Nitrux is exclusively a 64-bit KDE Plasma + Debian-based Linux distribution which features NX Desktop with Plasma desktop with its own flavor.
Nitrux relies on KDE Plasma’s famed malleability along with some heavily redesigned components to simplify the workflow for new users. The distribution develops its own NX Desktop, which is a customization layer for the Plasma 5 desktop environment.
One of the really interesting things that kind of differentiates Nitrux from the hundreds of other Debian-based distributions out there is that Nitrux actually ships with AppImage and Flatpak by default. Many of the programs on the system out of the box are actually AppImages rather than native packages installed through the APT package manager.
Now the last release of this systemd-free (Nitrux use the OpenRC init system) Linux distro for this year is out. So let’s see what’s new.
Nitrux 1.8 Highlights
We start with the fact that now Nitrux 1.8 release defaults to the XFS file system. I’m pretty sure that most users have heard about its advantages by now: it’s a great file system, that scales well for large servers.
Under the hood, Nitrux 1.8 ships with the Linux kernel 5.15 LTS. At the moment the LTS period projects Linux 5.15 LTS to be end-of-life in October 2023. However, as is usually the case, this can be extended by years given enough industry support.
Moreover, with the latest release, you can also find updated application packages that include:
- KDE Plasma 5.23
- Firefox 95
- Kdenlive 21.12
- Pacstall 1.7
- Ditto menu 1.0
On the desktop side, the default Latte Dock layout has a pager and trashcan Plasmoid next to the task manager. Also, the top panel behavior changes with maximized windows by hiding the panel after 3 seconds.
Nitrux includes a suite of convergent applications called Maui Apps, which now use CSD by default. On top of that, Nitrux 1.8 comes with added Maui Shell for testing purposes. The objective of Maui Shell is to deploy a convergent desktop shell with different form factors, from mobile phones and tablets to desktop computers.
We can’t fail to mention that Nitrux 1.8 removed the Nvidia proprietary driver from the ISO file due to a laptop bug using Optimus. However, users who wish to use the Nvidia proprietary driver can run the following command post-installation:
sudo apt install -yy nvidia-x11-configThe command will install the driver, the driver settings program, the PRIME command, and X11 configuration for the Nvidia driver. After installing the package, the default PRIME profile will be on-demand for laptop users.
For detailed information about all changes, you can refer to the official announcement.
Download
If you want to give Nitrux 1.8 a try right now, the installation ISO image is available to download from here. Keep in mind, that the ISO file is a rather large download at 3.2 GB. Therefore, we highly recommend using the torrent method.
Related: Best Torrent Clients You Can Use on Linux Desktop
For new distribution users, the devs recommend performing a fresh installation using the latest available media. To upgrade from the previous version of Nitrux 1.7.1 to version 1.8.0, do the following:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade nitrux-repositories-config
sudo apt dist-upgrade
sudo apt autoremove -y
cp -r /etc/skel/.config/lattedockrc .config/lattedockrc
cp -r /etc/skel/.config/latte/* .config/latte/
