Expirion Linux is a Devuan-based desktop distribution which offers LXQt and Xfce desktop editions. The project provides separate releases built from the latest "stable" and "testing" branches of Devuan, with runit and SysV as init system options. Expirion ships with a more recent kernel than Devuan does and it also adds some user-friendly touches, custom themes and wallpapers, as well as productivity applications, such as LibreOffice, Chromium, Firefox, Thunderbird, Audacity, Brasero and VLC.

January's software updates include VLC 3.0.23, Shotcut 26.1 with GPU decoding, and Vivaldi 7.6. Take a look at the month’s notable Linux app releases.

You're reading Linux Release Roundup (January 2026), a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Gentoo Linux is a versatile and fast, completely free Linux distribution geared towards developers and network professionals. Unlike other distros, Gentoo Linux has an advanced package management system called Portage. Portage is a true ports system in the tradition of BSD ports, but is Python-based and sports a number of advanced features including dependencies, fine-grained package management, "fake" (OpenBSD-style) installs, safe unmerging, system profiles, virtual packages, config file management, and more.

LinuxHub Prime is an Arch-based Linux distribution with a customised Openbox window manager as the default desktop environment. Its main feature is a unique installer that provides one-click installation options for several popular window managers and desktop environments, including Awesome, bspwm, Budgie, Cinnamon, Deepin, GNOME, Hyprland, KDE Plasma, MATE, Qtile and Xfce. The installer also includes "Prime Builder", a tool for creating a custom respin of the distribution.

While typically the stable Linux kernel would come after the -rc7 release a week prior, for Linux 6.19 the release is being dragged out by an extra week not due to any scary bugs but rather due to the holiday downtime at the end of the year. As such Linux 6.19-rc8 is out today with the stable v6.19 release expected next Sunday...

Senpai Respins is a set of (principally) MX Linux respins with Cinnamon, GNOME, LXDE, LXQT, MATE and Moksha desktops and window managers, user interfaces that the upstream project does not offer. It also provides a respin of Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) with MATE, and MX Linux with the Parrot distribution installed on top of it. The MX Linux variants offer a choice between the systemd and SysV init systems. Other than integrating a new desktop into an existing distribution, Senpai brings very few other modifications, leaving the software composition and visual appearance of the upstream project intact.

TobbeOS is a minimalist, Arch-based Linux distribution featuring the Qtile tiling window manager. It provides a network installation image with a simple script that guides the user through the installation process; it downloads and installs the latest packages from Arch Linux repositories. The script offers a choice between the Btrfs and ext4 filesystem. TobbeOS also provides a pre-configured Emacs editor, while the default web browser is a privacy-focused Firefox fork called Zen Browser.

With a fresh month here now it's February 2026, here's your most up to date look at what has been popular for players on the Steam Deck.

Read the full article on GamingOnLinux.

Vipnix LiveCD is a portable Linux distribution built on the legacy of Gentoo Linux, Funtoo and Macaroni OS. It combines Gentoo's source-based optimization, Funtoo's innovative tools and Macaroni OS's modern, container-friendly approach. Vipnix integrates the lightweight LXQt desktop environment and the educational XLibre X11 server into a live operating system designed for enthusiasts, professionals and system recovery tasks. It is developed by Vipnix, a Brazilian IT solutions company specialising in customised infrastructure, cybersecurity, data protection and biotechnology.

Resources 1.10 adds AMD NPU reporting to let Linux users track Ryzen AI performance alongside CPU, RAM, GPU and other system hardware usage.

You're reading Resources 1.10 can now monitor AMD NPU usage on Linux, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.

Samuel Thibault offered up a status update on the current state of GNU/Hurd from a presentation in Brussels at FOSDEM 2026. Thibault has previously shared updates on GNU Hurd from the annual FOSDEM event while this year's was a bit more optimistic thanks to recent driver progress and more software now successfully building for Hurd...

Puppy Linux is yet another Linux distribution. What's different here is that Puppy is extraordinarily small, yet quite full-featured. Puppy boots into a ramdisk and, unlike live CD distributions that have to keep pulling stuff off the CD, it loads into RAM. This means that all applications start in the blink of an eye and respond to user input instantly. Puppy Linux has the ability to boot off a flash card or any USB memory device, CDROM, Zip disk or LS/120/240 Superdisk, floppy disks, internal hard drive. It can even use a multisession formatted CD-RW/DVD-RW to save everything back to the CD/DVD with no hard drive required at all.

AgarimOS is a desktop Linux distribution based on Void. It comes in several popular desktop flavours, including Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE and Xfce, all with a limited set of applications in their default states. Like its parent, AgarimOS does not use the systemd service manager, relying instead on the runit init scheme. It employs the XBPS package management system, together with a graphical front-end called OctoXBPS. The distribution also includes various optimisations, custom themes and some interesting software selection, such as the WezTerm terminal emulator, the Neofetch system information utility, the hBlock ad blocker, and the aria2 download tool.

GNOME Resources 1.10 was christened today as the newest version of this modern system monitoring app for the GNOME desktop that is now used by default on the likes of the upcoming Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. With GNOME Resources 1.10 they have added AMD Ryzen AI NPU monitoring support and other new capabilities...

The b4 tool used by Linux kernel developers to help manage their patch workflow around contributions to the Linux kernel has been seeing work on a text user interface to help with AI agent assisted code reviews. This weekend it successfully was dog feeding with b4 review TUI reviewing patches on the b4 tool itself...

blendOS is an Arch Linux-based, rolling-release distribution which automates installing software from supported distributions (Arch Linux, Fedora and Ubuntu) into containers. blendOS tries to make software management in across containers feel native and provides access to the user's home directory for each container.

Arch Linux is an independently developed, x86_64-optimised Linux distribution targeted at competent Linux users. It uses 'pacman', its home-grown package manager, to provide updates to the latest software applications with full dependency tracking. Operating on a rolling release system, Arch can be installed from a CD image or via an FTP server. The default install provides a solid base that enables users to create a custom installation. In addition, the Arch Build System (ABS) provides a way to easily build new packages, modify the configuration of stock packages, and share these packages with other users via the Arch Linux user repository.

Dr.Parted Live is a bootable GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian's "Testing" branch. It is a live image featuring a lightweight Openbox window manager and useful applications for disc partitioning as well as data backup, restore and recovery.

A new BSD distribution I only learned about for the first time this weekend is smolBSD, a project built atop the netbsd-MICROVM kernel coming with NetBSD 11 for providing insanely fast booting micro-VMs intended for micro-services and similar environments...

Upstreamed for the Linux 6.19 kernel is the Uniwill laptop platform driver for exposing more features/settings for laptops made by this Taiwanese OEM/ODM, including the laptops from TUXEDO Computers. Coming for the next kernel cycle is further extending the Uniwill platform driver for now having support for adjusting the custom total graphics power "cTGP" for those laptops with a dedicated GPU...

During the last month on Phoronix were 296 original news articles from the Linux/open-source perspective as well as another 18 featured articles / Linux hardware reviews, written by your's truly. Here is a look back at the most popular news and reviews in the Linux world over the past month...

For newer Framework devices like the Framework 13 AMD that make use of the ChromeOS Embedded Controller (EC), the upcoming Linux 7.0 kernel is adding fan target support as well as fan temperature threshold handling...

Calam Arch Installer is an Arch-based Linux distribution created to facilitate the installation of an Arch Linux system to a hard disk. It is also a full-featured live Linux system with Xfce as the preferred desktop. The Calamares system installer offers a choice of several popular desktop environments and window managers, including Budgie, Cinnamon, Deepin, GNOME, i3, KDE Plasma, MATE, Openbox and Xfce. The distribution also offers support for both BIOS and UEFI boot, as well as hard disk encryption with LUKS.

Kiro is an Arch Linux-based distribution with the goal of being an intuitive and customisable ISO image builder. It provides a simple way to build a custom Arch-based installation medium with a choice of packages, settings and scripts. Kiro uses the Xfce desktops, includes the Calamares system installer, and has a modular structure.