The developers of the Debian offshoot SpiralLinux have announced a new version, 11.220925. The release offers a number of improvements to increase hardware support and make the system more user-friendly.

What's New in SpiralLinux?

The developers announce the new version in a post on the project's GitHub page:

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!

The new version of SpiralLinux is based on Debian Stable 11.5. The distro has several desktop systems available but there are changes that are common to all versions. Among them are an updated version of Firefox, improved two-finger scrolling on trackpads, and tweaked Wi-Fi drivers. The developers mention that support for the Realtek r8168 Wi-Fi adapter is "theoretical" and that they appreciate reports from users who actually have the device installed.

They also fixed a bug where an "annoying beep" was heard while booting the live system using the EFI firmware standard in new PCs.

SpiralLinux Desktop Tweaks

The SpiralLinux developers have also tweaked the various desktop environments they support. They offer users a choice of Cinnamon, Xfce, GNOME, KDE Plasma, MATE, Budgie, and LXQT Desktops. Users can download the new version with their choice from SpiralLinux's home page.

The Budgie desktop fixes missing system tray indicators for some programs. They also fixed a bug in Cinnamon where the Catfish search utility was missing, a bug in GNOME that caused the system to hang after installation, and a bug where MATE applications that needed administrator access failed to launch.

A Jump in User-Friendly Debian Respins

SpiralLinux is part of a trend toward Linux distributions that modify Debian to be more user-friendly, such as SparkyLinux and MX Linux. Debian has a reputation for being rock-solid but intimidating for users less experienced with Linux. Ubuntu, which is popular among developers, is the most prominent Debian desktop alternative.

Debian's vehement free-software stance (proprietary software is unavailable by default) makes support for some hardware difficult. SpiralLinux attempts to solve this, though the developers hew more closely to the standard Debian release. They're willing to make substitutions to improve hardware support, especially for devices like trackpads and wireless adapters that are essential for laptop use.

Yet Another Debian Desktop

The march for a user-friendly Debian-based desktop continues. Debian's flexibility makes it very easy to create customized versions, and many of them have proliferated. There's a dizzying array of Debian offshoots available to install.