A new foundation for TUXEDO OS: Switching to Debian - TUXEDO Computers

Many users have noticed that we have reduced our update cadence over the past few months, particularly with regard to Plasma updates. While Plasma 6.7.x is already available, TUXEDO OS is currently still based on Plasma 6.5.x. We have also not yet provided a concrete timeline for when Ubuntu 26.04 LTS will become the foundation of TUXEDO OS for existing users.

As many of you have probably already guessed, there is a good reason for this — one that has already been speculated about on social media. Today, we can finally reveal it and explain why Ubuntu will no longer serve as the foundation of TUXEDO OS in the future.

Why we are leaving Ubuntu

TUXEDO OS follows a hybrid release model that combines the strengths of rolling and point releases. Core components such as web browsers, the graphics stack including NVIDIA drivers, and the Plasma desktop are updated continuously, while the underlying Ubuntu LTS base remains deliberately stable and only receives security updates and carefully selected changes.

However, as an LTS release ages, backporting modern software becomes increasingly difficult. Newer dependencies are often unavailable or only provided in outdated versions, making it significantly more complex to integrate current software reliably into an older package base.

Updating central libraries such as Qt, on which KDE is built, can also cause software from the Ubuntu repositories to stop working correctly. This is not a challenge unique to TUXEDO OS — KDE neon regularly faces the same issue.

Additional reasons relate to Canonical’s strategic direction. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the Snap packaging system out of the operating system, as Canonical is distributing more and more applications exclusively as Snap packages while gradually pushing traditional DEB packages into the background.

Another factor is the AI roadmap announced by Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth during the Ubuntu Summit 26.04. At this point, its concrete implementation remains insufficiently transparent. In addition, we believe that security updates occasionally take longer to reach users than necessary.

What will become the new foundation of TUXEDO OS?

The most exciting question has a straightforward answer: we are moving to the distribution on which Ubuntu itself is built — Debian. This change provides a much more flexible foundation for our release model and gives us greater technical freedom for the long-term evolution of TUXEDO OS.

Since Debian 13 „Trixie“ deliberately focuses on a conservative software stack, future versions of TUXEDO OS will instead be based on Debian Testing. This is Debian’s development branch, where Debian 14 is continuously taking shape as the next stable release while receiving an ongoing stream of current software.

However, TUXEDO OS will not switch to the next Stable branch once Debian 14 is released. Instead, Debian Testing will remain our permanent foundation. We call this model Continuous Debian, allowing us to continue our hybrid release concept on a significantly more suitable base.

Core components such as the kernel, browsers, and the graphics stack will continue to receive frequent updates. This ensures ongoing support for the latest hardware and applications without compromising the overall stability of the operating system.

What are the advantages of the new foundation?

As long as TUXEDO OS is based on Ubuntu, Canonical determines fundamental aspects such as the release cycle, strategic technology decisions like the increasing focus on Snap, and future AI integration. As an Ubuntu derivative, we either have to adopt these decisions or invest considerable effort in working around them.

Debian, by contrast, is not controlled by a single company but developed by a global community of contributors. Debian Testing provides a continuously updated foundation based on long-established principles such as the Debian Social Contract and the Debian Free Software Guidelines.

What changes for TUXEDO OS users?

Since Ubuntu is already based on Debian and uses the same package management system, your day-to-day experience will remain virtually unchanged. You will continue to install updates conveniently through Discover or from the command line, and the overall directory structure will remain exactly the same.

However, we would not be TUXEDO if we did not add an extra benefit. Going forward, TUXEDO OS will use the Btrfs file system by default, together with automatic system snapshots and rollback functionality powered by Snapper, a solution that has proven itself for many years in openSUSE.

Btrfs and Snapper

Before every package management operation — such as installing updates or new software — the system automatically creates a snapshot. Should anything go wrong, you can restore your system to its previous working state within minutes. You can also create snapshots manually whenever needed, for example before making configuration changes.

Over the coming weeks, we will publish a dedicated blog post explaining Btrfs and snapshots in greater detail. TUXEDO OS will use Btrfs by default for installations performed through WebFAI as well as on all new systems. The ISO installer will also preselect Btrfs, although you will still be free to choose a different file system.

If you opt for another file system during installation, snapshot and rollback functionality will not be available. By choosing Btrfs, you gain an additional layer of protection that can save considerable time and effort, particularly after updates or major system changes.

Themes and software

Over the coming weeks and months, we will publish additional blog posts covering topics such as our future kernel strategy, TUXEDO OS for gaming, a redesigned visual theme, our future software selection, and the use of TUXEDO OS in enterprise environments.

At the Linux conference FrosCON, TUXEDO developer Maximilian Arnold will also present the new concept in a dedicated talk, providing a deeper look into the technical background and the long-term vision of Debian-based TUXEDO OS.

By moving to Debian, TUXEDO OS gains substantially more independence while reducing the effort required to maintain up-to-date software. The result is a robust operating system with a clear focus on digital sovereignty—for both TUXEDO customers and users running TUXEDO OS on third-party hardware.

Implementation

An extensive beta testing phase will begin in the coming weeks. We warmly invite you to test the new TUXEDO OS using the ISO image in a non-production environment and share your feedback with us.

For technical reasons, a reliable and safe crossgrade from the Ubuntu-based version to the new Debian-based release will not be possible. A clean installation will therefore be required. Well before the final release, we will publish a comprehensive migration guide explaining how to transfer your personal data.

If, as an existing TUXEDO OS user, you would prefer to remain on an Ubuntu-based platform, we will provide a straightforward migration path to Kubuntu 26.04.