Trisquel 8.0 Alpha Pairs A Linux-Libre Experience With MATE
Among the changes coming for Trisquel 8.0 is using the Linux-Libre 4.4 kernel, MATE 1.12.1 is the default desktop over GNOME, and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS is used as the base.
The reasoning for going with MATE over other Linux desktop choices come down to not wanting to use one that makes use of OpenGL drivers that could potentially be closed-source... "This decision comes from the current editions of GNOME requiring 3D acceleration even in fallback mode, a requirement that in many cases forces the user to choose between a degraded user experience and performance, or the usage of non-free graphics drivers. Instead, we aim to provide a fully functional, highly performing desktop for all users." Well, not quite all users anyways since the Linux-libre kernel strips out lots of in-kernel firmware and other code deemed non-free, so it doesn't quite work on all hardware as it is.
Trisquel 7.0 had shipped off an Ubuntu 14.04 LTS base, GNOME 3.12 desktop, and Linux-libre 3.13 kernel, so it's quite a big upgrade with the in-development 8.0 Flidas. An official release date for this version isn't yet known. More details on this week's alpha via trisquel.info.
Add A Comment
