Bluestar Linux 6.12.8 comes with the KDE Plasma 6.2.5 bugfix and several package updates

At the end of December, German distro Bluestar Linux received an update with quite a few noticeable package updates alongside the 6.12.7 kernel version. Back then, the list of refreshed software included LibreOffice 24.8.4, Firefox 133.0.3, Thunderbird 128.5.1, and several others. Sadly, none of these got refreshed now, but the good part is that KDE Plasma 6 got the 6.2.5 bugfix update. The full list of changes for Plasma 6.2.5 can be found on this page.

In addition to the above, we should highlight that Bluestar Linux 6.12.8 is also known as bslx-6.12.8-2-2025.01.04-x86_64. When talking about the packages involved, we should mention that mariadb remains with the beta version 11.6.2, which replaced 11.2.2 in Bluestar 6.12.7. On the other hand, e2fsprogs moves from the stable version 1.47.1 to the beta/development build labeled 1.47.2. Chromium is still not back in the base package but can be installed separately if needed. Other packages not present in the base package that were removed at some point in the past are the gcc compiler and the Nvidia driver.

Unsurprisingly, Bluestar Linux remains free and open source, sporting the same three versions as before, namely Desktop, Deskpro, and Developer. The ISO image has about the same size as before, weighing roughly 4.9 GB. Speaking of developers, those who are looking for a fresh book to browse might want to check Borris Gretel's Linux Kernel Programming Fundamentals: With Step-by-step tutorials and practical exercises, Real-world examples and case studies, Debugging tips and troubleshooting techniques. Released on December 28th, this book is free with Kindle Unlimited ($9.99 to buy) and can also be acquired in hardcover ($25.99) and paperback ($22.99) format.