Welcome to the New Easy
What’s Inside: The Excalibur Experience
Polished and Practical
Novel Features You Won’t Find Elsewhere
Wrapping Up
Easy Excalibur64 version 7.0 marks the most ambitious step yet for the EasyOS project: a bold re-engineering that rebuilds what lightweight, user-friendly Linux can mean in 2025. Crafted for explorers, tinkerers, and anyone curious about a streamlined desktop that doesn’t compromise on depth, this release shines with unique features, clever tools and a distinctive philosophy—all wrapped in a quirky, approachable package.
Welcome to the New Easy
EasyOS, founded by Barry Kauler—the mind behind Puppy Linux—has always aimed to give users uncommon freedom with effortless practicality. But Excalibur64 7.0, nicknamed "the next generation," is more than an upgrade: it’s a fresh architectural leap.
This version is the first built entirely with the new woofQ2 build system. That means:
Core packages from the latest Devuan Excalibur (akin to Debian Trixie), fusing robust heritage with exciting changes.
A switch from the old PET package system to modern APT package management, vastly improving software selection and update reliability.
Major improvements to containerisation, using Easy Containers for seamless isolation and experimentation.
All these changes aim to create an OS that is light, fast, secure—and lets you shape it for your own needs.
What’s Inside: The Excalibur Experience
Minimal Download, Maximum Capability
Despite its modest file size, Easy Excalibur64 7.0 packs an astonishing suite of desktop applications and system tools. Right out of the box, you get:
Browsers: Firefox or Chromium.
Office: Full LibreOffice suite.
Creativity: GIMP, Inkscape, Planner, Dia, Grisbi for finance, Osmo organiser, and NoteCase outliner.
Multimedia: Celluloid video player, Audacious music, and more.
System Utilities: BluePup for Bluetooth (unique to EasyOS!), the brilliant ‘easydd’ disk image writing tool, and comprehensive drivers for printers, scanners and cameras.
You’ll also notice clever enhancements to regular tasks—like an “update” desktop button for effortless upgrades and rollbacks whenever needed.
The Joy of Containers—Democratised
Running software in containers sounds daunting, but not with EasyOS. Thanks to Easy Containers, even non-technical users can sandbox individual apps or entire desktop sessions. This means:
Super-tight security (apps don’t interfere with each other).
Experiment with new software without “messing up” your main system.
Rollback changes instantly if something goes wrong.
Try multiple desktop environments, or even run other Linuxes, side-by-side within Easy.
Containers can be launched and managed through intuitive GUIs, making powerful tech friendly for everyone.
Reimagined Package Management
A headline shift is the migration to APT, borrowed from mainstream Debian-family Linuxes. This unlocks:
Access to a colossal library of software—nearly anything that runs on Debian/Devuan will now run here.
Faster, more dependable package downloads thanks to improved mirroring and instant failback if a server is slow or unresponsive.
The new PKGget interface modernises old package tools, speeding up installations and putting everything just a click away. You can edit mirrors and tweak sources as much—or as little—as you like.
Next-Level Build Customisation
One of Easy’s best-kept secrets is woofQ2, the new build system. For power users:
Build your own EasyOS variant from source in under half an hour on modern hardware.
Strip down the system or supercharge it with your favourite packages.
Shape the OS for old hardware, fast laptops, or special projects.
But you never need to build from scratch: official downloads remain just as beginner-friendly as ever.
Polished and Practical
Smooth Boot and Upgrades
While the mad rush toward v7.0 encountered a few stubborn gremlins (like kernel-related freezing on bleeding-edge hardware), relentless tinkering and clever rollbacks mean this release launches smoothly. Booting is fast, reliable and supports a wide spread of modern x86_64 hardware. Old problems with sound cards, network discovery, and GUI glitches have been squashed by digging deep into system scripts and, where needed, compiling trusted BusyBox utilities statically to overcome obscure library mismatches.
Easy to Install, Easier to Remaster
Installation feels almost Zen:
Once running, you can use the graphical “Remove Builtin Packages” tool for lighter remastering—or go full custom with woofQ2 for power-user tailoring.
Rollbacks, roll-forwards, and upgrades are all stress-free—your system snapshots protect you from ever breaking things irreversibly.
User Feedback and Community
The EasyOS culture stays direct, honest and fun—bugs are logged, fixes shared, and all development is publicly documented (warts and all) on Barry’s blog and the lively Puppy Linux Forum. If you hit a snag, chances are it’s already discussed—or the developer will listen.
Novel Features You Won’t Find Elsewhere
BluePup & Bluetooth Management
Bluetooth on Linux is often an afterthought, but BluePup is a home-grown, GUI-driven solution that simplifies pairing and device control. Unlike generic tools, BluePup integrates deeply with the EasyOS container strategy, keeping experiments isolated from your main system.
Streamlined Multimedia
For music and streaming fans, new lightweight tray applets for screen brightness and redshift (day/night colour temperature adjustment) have been added, supplanting bulkier tools and ensuring your system stays lean and responsive. StreamTuner2, with advanced radio streaming and recording support, brings hours of entertainment—while even older scripts like PupRadio have been tidied up or gracefully retired.
Network and Connectivity
Easy Excalibur's network tools include a custom-patched NetworkManager-applet with unique status icons and compatibility tweaks. Problems surfaced (in beta!) with outdated components and immediate fixes were shipped—showing the reflexes and responsiveness you just won’t find in big commercial distros.
The Easy Ethos—Why Choose This Distro?
For Explorers: If you love discovering Linux, poking around system internals, or crafting the desktop of your dreams, EasyOS gives you superpowers without needing command line wizardry.
For Beginners: The graphical tools, one-click updates and built-in safety nets are designed with real humans in mind.
For Old Machines: The lightweight design breathes new life into older PCs. All needed drivers and media codecs come included.
For Developers & Tinkerers: Build, break, roll back, test—there’s no safer sandbox for Linux play.
Groundbreaking, Not Settled
While Easy Excalibur64 7.0 feels polished, remember it’s called “experimental” on purpose. Big leaps sometimes introduce new quirks. The EasyOS project is transparent about that—users are invited to report issues, suggest features, and shape the next chapter.
Wrapping Up
Easy Excalibur64 v7.0 delivers a fresh, streamlined, and open-ended Linux experience, blending a playful soul with remarkable technological depth. Whether you want a breezy daily driver, a safe learning environment, or a springboard for your own custom creations, this version of EasyOS proves that serious innovation doesn’t need to be complicated. Forget “yet another distro”—this is the quirky, agile underdog every Linux enthusiast should try at least once.
Disclaimer
EasyOS, Easy Excalibur, Devuan, Debian, Puppy Linux, APT, woofQ2, BluePup, and related project names are respective trademarks of their creators and maintainers. This post strives for accuracy and respect for all referenced projects; please consult original sources for latest updates and details.
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