Linux Lite is a Linux distro based on Ubuntu and comes with a super lightweight Xfce desktop environment. It is specifically developed to ease Windows users and more precisely those with old machines into the world of Linux.
The distro targeted an audience with ancient PCs. Thanks to its lightweight nature, it can run on almost any ancient computer.
Today, Linux Lite 5.8 finally becomes available as an incremental update to the previous release in the Linux Lite 5.x series.
What’s New in Linux Lite 5.8
Still based on Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (Focal Fossa), Linux Lite 5.8 intends to drive more and more Windows users to the Linux and Open Source ecosystems.
The novelties of Linux Lite 5.8 range from minimal aesthetic changes such as the renewal of the wallpapers or the update of the Papirus icon theme, the default of this system, to the improvement of the distribution’s own tools, such as the welcome wizard or the Lite Upgrade module.
Under the hood, Linux Lite 5.8 is powered by the long-term supported (LTS) Linux kernel 5.4. Nevertheless, you have the ability to install a more recent kernel from the Linux 5.14 series from the software repositories.
The new release includes an updated Help Manual for beginners. Apart from that, Lite Widget has received a much-needed syntax update. Based on Conky, the widget has been reprogrammed to adhere to the latest code format.
Another interesting change in this release is the inclusion of the Mintstick app. It is a graphical application to write IMG and ISO files to a USB flash drive. Actually, Mintstick is an improved version of USB-ImageWriter, which is based on dd utility and can work with any distro image.
In addition, Etcher is still available in Lite Software for those that prefer it.
We can’t fail to mention that Neofetch, the widely used command-line system information tool now is part of the default installation.
Linux Lite 5.8 utilizes an extremely customized Xfce 4.14 desktop environment featuring very recent applications such as:
- Firefox 96.0
- Thunderbird 91.5.0
- LibreOffice 6.4.7.2
- VLC 3.0.9.2
- Gimp 2.10.18
- Timeshift 20.03
- Thunar 1.8.14
For detailed information about all changes in Linux Lite 5.8, you can refer to the release announcement.
Download
Linux Lite is free to download, however, in its 5.6 release, the team introduced a ‘Pay What You Can’ digital download model. It is totally optional, though. You can select the amount as ‘0’ and get the download link. Of course, we encourage you to make a small donation to this amazing Linux distro, if it’s within your means.
If you want to donate, or learn more, you can visit this page for information.
