Hello TUXEDO Fans and Open-Source Enthusiasts!
„That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind“… there are quotes that have become deeply embedded in our collective memory. The world of IT has its own defining moments: when Linus Torvalds published his famous message in 1991 – „I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones.“ – hardly anyone could have predicted the avalanche it would trigger.
But a kernel alone does not make an operating system. It’s no coincidence that there has long been a debate over the naming of Linux versus GNU/Linux. Only through a compiler, tools, desktop environments, and a growing software ecosystem did Linux become what we use today. A key contribution came from the KDE Community, whose vision of a user-friendly interface provided an early impulse and made Linux accessible to a much broader audience.
The idea is NOT to create a GUI for the complete UNIX-system or the System-Administrator. For that purpose the UNIX-CLI with thousands of tools and scripting languages is much better. The idea is to create a GUI for an ENDUSER. Somebody who wants to browse the web with Linux, write some letters and play some nice games.
– Matthias Ettrich , 14 October 1996
This approach is still evident today: KDE and the software ecosystem built around Qt offer an enormous range of applications – from productivity to creativity. Whether desktop environments, development tools, or specialized applications, the diversity of free and commercial software demonstrates how viable the idea of an open, flexible operating system has become.
To mark its 30th anniversary on 14 October 1996, the KDE Community is hosting celebrations and events around the world – from Europe to South America. At the same time, the „30 for 30“ initiative encourages people to take action and make technology more sustainable. Whether it’s reviving old hardware or inspiring others to explore free software, the community thrives on ideas that have an impact beyond the screen.
This brings us back to This Week in TUXEDO OS . In this issue, we take a closer look at Kontainer, a tool that lets you conveniently manage Distrobox containers through a graphical interface. In our tips section, we tackle a seemingly simple question: what is the fastest way to insert an emoji into a chat? As it turns out, there’s a handy keyboard shortcut that many users are still unaware of. As always, we also summarize the most important changes to TUXEDO OS that our developers have been working on this week.
Enjoy reading,The TUXEDO OS Team
Note: We would like to keep you updated on the latest developments in TUXEDO OS with the TWIX series and introduce you to exciting applications as well as practical tips related to the KDE desktop and TUXEDO OS. However, this section should not be a one-way street: your feedback, ideas, and suggestions for improvement are very welcome! For this purpose, we have created a thread on Reddit, where you can reach us directly.
Updates in TUXEDO OS
Småland Repository Disabled
Repository will be fully disabled soon due to very low usage and lack of practical benefit
Included packages were mostly unmaintained and experimental
Recommendation: Remove the repository from your package sources (More information )
TUXEDO Control Center 3.0.3
Hotfix for encrypted password changes with restrictions on problematic characters
TUXEDO Control Center 3.0.2
Improved fan control for selected devices (especially InfinityBook Pro Gen9 AMD: fix for stuck high fan speeds)
Added support for system profiles on InfinityBook Max 16 AMD
Adjusted default frequency limits for Intel models (no unnecessary throttling anymore)
Linux Kernel 6.17.0–113020.20~24.04.1tux1
Hotfix for display backlight issues (affects InfinityBook Pro Intel Gen9 and Gen10)
Rollback of a faulty upstream patch to improve stability
PipeWire 1.6.3
Fixed RAOP compatibility issues (e.g. AirPlay)
Fix for crashes in the mixer under certain conditions
Restored MIDI1 support (fewer conversions to/from UMP)
Various smaller bug fixes and optimizations
Full release notes
WirePlumber 0.5.14
KDE App of the Week: Kontainer: Manage Distrobox containers via GUI
Container technologies like Docker and Podman have long become part of everyday workflows for many users – even outside professional use cases. With Kontainer , we present a KDE App of the Week that provides a graphical interface for Distrobox , allowing you to work without directly using the command line. The application integrates seamlessly into the desktop and is aimed at Plasma users.
What is Distrobox
Distrobox is a command-line tool built on container technologies such as Podman or Docker, designed to create Linux environments that are tightly integrated with the host system. Unlike traditional isolated containers, it follows a desktop-oriented approach, making containers behave like a native part of the system and enabling seamless integration.
Access to the home directory
Support for X11/Wayland and audio
Integration of GUI applications into the host menu
Access to USB devices and system resources
The result is essentially a distribution within a distribution. You can run multiple Linux distributions inside TUXEDO OS or encapsulate specific development environments. This allows different stacks to run in parallel without modifying the host system – offering clear advantages for testing and development while significantly increasing flexibility.
What does Kontainer add?
Kontainer is a KDE application designed to manage these Distrobox containers. Instead of controlling containers exclusively via the command line, it provides a graphical overview and centralized management. It is neither a traditional Docker frontend nor a replacement for web-based solutions like Portainer , but instead focuses clearly on desktop usage with Distrobox.
Features
Manage containers: create, start, stop, and remove
Run distributions in parallel: operate multiple distributions side by side
Visualize integration: overview of integrated applications and direct execution on the host
Terminal access: direct shell access to containers
Installation
Kontainer is not preinstalled on TUXEDO OS but can be installed as a Flatpak via the Discover package manager. It requires a configured Distrobox setup as well as a backend such as Docker or Podman on the host system, which provides the container technology – enabling a flexible yet lightweight working environment for developers.
Usage
After launching Kontainer for the first time, enable the Distrobox integration via the hamburger menu in the top-left corner and optionally activate container icons. You can then create a new environment using the Create button and configure its base image and core options directly within the tool in the next step.
The number of distributions you can install is practically limited only by your host system’s CPU and RAM resources, allowing even complex setups to remain feasible.
Multiple containers – for example for different development environments – can be defined using an INI manifest and created together via Assemble . You can then start the container, install applications inside it, and export them to the host, where they become available in the main menu for further use.
If an application is installed both on the host and in multiple containers, the host menu clearly indicates its origin and assignment.
Kontainer is still a relatively young application and may contain occasional bugs. If something does not work as expected, the Distrobox commands in the terminal are often helpful. For example, if a container’s terminal emulator does not start, you can enter the container directly using
distrobox enter [Container-ID]
and continue working from there. The command
distrobox list
displays all existing containers along with their IDs. You can also find a direct link to the official documentation in Kontainer’s hamburger menu if you want to dive deeper or troubleshoot issues manually.
Info: Are you interested in Plasma development and want to know what new features are planned and which programs have been recently updated? You can find a detailed overview in the weekly column This week in Plasma by KDE developer Nate Graham.
TUXEDO OS Tips & Tricks: Entering Emojis on the Desktop
Chatting without emojis is like soup without salt. You can do it – and it might even be healthier – but it just doesn’t taste the same. Anyone using apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal on a smartphone will hardly want to go without them. After all, emojis are always just a tap away on the on-screen keyboard.
On the desktop, however, there is no dedicated emoji key. If you want to insert an emoji in TUXEDO OS, you could launch the Emoji Picker application, select a symbol, and copy it to the clipboard. You would then paste it using the context menu or Ctrl +V . It works – but it’s unnecessarily cumbersome.
Modern desktop environments offer a much more convenient solution. What many users don’t realize: there’s a handy keyboard shortcut that lets you access emojis instantly. This saves you from switching applications and helps you stay focused and efficient in your current workflow.
Emojis on KDE
On KDE Plasma, as used in TUXEDO OS, simply press Tux +. or Super +. . This immediately opens the emoji picker in a new application window. In the sidebar, you can filter by category, while the search field allows you to look up specific terms – both in German and English.
Clicking an emoji automatically copies it to the clipboard. You can then paste it as usual using Ctrl +V or the context menu into an editor, browser, or chat application. This way, you can seamlessly integrate emojis into your text without leaving your current workflow.
Press Tux +. in KDE Plasma to open the emoji picker. You can search for emojis and easily insert them into any application via the clipboard.
Emojis on GNOME
GNOME goes one step further and enables emoji input entirely without using the mouse. Here, you also start with the shortcut Tux +. . Instead of opening a selection window right away, a small underlined „e“ appears. This indicates that you can now directly type an emoji keyword.
For example, type „smile“ and press Space . GNOME automatically converts the term into a matching emoji. Press Enter to confirm and continue typing. This method is especially efficient if you use emojis frequently.
GNOME allows emoji input directly via the keyboard: type a keyword, convert it with the spacebar, and continue typing smoothly without touching the mouse.
Alternatively, you can also use a graphical selection. Press Tux +. , type a term like „smile“, and then press the spacebar twice. This opens a dialog with matching emojis, which you can navigate using the arrow keys.
If you’re not sure which emoji you’re looking for, press Tux +. followed by a double Space to open the full overview directly. From there, select a symbol using the keyboard and confirm it with Enter to insert it into your text.
[Tux]+[.], [Space], [Space]
[Tux]+[.], then type „smile“, [Space], [Enter] or
[Tux]+[.], then type „smile“, [Space], [Space], select emoji with arrow keys, [Enter]
Press the spacebar twice after the shortcut to open the full emoji picker and conveniently navigate through all available symbols using the keyboard.
Ubuntu Security Updates
The Ubuntu security updates listed here are generally incorporated directly into TUXEDO OS. Some updates are only available from Ubuntu for a fee and are therefore not made available to the community until a later date. Unfortunately, we have no control over this:
USN-8182–1: Rack vulnerabilities
USN-8181–1: ESAPI vulnerabilities
USN-8148–7: Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
USN-8178–1: oFono vulnerabilities
USN-8179–1: Linux kernel vulnerabilities
USN-8176–1: .NET vulnerabilities
USN-8175–1: FRR vulnerability
USN-8174–1: XML::Parser vulnerabilities
USN-8173–1: polkit vulnerabilities
USN-8148–6: Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
USN-8149–3: Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
USN-8171–1: Vim vulnerabilities
USN-8170–1: Corosync vulnerabilities
USN-8169–1: Redis, Lua vulnerabilities
USN-8168–1: Rust vulnerability
USN-8167–1: xdg-dbus-proxy vulnerability
LSN-0119–1: Kernel Live Patch Security Notice
USN-8166–1: RetroArch vulnerability
Current BIOS/EC Versions
An EC/BIOS update affects key system components. Please ensure that you follow the instructions carefully and take your time. The process is usually completed quickly. If you have any doubts, our support team is happy to assist you. The following devices have BIOS/EC updates available:
Model
CPU
GPU
BIOS
EC
InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 (AMD)
Ryzen AI 7 350/AI 9 365/AI 9 HX 370
N.1.21A21
1.33.00
InfinityBook Pro 15 Gen10 (AMD)
Ryzen AI 7 350/AI 9 365/AI 9 HX 370
N.1.21A21
1.33.00
InfinityBook Max 15 Gen10 (AMD)
Ryzen AI 7 350/AI 9 365/AI 9 HX 370
RTX 5060/5070
N.1.21A21
1.33.00
InfinityBook Max 15 Gen10 (Intel)
Core Ultra 7 255H
RTX 5050/5060/5070
N.1.10A03
1.09.00
InfinityBook Max 16 Gen10 (AMD)
Ryzen AI 7 350/365/370
RTX 5060/5070
N.1.21A21
1.33.00
Gemini 17 Gen4 (Intel)
1.07.09RTR4
1.09.04TR1
