MX Linux started in 2014 as a collaboration between the antiX and MEPIS communities. It is built on Debian stable with a light Xfce desktop and a set of graphical “MX Tools” for tasks such as snapshots and live USB creation. It uses sysvinit by default, with systemd available at boot. For several years it was the most viewed distribution on DistroWatch.
MX Linux
A lightweight, Debian-based desktop distribution known for its MX Tools and for keeping sysvinit as the default init system.
- Active project
- Latest 25.3Sep 2026
- Supported 2 versions
At a glance
- Type
- Linux distribution
- Developer
- MX Linux community (antiX and MEPIS)
- Based on
- Debian
- First release
- 24 Mar 2014
- Release cadence
- Follows Debian stable; point releases in between
- OS family
- Linux
- Package format
- .deb (APT)
- Init system
- sysvinit by default (systemd optional)
- Default desktop
- Xfce (KDE Plasma and Fluxbox editions)
- Architectures
- amd64, i386, arm
- License
- Free software
- Website
- mxlinux.org
Newest release
MX Linux 25
Released 9 Nov 2025 · latest update 25.3
Support status
Release history
| Version | Name | Released | Latest | Active support | Security / EOL | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Infinity | 9 Nov 2025 | 25.3 | 31 Aug 2028 | 30 Jun 2030 | Supported |
| 23 | Libretto | 31 Jul 2023 | 23.6 | 10 Jun 2026 | 10 Jun 2028 | Security fixes only |
| 21 | Wildflower | 21 Oct 2021 | 21.3 | 30 Jun 2024 | 30 Jun 2026 | End of life |
| 19 | Patito Feo | 22 Oct 2019 | 19.4 | 10 Sep 2022 | 30 Jun 2024 | End of life |
| 18 | Continuum | 20 Dec 2018 | 18.3 | 5 Jun 2020 | 30 Jun 2022 | End of life |
| 17 | Horizon | 15 Dec 2017 | 17.1 | 5 Jun 2020 | 30 Jun 2022 | End of life |
| 16 | Metamorphosis | 14 Dec 2016 | 16.1 | 23 Jun 2018 | 30 Jun 2020 | End of life |
| 15 | Fusion | 24 Dec 2015 | 15 | 23 Jun 2018 | 30 Jun 2020 | End of life |
| 14 | Symbiosis | 25 Mar 2014 | 14.4 | 4 Jun 2016 | 31 May 2018 | End of life |
Release data: endoflife.date and vendor announcements, checked 13 Nov 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Support timeline
The 9 most recent releases, from release day to the end of support.
- Active support
- Security fixes only
- Today
25
23
21
19
18
17
16
15
14
History
Milestones
- 2014MX-14 is released as a joint project of the antiX and MEPIS communities
- 2018MX Linux rises to the top of DistroWatch's page-hit ranking
- 2023MX-23 "Libretto" moves to Debian 12
- 2025MX-25 "Infinity" moves to Debian 13
MX Linux guides
Frequently asked questions
What is the latest version of MX Linux?
The newest MX Linux release is MX Linux 25, released on 9 Nov 2025. Its latest update is 25.3 (20 Sep 2026).
Which MX Linux versions are still supported?
As of 13 Nov 2026, 2 versions are supported: MX Linux 25 (until 30 Jun 2030); MX Linux 23 (until 10 Jun 2028).
Is MX Linux 21 still supported?
No. MX Linux 21 reached end of life on 30 Jun 2026 and no longer gets free security updates. Upgrade to MX Linux 25.