A new release of Endless OS 6 is here. We spin it for a quick review, and here’s what we found.
Endless OS continues its mission with the release of its version 6 to close the gap of digital knowledge by including a vast array of educational tools and resources. The OS comes preloaded with many learning applications, gaming resources for the offline use. It is developed by the Endless OS foundation targetting schools, non-profits, and other educational markets to provide a simple Linux distribution for easy use and knowledge acquiring.
At the core, it uses OS Tree technology to give you a read-only system, preventing from accidental updates or breakage.
The current iteration Endless OS 6 is a major release since its prior Endless OS 5 which was released on Jan 2023.
We tested it in a virtual machine and here’s what we found.
Endless OS 6: Review
Installation
Since this distribution is primarily targeting schools, learning and potential mass deployment, you get the option to try in LIVE system or directly install by formatting the entire disk.
If you are planning to dual boot Endless OS with Windows or other distribution, you need to get a different installer. You can read the details here. Endless OS team provides an exe for Windows installer which helps you to install it as a separate partition.
Endless OS 6 setup
Endless OS 6 setup2
First look
If I compare with the last major release (version 5), there are not much of difference in the looks of Endless OS 6. This version brings the GNOME 43 (as per the Debian stable) with latest packages and bug fixes.
The stock GNOME is heavily customized to give a nice feel of a user-friendly desktop. For example, the default desktop look gives you folder groups with direct access to icons to launch applications via the “Show application” feature. The top bar and the dock have standard features, with direct access to basic applications.
Endless OS 6 Desktop
Key highlights and applications
Endless OS 6 is based on Debian 12 “bookworm” as per the package updates. On top of the bookworm base, it brings additional packages to make it a complete system. Primarily, it is heavily dependent on Flatpak packages to serve the users. Key libraries and core framework are all preloaded from Flathub.
The default application list is minimal. All the native GNOME apps are preloaded such as text editor, Files, Shotwell – to take care of the basic works.
The default browser is Chromium and LibreOffice is pre-installed (Flatpak). The GNOME Web is also available, in case you need another browser.
List of Flatpak apps in Endless OS 6
To manage application, Endless OS comes with GNOME Software. It is configured to get all Flathub applications, repos of Endless OS with automatic update enabled. Being a read-only system, it gives you one-click access to install/remove apps in your machine with Software.
This release, Endless OS 6, focuses on gaming and game development by providing various tools and apps for creating game assets and coding. It includes apps such as Blender, Audacity, GNU Image Manipulation Program, Inkscape, Pixelorama, Godot Engine, GDevelop, Scratch, and TurtleBlocks. These apps cater to a range of experience levels, from beginners to professionals.
Endless OS 6 also includes educational games that teach coding and game development concepts, such as Aqueducts, Dragon’s Apprentice, Fablemaker, Frog Squash, The Passage, and Tank Warriors. All of these tools and games are available for offline use with the full download of Endless OS 6.
However, the most important part of Endless OS is its flagship app called “Endless Key”.
Endless Key
The Endless Key is a unique application that brings a functional user interface to give you access to starter pack software, knowledge articles/videos based on your interests. From a student perspective, if you want to be a scientist, you can get a starter pack with software curated by Endless OS team installed by click of a button.
It is one of the best apps which makes direct impact to students, teachers and others with actual changes to their lives.
Performance
Endless OS 6 performs surprisingly good, with only 1.3 GB of RAM used at idle. It well optimized with Linux Kernel 6.5 with stock GNOME 43. As you open more apps and run programs, the performance increases accordingly.
Endless OS 6 Performance
Closing Notes
Endless OS 6 turns out to be an excellent choice for students, schools, and anyone looking for a Linux best suitable for learning. Its read-only file system and simple GNOME interface, make it a reliable and user-friendly Linux. The educational games included in Endless OS 6 provide entertainment and serve as valuable resources for learning to code and game development concepts.
Overall, Endless OS 6 stands out as one of the best Linux distributions for education with a solid vision at the back.
You can download this release from the official website.