4MLinux 50.0 is now available, marking an important milestone in its development cycle and signaling that it's ready for everyday use. The new version includes improved office tools, with LibreOffice 25.8 and several GNOME Office applications now coming as standard, making handling documents or spreadsheets smoother than before. In addition to office software, the release also brings updated web browsers (Firefox 145.0 and Chrome 142.0), a music player (Audacious 4.5.1), a video player (VLC with SMPlayer), and improved webcam support thanks to Zbar and V4L2 Viewer. The update also includes the return of EmelFM2 as a file manager option, retro gaming sessions with BlockOut II and PySol, and the ability to build 4MLinux entirely from source code for custom builds.
4MLinux 50.0 released
A fresh version of 4MLinux out; this time it's the 50.0 stable release. This significant update marks a major milestone in the series' development cycle. From here on out, 4MLinux 50.0 will be considered stable and ready for everyday use.
One thing people seem interested in is better office tools coverage built into the system itself. LibreOffice 25.8 comes as standard now alongside several GNOME Office applications (AbiWord 3.0.6, GIMP 3.1.4, and Gnumeric 1.12.59). It’s nice to have these core apps ready for work with; handling documents or spreadsheets should feel smoother than before.
Looking at basic software too? Well, you're covered on the web browser front: Firefox 145.0 and Chrome 142.0 are there alongside the classic Thunderbird 140.5 email client. For music, Audacious 4.5.1 takes care of your library, and for video, VLC is still a solid choice, but now SMPlayer joins it too (version 25.6.0). Need to game? Mesa 25.1.7 plus the return of uHexen2 means there's some old-school FPS fun available again.
But let's get specific about what’s new in this release. The big news for many is how webcam support now feels much more reliable, and that comes down to Zbar and V4L2 Viewer being part of the core install, definitely a welcome improvement compared to previous versions or other options I’ve seen around online.
Long-time users might also be pleased by something else returning: EmelFM2. It’s back as an option within 4MLinux, providing another solid file manager that still does quite a lot in its own right. And hey, are you into retro gaming sessions on Linux? That FPS example isn't the only one; BlockOut II (the classic 3D Tetris) and PySol (a giant collection of solitaire titles), both part of the updated Game Pack, are now ready to play.
Underneath these changes there’s been a fair bit more work done than just adding shiny new bits. Hundreds of lines were rewritten across various areas, ensuring the smooth operation of the system and making it robust for everyday tasks. But then there's one thing I've read about that genuinely seems unique: apparently this version means you can build 4MLinux entirely from source code itself! That’s a pretty neat trick and probably going to help custom builds run perfectly if someone decides they want to make their own copy or do some tinkering down at the system level.
For more information, see the link to the official announcement below:
4MLinux 50.0 STABLE released.
4MLinux 50.0 STABLE The status of the 4MLinux 50.0 series has been changed to STABLE.
