The security focused Nitrux should give rivals food for
thought but it takes some getting used to. One first encounter the Nitrux 3.2
is a moody beast. The default UI is dark file management windows have black
backgrounds and apps are dimmed when they lose focus. Yet somehow even if you
are not a fan of the dark modes it works.
You can also switch between the windows for some real
showmanship the apps swoop around each other to make the space and where the
two windows font is skinny but easy on the eye and while the launcher is too
angular for our tastes. That is a matter of personal preference.
Where we think it is less successful is in detaching the
windows button. The close maximize and minimize and putting them up in the
screen top left corner. Where they sit on the end of the menu bar. This is
presumably why apps without focus are dimmed so you know which one you are
going to close or enlarge when you click them. A side effect is that when
switching between a browser and word processor. If you are referring to the
former while writing in the latter. Your reference material will frequently
change brightness.
Elsewhere the file manager is called index has a grid of
quick access buttons for common folders such as Music Documents and Pictures
but when they all sport the same icon and there is no label as was our
experience with the default theme you have to hover over each one and wait for
its name to appear in a tooltip.
If you do not get on with the default desktop there are other themes to choose from including some with more traditional window controls.
The Calamares installer is logical and offers plenty of
guidance such as the requirements for a secure password. Once up and running
you might not recognize a huge number of pre installed applications other than
firefox and there is no office suite ready for use although LibreOffice is
available through the NX Software Center. So are staples such as thunderbird
GIMP and Inkscape which are likewise absent. You will find placeholders for
Steam Waydroid and Bottles with the latter two providing layers for Android and
Windows apps respectively.
However it did not detect the two printers on our network until we had entered their IP addresses.
Behind the scenes this is a Debian based distribution using
the 6.6.2-1 kernel and a modified version of KDE plasma to render the NX
desktop. There is a generous selection of desktop widgets and a configurable
button on the dock. Which you can use to run scripts or activate an applet.
The root directory is unwritable by default which says the
developer strengthens security and minimizes points of failure. It should be
also mean that if an update fails your machine remains bootable. Other security
measures have been implemented elsewhere such as disabling core dumps implementing
strict password expiration and deactivating the root account. There is a built
in backup tool kup that can be set to kick in after you have been using your
computer for a set period which is an unusual and useful option. The X11
display protocol has been dropped in favor of Wayland providing a sorer and
more secure route between application and display.
One happy benefit of the switch to Wayland which is taking
place across most distributions is a probable speed bump and certainly Nitrux
feels fast I everyday use. This was particularly evident when we were browsing
the web with pages seeming to arrive more quickly on our domestic broadband
connection than they do in other Linux distributions or on our Windows box. We suspected
that our broadband had been upgraded but that was not the case.
There is a lot of interesting technology in this distribution and it is refreshing to encounter such as individual interface. Going down this road is a brave and largely successful move that has garnered significant praise. Including when we named it the best Linux Distro for new users.
However with this review written we are now looking forward
to returning to a more conventional environment.
Nik Rawlinson
Nik is an Esperanto speaking pencil bothering manual
typewriter fan who also happens to have a soft spot for tech after sufficient
years in the business to know what that disk icon on the save button actually
means. Never happier than when out in this campervan coffee in one hand ebook
in the other listening to the rain on the roof.
Final Review
Some customer reviews:
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