postmarketOS 23.12 brings GNOME 45 and expanded device support to Linux phones and tablets

postmarketOS, a genuine Linux distribution for mobile devices, has announced the release of its latest version, 23.12. This new version is built upon the foundation of Alpine Linux 3.19.

The updated version brings expanded support for various devices. It now supports a wider range of Chromebooks and MSM8953-based Xiaomi devices, increasing the total number of supported devices from 31 to 45.

postmarketOS 23.12 incorporates several updated software versions. These include GNOME Shell 45, Phosh 0.33, KDE Plasma 5.27.10, and Sxmo 1.15.1.

The new version introduces unl0kr as the default mechanism for unlocking encrypted installations, replacing the previous osk-sdl. In addition, the default USB networking gadget has been switched from RNDIS to NCM.

The default image viewer in Phosh and GNOME has also been changed. Loupe now takes the place of the former Eye of GNOME.

The release upgrade process has been enhanced in postmarketOS 23.12. Additional safety checks have been incorporated to prevent issues arising from a too small boot partition or from having hardcoded versions or packages installed via mrtest.

Finally, users can now enable ZRAM through a dedicated command, providing a more streamlined user experience.