Debian 13 Arrives With Major Updates For Linux Users - What's New In 'trixie'

3 hours ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The latest Debian Linux comes pinch aggregate improvements.
Debian will nary longer support aged 32-bit x86 architectures.
Debian supports fundamentally each Linux desktop interfaces.

Debian Linux is everywhere. Debian whitethorn only beryllium classed 5th connected nan DistroWatch database of Linux distributions, but different Linux distros, specified arsenic Mint, MX Linux, and Ubuntu, are built connected its beardown foundation.

The latest release, Debian 13, codenamed Trixie, released connected Aug. 9.

What's caller pinch Trixie?

This latest type features galore updates and introduces immoderate notable changes. Perhaps nan 1 alteration that will deed old-time Linux users nan hardest is that Debian will nary longer support nan 32-bit x86 architecture.

Also: 10 Linux features you should beryllium utilizing to get nan champion capacity and functionality

This alteration comes arsenic nary surprise. After all, Linus Torvalds bid adieu to nan i386 CPU measurement backmost successful 2012, saying, "I'm not sentimental. Good riddance," got free of floppy drives successful 2019, and dropped 32-bit support from nan Linux kernel pinch nan extremity of 486 and early Pentium processors earlier successful 2025.

If you want to tally Linux connected ancient hardware, Debian won't thief you going forward. Instead, you'll request to, arsenic Torvalds has said, "run depository kernels."

Also: 8 ways I quickly leveled up my Linux skills - and you tin too

Debian developers person besides fixed a bug making love backmost to 2003 successful this release. When an operating strategy is 31 years aged -- much than aged capable to drink, vote, and get a driver's licence -- these kinds of things tin happen.

However, Trixie will officially support nan newish RISC-V (riscv64) architecture. The caller type besides ships pinch Linux kernel 6.12. This displacement is simply a awesome update from Debian 12, Bookworm's December 2022 vintage 6.1.27 Linux kernel.

This merchandise besides features updated programming languages, including Python 3.13, PHP 8.4, PostgreSQL 17, GCC 14.2, and glibc 2.41. However, nan Debian infrastructure still has problem pinch rebuilding packages that systematically usage fixed linking. In practice, that rumor intends nan Go and Rust ecosystems will beryllium covered by constricted information support for now.

For web browsers, Debian recommends and comes pinch Firefox and Chromium. However, while you tin tally different web browsers, Debian notes, "The high complaint of vulnerabilities and partial deficiency of upstream support successful nan shape of semipermanent branches make it very difficult to support these browsers and engines pinch backported information fixes." So, return attraction moving different browsers.

Also: The 5 astir customizable Linux desktop environments - erstwhile you want it your way

Debian comes pinch 2 awesome supported desktops: GNOME 48 and KDE Plasma 6.3. It besides fundamentally supports each different awesome Linux desktop interfaces.

GNOME 48's astir noteworthy characteristic is that its dual Wayland and X11 surface compositor, Mutter, now supports move triple buffering. This support intends that whether you person a top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 aliases a low-end PC pinch integrated graphics, you'll still get importantly smoother animations, noticeably less dropped frames, and much fluid transitions.

On nan KDE side, nan interface's fractional scaling useful overmuch better. That intends if you person a high-dots-per-inch (DPI) monitor, your show will look better.

This merchandise besides ships pinch a caller "Cereratopsian" theme. This is an attractive, integrated look based connected Trixie, nan Toy Story triceratops.

Also: Think Linux desktop marketplace stock isn't complete 6%? This 15 million-system scan says otherwise

Behind nan scenes, Apt 3.0, Debian's default package package installation program, now comes pinch colored output, a caller signature verification backend (Sequoia), apt-key deprecation, and simplified root guidance via nan .sources DEB822 format. The consequence is that package operations are safer and much intuitive. The once-controversial /usr merge is now complete.

The latest Debian besides boasts specified information enhancements arsenic support for Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET), Pointer Authentication Codes (PAC), and Branch Target Identification (BTI). On compatible CPUs, Debian provides mitigations for Return-Oriented Programming (ROP)-based exploits, which are progressively communal attacks.

Under nan hood, nan impermanent files directory (/tmp) now resides connected tmpfs by default. Confused? Don't be. All you request to cognize is that it will make reference and penning to retention and your machine faster.

Want to cheque retired Trixie?

You tin download Debian 13 successful aggregate formats if you're presently utilizing a Linux distribution based connected Debian.

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Other distributions, specified arsenic Tails 7.0 RC1 and Gnoppix AI Linux 25_8, and much mainstream distributions, including Mint and Ubuntu, will incorporated nan latest Debian successful their adjacent awesome releases.