Trisquel 12.0 Releases as Ubuntu-Based Fully Free Linux Distro

Trisquel 12.0 “Ecne” has officially been released, but before diving into what’s new, it’s worth understanding what makes this distribution unique.

Trisquel isn’t a typical mainstream Linux distribution—and it doesn’t aim to be. Instead, it is designed for users who value a system composed entirely of free software. This means it excludes proprietary drivers, firmware, and other non-free components that many distributions include to improve hardware compatibility and user convenience.

In simple terms, Trisquel is built for those who prioritize software freedom above all else, even if that results in limited hardware support and a less feature-rich out-of-the-box experience. The distribution is also recognized by the GNU project as one of the few fully free operating systems it officially endorses.

What’s New in Trisquel 12.0

Trisquel 12.0 is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, giving it a stable and long-term foundation while maintaining its commitment to fully free software.

As with previous releases, it is available in multiple editions:

• Trisquel (Main Edition): MATE 1.26 desktop
• Triskel: KDE Plasma 5.27
• Trisquel Mini: LXDE 0.99
• Trisquel Sugar: Based on Sugar 0.121
• Netinstall Image: For minimal or custom setups

Supported architectures include:

• amd64
• ppc64el
• arm64
• armhf

Under the hood, Trisquel 12.0 runs on Linux-libre kernel 6.8.x, with 6.14.x available as part of the Hardware Enablement Stack.

On the software side, Trisquel 12.0 includes Abrowser 146 as the default web browser, Icedove 140 as a desktop email client, and LibreOffice 24. The default kernel is Linux-libre 6.8.x, with 6.14.x listed as its Hardware Enablement Stack.

Finally, the Trisquel 12.0 release page notes that over 300 packages were modified, but without specifying which ones, along with bug fixes and maintenance. ISO images are available for download here.

For more details, see the release notes.