Trisquel 12.0 “Ecne” has been released. But before continuing, let me say a few words about the distribution itself, as it falls into a special category.
Trisquel is not a mainstream Linux distribution and does not try to be. It targets users who want a system built entirely from free software, excluding proprietary drivers, firmware, and other non-free components that most Linux distributions include for broader hardware support and convenience.
In other words, it is a Linux distro for users who prioritize software freedom, even if that means narrower hardware compatibility and a more limited out-of-the-box experience. The project is also listed by GNU among the fully free distributions it endorses.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to the new features. Trisquel 12.0 is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, providing the distro with a new long-term base for its fully free software platform.
As before, the release comes in multiple editions. The main Trisquel edition uses MATE 1.26, while Triskel ships with KDE Plasma 5.27. There is also Trisquel Mini with LXDE 0.99, Trisquel Sugar based on Sugar 0.121, and a Netinstall image for users wanting a minimal or custom setup. Supported architectures are amd64, ppc64el, arm64, and armhf.
On the software side, Trisquel 12.0 includes Abrowser 146 as the default web browser, Icedove 140 as a desktop email client, and LibreOffice 24. The default kernel is Linux-libre 6.8.x, with 6.14.x listed as its Hardware Enablement Stack.
Finally, the Trisquel 12.0 release page notes that over 300 packages were modified, but without specifying which ones, along with bug fixes and maintenance. ISO images are available for download here.
For more details, see the release notes.
