Sparky 7.3 "Orion Belt" has been released, featuring updates to Debian and Sparky stable repositories as of March 13, 2024. Notable changes include updated Linux kernels, LibreOffice 7.4.7, KDE Plasma 5.27.5, and various other software packages. Additionally, a new application called Noi, a chatbot GUI with support for various conversational models, has been added. The release is available in multiple versions for different architectures and configurations. Users are advised on a manual fix regarding the 'os-prober' functionality and provided with login credentials. Existing users can simply update their systems, while new ISO images are available for download.
Released on March 15, 2024, Athena 23.11 introduces Athena OS, tailored for InfoSec Professionals, Bug Bounty Hunters, and enthusiasts. Featuring access to the extensive BlackArch repository for pentesting tools, Athena OS is user-oriented, aiming to simplify complexity and enhance user experience. It optimizes disk space by retrieving tools on demand, ensuring efficient resource utilization. Based on Arch Linux, it offers minimal configuration and flexibility, easily adapting to evolving user requirements. The release, codenamed "pulleys", brings significant fixes and new implementations to enhance functionality.
Computer manufacturers will be interested in the preinstallation mode (OEM mode). Added Timeshift 23.12. This program is designed to create snapshots of system files and settings. In the installer, at the disk preparation stage, it became possible to create subpartitions of the BtrFS. This file system uses accelerated operations with any files thanks to copy-on-write technology which affects fault tolerance and ease of administration. A security benefit when using BtrFS is the creation of a restore point before updating the system. A module has been added to the System Control Center (Alterator) for remote configuration of the system via the alterator-fbi network (Form Based Interface) which provides a web-based management interface. Changes have been made to the text of the license agreement.
This is our third release in 2024 and brings quite big changes. We are dropping our GNOME ISO image due to a lack of maintenance and double testing for every release. Also, this should avoid confusion among users about the net-installation, and supported desktop environments, since we are providing most desktop environments directly in the netinstall. This ISO image is based on Plasma 6 and will also have Wayland enabled by default. This should not have a big impact on NVIDIA users since X11 can still be used after the installation. Plasma 6 seems Wayland-wise in really good shape and as soon wayland-protocols and NVIDIA provide the explicit sync protocol, this should also be the case for most NVIDIA users. Features: Plasma 6 is now shipped in the ISO image and uses Wayland as default, GNOME ISO image got dropped to avoid confusion about netinstall; Calamares - rebased for Qt 6; refind - add f2fs and zfs as option including luks2 encryption....
A new feature in UCS is “blocklists” for the Univention Directory Manager (UDM). This feature allows UDM to block previously used values for specific attributes. One possible use case would be preventing the unintentional reuse of an email address, which could potentially lead to one user accessing another user’s emails: a user had the email address “[email protected],” then leaves the company, and their account is deleted. Shortly after, a new user “smith” is created. Now, UDM can prevent the creation because “[email protected]” would be used as the email address again. Blocking old email addresses occurs automatically when the feature is activated (it is initially deactivated) and the corresponding blocklists are created. The blocklists can also be managed with a UMC module.
Some highlights of this release: A keymap selector is now shown in LightDM on XFCE images. The chrony NTP daemon is now enabled by default in live images. Raspberry Pi images can now be installed on non-SD card storage without manual configuration on models that support booting from USB or NVMe. Raspberry Pi images now default to a /boot partition of 256MiB instead of 64MiB. rpi-aarch64* PLATFORMFSes and images now support the Raspberry Pi 5. After installation, the kernel can be switched to the Raspberry Pi 5-specific rpi5-kernel.
Whonix 17.1.3.1 for VirtualBox is a point release featuring major updates, including Tor to version 0.4.8.9 and Tor Browser to version 13.0.11. Notable changes include the disabling of vanguards due to compatibility issues with Tor 0.4.8.9, the switch from HexChat to yt-dlp in anon-meta-packages, and the port from pulseaudio to pipewire for audio support in qubes-whonix. Full details of changes can be found on GitHub. Users are encouraged to upgrade and contribute to Whonix's development and sustainability.
KaOS 2024.03 introduces Plasma 6.0 as the centerpiece of its latest stable ISO release, boasting significant upgrades like the transition to Qt and migration to Wayland, enhancing security and performance. Notable default changes include single-click selection, Wayland as the default graphical session, and a new Task Switcher style. The release incorporates KDE Gear 24.02.0, Frameworks 6.0.0, and updates to base system components. GTK2 is entirely removed, and notable additions include Systemdgenie and improvements in log management. LibreOffice replaces Calligra, and Croeso aids in system configuration. The ISO now uses XFS filesystem with enhanced features. Known issues include the inability to install on RAID. Instructions for reliable installation media creation are provided.
In version v15.24.03.09i, released by Raizo62 on March 10 at 09:50, notable changes include the addition of the alias "tailf" as equivalent to "tail -f", removal of colored output for certain commands in grc for conf and log files, introduction of the "bat" command, a clone of the cat command with enhanced syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, and inclusion of completion for fast-gns3-server in Zsh. For further information, refer to the History section.
When you run Windows-native apps in Zorin OS 17.1, you'll now get the full capabilities of the latest Wine 9.0 version. The compatibility layer now has significantly improved support for more Windows software. That means you'll be able to run an even larger selection of apps and games effortlessly. When you enable Windows App Support in Zorin OS 17.1, it now comes bundled with Bottles. This tool lets you run Windows software in a sandboxed environment and provides a neat way to organize your apps and games. Bottles comes with a built-in app store, which installs and pre-configures a growing selection of Windows apps for even better compatibility with the system.