The latest MX Linux turns Xfce into a desktop anyone can use

One of the things about many user-friendly Linux desktops is that they can sometimes feel slightly limited. Take, for instance, GNOME. Yes, you can extend the feature set with the help of extensions, but GNOME is GNOME; it’s a minimalistic take on the desktop that I find very efficient.

Not everyone feels the same.

Of course, there’s KDE Plasma, which offers more flexibility than GNOME but will always be KDE Plasma.

And then… there’s Xfce. I consider the Xfce desktop to be the most flexible and configurable desktop on the market. There’s no end to how you can configure Xfce. The problem is, with all that flexibility comes complication. I’m not saying that Xfce is hard to use out of the box; it’s not. But if you’re a “button pusher” (you know the type… “This isn’t working, so I’ll just start pushing buttons and see what happens!”), a desktop like Xfce can be a recipe for disaster.

That’s yet another reason why I find MX Linux so appealing. By default, MX Linux version 23 configured Xfce to be different enough to know you’re not using a typical desktop, while at the same time, laying it all out in a familiar way. You get a sidebar with all the usual accouterments (panel, start menu, system tray, clickable icons), desktop icons, and a right-click menu. That default layout should work for most users.

If not… it’s Xfce, so you can make it whatever you like.

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That’s part of the beauty of this desktop. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more flexible desktop environment. And if you don’t like Xfce, there’s a version of MX Linux with KDE Plasma and one with Fluxbox.

MX Linux: Features, apps, and what’s new

The latest version of MX Linux isn’t just about Xfce. It’s based on Debian Stable 12.7 (Bookworm), so you know that, out of the gate, it’s as rock-solid as any operating system on the market. You also get the usual MX Linux features, such as:

• Automatic enabling of Broadcom drivers
• UEFI installer
• LUKS encrypted root, home, and swap partitions
• MX Package Installer (GUI frontend)
• MX Tools (for configuring things like Samba, managing repositories for APT, snapshot management, system updates, menu editing, cleanup, job scheduling, boot repair, disk management, codec installation, user management, and more)
• MX Welcome (an outstanding onboarding tool)
• Conky desktop (in the form of a clock/system resource monitor)

If that’s not enough, you get plenty of pre-installed applications, such as LibreOffice, Featherpad (text editor), Firefox, Thunderbird, guvcview (webcam tool), Strawberry (music player), VLC (media player), Orage Calendar, PDF Arranger, and more. One thing to keep in mind is that because MX Linux is based on Debian, some of the apps might seem out of date, but they are (generally speaking) the latest stable version of the app.

As for what’s new, you’ll find:

• Kernel 6.1
• Plenty of app upgrades
• Improved MX-comfort-themes
• A new tool called papirus-folder-colors that allows you to configure folder colors
• A new camera app
• Updated firmware and Mesa libraries

What makes MX Linux so appealing?

As I write this, MX Linux is listed as the second most popular Linux distribution on Distrowatch (right behind Linux Mint). What is it about this distribution that appeals to so many? 

I think part of the reason is that it eschews the typical trend of defaulting to either GNOME or KDE Plasma and offers a more customizable desktop environment. I also think MX Tools is a big part of that. It’s rare to find a Linux distribution that ships with a GUI for things like Samba configuration, chroot rescue scan, boot options, boot repair, cleanup, service manager, bash config, and so much more.

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I’d go so far as to say that MX Tools is the most comprehensive configuration tool on the market. If you’re a new user and you want to share a folder to your network, MX Tools can help you. If you’re an intermediate user, MX Tools can help you install NVIDIA drives or configure Conky. If you’re an advanced user, MX Tools has your back for boot issues, job scheduling, and service management.

New users are going to want to pay close attention to the MX Welcome tool, which gives you quick access to a user manager, Wiki, forums, videos, and more. The user manual, in particular, happens to be quite good. Within that tool, you can learn how to connect peripherals, configure your display, customize the desktop, manage software, and much more. Every Linux distribution on the planet could learn a thing or two from this app.

And then there’s MX Tweak…

MX Tweak helps you customize the desktop. With this user-friendly app, you can customize the panel, theme, compositor, display, super key, and more. With this app, you can spend all the time you want customizing the desktop. You can configure the desktop to resemble Windows 11, macOS, Ubuntu, or just about any desktop you want. 

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that to get a really modern-looking desktop, you’ll have to spend some serious time tweaking. But if you’re more concerned about a desktop that works exactly how you want it (and with a high level of efficiency), Xfce has you covered.

Also: This Linux distro I recommend to power users takes a unique approach to OS design

How to get MX Linux

As far as why MX Linux is so popular, the most logical answer is that it has proven itself, time and again, as a distribution for anyone looking to hop on board the Linux train. MX Linux is easy enough for new users, offers plenty of customization for intermediate users, and can serve as a powerhouse for advanced users. The latest release of MX Linux is all of that and more. And when you couple that with the fact that it runs very well on older hardware, MX Linux becomes even more viable.

I’m not saying that MX Linux is the best distribution for everyone. I am saying that MX Linux is sort of a catch-all distribution for different user types, and version 23 makes a pretty bold statement in that regard. Although I don’t generally advise users new to Linux to go for Xfce right away, MX Linux does make this particular open-source desktop palatable and easy enough for just about anyone.

If you’re interested in MX Linux, download an ISO, burn it to a USB drive, and install it on that machine running Windows 10 so you can continue using it for years to come.