Spanish distro based on Debian excels on many fronts, could be good for new users
By Larry Cafiero
We get mail, part deux . . . where we take suggestions from our readership, and one reader commented in another review that we try this week’s Distro of the Week, and we obliged.
So direct from Spain – Catalonia, actually – we are test-driving the latest version of Soplos Linux, code named Tyron, with the Xfce desktop environment chosen from the alternatives available. The desktop environments available from Soplos Linux are also Gnome – code named Boro – and KDE Plasma, which is code-named Tyson, all with the latest Linux kernel rumbling under the hood.
It bears mentioning that Soplos is based on the Debian “Testing” branch – also known as “Sid” – and for those of you keeping score at home, it means that unlike Debian Stable – the official production release of the operating system – the primary difference between the two is that Debian Testing is a branch that’s continuously updating and serves as the staging ground for the next Debian release, where Debian Stable is built and heavily tested for maximum predictability.
Interesting that they have different code names for different desktop environments, but never mind.
Installing Soplos Linux
Downloading a 2.8 GB ISO from the Soplos site was simple enough, and putting it on a USB thumb drive went flawlessly. The hardware booted up from the live USB drive fairly quickly, with the Xfce 4.20 desktop environment showing clean lines. An icon to install the distro appeared on the desktop, and clicking it takes the user to a standard Calamares installer.
The Calamares installer takes the user through the standard install process of location for time/date, keyboard choice, disk setup, login/password setup, and off we go. About 10 minutes later there is a reboot and we’re ready to begin.
The minimum system requirements make Soplos a good choice for a wide variety of hardware. For Tyron, the Xfce version, the minimums are a dual-core 2.0 GHz with 2 GB of RAM, 20 GB of storage space, and an OpenGL 20 compatible graphics card. What’s recommended for the distro is a quad-core 2.4 GHz or higher with 4 GB of RAM, 30 GB SSD or more in storage, and dedicated 1 GB of VRAM.
Kicking the tires on Soplos Linux
At first look, Soplos tends to appear to be your standard Debian-based distro, until the user logs in and is greeted by Soplos’ Welcome window, which is a bit complex, but in a good way. The best way to describe the Welcome window on Soplos is that it encompasses almost everything the user may encounter when using the distro.
First things first: Soplos Tyron tends to be a little light on software included in the original installation. The Xfce version includes all the Xfce-based tools, of course, along with some specialized Soplos tools as well, including a Soplos Graphics Report, Soplos Kernel Manager, Soplos Docklike, Soplos Repo Selector, Soplos System Services, among several others, as well as some pleasant surprises like the Ghostty terminal emulator and Sensor Viewer, which allows the user a peek under the hood. It also come with ImageMagick image editor, the Firefox web browser, and the Parole media player, and the software features drop from there.
But the “secret sauce” that puts it all together, at least at the start, is the Welcome window. Going the distance and then some for the user, this window allows a wide variety of activities along tabbed top of the window. Software? Yes, there’s a tab for that, where the system updates immediately and effortlessly, along with a variety of installation options like Flatpak, Synaptic, Discover, and other software addition programs.
The next tab is drivers, which helps the user with his or her graphics and WiFi drivers, followed by the Kernels tab, which provides the user a choice of kernel to install. Moving rightward with the tabs, there’s a Security tab, which allows the user to set up a firewall, if he or she would like.
But next is the piece-de-resistance of the window, the Recommended tab. This tab provides the user a wide variety of recommended software to add to the distro to make it the users’ own. A wide assortment is available, broken down into categories of Web Browsers, Communication (we’ll take Thunderbird, please), Office (LibreOffice, if you don’t mind), Multimedia (VLC, please), Graphics and Design (let’s have GIMP), Development, Gaming, App Management, Downloads, Hardware, Files, Remote Desktops, and Virtualization.
The final two tabs on the window are the Customization – which gives users a variety of ways to change themes, icons, etc. – and Gaming, which provides assistance in that realm if the user so desires.
Once we got the distro where we wanted it – and admittedly fiddling more with the Welcome windows options than I would normally do – we are ready to put the rubber to the road, so to speak.
True to its Debian roots, Soplos handles everyday tasks with incredible ease and reliability. Web surfing with Firefox and emailing with Thunderbird were both exemplary, and listening to music via the VLC media player went off without a hitch.
With the wealth of tools provided by Soplos, exploring the inner workings of the distro became a task unto itself – and an enjoyable one at that – where changing kernels and setting up firewalls were simple tasks as well.
As far as multitasking issues go, Soplos handled each and every request with aplomb, and the distro also operates seamlessly when faced with web based programs like Google Drive and Google Docs.
The final word
Four quick and simple words: I like this distro. Let me add a fifth – I REALLY like this distro. The Welcome window aside, Soplos Linux provides a cornucopia of options to the user – both new and experienced alike – and possibly the only drawback (and, of course, this is a stretch) is that being based on Debian Testing could provide for a multiplicity of updates; so far this week there have been two with around 60 programs updated apiece.
But never mind that. Soplos Linux provides a kinder and gentler Debian than expected, with the distro’s defaults easily smoothing over most – if not all – of the rough edges on Debian Testing that could be offputting to newcomers. Further, this is a solid distro which, hopefully, will rise above the mid-80s in Distrowatch’s page-hit rankings, and out of the plethora of Debian-based distros available, it stands head-and-shoulders above many of them.
Is it good for beginners? The Xfce version surely is, and I would imagine that the KDE Plasma and Gnome versions would easily follow suit. The distro is almost custom-made for the most curious beginners who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, proverbially speaking, digging deep into the bowels of the distro. That said, Soplos Linux is almost a natural for intermediate and greybeards as well for pretty much the same reason.
Soplos Linux is one of the better distros that have come down the pike in quite some time. New users benefit from a guided experience in Debian Testing, and despite its Catalonian roots with Spanish as its first language, English is definitely spoken here. Its community is growing, meaning the wiki and forum will also follow suit, should you need reference in troubleshooting.
Give it a test drive by downloading the ISO from the Soplos download page.
Do you have a distro you think would make a great feature for Distro of the Week? Don’t be shy—let me know! Email me at larry.cafiero@gmail.com and I’ll make an effort to make your choice available to the wider public … No suggestion is too mainstream!