MX Linux 23 Beta 2 is Now Available for Testing

You can now test the latest features and improvements as MX Linux 23 Beta 2 becomes available for testing.

MX Linux fans now have the opportunity to test the latest features and improvements of this popular lightweight Linux distribution. Built upon Debian 12 “Bookworm” and MX repositories, MX Linux 23 aims to deliver a seamless and user-friendly computing experience.

One of the notable aspects of MX Linux is its choice of init systems. While the default option remains sysVinit, systemd is also available for those who prefer it. This flexibility allows users to tailor their system’s behaviour to their preferences.

MX Linux 23 – Beta 2

The beta 2 release continues to build upon the foundation established by beta 1. It incorporates all the bug fixes and changes made thus far, ensuring a smoother and more refined user experience. Additionally, MX Linxu 23 introduces new default wallpapers and theming, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the operating system.

add image

Installer and boot menu

The installer, a crucial component of any Linux distribution, has undergone significant improvements in this release. Notably, it now supports both swapfiles and swap partitions, providing users with greater flexibility in managing their system’s memory. The “regular” auto installation will default to using swapfiles, simplifying the installation process.

Furthermore, the installer includes various GUI adjustments, debconf value settings to facilitate seamless legacy grub-pc updates, and fixes for grub install functions. To make the installation process even more user-friendly, the installer GUI now offers additional help guidance.

Improvements have also been made to the live boot menus, ensuring a more straightforward experience for users. The top-level menu now prominently features a “check media” function, allowing users to verify the integrity of their boot media before proceeding.

Updates to Xfce, Fluxbox and KDE Plasma

MX-23 brings updated major desktop versions, including Xfce 4.18, Fluxbox 1.3.7, and KDE/Plasma 5.27. These desktop environments offer diverse options to cater to users’ preferences and ensure a delightful user interface.

This release introduces many configuration options for Fluxbox, providing users with greater control over their desktop environment. Additionally, special “appfinder” configurations for Rofi have been implemented, replacing the default Xfce4-appfinder. While Fluxbox relies less on Xfce applications, it retains the reliable Thunar file manager. MX-Tweak’s theme module now also extends its support to theming on Fluxbox, further enhancing the customization options available to users.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an essential aspect of any modern Linux distro, and this release addresses this with the inclusion of accessibility tools. All releases now come with Orca screen reader and a screen magnifier tool.

Xfce and Fluxbox users benefit from the Magnus screen magnifier, while KDE Plasma users can utilize the KMAG tool. Although Orca does not currently appear in the menus due to Debian’s packaging, it can still be manually launched. Moreover, KDE’s integrated accessibility settings provide reconfigurability options for Orca. Xfce also introduces xfce4-screensaver as the default screen locking solution, replacing the light-locker. This change aims to enhance stability and cater to users’ needs seeking a reliable locking mechanism.

MX Tools

MX Tools, a collection of handy utilities exclusive to MX Linux, have received numerous updates. These updates address bugs and introduce enhancements to improve the overall user experience. Notably, each tool now launches with individual PolicyKit configurations, offering a more fine-tuned and secure approach than previous releases.

The popular MX Snapshot tool has been refined to allow users to customize their snapshot boot options better. It automatically filters out options that might hinder the created live system from starting up on different machines, ensuring compatibility and ease of use. Furthermore, MX-Updater has reverted to using apt as the default backend, as issues were encountered with the previous choice, Nala.

Pipewire

MX-23 embraces the power of Pipewire and WirePlumber as replacements for PulseAudio, offering users an enhanced audio experience. Furthermore, the UFW firewall is now enabled by default, bolstering the security of MX Linux installations.

Download & Closing Notes

With the release of beta 2, the MX-23 development team invites users to actively participate in testing the installer. You can download the ISO files from the below link.

If you encounter issues or find any bugs report those to the official thread.

Xfce:
32 bit Xfce with debian standard 6.1 kernel – sha256_checksum – md5_checksum – signature
64 bit Xfce with debian standard 6.1 kernel sha256_checksum – md5_checksum – signature

KDE plasma:
64 bit KDE/plasma with debian standard 6.1 kernel – sha256_checksum – md5_checksum – signature

Fluxbox:
32 bit Fluxbox with debian standard 6.1 kernel – sha256_checksum – md5_checksum – signature
64 bit Fluxbox with debian standard 6.1 kernel – sha256_checksum – md5_checksum – signature

Via announcement

Recent articles from DebugPoint.com