MX Linux has kicked off the next chapter of its popular distribution with the release of MX-25 “Infinity” beta 1. The test images are now available to download in multiple flavors, including Xfce, KDE Plasma, and Fluxbox. For longtime MX fans, the project continues to provide both systemd and sysVinit editions, with the latter clearly labeled for those who prefer it.
MX-25 is built on top of Debian 13 “Trixie,” combined with MX repositories and the antiX live system. Most of the isos use the Debian stable 6.12.43 kernel, while the Advanced Hardware Support (AHS) variants ship with the Liquorix 6.15 kernel for newer hardware. Secure Boot support is now available for 64-bit UEFI installs, but only when using the signed Debian kernels. The Liquorix-based AHS releases still do not support it.
On the desktop front, MX-25 offers Xfce 4.20, KDE/Plasma 6.3.6, and Fluxbox 1.3.7. The KDE edition defaults to Wayland, though X11 is still available. Plasma itself has been tweaked to deal with new configuration changes, while Fluxbox users get revised menus, updated panel configs, and streamlined appfinder support.
Under the hood, MX has made some structural changes. The distribution now adopts the newer deb822 format for sources, though the older list format still works. MX Repo Manager and related tools have been updated to handle the new structure. The longtime apt-notifier has also been retired in favor of mx-updater, which can even use nala instead of apt if desired.
The installer has been another major focus. It now supports replacing an existing Linux installation, although this does not yet work with encrypted setups. Zram swap configuration is included, and other optimizations have been added. Secure Boot support is in place for UEFI, as long as you stick to the signed Debian kernel.
Known issues include some missing installer icons on the Fluxbox desktop, quirks in the MX Package Installer, potential crashes with quick-system-info, and the absence of root actions in Dolphin under KDE. Testers are encouraged to focus on installer stability with both ext4 and btrfs setups as well as the popular apps section of mx-packageinstaller. Feedback is being collected in the project’s forum.
