Max – MakuluLinux

Summary of MakuluLinux Max Development:

Throughout the development of MakuluLinux Max, the team has been working hard to implement new features, fix bugs, and optimize the overall user experience. Significant changes and additions have been made to improve system functionality, appearance, and performance.

The development process has focused on key aspects such as software and package management, including access to both stable and old stable repositories for a wider selection of available packages. The integration of the Makulu patching repository also allows for custom urgent patches to be sent to users when necessary.

MakuluLinux Max has seen improvements in user interface elements, with the introduction of new themes, icon sets, and layout options. Users can now easily switch between different themes, cursors, and icon sets, providing a more personalized and visually appealing experience.

The system has also been updated to support the latest Gnome and kernel versions, ensuring compatibility with new software and hardware. Driver management has been enhanced to support newer GPUs, and Wine has been pre-installed to enable compatibility with Windows software and games.

MakuluLinux Max has been further optimized to improve boot and installation times, with a reduced ISO size and compression for faster installations. Special attention has been given to fixing bugs and resolving issues related to installation, keyboard layouts, and software centers. Additional features such as screen recording and special effects have also been introduced to improve usability and customization.

Overall, the MakuluLinux Max development process has focused on delivering a stable, feature-rich, and visually appealing operating system with a strong emphasis on user experience and customization.

Release Notes below from New to Old…

Release Notes : 2023-03-13
Some BIG changes to our sources list again ( The server location manager ) . ive changed our local mirrors from :

us.makululinux..com —————-> makululinux.us ( The USA based repository Box )
eu.makululinux..com —————-> makululinux.eu ( The Germany based repository Box )

Meaning we are now longer using Subdomains but actually fully registered new Domains that point directly at our repository boxes, This is Much faster downloads, better looking, more professional and in the long term easier to maintain.
Updated MANY Makulu packages, 23 to be Exact, these affect all the core system scripts on Max.
Fixed Gdebi not showing the GUI, it used to run in a terminal, it now shows the GUI correctly.
Big upgrade to the MakuluLinux constructor, it now sports the same nice interface as the Ubuntu version, it also has updated scripts and a more efficient compiling system, i’ve also updated the video tutorial.
The Wallpaper pack has expanded a LOT, we now have 155 Wallpapers included.
The Wallpaper Ribbon size Increased quite a bit, making it easier to preview wallpapers at higher resolutions.
Updated the Boot Grub background to correctly reflect the red faded “M” instead of the old construction worker

Release Notes : 2023-03-09
Fixed issues software center feeling sluggish on bootup. ( please make sure to set your repository location ).
Some tweaks to the Intro video to make the popup dialogs more visible.
Some performance tweaks on the OS.
Some ISO compression improvement, which resulted in reduced ISO size, from 3.7Gb down to only 3GB.

Release Notes : 2023-03-08
Added back Firmware Manager & Font Manager
Fixed Samba Share, it should now be working.
Some tweaks to the new Patchlist Management system.
Removed the Extension list indicator on the panel, it’s already in the menu, no need to waste space on the panel that will probably be used by Widgets at some point.
Some tweaks on Widgets to make them a little more optimised.
Added an Intro video that plays when you boot up live mode, its work in progress…
Removed the useless entries in the main menu as well as in the right click desktop menu, they were messy and useless.
Some more of the latest newly added content turned into Deb packages to allow updating the system via update manager.

Release Notes : 2023-03-04
Fixed Geo Location services ( again ).
Fixed the duplicate Grub boot entry.
Added Gmail as a new widget to the list.
Expanded the Widgets/Desklets system, Widgets now have a window border with a minimise, maximise and close buttons. Widgets are now resizable, you can hover your mouse on the edge of the widget window and drag it to resize it. Widgets are now also Dragable, you can now drag and drop a widget anywhere on the screen. In other words, widgets now behave much the same way as normal open windows. They are essentially like mini apps.
Release Notes : 2023-03-03
Had to roll back to earlier Gnome 43.xx from 43.xxx it was simply not stable enough at this point to use as a daily driver.

Added new Widgets feature, This is a BIG new feature, Users can now run Popup Widgets in the panel directly, this lets users open little “mini browsers” that popup on the screen without the need to open an actual browser. This also means there is no trace or record, cookie or cache of anything you do in these widgets, giving you complete privacy without being tracked or traced. At the same time it also lets you continue to do your normal work because the widgets pop above any open window currently. PLEASE SEE THE VIDEO LINK BELOW to see how the widgets operate.
Integrated Chatgpt ( the AI bot ) into google chrome, when you search google chrome it will now show a little box on the right hand side where chatgpt also responds directly. ( of course on first time use it will ask you to log into your chatgpt account, once logged in, the bot plugin in search will start working ).
Updated Live boot screen, some text and entries have been changed.
many many other updates, too many to mention and im dead on my feet…

Release Notes : 2023-02-26
Added missing keyboards to panel keyboard extension.
Some tweaks and shortcut changes to the main menus in all layouts. users can now open settings manager directly from the menu.
Removed LightDM completely and replaced it with GDM3.
Tied GDM3 into our system and connected it with all our scripts.
Because we switched to GDM3, all the power options, login/logout, lock screen etc etc options are now all working from the default settings manager, panel and menu shortcuts.
Users can now also manage login settings ( turn on/off auto login ) from the user management in settings manager.
Added a “login-settings-manager” into the build, this lets users make some changes to the GDM login screen, its a nice easy gui that lets you customise your login screen easily.
Logging into the system for the first time after install should no longer hang on a white background for an extended period, it should now switch to a wallpaper fairly quickly.
Replaced the installer gui with the same one we use in our other builds, it’s more simplified by more function gui.
Our debian base now gets core updates from Buster, Stretch, Bullseye and Bookworm, making a nice Hybrid flexible operating system with long term longevity as well as maximising package and app versions availability.

Release Notes : 2023-02-20
Fixed more python modules ( invoke ).
Updated Gnome to 43-3, the latest available build in the testing repos, this is quite a big change as I had to adapt many scripts, themes and extensions to the new changes ( literally took me all weekend ). not to mention gnome 43 is evolving quickly with a lot of changes with each release. Most notable are the floating indicator plugins that you will notice as well as a more polished settings manager.
Added Etcher for writing bootable usb flash drives.
Added a Log viewer for Max.
Added a Font Viewer for Max.
Added Maps Viewer.
Added weather extension the same as we have in the stable Max build.
The Dock view now also displays a portal icon in the top panel.
Fixed the cursors for all layouts, they now correctly display the silver 3d spinning mouse.
Updated or Fixed MANY MANY MANY extensions due to the big Gnome update, it is work in progress, there are a few non critical extensions left to fix or delete, i’ll get to them soon, however they are extras, not extensions being used by the system.
The Software Sources now correctly displays the “Bookworm” repo as the core secondary repo instead of “testing”, this will now make sure that when the debian team freezes the repo that Max will retain access to the correct repository and not simply be moved to a new unknown repository.

Release Notes : 2023-02-18
Boot Repair is now pre installed and a shortcut is placed on the Desktop of Live mode.
Gedit now replaces Leafpad as the default text editor, leafpad is now becoming useless with only gtk2 support, i love its simplicity and its my favorite editor, but it’s time to move forward.
Kolourpaint is now pre-installed by default.
Login Screen and Lockscreen now shows an Onboard keyboard by default as we have in our Ubuntu builds.
SERIOUS ISSUE Fixed : Python 3.11 issues with our sources list and various other apps affected are now fixed.
Updated the Desktop Manager to now also show a video tutorial button as in the stable build.

Release Notes : 2023-02-16
Fixed the Dependencies for Steam, Steam should now work out of the box. just run it from the main menu.
Pro features are now unlocked by default, no need to run the pro deb file anymore.
Special effects are turned on by default.

Release Notes : 2023-02-15
Fixed the Menu entry for Lockscreen
Fixed the Shell theme for the Dark panel, the Shell theme and Menu theme now match.
Fixed an Issue where Software Sources was not opening.
Locked the Python updates at python 3.10 temporarily( there are issues with Python 3.11 ). let me know if you guys get any python issues or dependency issues with installing apps directly from the repository as some apps may be looking for python 3.11, there shouldn’t be many, ( Apps from the software center are unaffected and should install just fine, 99% of people install directly from software center these days anyway. so if you get any python issues installing apps, just install from snaps instead. )
Upgraded Nemo to newest Build 5.6.3
Various other software sources updates added.
Upgraded MANY MANY packages, more than 900MB worth of package updates implemented.

Release Notes : 2023-01-31
Fixed Grub installer Issues.

Release Notes : 2023-01-13
Added a new Screen locker, Using the I3 Locker which is lightweight and compatible with LightDM.
The screen locker can be activated by either pressing the “Super+L” keys or via the shortcut in the main menu.
to unlock the screen, simply type your password and hit enter.
Please report any issues you may have with the screen locker.

Release Notes : 2023-01-11
Fixed an Issue with a custom updater script missing a Wget command file.
Incorporated the new Autopatcher fully into this build.
Ported over some re-writes of custom scripts in Shift to ensure a smoother user experience.
Updated all packages and kernel to latest builds.

Release Notes : 2023-01-07
Fixed the quick Auto Patcher, it should now correctly execute the update checklist.
Fixed some issues where the Update manager was reporting blocked packages that could not be updated.
Fixed some issues with bogus icons that led nowhere.
Updated the Desktop Manager, it now has Titles showing “mouse cursors, Icon Sets and Themes” so new users can better understand what is what.
Updated Many many packages and also some Extensions.
By Default Pro Mode is now disabled, to Enable, simply run the pro deb files and reboot your pc, the pro deb file is in the links below. ( a REBOOT is a MUST after installing the Deb as it finalizes the process after a reboot ).
Some Minor tweaks and some polishing around the distro.

Release Notes : 2023-01-07
Fixed the quick Auto Patcher, it should now correctly execute the update checklist.
Fixed some issues where the Update manager was reporting blocked packages that could not be updated.
Fixed some issues with bogus icons that led nowhere.
Updated the Desktop Manager, it now has Titles showing “mouse cursors, Icon Sets and Themes” so new users can better understand what is what.
Updated Many many packages and also some Extensions.
By Default Pro Mode is now disabled, to Enable, simply run the pro deb files and reboot your pc, the pro deb file is in the links below. ( a REBOOT is a MUST after installing the Deb as it finalizes the process after a reboot ).
Some Minor tweaks and some polishing around the distro.

Release Notes : 2022-12-15
Some fixes to the Grub screen, removed the date from the grub entry.
Os-Prober is now enabled in Grub, grub should now detect other operating systems.
Some new Extensions available in the extensions list.
Updates to the Repository patching system.
Tweaks to various icons, some visible even on the desktop ( IE Desktop manager icon )
Some extensions updated.
Some optimisations that resulted in reduced ISO size, down to 3.1.xxGB
Updated to Kernel 6.0.0.5

Release Notes : 2022-12-01
Some tweaks to the Menu’s in both dock and panel mode, Menus are slightly bigger in Size, Fonts have been increased from 12 to 14. The left pane has been decreased to 265, while the right pane has increased to 365. This gives the overall feel of the menus to be more pleasant on the eyes.
Fixed an issue with some Loading scripts.
Removed some useless Repositories.
Fixes to the Custom Patcher repository for Max allowing for a smoother and safer patching system. The system now correctly pulls custom updates from the correct location.
Some fixes to Various icon sets.
Some tweaks to the “Special Effects” feature, Please turn on special effects and test if it all works ok ( you can turn on special effects via the desktop manager ).
Updated to Kernel 6.0.0.4

Release Notes : 2022-11-13
Fixed issue with updates saying gdm packages are blocked.
Fixed messed up icons in the Main menu.
Fixed keyboard layout manager in intro manager.
Fixed different layouts not loading correctly or saying they are already loaded when they aren’t.
Fixed some booting menu issues with live mode booting.
Correctly updated the upgrade window to show all 3 distro’s.
More optimisations, installation on my test system took just under 3 minutes to install…

Release Notes : 2022-11-09
Temporary fix for the Nasty Calamares installer bug, this bug is due to a faulty passwd package in the debian testing and sid repositories
Updated Many of the layout scripts.
Updated the Icon scripts.
Fixed some keyboard layout issues.
Added Pro features, These are all disabled with the standard build. To unlock pro features, you’ll have to install the pro deb file ( links below ) and reboot your pc after installing the deb, then all pro features will be unlocked.
Updated many packages and also moved to Kernel 6.0.0.2
Some more optimization’s, this build is VERY fast and snappy…

Release Notes : 2022-11-03
Added Easycast Extension for screen recording.
Added shortcut in the menu under video for starting screencast options.
Fixed some missing generic icons.
Linked to the Makulu Max patching server, this allows custom urgent patches to be sent to the end user.
Fixed the Intro Message on live boot ( Message of the day, the message you see before you get to Desktop ), removed the default ugly Ubuntu message and replaced it with a nice MOTD, also fixed the boot script that displays available updates even before the user logins into desktop.
Updated to latest packages.
Some more optimization’s, you should notice a smoother experience on this build.

Release Notes : 2022-10-27
More polishing and tweaking of the Layouts and Extensions on Max, too many to mention…
Reworked the Keyboard Setup system, now instead of users having to go through multiple steps to activate a keyboard, it now activates on a single click. Not only does it activate on a single click, but the keyboard is also recorded and remembered and reapplied to any layouts that the user changes too. so the user ultimately now only has to set the keyboard once. I had to implement a lot of triggers and scripting to fix this keyboard issue with the gnome framework, I wrote more than 80 scripts to fix this issue,
Added Keyboard layout setup option to the Intro manager. After users install makulu, the first time they boot up and get to the setup manager window ( intro manager ), they will now see an option to set up their keyboard layout.
Added keyboard layout options to the makulu plugin in the panel.
Users can also access the keyboard layout manager from the main menu.
The default keyboard layout now is set to US keyboard layout. if you use a different layout, change it, its now easy to do so …

Release Notes : 2022-10-25
This is the First Ubuntu variant of Max i am sending out to be tested. However I have been working on this for quite a while, as I made changes and added new features to max debian, I have been porting over to an Ubuntu variant, so they have both been developing at a similar pace. My goal was to finish one and then finish the other, but this Ubuntu variant is running pretty well and surprisingly very stable, at least on my pc. so i think it’s time you guys can start testing it while we wait for the debian repos to update. Being Ubuntu based and also running on Gnome 3:38 ( not gnome 43 ), it might seem a little smoother and more polished than the Max debian, but that’s only because it has greater support for extensions and themes that were all broken in the new gnome 40+ upgrades.
I used shift Base as a template to build Max on, so it should run at least as good as shift, perhaps a little faster…
Let me know how she runs…

Release Notes : 2022-10-22
Linked the final Stable Repositories for Debian. Max now gets updates from a stable repository, please test over the next few days / weeks how this affects your user experience. if it makes the os more stable

Release Notes : 2022-10-21
Fixed a very NASTY issue with installing from the ISO. it should now install fine.
Added Wine, Wine is now preinstalled along with winetricks and playonlinux. Windows software and games should work now right out of the box.

Release Notes : 2022-10-20
Right click on the desktop and “wallpaper select” now directly opens the wallpaper ribbon instead of wallpaper manager.
Added system Settings to Right click menu.
Added Full screen Main Menu to Right click menu.
Desktop clock is now disabled.
Big cleanup of the main menu, loads of obsolete icons and shortcuts removed, duplicates fixed etc etc.
Added the last of the Makulu patching repositories.
Max now supports all the stable and old stable repositories. Meaning it gets updates from testing repo and makulu repo, but it also has access to bullseye, buster and stretch. Users can also install packages exclusive to those repositories straight from the terminal or synaptic, this also increases the available packages in the repositories by quite a lot.
Due to optimization’s the ISO has been reduced around 200mb in size.

Release Notes : 2022-10-04
Added the remaining missing libraries for steam, there should be no more missing dependencies issues
Added the special effects GUI, users can now enable or disable special effects.
Added all the pro features by default, everything is now accessible during beta stages.
Added a “save/Restore” layout option to the settings gui specifically for Max. Users can now save and restore layouts.
Added evince document viewer by default.
Added a screencast extension, you can now record your desktop directly from the icon in the panel, the extension is enabled and running by default. it is enabled on all layouts and desktops.
Upgraded some more gnome packages.
Locked some gnome packages by default, these are specific targeted packages to prevent certain gnome packages from updating automatically, we do not require the newest gnome to run, we only use the backend framework, thus it is better to do controlled updates for some gnome packages than auto updates, Afterall, this is a testing repo and many experimental gnome packages pass through it that could break extensions, themes and icons.
Fixed the Neofetch window, the text was slightly broken but should display correctly now
Added more packages to the Max repository, the system is nearly completely integrated.
Some more optimization’s all around the system.

Release Notes : 2022-09-27
upgraded to full Gnome 43.1
More updates to themes and shell themes for Gnome 43 gtk4 compatibility
Updated extensions for gnome 43 compatibility
Replaced plank with a working build of the dock to Panel extension as we previously had (this is for testing purposes, we may yet switch back)
Fixed the Arc menu extension for the Panel extension, on the normal panel mode you now have the traditional menu as before instead of the Fullscreen menu.
Updated quite a few of our custom scripts with latest changes surrounding the extensions and gnome 43.
Loads of tweaks and fixes on the icon sets, this is still work in progress to get them to display any unfinished or missing icons.
Updates to the custom driver manager to support newest drivers.
Started packaging Max into its own deb system, this allows me to send through patches and updates. Packaged more than 2.2GB worth of scripts and files into deb packages. ( it is a work in progress, more to come ).
Applied the Clock sync fix as requested.

Release Notes : 2022-09-10
Significant jump in Kernel Build from 18.0-4.xxxx to 19.0-1.xxxx.
Upgraded Gnome from 43-Beta1 to 43-Rc1.
Added triggers and checks for accidental clicks that could lead to problems when switching layouts or icon sets. if a user now selects a layout twice or an icon set twice it will notify to say its already loaded.
More tweaks fixing missing icons in the new Icon Packs.
Lots of tweaking all around the system.

Release Notes : 2022-09-06
Added 2 More icon sets, We now have a nice round set of 10 Icon sets.
Loads of fixes on missing icons throughout the sets, I have spent a lot of time the last few days fixing icons.
Merged the Desktop Manager and Theme Manager into 1 Gui, users can now manage most of their Desktop straight from the Desktop Manager.

Release Notes : 2022-09-04
Completed the Candy IconSet, It now also has luminous Folder Icons, the same as the application icons, and also color variations to match our themes.
Added 2 Additional Icon sets, Beauty and buuf, Both with Colour variations to fit in with our themes.
Added 7 Dark themes to the Theme Manager, users can now switch between the following Dark Themes ( Blue, Red, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple and Green ). These Dark themes also work with the icon sets and the new GtK4.xx Gnome apps. The “Candy” icon set looks especially great on the dark themes with its Bright Colors.
Fixed some icons in the Flash Icon Set.
This was Mostly a theme update, So please test all the themes well, click every button, every color etc etc, try all the variations and see if everything works please.

Release Notes : 2022-09-02
Updated the Driver manager scripts with better support for newer GPUs.
Added a Dedicated shortcut in the main Menu for Driver manager, users can now run it anytime by opening it from the main menu.
Updated Warpinator
Re-Added back the Folder options in theme Manager, not only did i re-add them back, but they are now linked with the Theme color variation changer that effects GTK2, GTK3, GTK4 and the new GTK 4.xx that effects Gnome specific apps, all the icon folders change colors with the themes.

Release Notes : 2022-09-01
Fixes for Software center, should no longer crash ( please test )
Updated more Gnome packages to 43 Beta.
Updated GTK4 Themes to be compatible with Gnome specific apps. All gnome apps should now look very similar to our native themes we developed for Makulu. This was no minor task… But it was necessary.
Loads and Loads of tweaks and optimization’s to the themes Manager.

Release Notes : 2022-08-29
Fixed firewall option not working on intro manager
When closing intro manager, the system will auto update repositories to make sure the user has the latest packages available on first use, this is automated and the user will see a message.
Integrated Snaps into the software manager Along with Flathub. Both now work natively in the software manager. ( please test both well )
Dock bar is now Locked by default to prevent accidental deletion of icons from the dock (since it’s a drag and drop dock, you can easily accidently drag something off the dock). If you want to move the icons around or add new icons, please unlock the dock first with right click “preferences->behavior’s->unlock” first. The same applies to the panel bars.
More optimization’s has led ISO to greatly be reduced in size, down from 3.57GB to 2.96GB
Required Install storage reduced from 40Gb to 20GB HDD due to optimization’s.
Compression of ISO is also greatly reduced and install time should be a lot faster now.

Release Notes : 2022-08-23
Intro Manager now has an option to turn the sudo password on, meaning that users will need to enter their password with every sudo command if they turn the feature on.
Re-coding the Themes Manager, adding Icon Set options, this means that users can change cursors individually, change theme colors and now also change Icon Sets individually via the themes manager. You will see the new options when you open the theme manager.
Added the “Mint Software Center”, it is much faster than the Debian software center, PLEASE TEST IT WELL, see if it is a worthy replacement of the Debian software center ( which is still installed and can be accessed via the main menu ). I want feedback on which software center you guys prefer please so i can start polishing the one we decide to keep.

Release Notes : 2022-08-22
Increased the Size of the Panels and Panel Icons to make it more visible and more convenient.
Added Both Firefox and Opera web browsers, So Makulu Max now has Chrome, Firefox and Opera installed to satisfy the needs of everyone. You can also find the shortcuts in the panel / dock.
Added the Special Effects feature to Max, it is turned on by default, but users can turn it off if they wish to.
Added the Max Repository, This Max Debian build now has a dedicated repository.
Lots of tweaks around the System to keep improving the looks and working features.

Release Notes : 2022-08-19
Some changes to the Variety Wallpaper scripts should be a smoother experience using the wallpaper switcher now.
Added the new Slideshow edits in Calamares.
Some changes to the Umount system.
Added the new Name into the Distro, Which is now called “MakuluLinux Max”.
Updated all packages and Kernel.

Until this point ( 11/2021 – 08/2022 ) we had been developing the Debian base using the “Shift” desktop front end as a template, This had been going on for most of the year. As we made changes to shift we would port them to Debian as we developed the backend. However, in the 8th Month of 2022, it was decided that our Debian base would gets its own unique front end, and thus Max was Officially born, as is evident in the patch notes above. at this point the backend development was mostly done, we started developing our front end from this point onwards. Enjoy the release notes that followed …