SparkyLinux 5.4 "Nibiru" Operating System Released Based on Debian 10 "Buster"

The developers of the Debian-based SparkyLinux operating system announced today the release and immediate availability for download of the SparkyLinux 5.4 rolling release.

Based on the upcoming Debian GNU/Linux 10 "Buster" operating system, which should see the light of day in mid-2019, the SparkyLinux 5.4 update is here three months after the SparkyLinux 5.3 release announced in mid-March 2018 to continue the SparkyLinux 5 "Nibiru" rolling series, and it's available only as LXQt, MinimalGUI, and MinimalCLI editions.

"Sparky 5.4 offers a fully featured operating system with a lightweight LXQt desktop environment; and minimal images of MinimalGUI (Openbox) and MinimalCLI (text mode) which lets you install the base system with a desktop of your choice with a minimal set of applications, via the Sparky Advanced Installer," reads today's announcement.

Here's what's new in SparkyLinux 5.4

Featuring all the latest package and security updates from the Debian Testing a.k.a. Debian Buster software repositories as of June 10, 2018, SparkyLinux 5.4 ships with the Linux 4.16.12 kernel by default, though users can install the latest Linux kernel 4.17 from the unstable repos, the Calamares 3.1.12 installer, and the xinit package, which provides the "startx" command.

SparkyLinux 5.4 also comes with a new tool called Sparky Dashboard to the Tint2 panel in the MinimalGUI edition to display and run all installed apps inside YAD-based full-screen windows. Additionally, it features the LXterminal terminal emulator from LXDE instead of XTerm and revamps the appearance of the Tint2 panel, also in the MinimalGUI edition.

As far as the software selection goes, SparkyLinux 5.4 includes the recently released Mozilla Firefox 60.0.2 ESR web browser in the LXQt edition, replaces the Clementine music player with Yarock as its based on Qt 5 instead of Qt 4 like the former, replaces the Midori web browser with Otter Browser, and removes GKSu, OpenJDK, and the Java web plugin.

SparkyLinux 5.4 is available for download as SparkyLinux 5.4 LXQt, SparkyLinux 5.4 MinimalGUI, and SparkyLinux 5.4 MinimalCLI editions right now through our web portal, but all existing users running the SparkyLinux 5 "Nibiru" rolling series are urged to update their installations by running the commands listed below in a terminal emulator.