Redcore is a Gentoo-based Linux distribution first released in 2017, designed to provide a user-friendly and easy-to-use desktop environment while retaining Gentoo’s flexibility and customization options. It targets casual desktop users and, to some extent, power users.
The distro follows a rolling release model, but unlike Gentoo, Redcore Linux provides more current software than Gentoo by using the Gentoo testing repositories as its package base.
Recently, more than four months after the previous 2201 (Rastaban) release, Redcore 2301 (Sirius) is here, so let’s see what’s changed.
Redcore 2301 Highlights
Although Redcore Linux 2301 is primarily a bugfix release, it includes several new features to please Gentoo-based distribution fans. First, you get the most recent 5.27.1 release of the KDE Plasma desktop environment, including exciting new features like window tiling capabilities.
In addition, this update includes the most recent software release of KDE Frameworks 5.103 and Qt Libraries 5.15.8. Moreover, KDE Gear, a collection of software maintained by the KDE community, has been bumped to the newest 22.12.2 release and features a lot of changes, including bug fixes for the Dolphin file manager, KDE Connect app that allows users to share their files between different devices, and libkdegames.
But the novelties are not limited only to the Plasma desktop. With the new Redcore Linux 2301 release, users can also get the latest LXQt desktop environment, 1.2, available for installation in the repos. In it, PCManFM has received a detailed list mode, LXQt Panel-a, and QTerminal also has some improvements.
Under the hood, Redcore Linux 2301 is powered by the Linux kernel 6.1.12 LTS, accompanied by glibc 2.36, GCC 12.2.1, and Binutils 2.39. However, if you still prefer to use older kernel releases, versions 6.0.19, 5.15.95 LTS, and 5.10.169 LTS are also available for installation in the repositories.
At the same time, the Mesa graphics stack has been bumped to the newest version, 23, as well as Xorg to 21.1.7 and Xwayland to 22.1.8.
On the desktop app side, users get in the default installation Firefox 110 and Chromium 109 web browsers, VLC 3.0.16 media player, Qmmp 1.6.1 audio player, and LibreOffice 7.4.5 office suite. In addition, the OpenSnitch app-level firewall and the Steam client for all gaming enthusiasts are now preinstalled and ready to use out of the box.
Redcore Linux 2301 is in sync with Gentoo’s testing tree as of February 23, 2023. You can refer to the release announcement for detailed information about all changes.
Download
If you want to give Redcore Linux 2301 a try, the link to the official distro’s website where you can get the installation ISO image is provided below.
Users can write the ISO image to the USB drive using the dd tool or by software such as Etcher or Ventoy.
