SpiralLinux may be a new name to the Linux ecosystem, but the developer behind it is not. The distribution is the work of the guy responsible for GeckoLinux, one of the few openSUSE derivatives for the last seven years.
But what is SpiralLinux? It is a distribution based on Debian’s stable branch, using only official Debian package repositories, focusing on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability in all major desktop environments.
After releasing SpiralLinux 11.220925 a year ago, its users now have a reason to rejoice as its new release is here.
What’s New in SpiralLinux 12.231001
The big news is that SpiralLinux 12.231001 comes fully rebased on the latest Debian 12, so you get a lot of improvements. This brings all the benefits of that release, the biggest being the completely refreshed package base.
The significant difference, however, is that unlike the “Bookworm” release, which comes with Linux kernel 6.1 LTS, here you get Linux kernel 6.4 added from Debian Backports, bringing various improvements and more extensive hardware compatibility.
Speaking of kernels, it is worth noting that SpiralLinux includes both the Debian Stable kernel and the newer Backports kernel. The stock one is recommended; however, if your hardware is too new, try the Backports one.
Moreover, compared to the previous release, the desktop environments in SpiralLinux 12.231001 have also received an update, with different spins of the distribution offering you:
- KDE Plasma 5.27
- GNOME 43.6
- Xfce 4.18
- Cinnamon 5.6.8
- MATE 1.26
- Budgie 10.7.1
- LXQt 1.2.0
However, this does not exhaust the novelties. What makes the new release very impressive is the added out-of-the-box low-latency PipeWire configuration for JACK-compatible live audio applications, which makes the distro an excellent choice for professional live audio production.
Furthermore, the libinput library is now used by default for mouse and touchpad control instead of synaptics, with significant improvements to the logic of disabling laptop trackpads when typing.
The Snapper configuration, a Linux filesystem snapshot management tool, has been adjusted from its defaults not to utilize more than 40% of the available disk space for automatic Btrfs snapshots.
At the same time, SpiralLinux 12.231001 comprises updated applications that enhance user experience and productivity. Here is a list of the more important ones in the default installation.
- Firefox 115.3.0esr Web Browser
- Thunderbird 102.15.1 Mail Client
- LibreOffice 7.4.7 Office Suite
- Transmission 3.0 BitTorrent Client
- VLC 3.0.18 Media Player
- Clementine 1.4 rc2 Music Player
Last but not least, attention was paid to the aesthetic side of things, as special priority was given to font legibility, contrast, and rendering, as well as overriding modern trends in all three toolkits (GTK3, GTK4, and Qt ) that are detrimental to usability.
You can refer to the release announcement for detailed information about all changes in SpiralLinux 12.231001. The installation ISO images with the various desktop environments are available for download here.
Since the distribution uses the stable Debian repositories, if you are using SpiralLinux 11.x to upgrade to the latest 12.231001 version, follow the standard steps described in our article on the subject “Upgrading to Debian 12 from Debian 11: A Step-by-Step Guide.”
I have Spiral again– had it once before– back when you first came out with it– and it would NOT keep my wifi on- or even the ethernet sometime… BUT now it works PERFECTLY– and speedy too. I’m loving it– and I haven’t even learned how to use the FULL POTENTIAL of it yet. Snapper still confuses me (not that it’s complicated- but I haven’t had time to play with it and let it sink in yet).. and I’ve NOT doine BTRFS on here– as my DATA storage is all on a separate hard drive- and haven’t formated that yet. I DO have a matching drive and will eventually format the whole thing to BTRFS and reload my stuff… so the whole system is matching.
I don’t get a lot done- because I’m 67, been mashed between 2 trucks in 99 and recently lost an eye- so don’t feel like studying it a lot
BUT- all in all SPIRAL is GREAT!!!!!
I have tried and earlier edition of Spiral Linux, there were a couple of little things back then I can’t even remember now that prevented me from using it. It is certainly on my list though as I prefer a Debian based OS, apt, synaptic and love the Mate desktop. Right now I use Ubuntu Mate, Mint Mate and Sparky Rolling Mate. Each has a different purpose. The only reason I went to Mint from Ubuntu (main laptop) was snap packages. Ubuntu Mate I use as Music Jukebox, and for editing and storing my music collection, Sparky was about learning to use a rolling release. I tried Parrot but it kept breaking. Spiral could easily replace Ubuntu Mate if snaps keep being pushed. Thanks for your work.
“Also just to clarify, we’re not a team of developers, it’s just me”
I got burned on the original Solus, shut down overnight.
I got burned on Point, the best OS I ever used, but withered and died from lack of time by the developer.
That statement truly worries me.
Hey James,
Yes, when you read a statement like that for a Linux distribution you should probably be worried. However, the beauty and the point of this distro, is that it is only an initial customized layer, and it all the repos are actually pointing directly to the Debian repos. So even if the Spiral Linux creator somehow disappears, it won’t affect existing installed at all because it would appear to be just a regular Debian distro. In fact, you can continually update that install and you wouldn’t experience any issues.
Spiral Linux was created by using the Debian Distro Builder tool.
Check out this website, because the details are written all there.
Hi there, SpiralLinux creator here. Thanks a lot for the coverage! It’s worth mentioning that SpiralLinux ISOs come with two kernels, both the Debian Stable kernel and the newer Backports kernel. On some hardware the Debian Stable kernel actually works much better, whereas some newer hardware will only work with the newer kernel. So they’re both available and selectable to cover as much hardware variety as possible. Also just to clarify, we’re not a team of developers, it’s just me, which is why I’m so insistent on making the systems completely dependent on the upstream projects and not on a single lone maintainer like me. 😉
I got to be honest… Spiral Linux is by far and away the best a Linux Distro out there! Tremendous Job!
Hey Sam,
The necessary changes have been made. Thank you for your hard work on SpiralLinux!
Best,
Bobby