One aspect of MX Linux that appeals to me is that the flagship version (Xfce) looks and feels like old-school Linux but with just enough modernity to make it a viable option for today’s users. Its focus is ease-of-use and high performance. If you want an even more modern interface, you can choose the KDE Plasma version. You can go with the Fluxbox edition if you need to eke even more performance out of your system.
Included software
Out of the box, MX Linux includes plenty of tools you need to be productive, including: immediately
Firefox: Web browserLibreOffice: Office suiteConky: Desktop system monitorThunderbird: Email clientPDF Arranger: PDF toolVLC media player: Media playerClementine music player: Music playerLuckyBackup: Backup and Sync toolantiX: Ad BlockerAsunder: CD ripperBlueman: Bluetooth managerCatfish: File search toolClipboard managerFoliate: ebook readerThunar: File managerGufw: GUI firewall manager
There’s also a collection of MX Tools, which makes it easy to do things like configuring Samba, manage repositories for APT, snapshot management, system updates, menu editing, cleanup, job scheduling, and boot repair, disk management, codecs installation, user management, and more. The MX Samba Config tool alone is worth the price of entry (which is, of course, free). The one caveat to the MX Samba Config tool (which is something that should really be addressed) is that even though it does include a Samba User Management feature, you cannot add or enable new Samba users from this GUI. Instead, you must first add/enable Samba users with the commands: Where USER is the username you’re adding. That user, of course, must already be in the system. We may never know why this feature isn’t a part of MX Samba Config. Outside of that one caveat, the MX tools make managing the operating system really simple. One word of warning for new users, some of the MX tools do offer considerable power and should be used with great caution. You can see all of the available MX Tools by opening the desktop menu and clicking MX Tools in the Favorites tab (Figure 1). Once the MX Tools app is open (Figure 2), you can launch any one of the apps to make configuring and using your system even easier.
The lack of bleeding edge software
The one knock against MX Linux comes by way of it being based on Debian Stable. The software installed isn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, out-of-date, but it’s certainly not the latest/greatest release. For instance, the installed version of LibreOffice is 7.0.4.2. On my Pop!_OS instance, that version is 7.3.1.3. However, the installed version of Firefox on MX Linux is up to date. So, what you’ll get is a bit of a mixed bag. Even with that mixed bag of releases, you’ll find plenty of reliable software to help make you productive right out of the box.
In the end, MX Linux is a Linux distribution that is an outstanding choice for anyone looking to get a desktop operating system with an ideal blend of ease of use and customization. MX Linux might not be perfect, but it makes up for the rare misses with a lot of hits. Between the incredible amount of customizations, the MX Tools, and the speed/reliability of Xfce, you cannot go wrong with this distribution.
