Slax developer Tomas Matejicek has announced Slax 2026.11, a new version of the lightweight, portable Linux distribution designed to run from a USB drive. Based on Debian 13 and powered by the Linux kernel 6.12, the release features a redesigned desktop, a built-in AI assistant, Secure Boot support, and a graphical installer, all packed into a 512 MiB ISO image.
The desktop has been overhauled with Alt+Tab window previews, live taskbar thumbnails, and four virtual workspaces. Users can view all workspaces simultaneously with Alt+F3 or switch between them using Ctrl+F1 through F4.
The desktop also supports files and folders, and the taskbar includes keyboard layout switching and volume controls. Application interfaces have been adjusted for a more consistent appearance across older and newer programs.
The application launcher has been improved as well. Optional applications are marked with a download icon, letting users install and launch them from the menu. Traditional package management through APT remains available.
One of the most notable additions is the Slax AI Assistant, which allows users to troubleshoot problems, inspect their systems, and execute commands using natural-language instructions. It helps identify disk space usage, investigate system issues, and perform administrative tasks. The assistant requires an internet connection and user sign-in.
Slax 2026.11 also includes a graphical installer for Windows and Linux. Users can create bootable USB drives or install Slax alongside an existing operating system on supported configurations. Additionally, UEFI Secure Boot is now supported through a signed boot and kernel, eliminating the need to disable Secure Boot on compatible machines.
Another improvement concerns persistent sessions. A single USB drive can store multiple named sessions, each retaining its own applications, files, and settings. Users can select a session at startup, duplicate it using F4, or rename it with F6, as these sessions can be carried between computers.
For disk maintenance and recovery, Slax includes a graphical partition manager that supports creating, resizing, and formatting partitions. Additional utilities support LVM, LUKS encryption, and filesystems such as XFS. VirtualBox, VMware, and SPICE integration is also included for virtual machine environments. However, users depending on Slax’s modular system should note an important change. The distribution now uses OverlayFS instead of AUFS, so the slax activate and slax deactivate commands can no longer dynamically load or unload .sb modules during a running session.
Modules can still be included before boot, while installing software through APT and preserving changes in persistent sessions remain supported.
For more information, see the announcement.