Freshly Minted: A Deep Dive into ROSA Fresh 13.1

Freshly Minted: A Deep Dive into ROSA Fresh 13.1

Table of contents:-

What’s new and why it matters

Desktop, multimedia and printing improvements

Server, storage and developer toolchain

Installation, packaging and support stance

Conclusion

ROSA Fresh 13.1 is a stability-focused incremental release from NTC IT ROSA, published 25 November 2025, that sharpens hardware support, refreshes key desktop and server components, and tightens multimedia and printing workflows for a broad user base.

What’s new and why it matters

ROSA Fresh 13.1 is presented as a pragmatic update rather than a radical rework: the project prioritised stability, hardware compatibility and out‑of‑the‑box usability so the distribution can serve both everyday desktop users and act as the foundation for the forthcoming corporate ROSA Chrome 13 release. The release brings an automatic ACPI table correction mechanism and updated open‑source drivers that address long‑standing issues with sound, touchpads, Wi‑Fi and displays on a number of laptop models, including some Xiaomi MiBook and Intel‑based MacBook configurations; this is a practical improvement for users who previously needed manual tweaks to get full hardware functionality. The distribution ships ready‑built ISO images for KDE and GNOME desktops and provides package builds for multiple architectures in the repositories, reflecting ROSA’s multi‑platform ambitions.

Desktop, multimedia and printing improvements

On the desktop front, ROSA Fresh 13.1 offers a choice of KDE Plasma 6.4 (experimental) and KDE Plasma 5 for stability, with KDE Plasma 6 available for users who want the newer stack while Plasma 5 remains the default for conservative deployments. The Chromium browser has been updated to a recent stable series with improved video decoding on Intel platforms, and Mesa has been refreshed to a modern release to enhance Intel and AMD graphics support, including Intel’s 14th‑generation chips. Multimedia and printing workflows receive attention: the release improves support for WSD/eSCL protocols so many printers, scanners and multifunction devices work without manual driver installs, and HPLIP remains available for HP devices where vendor tooling is required. For users who rely on mail and office suites, the distribution includes recent builds of Thunderbird and LibreOffice, with packaging choices aimed at balancing freshness and reliability.

Server, storage and developer toolchain

ROSA Fresh 13.1 is not just a desktop update. The repositories include modern server and developer tooling: multiple PostgreSQL major versions are packaged and pg_upgrade workflows are supported for administrators; Python 3.11 is standard while Python 3.12 is available in repositories for those needing the latest language features; container and orchestration tooling such as Kubernetes, Podman and Docker are present in current versions suitable for lab and production testing. Storage and filesystem options are addressed too: ZFS support is included with automated modules where licensing permits, and NTFS/exFAT tooling has been updated to improve interoperability with external media.

Installation, packaging and support stance

ISOs for x86_64 with KDE and GNOME are provided for straightforward installation; the project emphasises that the Fresh line is community‑oriented and intended for users who want a modern desktop with reliable hardware support, while corporate derivatives will follow for hardened, certified deployments.

ROSA’s documentation hub supplies administrator guides, virtualization manuals and other technical PDFs to help sysadmins and integrators deploy and manage ROSA systems in production contexts.

Conclusion  

ROSA Fresh 13.1 is a careful, user‑centred update: it tightens hardware compatibility, refreshes key components and keeps a clear separation between community‑facing freshness and enterprise‑grade downstream releases. For users seeking a Russian‑developed Linux distribution with pragmatic engineering and broad architecture support, 13.1 is a sensible step forward.

Disclaimer: ROSA, KDE, Chromium, Mesa, ZFS, PostgreSQL, Python and other product names are trade names or trademarks of their respective owners. We aim for factual accuracy; readers should consult official documentation and use open‑source software responsibly and in accordance with applicable licences and laws.

References:-  

STC IT ROSA Announcement (25.11.2025) 

ROSA Linux Official Documentation

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