Hello TUXEDO Fans and Open-Source Enthusiasts!
With the latest edition of This Week in TUXEDO OS (TWIX) , we first take a look at the future of KDE. The community is entering the fifth cycle of the KDE Goals and is gathering ideas for the most important objectives for the next two years. Everyone is invited to contribute, helping to actively shape the development of KDE Plasma and KDE applications.
In our App of the Week, we introduce ChatQT. This modern AI chat client integrates seamlessly into the Plasma desktop, supports local models via Ollama as well as a wide range of online services, and brings powerful features for productive use of language models directly to TUXEDO OS.
We also highlight in our TUXEDO OS Tips & Tricks how to make Firefox even more efficient in everyday use. From Multi-Account Containers for improved privacy, to practical tab and zoom features, and the built-in reader view, you will discover tools that make the browser more comfortable and productive.
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
Chromium 149.0.7827.196
Updated to Chromium 149.0.7827.196.
Includes the upstream changes from versions 149.0.7827.155 and 149.0.7827.196 , including bug fixes and security updates.
Cumulative update to Firefox 152.0.3
Updated to Firefox 152.0.3.
Includes the upstream changes from versions 152.0.2 and 152.0.3 , including bug fixes as well as stability and security improvements.
Linux Kernel v6.17.0–122035.35~24.04.1tux1
Disabled RC6 for the InfinityBook Pro Gen8 in the Intel i915 graphics driver (drm/i915/rc6 ).
Cumulative update to Nextcloud Desktop 33.0.6~tux1
Updated to Nextcloud Desktop 33.0.6.
Includes the upstream changes from versions 33.0.5 and 33.0.6 , including various bug fixes and improvements.
tuxedo-board-xxkk4nax-xxsp4nax 1.0.0
Initial release of the board package.
Disabled Panel Replay to improve hardware compatibility.
PipeWire 1.6.7
Updated to PipeWire 1.6.7.
Fixes a race condition that could cause some audio ports to remain silent after a sample rate change.
Resolves synchronisation issues between ALSA audio devices in certain configurations.
Includes additional bug fixes and minor improvements.
For more details, see the release notes .
WirePlumber 0.5.15
Updated to WirePlumber 0.5.15.
Includes bug fixes and improvements from the latest upstream release .
KDE App of the Week: ChatQT – Integrating LLMs into TUXEDO OS
Admittedly, not everyone uses AI chat on a daily basis, but for many users a chatbot has become an integral part of their workflow. With ChatQT we present a lightweight desktop application that integrates directly into Plasma and makes both local and remote AI models conveniently accessible for TUXEDO OS users.
ChatQT supports various AI backends such as local Ollama models as well as OpenAI-compatible APIs. This also makes it possible to connect services like DeepSeek, Groq, or self-hosted APIs. Models are automatically detected and can usually be switched directly within the interface without additional configuration.
In the settings you can choose whether to use local or cloud-based AI models and configure providers flexibly.
ChatQT provides local AI chat for Plasma
Built with Qt 6, QML, and Kirigami, ChatQT integrates visually cleanly into Plasma. A tray icon, session management, and automatic restoration ensure a smooth user experience. Responses are streamed in real time as they are generated, improving workflow efficiency, especially in longer conversations.
An advanced feature is support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This allows AI models to access external tools and services. ChatQT can use both remote MCP servers and execute tool calls within conversations, making it highly extensible in a desktop environment.
The ChatQT interface is not yet fully localized, but you can still communicate with models in German without any issues.
With version 1.1, ChatQT has been deliberately streamlined to focus on its core function as a universal AI chat client. Agent features have been removed, with emphasis instead placed on stability and usability. New additions include configurable AI personas and a memory function for conversation content, allowing chats to be used over longer periods while preserving context.
Features, integration, and setup
The application is available as a Flatpak in the Discover software center, making installation straightforward on TUXEDO OS as well as many other distributions. The package is licensed under GPLv3 and is aimed at users who prefer a lightweight desktop solution for everyday use.
For getting started, it is assumed that Ollama is already installed and a model such as llama3.2 is available. In ChatQT, you enable the Ollama provider in the settings and optionally configure additional APIs. After a restart, the application automatically detects available models and is ready to use immediately.
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: Using Firefox efficiently in everyday life
Firefox is one of the most versatile browsers available on Linux and offers significantly more customization options than many proprietary alternatives. Compared to Chrome in particular, the differing philosophies of modern browsers become clearly visible. While Firefox focuses on openness, user control, and transparency, the ecosystem around Google is strongly shaped by data-driven business models.
Google is no longer just a traditional search engine provider, but one of the world’s leading advertising companies. Services such as Chrome, Gmail, Android, and YouTube are tightly interconnected to analyze user behavior and deliver highly targeted advertising. The economic scale of this model is clearly reflected in the company’s financial results. Firefox, by contrast, represents a deliberately different approach that emphasizes transparency and reduced dependence on centralized data collection.
At the same time, Mozilla itself is regularly under pressure. Its funding through search engine partnerships—particularly with Google—continues to spark discussions about independence and long-term stability. As a result, Firefox operates in a constant tension between idealistic goals and economic realities. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most important free and open alternatives on the web, especially for users who value control and open standards.
The following collection highlights several Firefox features under TUXEDO OS that are often overlooked in daily use. Many of these tips can be enabled quickly and noticeably improve usability, organization, and comfort in the browser—from practical keyboard shortcuts to advanced configuration options.
Enhanced privacy: separating sessions with containers
Firefox containers separate websites into isolated contexts so cookies and logins remain independent, helping organize work, personal, and online services clearly in TUXEDO OS.
Many websites are part of our daily browser routine. Alongside private accounts, we often use work logins, social networks, and multiple email addresses simultaneously. Firefox Containers allow you to separate these areas cleanly. Cookies, logins, and other site data remain isolated within their respective containers and do not interfere with each other.
The container feature is available via the Firefox Multi-Account Containers extension. After installation, you can create and customize any number of containers. Typical examples include Personal , Work , Shopping , or Social . Colors and icons make it easy to visually distinguish between them at a glance.
One particularly useful advantage is the ability to use multiple accounts of the same service in parallel. For example, you can keep private and work email accounts open at the same time without repeatedly logging in and out. Firefox treats each container as an independent session, preventing conflicts with login data or stored cookies.
Improved privacy and everyday convenience
Firefox can permanently assign websites to specific containers so they automatically open there, keeping sessions neatly separated in daily use on TUXEDO OS.
Containers are not only useful for organization but also for privacy protection. If social networks or other services are consistently opened in a dedicated container, they have far less ability to track activity across other tabs. This limits cross-site profiling and improves privacy in everyday browsing.
A particularly practical feature is the ability to assign websites permanently to specific containers. Firefox can remember which service should open in which context. Online banking, email providers, or project management tools will automatically open in the correct container, ensuring a clear separation between personal and professional activities on systems like TUXEDO OS.
Better zooming: smooth zoom with Shift and mouse wheel
Holding Shift while using the mouse wheel enables smooth zooming in Firefox (after configuration in about), scaling entire webpages on TUXEDO OS.
By default, Firefox supports horizontal scrolling when holding the Shift key while using the mouse wheel. This behavior can be customized. Open about:config , search for mousewheel.with_shift.action , and change its value from 4 to 5 .
After this adjustment, holding Shift and using the mouse wheel allows you to smoothly zoom in and out of webpages. Unlike the standard Ctrl+mouse wheel zoom, this does not only scale text elements. Instead, Firefox behaves more like touchpad or touchscreen zooming and scales the entire page layout.
More peace and quiet: muting tabs with a single click
Clicking the speaker icon in a tab immediately mutes or unmutes audio, making it easy to control unwanted media playback in everyday browsing.
When a website plays audio or video in Firefox, a small speaker icon appears on the tab. Clicking this icon immediately mutes the tab; clicking it again restores audio playback. This works regardless of whether the content is music, video, or other media.
Especially with many open tabs, this feature makes it easy to quickly identify and silence unwanted audio sources. Firefox provides this directly via the tab bar icon without requiring additional menus. While browsers like Chrome offer similar functionality, they often require opening the tab context menu first.
Faster navigation: scrolling through tabs with the mouse wheel
With an enabled option in about, the mouse wheel can be used to switch tabs when hovering over the tab bar, significantly speeding up navigation.
Users with many open tabs can switch between them very quickly in Firefox. Open about:config , search for toolkit.tabbox.switchByScrolling , and set its value to true . The change takes effect immediately without restarting the browser.
Afterwards, simply hover the mouse over the tab bar and scroll the wheel to move between tabs. This allows quick navigation through a large number of open websites and reduces the need for manual clicking.
Alternatively, keyboard shortcuts can be used: Ctrl +Tab moves to the next tab, while Ctrl +Shift +Tab goes back to the previous one. This is especially useful when working without a mouse or switching frequently between a small set of tabs.
Better reading: focusing on the actual content
Reader Mode removes distractions from webpages and improves readability by displaying only the main text content in TUXEDO OS.
Firefox’s Reader Mode provides a clean way to remove distractions from webpages and display text in a structured, readable format. It can usually be activated via the book icon in the address bar, though some websites hide or disable this option.
In such cases, a reliable keyboard shortcut is available: on Linux, Reader Mode is activated with Ctrl +Alt +R , and on Windows with F . The page is then re-rendered to show only the main article content, which is especially helpful on cluttered sites with ads, widgets, or complex navigation.
Beyond improved readability, this simplified view can also make content more accessible in situations where paywalls or dynamic page elements interfere with normal browsing. The focus shifts entirely to the text, allowing for a more relaxed and distraction-free reading experience.
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-8477–1: tar vulnerability
USN-8475–1: AMD Microcode vulnerabilities
USN-8476–1: xrdp vulnerabilities
USN-8472–1: containerd vulnerabilities
USN-8471–1: containerd vulnerabilities
USN-8474–1: NSD vulnerabilities
USN-8470–1: cpp-httplib vulnerability
USN-8468–1: ImageMagick vulnerabilities
USN-8469–1: FFmpeg vulnerabilities
USN-8466–1: Perl DBI module vulnerabilities
USN-8465–1: Apache MINA vulnerabilities
USN-8464–1: LIBNFS vulnerability
USN-8463–1: LibVNCServer vulnerabilities
USN-8447–3: Google Guest Agent vulnerabilities
USN-8459–1: HAProxy vulnerabilities
USN-8458–1: nginx vulnerabilities
USN-8457–1: MySQL vulnerabilities
USN-8456–1: libxml2 vulnerability
USN-8455–1: Netatalk vulnerabilities
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 Max 15 Gen10
Intel
GeForce RTX 5050
N.1.15A10
1.09.00
InfinityBook Max 15 Gen10
Intel
GeForce RTX 5060
N.1.15A10
1.09.00
InfinityBook Max 15 Gen10
Intel
GeForce RTX 5070
N.1.15A10
1.09.00
