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Releases: SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project

SpiralLinux 12.231120 release

28 Nov 00:27
@geckolinux geckolinux
12.231120
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SpiralLinux 12.231120 release Latest
Latest

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download from: https://spirallinux.github.io

⚠️ Important note: Rufus, LinuxLive USB Creator (LiLi), Ventoy, and Unetbootin are NOT recommended by SpiralLinux for creating the bootable USB device due to many reports of failure.

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce its latest 12.231120 release built directly from Debian 12, with package updates from Debian and improvements to the SpiralLinux default configuration.

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to download it and learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

Changes in SpiralLinux 12.231120

  • All editions: Linux kernel 6.5 from Debian Backports is included for more modern hardware support, as well as kernel 6.1 from Debian Stable.
  • All editions: Non-English locale settings will continue to work if the system is upgraded to Debian Testing or Unstable (#326 (comment)).
  • All editions: Resume from hibernation now works on installations with LUKS encrypted swap partition, and after first boot the "Gave up waiting for suspend/resume device" delay will be resolved (#328).
  • All editions: Now using systemd-timesyncd instead of chrony as recommended by Debian.
  • All editions: Now using vanilla Debian default value for vm.swappiness, further adjustments may be beneficial depending on the user's specific installation details and workload.
  • All editions: Hyper-V guest support out-of-the-box and workaround upstream Debian bug that prevented typing the LUKS password on encrypted installations under Hyper-V (#359).
  • Gnome edition: Enabled the Tiling Assistant extension by default.

How to upgrade SpiralLinux

Once installed to the hard disk the system no longer has any connection with the SpiralLinux project, as it has been carefully designed to be completely dependent on the Debian project and not on a single developer. Therefore, users of existing SpiralLinux installations can upgrade to the latest Debian release as soon as it is available in the Debian repositories. Most aspects of the unique SpiralLinux configuration will be maintained across upgrades, but new SpiralLinux features will not be applied to existing installations as there are intentionally no package repositories created specifically for SpiralLinux. To upgrade a SpiralLinux 11 installation to Debian 12, or to move to Debian Testing or Debian Unstable, please follow these simple graphical instructions:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/wiki#updating-and-upgrading-spirallinux

⚠️ Important note: The Debian 12 version of the "Software & Updates" GUI tool has a significant unhandled bug that prevents it from enabling the Debian Security updates repository.1 2 Users that have upgraded to Debian 12 with Synaptic and the "Software & Updates" GUI should use the file manager's "Edit as root" function that is provided by default in all editions of SpiralLinux to replace the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list with the following:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://security.debian.org/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware  #Debian Bookworm Backports

Other notes:

  1. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1023242 ↩

  2. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1040743 ↩

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SpiralLinux 12.231008 release

09 Oct 04:10
@geckolinux geckolinux
12.231008
a9ca38f
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SpiralLinux 12.231008 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download from: https://spirallinux.github.io

⚠️ Important note: Rufus, LinuxLive USB Creator (LiLi), Ventoy, and Unetbootin are NOT recommended by SpiralLinux for creating the bootable USB device due to many reports of failure.

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce its latest 12.231008 release built directly from Debian 12, with package updates from the recent Debian 12.2 release, plus a bug fix. This release also includes the changes from the SpiralLinux 12.231005 release and the 12.231001 release.

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to download it and learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

Changes in SpiralLinux 12.231008

How to upgrade SpiralLinux

Once installed to the hard disk the system no longer has any connection with the SpiralLinux project, as it has been carefully designed to be completely dependent on the Debian project and not on a single developer. Therefore, users of existing SpiralLinux installations can upgrade to the latest Debian release as soon as it is available in the Debian repositories. Most aspects of the unique SpiralLinux configuration will be maintained across upgrades, but new SpiralLinux features will not be applied to existing installations as there are intentionally no package repositories created specifically for SpiralLinux. To upgrade a SpiralLinux 11 installation to Debian 12, or to move to Debian Testing or Debian Unstable, please follow these simple graphical instructions:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/wiki#updating-and-upgrading-spirallinux

⚠️ Important note: The Debian 12 version of the "Software & Updates" GUI tool has a significant unhandled bug that prevents it from enabling the Debian Security updates repository.1 2 Users that have upgraded to Debian 12 with Synaptic and the "Software & Updates" GUI should use the file manager's "Edit as root" function that is provided by default in all editions of SpiralLinux to replace the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list with the following:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://security.debian.org/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware  #Debian Bookworm Backports

Other notes:

  1. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1023242 ↩

  2. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1040743 ↩

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SpiralLinux 12.231005 release

06 Oct 13:57
@geckolinux geckolinux
12.231005
ca51e13
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SpiralLinux 12.231005 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download from: https://spirallinux.github.io

⚠️ Important note: Rufus, LinuxLive USB Creator (LiLi), Ventoy, and Unetbootin are NOT recommended by SpiralLinux for creating the bootable USB device due to many reports of failure.

ℹ️ Update: The newer 12.231008 release is now available with some additional tweaks and updates:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/releases/tag/12.231008

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce its latest 12.231005 release built directly from Debian 12, with a few additional tweaks and improvements on top of the recent 12.231001 release.

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to download it and learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

Changes in SpiralLinux 12.231005

  • All editions: Debian has upgraded Thunderbird to a major new version, now at 115.3
  • All editions: Symlink added from /etc/default/locale -> /etc/locale.conf to avoid language/locale configuration disparities1
  • All editions: Language Support script for users that need to change the default language or add additional languages after installation now includes an automatic workaround for a bug in Debian locales package configuration script that mangles the /etc/default/locale file
  • Plasma edition:
    • Removed erroneous default configuration files that were preventing the system language selected at installation from being applied
    • Changed GTK application theme to Numix due to aesthetic and legibility issues with the Breeze theme for GTK
  • Gnome edition: Missing xdg-desktop-portal-gnome package added
  • Additional improvements in the 12.231001 release: https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/releases/tag/12.231001

How to upgrade SpiralLinux

Once installed to the hard disk the system no longer has any connection with the SpiralLinux project, as it has been carefully designed to be completely dependent on the Debian project and not on a single developer. Therefore, users of existing SpiralLinux installations can upgrade to the latest Debian release as soon as it is available in the Debian repositories. Most aspects of the unique SpiralLinux configuration will be maintained across upgrades, but new SpiralLinux features will not be applied to existing installations as there are intentionally no package repositories created specifically for SpiralLinux. To upgrade a SpiralLinux 11 installation to Debian 12, or to move to Debian Testing or Debian Unstable, please follow these simple graphical instructions:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/wiki#updating-and-upgrading-spirallinux

⚠️ Important note: The Debian 12 version of the "Software & Updates" GUI tool has a significant unhandled bug that prevents it from enabling the Debian Security updates repository.2 3 Users that have upgraded to Debian 12 with Synaptic and the "Software & Updates" GUI should use the file manager's "Edit as root" function that is provided by default in all editions of SpiralLinux to replace the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list with the following:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://security.debian.org/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware  #Debian Bookworm Backports

Other notes:

  1. https://groups.google.com/g/linux.debian.bugs.dist/c/6TOOs1L3z3E/m/VLrOpFXxAAAJ ↩

  2. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1023242 ↩

  3. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1040743 ↩

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SpiralLinux 12.231001 release

02 Oct 12:54
@geckolinux geckolinux
12.231001
b0d128c
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SpiralLinux 12.231001 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download from: https://spirallinux.github.io

⚠️ Important note: Rufus, LinuxLive USB Creator (LiLi), Ventoy, and Unetbootin are NOT recommended by SpiralLinux for creating the bootable USB device due to many reports of failure.

ℹ️ Update: The newer 12.231008 release is now available with some additional tweaks and updates:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/releases/tag/12.231008

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce its 12.231001 release built directly from Debian 12, with the addition of a newer kernel from Debian Backports for newer hardware compatibility. SpiralLinux offers live installable ISO images for the Cinnamon (5.6.8), XFCE (4.18), Gnome (43.6), Plasma (5.27), Mate (1.26), Budgie (10.7.1), and LXQt (1.2.0) desktop environments.

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to download it and learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

Notable changes in SpiralLinux 12.231001

  • Low-latency Pipewire configuration: For this release all editions of SpiralLinux are now using Pipewire with a proper out-of-the-box configuration for low-latency (5.3ms by default) JACK-compatible live audio applications even on standard consumer hardware. The default configuration is unique to SpiralLinux and includes overrides to the default Pipewire configuration as well as a number of low-level system tweaks as recommended by rtcqs. This makes SpiralLinux an excellent base system for professional live audio production JACK workflows while simultaneously offering compatibility with normal PulseAudio consumer applications. To take full advantage of the low-latency JACK compatibility simply run sudo systemctl enable cpupower to enable the optimal performance CPU governor.
  • Mouse and touchpad control: The libinput library is now used by default instead of synaptics for mouse and touchpad control, with important improvements for the logic of disabling laptop trackpads while typing.
  • Snapper disk usage limits: The Snapper configuration has been modified from its defaults to not use more than 40% of the available disk space for its automatic Btrfs snapshots1 – 20% maximum for system rollback snapshots and 20% maximum for snapshots of user data in /home/ .
  • Font rendering and theming: For each edition, many intricate details were analyzed and refined related to theming of GTK3, GTK4, and Qt apps, taking into account the unique characteristics and limitations of each toolkit running on a specific desktop environment, as well as the unique challenges of theming Flatpak apps created in those same three toolkits. Beyond simple aesthetic preferences, special priority was given to font legibility, contrast, and rendering, as well as overriding modern trends in all three toolkits that are detrimental to usability, such as thin and disappearing scrollbars without up/down arrow controls. The end result, while not completely uniform, is visually coherent and highly legible and usable even with a mix of Debian packaged apps and Flatpaks using different toolkits.
  • Other minor improvements and fixes: Issue tracker

How to upgrade SpiralLinux

Once installed to the hard disk the system no longer has any connection with the SpiralLinux project, as it has been carefully designed to be completely dependent on the Debian project and not on a single developer. Therefore, users of existing SpiralLinux installations can upgrade to the latest Debian release as soon as it is available in the Debian repositories. Most aspects of the unique SpiralLinux configuration will be maintained across upgrades, but new SpiralLinux features will not be applied to existing installations as there are intentionally no package repositories created specifically for SpiralLinux. To upgrade a SpiralLinux 11 installation to Debian 12, or to move to Debian Testing or Debian Unstable, please follow these simple graphical instructions:
https://github.com/SpiralLinux/SpiralLinux-project/wiki#updating-and-upgrading-spirallinux

⚠️ Important note: The Debian 12 version of the "Software & Updates" GUI tool has a significant unhandled bug that prevents it from enabling the Debian Security updates repository.2 3 Users that have upgraded to Debian 12 with Synaptic and the "Software & Updates" GUI should use the file manager's "Edit as root" function that is provided by default in all editions of SpiralLinux to replace the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list with the following:

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://security.debian.org/ bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-backports main contrib non-free non-free-firmware  #Debian Bookworm Backports

Known issues

Many workarounds and fixes for upstream issues have been implemented in SpiralLinux and also in the deployments of Debian's live-build tool used to generate the ISOs.4 5 The following issues can not be corrected within the scope of the SpiralLinux project:

  • Budgie window manager theme: In most cases after the initial login to the Budgie desktop the window manager will use the wrong theme for the window controls. Subsequent logins will use the correct theme.
  • Software & Updates GUI: As mentioned previously, the Debian 12 version of the "Software & Updates" GUI tool has a significant unhandled bug that prevents it from enabling the Debian Security updates repository.2 3
  • Displayed memory usage: Most programs that display the system RAM usage will now show a much higher number in Debian 12 compared to the same system running Debian 11. However, this is not indicative of drastically higher RAM consumption, but rather is due to a change in the way that memory usage is calculated.6 The htop program still measures RAM usage according to the previous method.
  • Other long-standing issues: Issue tracker

Other notes:

  1. SpiralLinux includes an advanced Btrfs subvolume layout by default with supporting tools that take automatic snapshots of user data and the system state, allowing for booting into snapshots and performing instant system rollbacks. While it is extremely rare for a Debian Stable update to break the system in a way that would require a rollback, it is much more likely to happen to users that have upgraded their SpiralLinux system to Debian Testing or Unstable (easy method here). Additionally, the system rollback mechanism provides a layer of protection again system administrator mistakes, as well as taking automatic snapshots of user data in /home/ in case of accidental file edits and/or deletions. Please read the documentation for easy instructions to perform a system rollback in SpiralLinux. ↩

  2. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1023242 ↩ ↩2

  3. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1040743 ↩ ↩2

  4. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1051547 ↩

  5. https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1018873 ↩

  6. https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2003033 ↩

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SpiralLinux 11.220925 release

27 Sep 22:48
@geckolinux geckolinux
11.220925
69709bf
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SpiralLinux 11.220925 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download: https://spirallinux.github.io

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce the 11.220925 release with some fixes and improvements. Many thanks to all the users that reported issues and suggested improvements! SpiralLinux offers individual live installable ISO images for the Cinnamon, XFCE, Gnome, Plasma, Mate, Budgie, and LXQt desktop environments.

Changes to all editions

  • Built from the latest Debian Stable 11.5 release. Users with prior installations of SpiralLinux can simply update their system to receive the 11.5 release directly from Debian
  • Firefox ESR from Debian Stable now at version 102.3
  • Smoother two-finger scrolling with touchpads enabled in Firefox via environment variable
  • Realtek r8168 WiFI theoretically supported out-of-the-box. Testing and reporting by users with any Realtek WiFI hardware would be appreciated.
  • Substituted newer firmware-iwlwifi package from Debian Testing to fix major connection problems with the Debian Stable firmware version on AX20x Bluetooth hardware
  • Bitmap fonts disabled to avoid poor font rendering, such as in HTML emails
  • SecureBoot support. Note: SecureBoot support may not work out-of-the-box on all systems due to variations and quirks in different UEFI implementations. SecureBoot may not be desirable for some users due to the limitations and complications that it brings by design, and it may be preferable to disable SecureBoot in the device's UEFI settings
  • Installation possibly supported on 64-bit systems with 32-bit UEFI implementations. Testing and reporting would be appreciated.
  • Fixed failed to load canberra-gtk-module in .xsession-errors
  • Disabled annoying beep when booting live system in EFI mode
  • Preinstalled alsa-ucm-conf package for Chromebook chtmax98090 soundcards

Changes to Budgie edition

  • Added missing AppIndicator applet for system tray functionality with some applications
  • Added missing gnome-online-accounts package

Changes to Cinnamon edition

  • Added missing Catfish search utility (included version of Nemo is good for finding filenames but does not support searching in file contents)

Changes to Gnome edition

  • Fixed an issue that would cause some systems to hang when rebooting after Calamares installation

Changes to Mate edition

  • Workaround for some preinstalled applications in the menu needing root privileges that were failing to launch

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

What will happen to GeckoLinux?

GeckoLinux will continue to be maintained. However, SUSE and openSUSE have announced some major changes that will eventually affect the Leap branch a few years from now, so SpiralLinux would fill the void in the event that openSUSE Leap ceases to exist or turns into a completely different sort of product.

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SpiralLinux 11.220628 release

28 Jun 23:58
@geckolinux geckolinux
11.220628
3bd64d6
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SpiralLinux 11.220628 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

Download: https://spirallinux.github.io

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce the 11.220628 release with a few fixes and improvements. Many thanks to all the users that reported issues and suggested improvements!

Changes to all editions

  • Linux 5.18 kernel from Debian Backports
  • Removed custom sysctl options that were preventing the system from responding to pings and disabling IPv6
  • Included modified version of regenerate_ssh_host_keys.service from the RPi-Distro project to make SSH work out of the box
  • Make PulseAudio speaker test audio work (users with previous installations can install the missing libcanberra-pulse package)
  • Removed discard from default /etc/fstab (systemd fstrim.timer timer is enough)

Changes to Plasma edition

  • Fixed missing Bluetooth manager (users with existing installations can install the bluedevil package)
  • Disabled automatic session suspend-to-RAM when inactive on battery power
  • Switched "Show desktop" control to "Minimize all"
  • Included onboard virtual keyboard
  • Included KDE Partition Manager

Mate

  • Fixed missing image thumbnails (users with existing installations can install the libgdk-pixbuf2.0-bin package)

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories. Please visit the official SpiralLinux website to learn more about its unique features and reasons for existence.

What will happen to GeckoLinux?

GeckoLinux will continue to be maintained. However, SUSE and openSUSE have announced some major changes that will eventually affect the Leap branch a few years from now, so SpiralLinux would fill the void in the event that openSUSE Leap ceases to exist or turns into a completely different sort of product.

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SpiralLinux 11.220610 release

11 Jun 17:02
@geckolinux geckolinux
11.220610
fc39b19
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SpiralLinux 11.220610 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

https://spirallinux.github.io

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce the 11.220610 release with a few fixes and improvements on top of the initial 11.220606 release.

Changes

  • Added spice-vdagent for automatic screen resizing and clipboard integration with the host system when running as a libvirt guest (Gnome Boxes, etc.)
  • Plasma edition now includes the upower package to fix the bug where batteries weren't being detected (thanks to Akram Abunahla for reporting)
  • All editions now include a fix for an issue that was sometimes preventing the bootloader from installing correctly in Calamares manual partitioning mode (thanks to samarkv for reporting)

About SpiralLinux

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories.

What will happen to GeckoLinux?

GeckoLinux will continue to be maintained. However, SUSE and openSUSE have announced some major changes that will eventually affect the Leap branch a few years from now, so SpiralLinux would fill the void in the event that openSUSE Leap ceases to exist or turns into a completely different sort of product.

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SpiralLinux 11.220606 release

06 Jun 18:34
@geckolinux geckolinux
11.220606
1276746
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SpiralLinux 11.220606 release

SpiralLinux-transparent-small

https://spirallinux.github.io

The SpiralLinux project is pleased to announce the initial 11.220606 release with 7 editions specifically tailored to each of the major Linux desktop environments available in the Debian repositories:

SpiralLinux is a selection of Linux spins built from Debian GNU/Linux, with a focus on simplicity and out-of-the-box usability across all the major desktop environments. SpiralLinux serves as an alternative live installation method for a highly reliable customized Debian system using only official Debian package repositories.

What will happen to GeckoLinux?

GeckoLinux will continue to be maintained. However, SUSE and openSUSE have announced some major changes that will eventually affect the Leap branch a few years from now, so SpiralLinux would fill the void in the event that openSUSE Leap ceases to exist or turns into a completely different sort of product.

SpiralLinux features

  • Installable live DVD / USB images around 2GB in size and carefully configured for a wide array of popular desktop environments
  • Built from Debian Stable packages with newer hardware support preinstalled from Debian Backports
  • Easily upgradable to Debian's Testing or Unstable branches with just a few clicks (instructions)
  • Optimal Btrfs subvolume layout with Zstd transparent compression and automatic Snapper snapshots bootable via GRUB for easy rollbacks (instructions)
  • Graphical manager for Flatpak packages and preconfigured Flatpak theming
  • Font rendering and color theming preconfigured for optimal legibility
  • Preinstalled proprietary media codecs and non-free Debian package repositories ready to use
  • Broad hardware support with a wide array of proprietary firmware preinstalled
  • Extensive printer support with relaxed permissions for printer administration
  • Optimal power management with TLP preinstalled
  • VirtualBox support available out-of-the-box
  • Enables zRAM swap by default for better performance on low-end hardware
  • Normal users can operate and administer the system without recurring to the terminal
  • Depends entirely on the Debian infrastructure, thus avoiding the "developer-hit-by-a-bus" concern
  • Installed system can be smoothly upgraded to future Debian releases while retaining its unique SpiralLinux configuration

Why another Debian-based distro?

Great question. Debian does an excellent job of providing the fundamentals needed for a highly reliable and flexible operating system. However, it is a sprawling and impersonal organization that does not focus on being friendly for the end-user. So a plethora of Debian-based distributions have arisen with the objective of adding a layer of polish, albeit with varying degrees of success. Most of these efforts depend on a single developer or a small group of developers with far fewer resources than the official Debian project. Many such projects create custom packages and supplemental package repositories that will cease to exist and leave their users stranded in the event that the project ever ceases to function. SpiralLinux, on the other hand, has been carefully designed to be completely dependent on the extensive development resources and excellent package infrastructure of the upstream Debian project. Debian itself provides a base system that is capable of being very user-friendly when properly configured. This is where SpiralLinux comes into play. Great effort has been expended in polishing the SpiralLinux default configuration for all the major desktop environments using the packages and mechanisms that Debian itself provides. So in effect, a SpiralLinux installation is actually a legitimate Debian installation that can be infinitely upgraded from the official Debian repositories while retaining its unique SpiralLinux configuration.

Who are you?

I've used Linux on the desktop since approximately 2001, with Debian-based distributions playing a key role in that experience. I have always appreciated Debian's extreme flexibility, reliability, speed, and excellent core infrastructure. But for desktop usage, Debian's lack of polish and geeky nature always led me to avoid it for myself and other users that I support. This projects sets out to change that. I am also the creator and maintainer of the GeckoLinux set of spins built from openSUSE.

Download SpiralLinux: https://spirallinux.github.io

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