PorteuX 2.4 is now available, introducing the COSMIC desktop environment for the current branch. The COSMIC desktop is still in beta, so users should expect some issues, such as high CPU usage from cosmic-osd.

PorteuX 2.4 release poster

This update also marks an important milestone — PorteuX 2.4 is the final release to include a version based on Slackware stable. The team decided to move fully to the rolling branch, which is tested extensively before each release and offers a more up-to-date experience.

Key Fixes

This release includes several improvements across different desktop environments and system components:

  • Fixed system time synchronization during boot. When the timezone is set, both system and BIOS clocks now update using the NTP server.
  • Fixed cheatcode handling when using UUIDs without trailing slashes.
  • Fixed rendering issues in Cinnamon on Wayland and Xorg session problems in KDE Plasma.
  • Fixed cropped and small title bars in Xfce and Openbox.
  • Fixed notification close button display in LXQt.
  • Improved linker flags for better performance and smaller binaries.
  • Improved PorteuX Language Switcher with search and filter features.
  • Improved touchpad support and reliability of the deactivate script.

New Additions

PorteuX 2.4 introduces new tools and expanded functionality:

  • COSMIC desktop environment (available on current only).
  • PorteuX Timezone Switcher – a new tool to manage timezone and clock type (localtime or UTC).
  • New cheatcodes: noupdateclock to disable automatic time updates, and kmap support for Wayland sessions.
  • Added autoload support for cron and docker daemons.
  • Added HEIC image support in LXQt.

Updates and Changes

The release brings refreshed software packages and themes:

  • Kernel updated to 6.17.7.
  • NVIDIA driver updated to 580.105.08.
  • Desktop environments updated:
    • Cinnamon 6.4.13
    • GNOME 49.1
    • KDE Plasma 6.5.2
    • LXQt 2.3.0
  • MATE search tool now displays sizes in binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB).
  • LXDE theme updated to match the PorteuX style.
  • PorteuX Modules application rewritten for faster performance.
  • Elementary icon set in Xfce now adapts automatically to dark or light themes.

Looking Ahead

With this release, PorteuX shifts its focus to the rolling branch, ensuring users have access to the latest packages and desktop environments. Users on the stable version can expect continued reliability, but future innovation will center on the current branch.

For detailed technical notes on PorteuX 2.4, visit the official release announcement.