Solus 4.4 Codenamed "Harmony" Offers New Updates
After two years of development, the launch of the new version of the Linux distribution "Solus 4.4" was announced, a version in which a large number of changes and improvements have been integrated for the different editions of the distribution, as well as overall improvements.
For those who are unfamiliar with this Linux distribution, I can tell you that in it package management uses the eopkg package manager (a fork of PiSi from Pardus Linux), which provides the usual tools for installing / removing packages, searching the repository, and managing repositories. Packages can be classified into thematic components, which in turn form categories and subcategories.
In addition, another component that stands out from this distribution is its "Budgie" desktop environment that is based on GNOME technologies, but it uses its own GNOME Shell, panel, applets, and notification system implementations. To manage windows, Budgie uses Budgie Window Manager (BWM), which is an advanced modification of the base Mutter plugin.
It is worth mentioning that previously, the distribution developed the Budgie desktop, but now it is separated into an independent project, since it was decided to develop the next branch of Solus 5 on the technologies of the SerpentOS distribution.
Solus 4.4 main news
This new version that is presented from Solus comes with the latest 10.7 series version of the environment "Budgie Desktop, 10.7.2", which is supported by the GNOME 43 stack (GNOME has been updated to version 43.5) along with the linux kernel which has been updated to the 6.3 branch which includes swap compression with zRAM technology which is enabled by default to improve performance on older hardware. The kernel is built with the CONFIG_NFT_FIB_INET option enabled.
For the part of the changes that stand out from this new Solus 4.4 edition, the desktop environment now (Budgie) comes with the Nemo file manager by default instead of Nautilus.
In build based on KDE Plasma, we can find that they have been updated to the versions of Plasma Desktop 5.27.5, KDE Frameworks 5.106, KDE Gear 23.04.2, and Qt 5.15.9 along with the default themes which are “SolusDark and SolusLight”. The app menu has been replaced by Kickoff. System Monitor is used to monitor system status. Added support for Wayland based session.
For the part of the edition with the MATE desktop environment, it comes with the version of MATE 1.27.1 which includes the default theme is GTK Qogir-Dark. It is worth mentioning that in the future the MATE edition will disappear due to the intent to port Solus 4.5 to using PipeWire and Wayland. As a lightweight option, instead of MATE, builds with the Xfce desktop will start to form.
Of the other changes that stand out:
- GNOME System UI styling has been updated.
- Refreshed look of the Settings app.
- Redesigned screenshot experience.
- The ability to install websites on the desktop, such as applications.
- File indexing in Tracker has been dramatically improved, with faster startup times and reduced memory usage.
- Boxes, the GNOME virtual machine application, has a redesigned preferences view and has better support for modern UEFI operating systems.
- The default theme is Adwaita in dark mode.
- Replaced GTK theme with Adwaita-Dark.
- Improved gesture support for touchpads and touchscreens.
- Support for floating panels.
- Big Screen Mode – A new mode for using Plasma with a TV.
- System Settings will now highlight which settings have been changed.
- Much improved multi-monitor support, these setups will now work much more reliably.
- System widgets like Clipboard, Network, Bluetooth, and Audio have been greatly improved.
- Many new Krunner features such as currency conversion and displaying the time in another time zone.
- Solus MATE edition now uses xorg-driver-input-libinput to make non-en_US keyboard layouts actually work in Xorg in both the MATE and welcome desktop sessions.
If you are interested in knowing more about it of the new version, you can check the details in the following link.
Download Solus 4.4
If you want to get the new version of Solus 4.4, you just have to go to its official website and in its download section you will find the links for each of the different versions of the Solus desktop environment.