Code-named, “Consciousness,” the latest release of AV Linux has become completely rebuilt, from the ground-up, which makes it the first iteration that wasn’t a respin of a previous release. Based on Debian 11, AV Linux MX-21 was built with the same tools used to build MX Linux and antiX.
Because this new release is a complete rebuild, there is no way to upgrade from previous releases to MX-21. In other words, you’ll have to do a fresh install to gain the benefits of AV Linux MX-21.
What are those benefits? First off, it ships with kernel 5.15 and a brand new Mesa graphics stack. The one caveat to those two changes, AV Linux no longer supports 32-bit architecture. As far as the kernel is concerned, the version in MX-21 is the Liquorix kernel, which is a high-performance kernel geared for streaming and ultra-low latency.
You’ll also find a new Yabridge GUI, YADbridge, that makes managing Windows VST plugins much easier. Virtual Studio Technology is an audio plugin interface that integrates software synthesizers and effects into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). There are also new versions of all the regular audio/visual tools that are installed by default, as well as a new AV Linux Assistant tool.
AV Linux MX-21 uses the Xfce 4.16 desktop environment that has been customized with a new theme, first-run splash screen, 4K wallpapers, gradient wallpaper generator, and the GDebi Package installer has been replaced by a custom Thunar Action.
