Rhino Linux is an Ubuntu-based rolling distribution that aims to offer a stable experience with the advantages of a rolling-release approach. It rose from the ashes of the now defunct Rolling Rhino Remix project and has been receiving regular updates.
Ending 2023 on a high note, the developers have released Rhino Linux 2023.4 with some insight into what the future holds for Rhino Linux.
Powered by the recent Linux Kernel 6.6 release, Rhino Linux 2023.4 comes equipped with an updated Unicorn Desktop that now features optional auto-tiling functionality that can be enabled from an applet in the top panel.
This was made possible thanks to the implementation of cortile that enables users to tile their windows effortlessly. It has support for things like workspace-based tiling, hot corners, drag/drop window swapping, and more.
Similarly, uLauncher also sees an update, with it now looking more rounded, and sporting a slightly different background color.
There have been improvements on the 'rhino-pkg' side of things too, now, 'rhino-pkg update' no longer auto-removes packages by default if Nala is installed.
For cleaning up obsolete packages or broken dependencies, you can now run the new 'rhino-pkg cleanup' command.
Support for Pine64 devices has also been improved, there is a new user-friendly experimental Wi-Fi module for PineTab2, various modem stability fixes for the PinePhone and PinePhone Pro coupled with the enabling of GPS support.
You can now also use flashlights on all PinePhones and PineTabs too! (if you are trying that)
🛠️ Other Changes and Improvements
Other than the highlights, here are some other changes that you should know about:
A completetransition to PipeWire from PulseAudio.
Connecting to Wi-Fi on embedded devices such as the Raspberry Pi has been improved.
pacstall-qa has been brought in as a new default package for testing pacscripts from PRs locally.
The developers have also shared their plans for 2024;which include support for offline installations, a new icon pack,contributing to the development of UBXI ports, rewriting 'rhino-pkg' in nushell, and more.
You may go through the release notes to learn more about this release, and future development plans.
📥 Download Rhino Linux 2023.4
You can grab the latest Rhino Linux release from the official website. There are three types of images available for various system configurations. Choose “Generic ISO” if you want to use it on a regular computer.
The generic image features Linux kernel 6.6.7, the Pine64 images feature Linux kernel 6.7.0-rc5 and the Raspberry Pi images feature Linux kernel 6.5.0.
For existing users, you can simply run the following command to upgrade:
rpk update -y
💬 2023 is almost at an end, with this being one of the final distro releases for the year. What do you think of it?
Sourav Rudra
