OpenMandriva is a community-driven Linux distribution that aims to provide a powerful and user-friendly operating system for desktops and servers. Built on a rolling release model, it offers the latest software updates, cutting-edge features, and a variety of desktop environments. The OpenMandriva team announced the Release Candidate for OpenMandriva's rolling release, ROME 24.07.
This latest release represents a significant step forward for OpenMandriva, offering cutting-edge software and improved user experience.
Table of Contents
Major Updates
This version includes significant updates and enhancements. Here's the major updates in ROME 24.07 RC:
Plasma 6 as Default Desktop
ROME 24.07 adopts KDE Plasma 6 as its primary desktop environment. This update brings new features and improved performance.
The team has ensured that Plasma 5 and Plasma 6 packages can coexist if needed. While Plasma 6 is ready for daily use, an updated ISO with the latest stable Plasma 5 desktop is also available for those who prefer it.
Final Releases with Plasma 5
ROME 24.07 and the upcoming OMLx Rock 5.1 mark the last installations to include the Plasma 5 desktop. These releases feature the latest and likely final versions of Plasma 5, making them ideal for users who want to continue using the 5.x series for an extended period.
Transition to Plasma 6
While internal tests show a smooth transition, OpenMandriva team recommends a fresh installation for users opting for Plasma 6.
The Cooker development branch will phase out Plasma 5 after this release. ROME users on Plasma 5 will automatically upgrade to Plasma 6 in future updates. Rock users will transition to Plasma 6 with Rock 6.0 or later versions.
Additional Desktop Environments
In addition to KDE Plasma, OpenMandriva offers alternative desktop environments, including LXQt 2.0.0 and GNOME 46.2. The LXQt spin marks a significant new release, with LXQt 2.0 being the first to move to Qt 6.
Support for Windows Applications and Games
For users who need to run Windows applications and games, the release includes Proton and Proton-Experimental. These variants of Wine, typically used to run Windows games inside Steam, are now available as OpenMandriva packages. This makes Proton available outside of Steam without needing any non-free code.
Enhanced Packaging Process
Packaging is now faster and easier with OpenMandriva's adoption of rpm’s new Declarative Build feature. Implementations for most common build systems, including CMake, Meson, Autotools, and Python (setuptools/pip), are provided. Many packages now require only minimal build instructions.
New Startup and Configuration Tool
OM-Welcome debuts as a comprehensive tool for system configuration and software installation, combining features from previous utilities.
Notable Updates in ROME 24.07 RC
ROME 24.07 RC ships with numerous enhancements and the latest security updates. Here's the major changes in ROME 24.07 Release Candidate:
- Desktop Environment: Plasma 6.1.1, KDE Applications 24.05.1, KDE Frameworks 6.3.0
- Core Components: Kernel 6.9.7 (clang-built), LLVM/Clang 18.1.8, GCC 14.1.0
- Applications: LibreOffice 24.2.4, Chromium 126.0.6478.126, Firefox 127.0
- Multimedia: VLC 3.0.21, OBS Studio 30.2.0 beta, Krita 5.2.3, GIMP 2.10.38
Download
if you're interested to try out this release candidate, you can download ROME 24.07 from SourceForge.
Upgrade Instructions
Users can update their systems by running the following commands in a terminal:
sudo dnf clean all; dnf clean all; dnf repolist sudo dnf --refresh --allowerasing distro-sync
Please note that this is a pre-release, so there should be bugs. We encourage users to share their impressions and report any issues on the official forum at OpenMandriva Forum. Also, you can report critical issues via bug report at OpenMandriva GitHub.
Resource:
Update:
