MX Linux 21.2 Offers Improvements and Bug Fixes

The developers of the most popular distribution on Distrowatch, MX Linux, have unleashed the second point release for the distribution. Although there isn't anything groundbreaking with the latest iteration, it does include plenty of bug fixes and various improvements to help improve an already outstanding distribution.

Wildflower, based on Debian Bullseye (11.4), comes with two different options for the kernel. The regular release uses the 5.10 LTS kernel, whereas the Advanced Hardware Support variant makes use of the 5.18 kernel.

Beyond the kernel, MX Linux received bug fixes and improvements for the installer, mx-tweak now allows the disabling of Bluetooth adapters, Fluxbox received a new mxfb-look tool (for saving and restoring theme combination), mx-updater/apt-notifier now has an option to use nala as the backend, a kernel cleanup tool was added to mx-cleanup, mx-boot-options now includes a UEFI management tool, and the disk space checker will help make sure there's enough disk space available before a kernel is updated.

As far as upgrading from the previous point release, the developers stated, "If you are already running MX 21, there is no need to reinstall. Packages are all available through the regular update channel."

Download your copy of MX Linux 21.2 from the official download page (https://mxlinux.org/download-links/) with a choice between Xfce, KDE Plasma, and Fluxbox desktop. Make sure to also read the official release notes (https://mxlinux.org/blog/mx-21-2-wildflower-released/) for more information.

Gnome Project Releases New Telemetry Data Collection Tool

Although telemetry (the collection of data and measurements for the purpose of monitoring) is a rather touchy subject, especially for those who value their privacy, the Gnome foundation has announced it will be adding a telemetry data collection tool to the desktop environment.

Before anyone panics, this data will be 100 percent anonymous and will be used only to improve the Gnome desktop environment by informing various decisions for the future of the software. Those decisions will help to inform the Gnome Foundation where resources can be best used and how to better help users.

The new tool is a command, gnome-info-collect, and will present all collected data to the user before it's transmitted. Once you run the command, you will be asked to okay the transmission of the information and, upon successful transmission, you'll be thanked for helping to improve Gnome.

Types of information that will be collected include such details as operating system, hardware vendor, Flatpack/Flathub enabled, installed apps, file sharing (active/inactive), remote desktop (active/inactive), remote login (active/inactive), number of users, default browser, and enabled extensions. There is zero locale information or anything that could be considered sensitive transmitted to the Gnome developers.

You can install the tool with the help of Snap, DNF, Pacman, or Zypper.

For more information, check out the official GitLab page for the project (https://gitlab.gnome.org/vstanek/gnome-info-collect).

Kubuntu Focus Announces New Desktop Model

The Kubuntu Focus NX is a new small form factor desktop computer that ships with Kubuntu 22.04 and the latest KDE Plasma interface. This new machine can be specced with either an i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 11th gen Intel CPU, both of which include the Xe iGPU, which can drive up to four displays.

The Kubuntu Focus NX (https://kfocus.org/spec/spec-nx) supports up to 64GB of memory, up to 2TB of NVMe storage, and up to 4TB of SATA storage and even comes with a bracket that allows you to mount the device to the back of your monitor.

Other features include 2 x Thunderbolt 3/USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HTMI 2.0b, 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 3 x USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 x RJ-45 Intel i225 V2.5 GbE LAN, 1 x audio 2in1, 1 x Far-Field Quad-Array microphone, 1 x SDXC memory card reader, and 1 x Kensington Lock Mount.

The base cost of the Kubuntu Focux NX is $695 and can be configured up to $2,135 (with a Core i7, 64GB RAM, 1TB primary disk, and a 4GB secondary disk).

Order your Kubuntu Focus NX from the kfocus.org site now (https://kfocus.org/order/order-nx.html).