The creator of the GeckoLinux distribution, based on the openSUSE package base and paying great attention to desktop optimization and details such as high-quality font rendering, introduced a new distribution - SpiralLinux, built using Debian GNU/Linux packages. The distribution offers 7 ready-to-use Live builds, shipped with Cinnamon, Xfce, GNOME, KDE Plasma, Mate, Budgie and LXQt desktops, the settings of which are optimized for a better user experience.
The GeckoLinux project will continue to be maintained, and SpiralLinux is an attempt to maintain the usual way of life in the event of the demise of openSUSE or its transformation into a fundamentally different product, in accordance with the upcoming plans for significant redesign of SUSE and openSUSE. Debian was chosen as the basis as a stable, flexibly adaptable and well-supported distribution. It is noted that Debian developers are not sufficiently focused on the convenience of the end user, which is the reason for the creation of derivative distributions, the authors of which are trying to make the product more friendly to ordinary consumers.
Unlike projects such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint, SpiralLinux does not try to develop its own infrastructure, but tries to stay as close to Debian as possible. SpiralLinux uses packages from the Debian core and uses the same repositories, but offers different default settings for all major desktop environments available in the Debian repositories. Thus, the user is offered an alternative option for installing Debian, which is updated from the standard Debian repositories, but offers a set of settings that are more optimal for the user.
Features of SpiralLinux
- Installable Live DVD/USB images of approximately 2 GB in size, customized for popular desktop environments.
- Using Debian Stable packages with packages pre-installed from Debian Backports to provide support for newer hardware.
- Ability to upgrade to Debian Testing or Unstable branches with just a few clicks.
- Optimal layout of Btrfs subpartitions with transparent Zstd compression and automatic Snapper snapshots loaded via GRUB to rollback changes.
- Graphical manager for Flatpak packages and a pre-configured theme applied to Flatpak packages.
- Font rendering and color settings have been optimized for optimal readability.
- Ready-to-use pre-installed proprietary media codecs and non-free Debian package repositories.
- Expanded hardware support with a wide range of pre-installed firmware.
- Expanded support for printers with simplified printer management rights.
- Using the TLP package to optimize energy consumption.
- Inclusion in VirtualBox.
- Applying swap partition compression using zRAM technology to improve performance on older hardware.
- Providing ordinary users with the opportunity to work and administer the system without accessing the terminal.
- Fully tied to the Debian infrastructure, avoiding dependence on individual developers.
- Supports seamless upgrades of installed systems to future Debian releases while maintaining SpiralLinux's unique configuration.
Cinnamon:
LXQt:
budgie:
Mate:
KDE:
GNOME:
Xfce:
Source: opennet.ru