We have much to report in the Xubuntu development update for March 2023! Xubuntu Minimal is finally available. The recently added Flatpak support has been removed. Xubuntu has embraced Mastodon as our latest social network. And we’ve updated a ton of packages! Read on for more.
Xubuntu Minimal has arrived for Xubuntu 23.04
After seven long years, Xubuntu Minimal (formerly Xubuntu Core) has become an official sub-project built and published on Canonical infrastructure. 🎉️
Xubuntu Minimal is a slimmed-down version of Xubuntu that lacks the additional features of a modern desktop operating system. You get the basics: Xfce, Xubuntu defaults, a file manager, and other essential components. Build your own experience atop Xubuntu’s stable and tested minimal environment.
Xubuntu Minimal currently weighs 1.7 GiB (1.8 GB), while the standard Xubuntu desktop image weighs 2.8 GiB (3.0 GB). When we started this project seven years ago, the image fit on a standard CD-ROM at less than 700 MB. Since then, everything has gotten bigger, and reducing the image size will require some clever adjustments. If you’d like to check Xubuntu Minimal out, daily ISO builds can be found on cdimage.ubuntu.com.
Flatpak removed for Xubuntu 23.04
Following a joint decision between the Ubuntu flavors, no official flavor will include Flatpak integration in their installation starting with the upcoming April release, 23.04 “Lunar Lobster.” 23.04 would have been the first Xubuntu release to ship with Flatpak integration, so this change will not affect any user. Anybody already using Flatpak will not be affected either, as the package will not be uninstalled if you have interacted with Flatpak.
If you want to enable Flatpak in Xubuntu, the process is straightforward. Check out my recent article, Enable Flatpak in Xubuntu, for instructions on enabling Flatpak and adding the Flathub repository to your system.
Xubuntu is now on Mastodon
Have your social networks felt a little too… centralized lately? Come to Mastodon and enjoy interacting with Xubuntu’s new social media presence, @xubuntu@floss.social. While you’re at it, you might also be interested in following Xfce (@xfce@floss.social), Lubuntu (@LubuntuOfficial@fosstodon.org), Kubuntu (@kubuntu@fosstodon.org), or Ubuntu Studio (@ubuntustudio@mastodon.art), to get you started with a few projects.
Package updates
There was a smattering of relevant package updates in Xubuntu 23.04 this month. You can find the full list of package updates on GitHub by comparing commits to the xubuntu-manifest project.
- baobab 43.0 > 44 beta
- gnome-disk-utility 43.0 > 44 Beta
- gnome-font-viewer 43.0 > 44 Beta
- gnome-sudoku 43.1 > 44 Beta
- libreoffice 7.4.3 > 7.5.1 RC2
- libxfce4ui 4.18.1 > 4.18.2
- parole 4.16.0 > 4.18.0
- synaptic 0.91.2 > 0.91.3
- thunar 4.18.3 > 4.18.4
- xfce4-notifyd 0.7.2 > 0.7.3
- xfce4-panel 4.18.1 > 4.18.2
- xfce4-power-manager 4.18.0 > 4.18.1
- xfce4-session 4.18.0 > 4.18.1
- xfce4-settings 4.18.0 > 4.18.2
- xfce4-systemload-plugin 1.3.1 > 1.3.2
- xubuntu-desktop 2.246 > 2.248
Thanks!
That’s all from me this month! If you’ve come this far, you’re looking for something to do. Why not join the Ubuntu 23.04 Testing Week that’s going on now?
If you like my work, consider sponsoring me. You can find links for how to support me and contribute to Xfce, Xubuntu, and elementary OS at bluesabre.org/donate. Thank you!