. Orders cancelled with sadness.

2025-04-29 15:31:54 UTC

For people who want to see what is coming next in AlmaLinux OS: https://distrowatch.com/12435

2025-04-24 21:47:45 UTC

Congratulations to Andreas Tille for winning the Debian Project Leader position and best of luck. https://www.debian.org/vote/2025/vote_001

2025-04-22 18:48:15 UTC

Discovered today that GrapheneOS (and its native apps) will not update when a VPN is in place on the phone. Aurora Store and F-Droid will update, but Graphene system updates and default app store don't work over the VPN.
Had been wondering why I hadn't received updates in recent weeks to the core OS, but most apps were updating successfully. Disabled the VPN temporarily and GrapheneOS updated itself, then re-enabled the VPN.

2025-04-22 17:25:35 UTC

Commodore OS Vision 3.0 is an unusual combination of retro and huge, the ISO is 36GB - https://distrowatch.com/12429

2025-04-21 16:40:31 UTC

Debian is in soft freeze at the moment, preparing for Debian 13 "Trixie": https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19981

2025-04-18 22:55:29 UTC

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@nprofile…m8mr They're not warping your words, they exactly quoted your words. Maybe you should take a step back and think about what you're saying before throwing mud at another open source project.

2025-04-14 10:30:01 UTC

MX Linux has published a new release, 23.6: https://distrowatch.com/12406

2025-04-10 16:49:56 UTC

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@nprofile…5lc3 Windows allows non-admin users to create any folder they want in C: \ ?
That seems like a pretty big security issue on its own.

2025-04-10 14:05:37 UTC

@nprofile…cu9x is testing USB support. Their newsletter explains how to help: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19977

2025-04-02 11:41:55 UTC

There is a new release of PorteuX, a Slackware-based distro. It's small, fast, and portable. Get it while it's hot: https://distrowatch.com/12395

2025-03-30 19:55:31 UTC

@nprofile…vjnh presents its goals for 2025: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19969

2025-03-20 12:41:27 UTC

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@nprofile…wryu We're not breaking anything. elementary provides direct links to their ISO and publicly posts it. We're simply sharing the link.
If they didn't want people directly linking to their ISO they could redirect links from third-party domains to their donation page, not provide a direct link to the ISO, or simply put the ISO behind a pay-what-you-want wall.
As long as they provide direct links to the ISO and allowing third-parties to link to it, we're going to share the link they provide.

2025-03-19 13:19:42 UTC

elementary Os 8.0.1 released, based on Ubuntu 24.04.2: https://distrowatch.com/12380

2025-03-15 18:02:22 UTC

@nprofile…ra2c has published refreshed media for Debian 12: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19963

2025-03-11 21:07:09 UTC

Haiku publishes newsletter for February: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19959

2025-03-08 13:52:31 UTC

Android soon to ship with a Debian virtual machine and terminal: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19956

2025-02-19 14:46:12 UTC

@nprofile…05jc is improving its RISC-V processor support and offering tips for testing Fedora on RISC-V hardware (and in virtual machines): https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19947

2025-02-12 19:44:59 UTC

Anyone one here know if it is possible to mount a Sense HAT on top of a Raspberry Pi 5 that has a fan on top of its processor? I want to try the HAT, but the Pi 5 gets too hot without its fan.

2025-02-03 13:26:59 UTC

@nprofile…ypg9 is experimenting with an alternative Void base, which would provide a rolling release: https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=showheadline&story=19936

2025-02-02 14:00:38 UTC

Just in time for Groundhog Day, Void has released a new snapshot with expanded hardware support for ARM machines: https://distrowatch.com/12351

2025-02-01 14:23:16 UTC

The Parrot distribution has a new release with some new packages: https://distrowatch.com/12349

2025-01-30 00:19:47 UTC

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@nprofile…hsxd We talked about it a bit in our Weekly newsletter. Though I've been hearing from some people that they can link to us again. Other people seem to still have trouble, so I'm not 100% sure of the status.
https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20250127#sitenews

2025-01-29 15:03:02 UTC

OPNsense turns 10 years old and celebrates with a new release, version 25.1: https://distrowatch.com/12346

2025-01-28 13:09:40 UTC

Good tips from @nprofile…53jq about protecting privacy, particularly when on-line: https://e.foundation/5-reasons-to-protect-your-privacy-on-mobile-phones-why-data-privacy-matters/

2025-01-28 01:25:32 UTC

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@nprofile…07t5 Thanks. We've never had a social media account before for DistroWatch. This is our first, just seemed like the time to do it since the unofficial/fan accounts were being shut down.

2025-01-22 23:06:31 UTC

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@nprofile…dxvj Thanks very much for the warm welcome. I think we probably have a lot of overlap in our readership.

2025-01-22 12:18:52 UTC

This is our first post, following the Facebook ban on us talking about Linux.