While Microsoft continues working on its new operating system, Windows 11, those responsible for the main Linux distributions are moving tab. Yesterday we were able to meet a new distro that mimicked the appearance of Microsoft’s new system, Zorin OS 16, which seeks to break through to users. And today we are going with another similar distro, although, this time, it is inspired a little by Windows 11 and a little by macOS. We are talking about the new elementary OS 6 “Odin” .
elementary OS is a Linux distro designed to offer users one of the best alternatives to Windows and macOS, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. This distro is based on Ubuntu, but has a unique customization layer that makes it one of the most beautiful distros that we can see. Elementary OS has always been very inspired by the Apple operating system, being for many it is macOS for those who could not buy an Apple PC. However, the new version 6 of this distro, “Odin” , also wanted to be inspired a bit by the new Windows. And this is all that brings us back.
What’s new in elementary OS 6 “Odin”
This new version of the distro is based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS , which guarantees us an extended long-term support of, at least, until 2025. In addition, its developers have opted to use the Linux 5.11 Kernel , a kernel thanks to which we will also be able to have a few years of support ahead of us.
Now entering the specific changes, this new Linux has focused on improving the general appearance of the distro so that users can adapt it to their tastes and needs. For example, now we are going to have a new dark theme within this distro. In addition, we will also be able to choose the accent color that we want, both for system applications and for those that are already updated and are compatible with this function.
Another interesting novelty is that the new elementary OS 6 “Odin” bets more than ever on virtualization and security. All the applications that we can download from its AppCenter are distributed as Flatpaks , a modern container system that isolates them and protects our data. In addition, for the applications that we install from outside, we will also be able to configure the permissions of each one thanks to the new Portals function.
In addition, we will find other new features in this Linux distro such as:
- Multi-touch support to control certain actions with trackpad gestures.
- New notification system written from scratch, with a new look and more possibilities.
- New task app.
- New firmware update system for major hardware manufacturers.
- New notification panel and more controls in the system tray.
- New features for the desktop (such as hot corners).
- New installation wizard faster and easier in all aspects.
- New funds, which we can download from here .
In addition, the developers have taken the opportunity to fix a large number of bugs, apply changes, improvements and optimizations to the entire system and, of course, update the specific Elementary OS applications.
Download
This new version is now available to all users. And, as always, it is completely free. We can download the ISO image of the new elementary OS 6 “Odin” from here .
If we already have version 5 of Elementary OS installed on our computer, we can update directly to the new version 6, “Odin”, without having to format. We will simply have to open the AppCenter and a message will appear that this new version is now available. We accept it, click on ” Update all ” and we will wait for it to finish. After restarting, we will have our system updated to this new version.