Two Linux Distributions I’m Watching Closely in 2026
These two Linux distributions have not yet reached stability, but I have high hopes for them in 2026.
Pebble Round 2 Revives the Iconic Smartwatch With Open-Source PebbleOS
Pebble Round 2 revives the iconic smartwatch with a color e-paper display, two-week battery life, and open-source PebbleOS.
Archboot Adds COSMIC Desktop as a New Install and Rescue Option
Archboot, a menu-driven Arch Linux installer, expands its desktop lineup by adding COSMIC.
KDE Plasma 6.6 Improves Accessibility, Wayland Usability, and UI Polish
The upcoming Plasma 6.6 release will introduce new accessibility features and UI refinements, including Slow Keys for Wayland and improved notifications.
Hyprland 0.53.1 Released With Stability and Crash Fixes
Hyprland 0.53.1 tiling Wayland compositor is out with backported fixes addressing crashes.
Icecast 2.5 Streaming Media Server Brings Web UI Enhancements
Icecast 2.5 open-source streaming media server is out, delivering refinements to the web UI, protocol behavior, and API reporting.
With a Touch of Nostalgia, MiDesktop Brings KDE 1 Back to Life
MiDesktop revives the KDE 1 desktop for modern Linux with a development preview now available for Debian 13 and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
Devuan 6.1 Point Release Ships With Debian 13.2 Updates
Updated Devuan Excalibur 6.1 ISOs are now available, featuring refreshed packages in line with Debian 13.2 and newly unofficial builds for Raspberry Pi.
IceWM 4.0 Window Manager Brings Smarter Navigation and HiDPI Enhancements
IceWM 4.0 is now available, introducing Alt-Tab improvements, live window previews, faster icon rendering, and better HiDPI support.
SDL 3.4 Brings Native PNG Support and Expanded GPU Rendering Features
SDL 3.4, a cross-platform DirectMedia library, adds native PNG image support, expanded GPU rendering APIs, and improved graphics handling across multiple platforms.