SparkyLinux is a Debian-based lightweight Linux distribution that aims to be easy on system resources to breathe new life into aging computers.
One of its distinctive aspects is the wide range of editions available. So, they can easily confuse a new Linux user, so let’s list them quickly.
The main Sparky stable edition is a regular point release based entirely on the stable Debian branch that adheres to the established pattern of releasing new versions over time.
Then there are the Sparky rolling releases, which adhere to the rolling release model. Four include preconfigured desktop environments: LXQt, MATE, Xfce, and KDE.
In addition to these, the Sparky devs also offer three Special editions – GameOver, Multimedia, and Rescue – that are aimed at Linux users with specific needs, as the edition names indicate.
Recently, the Sparky team announced updated ISO images for its desktop-focused Rolling editions, so let’s look at what’s new.
SparkyLinux 2022.12 Rolling Highlights
The main changes in all Sparky 2022.12 Rolling editions releases are mainly related to the updated package base. In other words, all available packages have been updated to the current versions in the Debian and Sparky testing repositories as of December 5, 2022.
Moreover, the Calamares and Sparky CLI installer now fixes the issue that occurred when installing on the Btrfs filesystem.
In addition, the CLI Installer now detects the EFI module, and GParted, a GTK front-end for managing your disk partitions, is now part of the installation ISO images again.
With the December update, users of all Sparky 2022.12 Rolling editions will receive the Linux kernel 6.0.10 as well as updated apps versions, of which we’ll highlight a few:
- Firefox 107 Web Broweser
- Thunderbird 102.5 Mail Client
- LibreOffice 7.4.3 Office Suite
- Strawberry 1.0.10 Music Player
- Sparky APTus AppCenter 20221112
- Timeshift 22.11.1 System Restore Utility
Finally, when you use applications such as Sparky Installer or Synaptic that require pkexec (akin to the sudo tool for elevated privileges) in the live ISO images, you will be prompted for a password, which is “live.”
You can refer to the official announcement for detailed information about SparkyLinux 2022.12 Rolling edition changes.
Download
Users can download SparkyLinux 2022.12 Rolling editions installation ISO images from the download/rolling page of the project.
Of course, there is no need to reinstall Sparky Rolling if you already have it installed on your computer. Instead, you may easily upgrade via the command line, executing:
sudo sparky-upgrade
