German assembler Tuxedo Computers follows the example of others like System76 and releases Tuxedo OS , its own operating system, one based on Ubuntu (22.04 LTS) and KDE Plasma (5.24.6) which is already the default option for all its computers, but which is also made available to anyone who wants it.
And what does Tuxedo OS offer that can’t be found in so many other distributions? The truth is that not much, but according to what the company says about its product, it would boast features such as a Linux kernel optimized for the hardware of its computers, qualified support and two attributes that come directly from the desktop environment that you saw : KDE Plasma itself, given that Tuxedo is a sponsor of KDE , and its facet of being “simple by default, powerful when needed” (yes, the same motto as KDE Plasma).
The official Tuxedo OS page asks the same question: “ Why another Linux distribution? Why invest in so much extra work to create our own distribution, when there is already a large quantity for all tastes? First of all, by offering its customers the best possible experience by default, it would be the summary.
Thus, while Tuxedo sells its computers with the option of not having an operating system, or of bringing a distribution known as Ubuntu, Kubuntu or openSUSE, “for users who just want to turn on their Tuxedo, start working out of the box and get quick help in case of problems, we offer Tuxedo OS.” A case in which there is an added value , since it includes tools specially tuned for your hardware, beyond the kernel.
Tuxedo OS differs from, say, Kubuntu, in several ways: the system installer, as it uses Calamares; visual tweaks here and there, pre-installed packages and components that replace the current default options, like PipeWire instead of PulseAudio, a change that is already on the official track ; or the opposite: Firefox in Deb format, instead of as Snap. The same goes for Chromium. Tuxedo OS doesn’t even pre-install Snap support , but it does keep it in the repositories in case the user is interested in installing it on their own.
Tuxedo OS distinguishes itself from other distributions by its aforementioned tools, which aren’t many, but they don’t look bad either: an Etcher-derived USB drive creator; and a “control center” quite neat in appearance, focused mainly on the management of, or rather its hardware and, therefore, on the company’s clients, since it seems to be designed for their equipment. Or that’s what someone who has tried Tuxedo OS says : that there are options in Tuxedo Control Center that don’t work well with your computer.
In the absence of testing it, there is little more to tell about Tuxedo OS: it is a new alternative, somewhat irrelevant for those who do not have a Tuxedo computer, although at the same time it brings some other curious detail… that perhaps would have been better in the form of repository than in distribution; but that’s what Linux is all about, and if I may, and even if I have zero interest in it, it’s a good use of GNU/Linux : adapting a factory system to offer the best experience to your customers.
If you are interested in trying Tuxedo OS, here are the available downloads . In the plural, because there are several, but the installation image as such is only one, in DVD size (3.1 GB).
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