GeckoLinux [STATIC] [NEXT] [all editions] 152.210223 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the 152.210223 update to its full range of STATIC and NEXT editions. GeckoLinux STATIC spins are generated directly from unmodified openSUSE Leap 15.2 and Packman repositories, and the installed system can be updated directly from those official sources. GeckoLinux NEXT additions include newer versions of a specific desktop environment on top of the openSUSE Leap 15.2 base thanks to the inclusion of additional semi-official openSUSE repositories. GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Proprietary hardware driver and firmware support has also been included as much as possible. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of the proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. All GeckoLinux editions use the Calamares system installer, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system. The Linux kernel included in this current set of GeckoLinux STATIC and NEXT ISOs is at version 5.3.18.

The GeckoLinux STATIC 152.210223 set of updates solves some minor issues with the GeckoLinux configuration in certain editions. All GeckoLinux editions now use the Xmodesetting driver on Intel graphics cards for improved stability. A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference:

• Plasma 5.18 / Framework 5.71.0 / KDE applications 20.04
  • Improved font legibility with main UI fonts colors changed to pure black
  • Fixed a bug causing delays in initial loading of desktop icons and notifications
• Cinnamon 4.4.8
  • Improved behavior of Nemo desktop icons
  • Relocated mounted drives applet
• Budgie 10.5.1
  • Improved behavior of Nemo desktop icons
  • Eliminated transparency from bottom panel for better visibility and contrast
• XFCE 4.14
• Gnome 3.34
• Mate 1.24
• LXQt 0.14

The GeckoLinux NEXT 152.210223 spins include the following desktop environments:

• Plasma 5.21 / Framework 5.79.0 / KDE applications 20.12
  • Improved font legibility with main UI fonts colors changed to pure black
  • Fixed a bug causing delays in initial loading of desktop icons and notifications
• Pantheon (various component versions)

Please download GeckoLinux from http://geckolinux.github.io and find more information about what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. Thanks a lot, have fun!

GeckoLinux [ROLLING] [all editions] 999.210221 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the 999.210221 update to its full range of ROLLING editions, with important new versions of several available desktop environments. GeckoLinux ROLLING spins are generated directly from unmodified openSUSE Tumbleweed and Packman repositories, and the installed system can be updated directly from those official sources. GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Proprietary hardware driver and firmware support has also been included as much as possible. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of the proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. GeckoLinux ROLLING editions use the Calamares system installer at version 3.2.27, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system. The Linux kernel included in this current set of GeckoLinux ROLLING ISOs is at version 5.10.16.

A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference. Each spin contains a well curated selection of preinstalled applications appropriate for the particular desktop environment. The GeckoLinux ROLLING 999.210221 spins include the following desktop environments with additional polish in some editions:

• Plasma 5.21 / Framework 5.79.0 / KDE applications 20.12
  • Improved font legibility with main UI fonts colors changed to pure black
  • Fixed screen brightness hotkeys bug
  • Fixed a bug causing delays in initial loading of desktop icons and notifications
• Gnome 3.38
• Budgie 10.5.2
  • Improved behavior of Nemo desktop icons
  • Eliminated transparency from bottom panel for better visibility and contrast
• XFCE 4.16
• Cinnamon 4.8.6
  • Improved behavior of Nemo desktop icons
  • Relocated mounted drives applet
• Mate 1.24.1
• Pantheon (various component versions)
• LXQt 0.16

Please download GeckoLinux from https://geckolinux.github.io and find more information about what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. Thanks a lot, have fun!

GeckoLinux [STATIC] [NEXT] [all editions] 152.201210 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the 152.201210 update to its full range of STATIC and NEXT editions. GeckoLinux STATIC spins are generated directly from unmodified openSUSE Leap 15.2 and Packman repositories, and the installed system can be updated directly from those official sources. NEXT additions include newer versions of a specific desktop environment on top of the openSUSE Leap 15.2 base thanks to the inclusion of additional semi-official openSUSE repositories. GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Proprietary hardware driver and firmware support has also been included as much as possible. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of the proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. GeckoLinux STATIC editions use the Calamares system installer, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system. The Linux kernel included in this current set of GeckoLinux STATIC and NEXT ISOs is at version 5.3.18.

All editions in this update receive quality of life improvements for Bluetooth audio users. The default PulseAudio configuration now prevents undesired automatic switching to the low-quality HSP/HFP device profile, and audio streams will automatically switch to newly connected Bluetooth devices using the A2DP profile. Additionally, improved support has been included for the 7zip archive format. Finally, the default GRUB bootloader configuration has been tweaked to be cleaner and more predictable on EFI systems.

A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference. Each spin contains a well curated selection of preinstalled applications appropriate for the particular desktop environment.

The GeckoLinux STATIC 152.201210 spins include the following desktop environments with additional polish in some editions:

• Plasma 5.18 / Framework 5.71.0 / KDE applications 20.04
  • Improved aesthetics with switch to Breeze style and updated Numix theme for Plasma
  • New panel shortcut for window and workspace visual overview management
  • On systems with Intel graphics the Xmodesetting driver will now be used for optimal Plasma/Kwin stability
• Budgie 10.5.1
  • The GeckoLinux NEXT Budgie edition is now a STATIC edition thanks to the inclusion of Budgie in the official openSUSE Leap 15.2 repositories
  • Desktop icons now handled by Nemo instead of desktopfolder
  • New system tray without corruption bug, many thanks to Callum Farmer for the fix
• XFCE 4.14
  • Minor spacing tweak for panel Show Desktop button
• Cinnamon 4.4.8
• Gnome 3.34
• Mate 1.24
• LXQt 0.14

The GeckoLinux NEXT 152.201210 spins include the following desktop environments

• Plasma 5.20.4 / Framework 5.76.0 / KDE applications 20.12
• Pantheon (various component versions)

Please download GeckoLinux from http://geckolinux.github.io and find more information about what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. Thanks a lot, have fun!

GeckoLinux [ROLLING] [all editions] 999.201205 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the 999.201205 update to its full range of ROLLING editions. GeckoLinux ROLLING spins are generated directly from unmodified openSUSE Tumbleweed and Packman repositories, and the installed system can be updated directly from those official sources. GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Proprietary hardware driver and firmware support has also been included as much as possible. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of the proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. GeckoLinux ROLLING editions use the Calamares system installer at version 3.2.27, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system. The Linux kernel included in this current set of GeckoLinux ROLLING ISOs is at version 5.9.12.

All editions in this update receive quality of life improvements for Bluetooth audio users. The default PulseAudio configuration now prevents undesired automatic switching to the low-quality HSP/HFP device profile, and audio streams will automatically switch to newly connected Bluetooth devices using the A2DP profile. Additionally, improved support has been included for the 7zip archive format. Finally, the default GRUB bootloader configuration has been tweaked to be cleaner and more predictable on EFI systems.

A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference. Each spin contains a well curated selection of preinstalled applications appropriate for the particular desktop environment. The GeckoLinux ROLLING 999.201205 spins include the following desktop environments with additional polish in some editions:

• Plasma 5.20 / Framework 5.76.0 / KDE applications 20.08
  • Improved aesthetics with switch to Breeze style and updated Numix theme for Plasma
  • New panel shortcut for window and workspace visual overview management
  • On systems with Intel graphics the Xmodesetting driver will now be used for optimal Plasma/Kwin stability
• Gnome 3.38
  • Support for Gnome Shell user themes now enabled and working out of the box
• Budgie 10.5.2
  • Desktop icons now handled by Nemo instead of desktopfolder
  • New system tray without corruption bug, many thanks to Callum Farmer for the fix
• XFCE 4.14
  • Minor spacing tweak for panel Show Desktop button
• Cinnamon 4.6.7
• Mate 1.24
• Pantheon (various component versions)
• LXQt 0.16

Please download GeckoLinux from http://geckolinux.github.io and find more information about what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. Thanks a lot, have fun!

GeckoLinux [NEXT] [ROLLING-OBS] Pantheon editions released

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the addition of the Pantheon desktop environment to its lineup. This has been made possible thanks to the hard work and responsive support of awissu, who is the maintainer of the Pantheon desktop packages for openSUSE. On top of these packages, GeckoLinux adds its own unique configuration to offer a polished and usable out-of-the-box system, in both NEXT and ROLLING editions.

The GeckoLinux NEXT Pantheon edition combines the X11:Pantheon:Branch OBS repository together with the openSUSE Leap 15.2 fixed-release base and the Packman multimedia repository. The installed system is meant to be updated directly from those well maintained upstream sources, and is therefore completely independent from the GeckoLinux project once installed to disk.

In a similar fashion, the GeckoLinux ROLLING-OBS Pantheon edition includes the same polished GeckoLinux set of configurations and pre-installed applications, together with multimedia support from the Packman repository, and the Pantheon packages from the X11:Pantheon:Branch OBS repository on top of an openSUSE Tumbleweed rolling base. The installed system is meant to be updated directly from those well maintained upstream sources, and is therefore completely independent from the GeckoLinux project once installed to disk.

Here's a preview of what you can expect in the GeckoLinux Pantheon editions:

Known Issues:

• There is one known issue with the Pantheon desktop on openSUSE (and therefore in GeckoLinux): In the live session, the NetworkManager applet opens the wrong control panel section for connecting to a WiFI network, and it asks for the WiFI password twice. This bug does not occur in the installed system.

Downloads:

• GeckoLinux_NEXT_Pantheon.x86_64-152.200830.0.iso
• GeckoLinux_ROLLING-OBS_Pantheon.x86_64-999.200830.0.iso

More information:

You can download the GeckoLinux NEXT Pantheon and GeckoLinux ROLLING-OBS Pantheon editions and find out more about what makes GeckoLinux unique by visiting the website: http://geckolinux.github.io/

GeckoLinux [NEXT] [ROLLING] Budgie editions released

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the return of the Budgie Desktop to its lineup. This has been made possible thanks to the hard work of gmbr3, who is the new maintainer of the Budgie Desktop packages for openSUSE. On top of these packages, GeckoLinux adds its own unique configuration to offer a polished and usable desktop out-of-the-box, in both NEXT and ROLLING editions.

The GeckoLinux NEXT Budgie edition combines the X11:Solus OBS repository together with the openSUSE Leap 15.2 fixed-release base and the Packman multimedia repository. The installed system is meant to be updated directly from those well maintained upstream sources, and is therefore completely independent from the GeckoLinux project once installed to disk.

The GeckoLinux ROLLING Budgie edition also includes the same polished GeckoLinux set of configurations and pre-installed applications, together with multimedia support from the Packman repository. In the case of the ROLLING edition, the openSUSE Tumbleweed rolling base offers the Budgie desktop packages in its main package repository, so no additional OBS packages are required. The installed system is meant to be updated directly from its well maintained upstream sources, and is therefore completely independent from the GeckoLinux project once installed to disk.

Here's a preview of what you can expect in the GeckoLinux Budgie editions:

Downloads:

• GeckoLinux_NEXT_Budgie.x86_64-152.200830.0.iso
• GeckoLinux_ROLLING_Budgie.x86_64-999.200830.0.iso

More information:

You can download the GeckoLinux NEXT Budgie and GeckoLinux ROLLING Budgie editions and find out more about what makes GeckoLinux unique by visiting the website: http://geckolinux.github.io/

GeckoLinux [ROLLING] [all editions] 999.200729 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce the 999.200729 update to its ROLLING editions, thus completing the current refresh cycle of the entire GeckoLinux lineup. GeckoLinux ROLLING spins are generated directly from unmodified openSUSE Tumbleweed and Packman repositories, and the installed system can be updated directly from those official sources. This design decision has allowed GeckoLinux ROLLING users to install and update their systems in a constant rolling fashion over the past two years from the cutting edge and highly stable openSUSE Tumbleweed distribution. Now, GeckoLinux users that need an installation ISO to support very new hardware will find what they need in the GeckoLinux ROLLING 999.200729 set of updated spins.

GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Proprietary hardware driver and firmware support has also been included as much as possible. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. GeckoLinux ROLLING editions use the Calamares system installer at version 3.2.27, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system. The Linux kernel included in the current set of GeckoLinux ROLLING ISOs is at version 5.7.9.

A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference. Each spin contains a well curated selection of preinstalled applications appropriate for the particular desktop environment. The GeckoLinux ROLLING 999.200729 spins include the following desktop environments:

• Cinnamon 4.4
• Mate 1.24.0
• Plasma 5.19 / Framework 5.72 / KDE applications 20.04
• XFCE 4.14
• Gnome 3.36
• LXQt 0.15

A "BareBones" spin of GeckoLinux is also available, meant as a blank slate for picky users that want to customize the desktop environment(s) and installed applications for a personalized openSUSE installation without dealing with many boring or intricate details of the underlying system and package selection. In this release, the "BareBones" edition has switched from Openbox to IceWM, which together with the full suite of YaST tools provides just enough ease of use to allow for installing and configuring the user's desired desktop environment and other packages from a GUI environment. Please note that the GeckoLinux "BareBones" spin is not suitable for casual users, and does not include the same level of polish and aesthetics as the main editions.

Please visit http://geckolinux.github.io for more information on what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. You can download GeckoLinux ROLLING 999.200729 here. Thanks a lot, have fun!

GeckoLinux [Static] [all editions] 152.200726 update

GeckoLinux has released a refreshed set of ISOs for the STATIC 152.x series to fix an incorrect optional NVIDIA repository URL. This change only affects users that need to install the proprietary Nvidia drivers. To manually fix the URL if you already downloaded an 152.200719 ISO, open the YaST Repositories tool and change the NVIDIA repository address as follows:

From: https://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/tumbleweed
To: https://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/leap/15.2/

There are no other major changes. To see what else is new in the GeckoLinux STATIC 152.x series, please see the previous release announcement:
https://github.com/geckolinux/geckolinux-project/releases/tag/152.200719

GeckoLinux [NEXT] [Plasma] 152.200726 update

Hi everyone, I'm pleased to announce another update to the GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma edition. The purpose of this edition is not to replace the regular GeckoLinux STATIC Plasma release, but rather as an alternative for those who want the latest Plasma and KDE packages on top of a stable openSUSE Leap base. This is achieved thanks to some additional openSUSE OBS repositories, together with the polished GeckoLinux configuration for the Plasma desktop. Like all GeckoLinux editions, Plasma NEXT can be smoothly updated from the official repositories of openSUSE and Packman as new package versions become available. In the case of the GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma edition, the next major release of Plasma 5 will also be available from the semi-official KDE repositories in the openSUSE Build Service whenever it is released at a future date. It should be noted that the cutting edge Plasma and KDE packages used in the NEXT edition (from semi-official openSUSE OBS repositories) are not as well tested as the versions used in the normal GeckoLinux STATIC and ROLLING Plasma editions (from Leap and Tumbleweed standard repositories).

What's New:

The major new feature of this release is the latest Plasma 5.19.3 desktop environment. It also includes KDE Applications 20.07, KDE Framework 5.72.0, and Qt 5.15.0.

Apart from the Plasma and KDE highlights, the base system of this GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma update is now in line with the latest openSUSE Leap 15.2 release.

You can download GeckoLinux STATIC Plasma here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/geckolinux/files/NEXT/GeckoLinux_NEXT_Plasma.x86_64-152.200726.0.iso/download

About GeckoLinux:

Please visit the GeckoLinux website to learn more about what GeckoLinux offers and how it differs from its parent distribution, openSUSE.

GeckoLinux [Static] [all editions] 152.200719 update

GeckoLinux is pleased to announce updated spins of its STATIC series, generated from openSUSE Leap 15.2 and Packman package repositories. Despite the lack of new ISO refreshes during the past couple of years, users have continued to be able to install and update GeckoLinux systems thanks to the fact that it directly uses openSUSE and Packman repository sources. But for users that need to install GeckoLinux on newer hardware, and to continue improving the default configuration, the GeckoLinux STATIC 152.200719 series is now available. Updated spins of GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma and the GeckoLinux ROLLING series will also be released in the near future.

GeckoLinux continues to be focused on eliminating pain points and polishing its unique out-of-the-box configuration on top of the stable and flexible openSUSE base. Proprietary media formats play out of the box, and additional user-installed multimedia applications work automatically with restricted media codecs thanks to the prioritized inclusion of the Packman repository. Google and Skype repositories are also configured out-of-the-box for optional installation by the user of proprietary applications from those vendors. Third-party RPM packages can be easily installed using the graphical YaST package manager. GeckoLinux uses the Calamares system installer at version 3.2.15, providing easy but powerful options for reliable installation of the live system.

A variety of GeckoLinux ISO spins are available with polished desktop environments to suit every need and preference. Each spin contains a well curated selection of preinstalled applications appropriate for the particular desktop environment. Current highlights include:

• Cinnamon 4.4.8
• Mate 1.24.0
• Plasma 5.18.5 / KDE applications 20.04
• XFCE 4.14
• Gnome 3.34.4
• LXQt 0.14.1

A "BareBones" spin of GeckoLinux is also available, meant as a blank slate for picky users that want to customize the desktop environment(s) and installed applications for a personalized openSUSE installation without dealing with many boring or intricate details of the underlying system and package selection. Please note that the GeckoLinux "BareBones" spin is not suitable for casual users, and does not include the same level of polish and aesthetics as the main editions. In this release, the "BareBones" edition has switched from Openbox to IceWM, providing relative ease of use while still being lightweight and not requiring many dependencies. Apart from that, it includes Firefox, the Calamares installer, and the full suite of YaST tools for GUI system configuration and package management.

Please visit http://geckolinux.github.io for more information on what makes GeckoLinux different from openSUSE and what its goals are. You can download GeckoLinux STATIC 152.200719 here. Thanks a lot, have fun!