Voyager has a reputation for being one of the more stylish takes on Linux, and the newest release continues that tradition. Voyager 13 Debian, which is based on Debian 13 “Trixie” with the Linux 6.12 LTS kernel. That means you get the usual stability and long-term support from Debian, with Voyager’s colorful personality on top.
This version is built around GNOME 48, giving users a clean and modern desktop that runs well on both PCs and tablets. Xfce has been dropped this time, so Voyager is all-in on GNOME. The shift makes sense, especially with Debian 13 improving how it handles modern hardware like GPUs and Wi-Fi cards that rely on proprietary firmware.
One of the first things you notice is the new “Miami Beach” theme, clearly inspired by the upcoming GTA 6 game. It is bright, flashy, and a little playful. If you find it too loud, there are plenty of other themes and wallpapers already baked in. Voyager Box pulls together things like Dark Mode, Night Mode, parental controls, Conky, Wine for Windows apps, and Gnome extensions, giving you a central spot to manage most of the extras.
Voyager 13 Debian is not just about looks. It comes with Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC, Rhythmbox, Gimp, and Shotcut for video editing, all ready to go. You also get Foliate for reading eBooks, Transmission for torrents, and even Steam support for gaming. Software management is handled through Gnome Software, which can deal with both Deb and Flatpak packages, while tools like Synaptic, Deja-Dup backup, Boot Repair, and Bleachbit give you some extra control.
The developers stress that Voyager 13 Debian sticks with official Debian repositories to avoid confusion or security issues. The installer has also been improved and now makes it easier to deal with non-free firmware during setup, which is good news for laptops that need drivers out of the box.
The hardware requirements are quite modest. All you need is a dual-core 2GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 25GB of disk space. Since it is built on Debian 13, Voyager 13 Debian will get security updates and long-term support for five years.
Ultimately, this release brings Debian’s reliability together with Voyager’s polish. If you want Debian 13 “Trixie” but prefer a desktop that feels fresh and has a bit more personality, Voyager 13 Debian is worth a download.
