MX Linux Forum

(avis posté ce jour sur distrowatch.com)

I have been using Linux since 2005 and MX Linux remains one of my favorite distros, with Fedora in a completely different register. This is my daily post happily.

Pro:
- Extreme versatility
- Lightness while being very complete.
- MX Tools is a bonus without weighing down the distro, around twenty tools
- Possibility of using a recent kernel if you wish
- Use of sysvinit or systemd according to your tastes and especially needs
- Focused on Debian repositories, it nevertheless allows you to activate Flathub / flatpak or Snap repositories if necessary
- Timeshift to backup your system and one of the MX Tools allows you to easily create an ISO from your configuration to deploy it.
- Out of the Box + MX Tools = the richest distribution!
- The KDE version is one of the best, even if it remained by default in 5.27
- Firefox = recent package unlike Debian out of the box (more security)

Cons:
- Required to reinstall the “/” partition every 3 to 5 years (depending on the type of Debian media desired) while being able to save the data. But I find this disadvantage minimal compared to its power, its agility and its numerous tools.

Linux Mint is number 1 in clicks on distrowatch. It works, it works, all right.
But I find MX Linux more interesting for those who want to explore Linux (just like Arch can be, of course, but with less stability). If I don't have time to look at the OS (heavy work weeks for example) I continue to update, whereas Arch requires maintenance time whatever happens. Other problems on some arch like distros like GPG keys. Never this problem on MX Linux, among other examples. So if you are not sure if you have 4 hours free in a week to resolve possible problems with Arch, it is better to see, in this case with MX.

That's my opinion, but I tested a lot of distros over 6 months, not 6 hours or 6 minutes, and MX is at the top of the basket with Fedora which is powerful, up to date, but boring in the long run.

Welcome In! And glad you like it!

orion99 wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 2:56 pm ...The KDE version is one of the best, even if it remained by default in 5.27

"It's the only Linux desktop environment that allows you to change font color (and often, you need it, because most distros use sub-optimal font colors and contrast), without having to do any manual CSS tweaks on the command line."


https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/pla ... esome.html

orion99 wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 2:56 pm - The KDE version is one of the best, even if it remained by default in 5.27

Debian 13 Trixie (release sometime in 2025) looks to have Plasma 6.2.4 currently. https://packages.debian.org/trixie/kde/

Hello and Welcome

Cons:
- Required to reinstall the “/” partition every 3 to 5 years (depending on the type of Debian media desired) while being able to save the data. But I find this disadvantage minimal compared to its power, its agility and its numerous tools.

I thought that too but then it gives the computer a good cleanout.

As a longtime KDE user all of your Pro's especially the many MXTools, yep love MXLinux and these days I prefer the calm and steady with just a hint of extra power with the Liquorix kernels.

Hope you enjoy being here.

LU344928 wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 5:22 pm "It's the only Linux desktop environment that allows you to change font color (and often, you need it, because most distros use sub-optimal font colors and contrast), without having to do any manual CSS tweaks on the command line."
https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/pla ... esome.html

Dedo needs to be corrected because LXQt and Trinity (can easily be installed on MX-23) also have font color settings in their settings GUIs. They also have separate font color settings for the panel, which is quite handy for customization. There might be a few Qt based desktops that don’t have this setting like Deepin and Kylin because they seem to care more about looks than functionality.

What I like about the MX tools is that they focus on functionality and then they somehow become more beautiful than "designer" apps.

artytux wrote: Tue Dec 17, 2024 5:25 pm Hello and Welcome

Cons:
- Required to reinstall the “/” partition every 3 to 5 years (depending on the type of Debian media desired) while being able to save the data. But I find this disadvantage minimal compared to its power, its agility and its numerous tools.

I thought that too but then it gives the computer a good cleanout.

As a longtime KDE user all of your Pro's especially the many MXTools, yep love MXLinux and these days I prefer the calm and steady with just a hint of extra power with the Liquorix kernels.

Hope you enjoy being here.

About this:

When do MX Linux Devs make an upgrade tool to speed up this process and make ti easier to transition from major Debian versions?
Other dsitros based on Debian/Ubuntu have this...
It could be included on the MX Tools suite.
Is there any project to do this?

JesusLinux wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 2:47 pm
About this:

When do MX Linux Devs make an upgrade tool to speed up this process and make ti easier to transition from major Debian versions?
Other dsitros based on Debian/Ubuntu have this...
It could be included on the MX Tools suite.
Is there any project to do this?

Two points:

It is not necessary to update from one release to another. Heck, I'm still running MX-19 and have no plans to update any time soon. YMMV.

If you do chose to update soon after a release, in most cases an install "over the top" while saving /home will get you darn close to fully preserving your old environment. When the time comes, look for a step by step tutorial posted in the forums -- invariably, some good soul will write one up that will walk you through it.

I can't speak for the devs, but I doubt a full fledged "update tool" is in the offing. Just too many disparate variables involved.

@JesusLinux wrote:

When do MX Linux Devs make an upgrade tool to speed up this process and make ti easier to transition from major Debian versions?
Other dsitros based on Debian/Ubuntu have this...
It could be included on the MX Tools suite.
Is there any project to do this?

At it's inception Ubuntu was a fork of Debian, but that hasn't been true for quite some time. These days the only thing they have in common is the apt packaging system.

j2mcgreg wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 4:54 pm @JesusLinux wrote:

When do MX Linux Devs make an upgrade tool to speed up this process and make ti easier to transition from major Debian versions?
Other dsitros based on Debian/Ubuntu have this...
It could be included on the MX Tools suite.
Is there any project to do this?

At it's inception Ubuntu was a fork of Debian, but that hasn't been true for quite some time. These days the only thing they have in common is the apt packaging system.

OK.
I think Linux MInt and Zorin have an update tool.
i think it would be a useful addition to the MX Tools suite...

We have an update tool. It is called MX Updater. Then you can update using MXPI, AND you can update using Synaptic. Last but not least, if you want to get kinky, you can use the terminal.

I think that is plenty of choices to make the heart beat faster

@JesusLinux
It sounds like you want a rolling release distro. MX is a point release distro. However MXPI does offer downloads from Debian Backports and our own test repo. Those from our test repo have been vetted by our devs.

uncle mark wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:23 pm It is not necessary to update from one release to another. Heck, I'm still running MX-19 and have no plans to update any time soon. YMMV.

The MX devs don't recommend this and I don't think the community should, either. You might not feel a need to keep getting security updates, but ignoring them just creates the risk that something bad will happen, and that risk only increases the longer someone stays on an unsupported platform. Did MX 19 get patches for that CUPS vulnerability this year? I don't recall. There will be another big 9.9 on the CVE severity scale soon, and MX 19 definitely won't get patched for it.

uncle mark wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:23 pm If you do chose to update soon after a release, in most cases an install "over the top" while saving /home will get you darn close to fully preserving your old environment.

For fun, I once did a side-by-side comparison of the default demo user's home directory between MX 21 and MX 23 to see what was different. The changes were too minuscule to mention. There's a good chance this gets more complex as you install and use software over the course of a year or three. YMMV.

uncle mark wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:23 pm When the time comes, look for a step by step tutorial posted in the forums -- invariably, some good soul will write one up that will walk you through it.

One big caveat of those unofficial upgrade tutorials is that they're firmly in the realm of "you're on your own", or maybe "don't come crying to us". I can think of at least one situation where a user repeatedly asked for aid in unbreaking an MX machine because the unofficial upgrade steps failed. That kind of scenario ends up being a poor experience for everyone involved. The user ended up with a broken machine and a forum mod had to point out, again, that if you break your MX box trying to upgrade it, you get to keep the pieces.

I work as a laptop (primarily) refurbisher for a small but growing digitial literacy non-profit. Imaging MX using FOG on our older laptops gives them a new life with with 8GB of ram and a SSD they run like new.... Well almost :)

richb wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 5:55 pm @JesusLinux
It sounds like you want a rolling release distro. MX is a point release distro. However MXPI does offer downloads from Debian Backports and our own test repo. Those from our test repo have been vetted by our devs.

I already use Manjaro XFCE.
MX Linux for Debian base stability.
Manjaro XFCE for bleeding edge rolling release and AUR,
Actually I have to reinstall Manjaro cause I messed it up.
I have 5 laptops (from 2007 to 2017). 3 of them still have W10 installed. I intend to ditch Win10 completely next year.

DukeComposed wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 6:21 pm

uncle mark wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 3:23 pm It is not necessary to update from one release to another. Heck, I'm still running MX-19 and have no plans to update any time soon. YMMV.

The MX devs don't recommend this and I don't think the community should, either. You might not feel a need to keep getting security updates, but ignoring them just creates the risk that something bad will happen, and that risk only increases the longer someone stays on an unsupported platform. Did MX 19 get patches for that CUPS vulnerability this year? I don't recall. There will be another big 9.9 on the CVE severity scale soon, and MX 19 definitely won't get patched for it.

@uncle mark knows all this, he was just making a point that you don't need the latest greatest.



(look at me, defending UM... happy holidays UM, miracles do happen)

Eadwine Rose wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 3:10 am
@uncle mark knows all this, he was just making a point that you don't need the latest greatest.



(look at me, defending UM... happy holidays UM, miracles do happen)

You got into the Christmas cheer a little early this year, didn't you Rose?

dreamer wrote: Wed Dec 18, 2024 2:12 pm

LU344928 wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2024 5:22 pm "It's the only Linux desktop environment that allows you to change font color (and often, you need it, because most distros use sub-optimal font colors and contrast), without having to do any manual CSS tweaks on the command line."
https://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/pla ... esome.html

Dedo needs to be corrected because LXQt and Trinity (can easily be installed on MX-23) also have font color settings in their settings GUIs. They also have separate font color settings for the panel, which is quite handy for customization. There might be a few Qt based desktops that don’t have this setting like Deepin and Kylin because they seem to care more about looks than functionality.

What I like about the MX tools is that they focus on functionality and then they somehow become more beautiful than "designer" apps.

Interesting...

Actually, from the little I've used LXQt (on Fedora), I can say that I find it quite attractive.

Rumor has it the MX team is about to release a LXQt iso... or is that something I dreamt?