The Trisquel project has officially released Trisquel 12.0 Ecne (download here), and for people who care about fully free software, this is a pretty notable update. The new version builds on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and introduces improvements across packaging, kernel work, security policies, and available applications. If you are the type of Linux user who wants a system that sticks strictly to free software principles, Trisquel remains one of the few distributions still walking that line.
One of the bigger under the hood updates is the move to APT 3.0 along with full adoption of the deb822 repository format. Most users probably will not notice this change directly, but it helps modernize how repositories are handled wacross the system. The Trisquel team says the new format is now used across installation paths including the netinstall option, the graphical Ubiquity installer, and package tools like Synaptic. It is not flashy work, but it is the kind of infrastructure improvement that helps keep a distro healthy long term.
Kernel work continues to be one of the trickiest parts of maintaining a distribution like this. For the Ecne release, the developers focused on making kernel modifications more modular, which should help reduce breakage during installation, particularly in the udeb components involved in the process. The team also says work on kernel-wedge is ongoing. In other words, this is still an area under active development rather than a solved problem.
Security also gets some attention in this release. Trisquel revised a number of AppArmor rules that apply to graphical desktop environments, which should improve security coverage during everyday use. Linux desktop security sometimes gets less attention than server hardening, so it is nice to see some work happening there.
Web browsing options are expanding as well. Trisquel 12.0 now offers GNU IceCat and ungoogled chromium alongside the distro’s long maintained Abrowser. That gives users a few different ways to browse the web while still sticking to the project’s strict free software philosophy. For people coming from other Linux distributions, the browser lineup may look a bit unfamiliar, but within the Trisquel ecosystem it makes sense.
Another useful piece of the release is the continued backports repository. This allows users to install newer versions of popular software without abandoning the stability that comes from the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS base. Applications available through backports include LibreOffice, yt-dlp, Inkscape, Nextcloud Desktop, Kdenlive, Tuba, 0 A.D., fastfetch, and others.
As usual, Trisquel comes in several editions. The main release uses the MATE desktop environment version 1.26.1, which remains a good fit for older hardware and systems without 3D acceleration. Triskel provides a KDE 5.27 desktop for users who prefer deeper customization and visual polish. There is also Trisquel Mini running LXDE 0.99.2 for lightweight setups, along with Trisquel Sugar, also called TOAST, which includes the Sugar learning platform and educational activities for children. A network installer image is also available for advanced users and server deployments.
Because the system is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Trisquel 12.0 will receive support until 2029. Existing users running Trisquel 11 Aramo can upgrade directly using update manager or the do release upgrade command from the terminal.
Trisquel is run as a nonprofit project, so the developers are encouraging users who rely on the distro to help support its development through memberships, donations, or purchases from the project’s store. Like many smaller Linux projects, Trisquel depends heavily on community support to keep moving forward.
For folks who care about software freedom first and convenience second, Trisquel 12.0 Ecne looks like a solid step forward.
