
This Week in Linux 147: System76 COSMIC Desktop, Slackware 15.0, LXQt, Zorin OS 16, Xinuos vs IBM | This Week in Linux
Apr 18, 2021
System76 unveils the new COSMIC desktop with dock and split-workspace ideas. Slackware 15.0 beta brings modern packages like Python3 and Plasma 5. LXQt 0.17 and JDE 2.0 deliver lightweight and web-based desktop updates. Manjaro 21 and Zorin OS 16 beta introduce refreshed installers and Windows-like layouts. Legal drama surfaces as Xinuos takes action against IBM and Red Hat.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
System76's GNOME-Based COSMIC Approach
- System76's COSMIC is a GNOME-based extension set that customizes workflow without forking GNOME.
- It separates workspaces and app views and defaults to a dock for a cleaner, efficient desktop experience.
Slackware's Big Modernization Jump
- Slackware 15.0 beta modernizes a long-stagnant distro with UTF-8, Python 3, Wayland, Plasma 5 and XFCE 4.16.
- The release updates toolchains to GCC 10.3 and ships Linux 5.10 LTS with testing kernels available.
LXQt 0.17: Lightweight Yet Featureful
- LXQt 0.17 advances the lightweight Qt desktop with dock-like panel behavior and better desktop keyboard navigation.
- It adds image and archive improvements plus power-management tweaks for full-screen apps.



