Lightweight Linux distro, Linux Lite 5.0 First Release Candidate (RC1) is here

Linux Lite 5.0 RC1 is perhaps the most feature rich, and complete Linux Lite release to date, which is now available for testing.

While Linux Lite is one of the best lightweight Linux distros, with the first release candidate (rc1) bringing several new changes that will ultimately ship with final v5.0. And this release is what will give a glimpse into the Final release, with specific instructions from the new in-built Help Manual for all of the new features.

Linux Lite 5.0 is based on Ubuntu 20.04, and comes with other modern software, such as Gimp 2.10.18, Linux kernel 5.4.0, Thunderbird 68.7.0, Firefox 75.0, and VLC 3.0.9.

What are the New Features in Linux Lite 5.0?

Linux Lite 5.0 turns UEFI and SecureBoot options into reality, with UEFI now supported out of the box, allowing users to boot Linux Lite in secure UEFI boot mode. Other major changes include:

New Updater notifier
Dual architecture support
GUFW replaced by the highly configurable FireWallD
XFCE Screensaver included, but disabled by default
OEM installer for retailers and manufacturers (Legacy and UEFI)
Firewall status added to Lite Widget
Lite Welcome and Lite User Manager updated to GTK3 and Python3
Mousepad replaces Leafpad
No hidden telemetry

And over a dozen of other minor tweaks and changes, which are too many to be listed here. Albeit, there are more new features expected to be revealed before the release of the final version, Linux Lite 5.0.

How to Get Started with Linux Lite 5.0 RC1?

If you want to try Linux Lite 5.0 RC1 out right now, you can download it from here. And before installing it, make sure your PC meets the minimum system requirements for Linux Lite, as follows: 1GHz processor, 768MB RAM and 8GB HDD/SD.

But bear in mind that this is pre-release software, so it shouldn't replace your main operating system, as the release candidate is just for testing to see how the final version will feel like. Then, if you feel you want to switch from Windows to Linux Lite, you have to wait for the final version 5.0 before making the leap.