 Visitor Reviews |
Mabox Linux
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Reader supplied reviews for Mabox Linux
Average rating
9.1 from 75 review(s)
Version: 25.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-24
Votes: 3
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Holy smokes. FAST boot up on a dual-core i7. Fast, insanely fast. I slapped this on an old ThinkPad X1 Carbon 5th Gen I plan to use for amateur radio stuff and it works wonderfully for that dang near right away (or maybe I just have enough experience across distros to set it up fast).
Did I mention how insanely fast it boots up? You should know how stupid fast it boots up.
Low RAM usage. Easy on the CPU and easy on storage. Openbox is a little busy and minimal looking, but draw your eyes to the big green M at the top bar and you'll find all your apps there, so it's only jarringly minimal at first. Using yay makes things easy. I found most of what I needed by just bashing yay -S whateverthehellineeded and there you go. You'll need to do that for Google Chrome.
Handed my laptop to my spouse who has virtually *no* Linux experience whatsoever and she was able to figure out Openbox and use it. Heck of a good OS.
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Version: 24.03
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-07-05
Votes: 21
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I've been playing around with Mabox for a few years, but now I've found that I like it so much I'm making it a part of my regular distro line up. It's much more fun than Manjaro. I've always been a fan of the lightening fast Openbox desktop environment, even though it's not as efficient to use as XFCE, KDE, Mate, or Cinnamon. The Mabox desktop may be a bit busy, or confusing for beginners, however I like it because it is anything but boring. It's functional and makes me feel like a geek instead of an office worker. I'm hoping this version of Arch will be more stable than others I've tried. So far, Mabox is one of my favorite flavors of Linux, right behind Neptune, Mint, and Pop OS.
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Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-16
Votes: 14
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This is my second time around, so to speak, with Mabox. I first tried it a couple of years back and had a few issues which seem to have since been ironed out. I installed it on one of my secondary low spec laptops and so far, so good.
I'm a big Arch user and my daily driver is pure Arch. Generally I like to build my system from the ground up, which is what Arch offers but for this older laptop I could not see the point. Mabox is a nice compromise, it offers an Arch derivative based on Manjaro and it runs Openbox window manager, which keeps the on idle ram utilisation, under 500mb.
I'd characterise Mabox quirky, eccentric and retro, in a really good way. It has lots of fun tools you can tinker with to customise the look, feel and utility, of the operating system, so it suits your specific needs. I had as much fun playing with its features, as I did using it for various things. Well, in truth, I think I enjoyed the tinkering more, if I'm being honest.
Theme-ing in this distro is a stand out feature that needs to be mentioned. You can not only choose from a array of themes, you can tint and apply refined colours to different aspects of the desktop, to suit your very specified taste.
Manjaro's Pamac is on offer too, for those who don't want to use the command line. Now one word of warning, Pamac does not play well with the AUR in all instances, so unless absolutely necessary, I'd steer clear of enabling it. Stick to Pamacs curated packages instead.
Is there a downside? Well I would have liked a slider for volume control. I find the option they have in place a little fiddly if you are not using a mouse. It would be good to see a slider on offer, its just easier with a touch-pad.
Beyond that minor gripe this mostly an amazing distro from Poland and I do recommend it to those who like a more minimalist but stylish vibe or perhaps want something for an older system.
Great effort guys. Thumbs up.
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Version: 24.03
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-05-05
Votes: 6
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I've always liked the lighter desktops, mostly because my early Linux experiments (over 20 years ago) were on old low spec hardware that needed all the help they could get and I like something different from the more mainstream ones which try too hard to be Windows like to try and encourage new people to Linux. That failed anyway as the majority of home users are too brainwashed by Windows and unwilling to accept change, but that's a whole different story
Now I use far more modern hardware and don't really need the extra boost from a lighter OS, but I just like the look and true Linux feel of them.
A lot of work has obviously gone into Mabox and it's definitely my favourite Arch derivative. Well Manjaro for the pedantic, but essentially Arch at heart, but not restricted to geeks!
I'm usually not a fan of top taskbars, but this is so well laid out with right and left menus and conky screens I wasn't frantically searching to change it like I usually am. And i love the way you can easily arrange the conky items to your own taste.
It includes btop instead of htop or just plain top and it's one of many enhancements that I like. The screen shotting (by pressing Print) utility is far more advanced than the plain vanilla one in most distros too.
I usually go straight to Antix when trying to make old hardware useful again, but this is definitely a good alternative and while i've been using MX Linux as my daily driver on my main PC for many years, it might be time for a change as a few niggly bugs have started to creep into that.
I would give it 10 but the propriety driver option didn't work for my Nvidia 1050ti graphics card when booting it live. Hopefully that is an easy fix when installing it for real though.
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Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-04-08
Votes: 13
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Wow. I have just played around in the past with some of the older versions and sort of liked it, but the latest has become a favorite. In fact, I have been using it as the default install on Chromebooks I've converted to running Linux. It's super fast, light weight and infinitely customizable. Really nice work. I sent the developers a donation, something I only do in rare circumstances here I think they've done something special. It's different and takes a bit to get used to but once you have it configured the way you want it to look and run, it's outstanding.
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Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-26
Votes: 14
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Absolutely fantastic distribution!
After trying dozens of others, from the smallest ones, like Antix, Bang, Peppermint, etc., to the "regular" ones, like Mint, MX, Manjaro, etc., I have finally found the Linux-for-me distribution, for sure.
I like the fact that it is based on Arch (Manjaro, actually) and that it uses the LTS kernel. Also, I am an openbox-kinda person. The themes, which is not the decisive point for me at all, are quite stylish.
Fast, simple, light. I use it on a chromebook with 4GB RAM, and, while idling, Mabox uses only about 480MB. Built-in radio is a nice surprise as well.
By the way, their website is very good, too, which not every distribution can boast of.
So, 10 out of 10. Thanks, Mabox!
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Version: 24.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-04
Votes: 23
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Slick. Fast boot times, easy to use. Based on Manjaro (ultimately Arch) which rocks!
Pros - did I mention FAST boot times? Right from the install to ongoing daily use this is a well polished distro. It stays out of the way allowing me to get work done. The Conky panels all over are useful as guides and system monitoring. I do add CPU temp as for my one use case this is important to monitor. It also does not hog a lot of disk space, or much memory when running.
"Con" - a windows manager like OpenBox takes a little adjusting after a full-fat Desktop UI like Gnome, KDE/Plasma or Cinnamon. But actually once you get it... wow!
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Version: 24.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-03
Votes: 26
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just installed yesterday and immediately fell in love,i switched from arcolinux which has constant issues and after recent update now uses over a 1gb ram now at idle,after i set up mabox to my liking(main menu made all my changes so easy)i,m running at around 380mb at idle.not to mention how elegant mabox design is,its quite beautiful.hats off to the folks at mabox and thank you very much for this beautiful operating system.ps.,just as a side note the iso install via usb took less than ten minutes total,i mean ten minutes after plugging in usb stick to restart less than ten minutes,amazing.
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Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-01-11
Votes: 16
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I usi it primary os on my comp. Very light and fast system. Beside this the openbox, tint2, jgmenu configuration is very easy. It needs time to see it through the panels, but after this time You can setup everything very very fast. This Colorize app is very useful. Unfortunetly not all of the themes can be setup perfectly, but You can create random and own looks. Mabox uses Manjaro stable branch - so I dont have any problem with stability issues. Mabox uses light and small apps - which are chngeable. Fe. I prefer vlc and not mplayer.
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Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-17
Votes: 2
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I really like this distro. It is very fast. I'm using it on a i3 with 32gb ram (shuttle xpc) and as an external drive on another linux distro. If I have a con, it would have to do with the configuration for autostart. I was able to alter the configuration to get clamtk and plank to work....but unable to get the firewall to come up. No real problem as I can use other ways to bring the firewall up. I definitely count Mabox as one of my favorites which surprised me as I am working with over 20 distros. Manjaro is really easy to use and my appreciation for the variations will nudge me to contribute monetarily soon to the developers of Mabox. So much to learn with Mabox....so boredom is not a current problem. I used ventoy to install Mabox on both devices. No problem with installing it.
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-12-05
Votes: 3
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I really like this distro. It is very fast. I'm using it on a i3 with 32gb ram (shuttle xpc) and as an external drive on another linux distro. If I have a con, it would have to do with the configuration for autostart. I was able to alter the configuration to get clamtk and plank to work....but unable to get the firewall to come up. No real problem as I can use other ways to bring the firewall up. I definitely count Mabox as one of my favorites which surprised me as I am working with over 20 distros. Manjaro is really easy to use and my appreciation for the variations will nudge me to contribute monetarily soon to the developers of Mabox. So much to learn with Mabox....so boredom is not a current problem. I used ventoy to install Mabox on both devices. No problem with installing it.
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Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-05
Votes: 3
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Just downloaded the latest 23.12 in both kernel vraints as I have some older machines. I tried the 5.4 three times, but right at the stage of building the kernel it missed some dependency and could not continue. So, on 12 year old hardware, I tried the 6.6 kernel. Zero problems!! I am sure the 5.4 will get an ISO refresh and will be fine shortly.
I am most impressed with the amount of polish that has gone into this release. Mabox was my first foray into WMs instead of a full DE. With all the help right on the screen, and reassuring words in the install notes, I will follow the advice and give it some time, ease into this paradigm.
Granted I have some experience from previous releases, but this time I installed for the purpose geared more towards daily driver than run-and-forget toolbox. So far it has been a breeze to find my way around, add software. The centralised tool for this is great and has a comprehensive list of the more popular apps, just don't try changing (remove or install) more than maybe 3 apps at a time. I have noted in fonts that I again face the cleanup/removal of Noto and Inconsolata :( which should IMHO be banned. Otherwise, all apps work within the environment which is highly responsive and low on resources like RAM.
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Version: 23.12
Rating: 1
Date: 2023-12-04
Votes: 4
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Hello everyone. I really wanted to give this one a try, but had not luck installing it. I downloaded the iso image 3 different times. I flashed a USB drive 3 different times, and tried to install it 3 different times with the same result. There was an error and the installation could not be completed. As best as I could tell from the error messages, the iso image may not have been complete. I have installed countless Linux distros and never had this problem; not even with Manjaro. I really wanted to give it a try, but had to move on to something else so I could use my computer. I'll be glad to give it another try when the ISO image has been repaired.
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-18
Votes: 8
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I recently installed Mabox Linux on my aging Dell laptop (Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, Intel GMA GPU), and I must say it's a game-changer. Unlike other distributions I've tried, Mabox Linux works flawlessly on this old machine, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The performance is impressive, making it suitable for various basic tasks like coding, internet browsing, and even running some old Windows games using Wine.
One standout feature is the user-friendliness of Mabox. The developers have done an excellent job of optimizing the distro for ease of use. The interface, based on the Openbox window manager, is clean and intuitive. Customizing the system to my liking was a breeze, requiring just a few clicks to personalize the desktop environment.
The only issue i encountered was bluetooth didn't work out of the box on my laptop. However, this issue was easily resolved by installing some missing packages.
Overall, Mabox is a reliable choice for breathing new life into older hardware. It handles everyday tasks with ease and provides a platform for learning and experimentation. If you're looking for a Linux distribution that combines performance, user-friendliness, and customization options, Mabox Linux is definitely worth considering for your aging devices.
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-06
Votes: 9
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After experimenting with may other DMs, decided OpenBox was for me. Looking at the various distros which had an OB variant, Mabox is the most advanced and capable, yet is easy-to-use. Like other reviews, it is fast, lightweight, and totally customizable. Have hammered vanilla installs into DAW workstations, programming, and electronics engineering disciplines. Even have one system using a 32-core processor and 64GB of RAM (now that's fast!) The forum is nice and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Mabox team!
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-01
Votes: 3
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One of the most advanced distros. Very fast even on old hardware. Yes, openbox is different. But if you are open to try this distro you will see, that this is one of the best way to use Linux on a daily base. I use Mabox since moth and I am totally satisfied. The possibility to configure this distro is amazing. There are so many option to make Mabox look like according your preferences. I use gruvbox as my preferred theme and it was one click to transform the whole distro in this visual style. This distro is also very stable. I have never had any problems with the rolling release of this distro.
Give Mabox a try - it's worth.
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-09-18
Votes: 9
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MaBox is for me the best Linux distribution, with OPENBOX, you can do everything and above all customize everything, really everything from A to Z, I've never seen that! and yet, I have tried many distributions, with KDE, XFCE, GNOME, but here, I am amazed by this mastery of customization. With time, I manage to do something extraordinary that I like, and we discover more, it's endless....For the functionality of the distribution, I use 6.5.1.1 ARCH Manjaro everything works perfectly. Well done Thank you
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-09-12
Votes: 3
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This distribution is a fast booting and easy of use Linux for more advanced users. Out of the Box even new Linux users can use it. But the possibilities of configuration might be a bit overwhelming for new users. With a bit of experience you'll find in Mabox a very fast and very flexible distribution. There are may themes available to change the whole look and feel with one mouseclick. The distribution itself is very stable and the community is very active. Specifically for old computers Mabox is the right choice.
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Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-12
Votes: 17
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Mabox is another Arch/Manjaro based distro that works great. The openbox window manager makes the system run very fast even on older computers. The system is well configured. There are many graphical tools to configure the system with the mouse instead of commands. I recommend this system as an introduction to the adventure with Arch Linuxen. I was not disappointed with this distribution. I am not able to find any serious flaws yet. I hope that I will stay on Maxbox longer. The LTS kernel is installed by default, so it should be stable. I recommend it again.
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Version: 23.02
Rating: 7
Date: 2023-02-28
Votes: 1
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Mabox is a very neat & tidy distro, & easy to use, if you don't want to get under the hood.
The tint2 & the panels are a bit messy, & are not easy to edit & configure. There is too much bling in the way, unlike with other Openbox fronted systems. There are too many unnecessary applications, that are effectively non-functional, because there's no apparent way to configure them, e.g., the weather forecast. There are too many applications that look flashy, but have no configuration options available.
Oh yes, it's easy to change the colourisation or the theme, but all of this conceals the functionality.
And there is a big negative.
There is no battery power icon, which is essential for running a laptop.; & there seems to be no way of adding one to either tint2 or the multiple panels.
The website claims that there is a battery indicator available, but it is invisible when the battery is fully charged.
This is clearly not true, because I have been running my laptop on battery power for 90 minutes, yet no battery indicator has appeared.
No battery indicator appears when it is charging, either.
This is a major oversight by the developers.
Mabox seems to be all about appearance.
There are far better Openbox fronted systems I could mention that are aimed at user friendliness, that can be easily user customised.
Also, there is far less FLOSS available, but that's probably because most developers will usually have a .deb or .rpm available, but not bother making one for the Arch family.
Mabox is very pretty, but doesn't come close to the usability of the Debian based Openbox distros.
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Version: 23.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-07
Votes: 17
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Even though Mabox is basically Manjaro or Arch one thing clearly stands out. Their implementation of "Openbox" WM is absolutely fantastic. I've never really liked using WM's and especially not "Openbox" but Mabox's useage of "Openbox" is outstanding. I ran it in a VM and from a flash drive and my usage was smooth and flawless. I installed it to one of my main PC's and was absolutely stunned. Everything worked from the instant it booted, no errors, no misconfigurations, no corrupted files just perfection. Everything was recognized right out of the box. Well done to the Mabox devs and contributors.
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-02-05
Votes: 2
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Its beautiful, fast and very tasty imo. I am happy to come across it and installed it right away alongside two other os's.
Since i was looking for replacement on my new partition i now have an amazing bootscreen and mabox recognized the other systems flawlesly. So a big thanks to the developers! I tried a lot of different distro's but Mabox is one that sticks out for sure.
The openbox / taskbar combination makes it very easy to use. Mabox is really practicle and i keep coming back just for the looks.
Although you can change the looks the default state is amazing, keeps me interested and nothing is boring in the layout. I love that! However, i tried a couple of Manjaro and other arch-based distros and again the look and feel of Mabox is the most pleasant one.
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Version: 23.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-03
Votes: 4
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Very good distro for programmer, professional, enthusiast, hacker. Implemented on the basis of Manjaro, and therefore also Archlinux. Well balanced and optimized. A lot of own improvements implemented on the basis of the OpenBox window manager. Very comfortable to use, well-designed keyboard shortcuts. Working in this distribution is pleasant and effective. I highly recommend it, especially to people looking for a very fast, reliable and convenient distribution with wide expansion possibilities and a rich set of available software both in packages and for compilation from the AUR repository.
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-11
Votes: 8
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Booted from flash drive for a few times to play around with it, then very soon decided to install to my hard drive's multi-boot line-up. It's very fast - was not expecting that. Major and minor details seem to be suited to my purposes. Openbox is my new favorite.
When the system updates, it keeps a number of versions (I think the default is 3) so as to not clog your partition with too many older versions. Mabox is fast and streamlined like Puppy, and a full-fledged operating system like MX.
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-03
Votes: 1
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I love this distro, very cool and very different to most distros, openbox takes a little getting used to but well worth it, a definite must have if your a tinkerer like me, but all the same it all seems to work so well, with very little effort you can completely customize the look and feel and then save it as your own theme, colourizer works so nicely, very easy for beginners, this is the first time i have used openbox, after i looked for other distros with openbox it inspired me that much, and there are some, but not one of them is as cool and so well put together as mabox, sent a donation to the developer and will continue to do so, he should be supported i think this distro will fly up the rankings, take a little time to get used to it, and i dont think you will look elsewhere, it is like manjaro in eevery way except much more engaging, i like manjaro as well, but this distro tops manjaro in the interest stakes, beautiful distro, well put together, everything works, what more need to be said, its a 9.9 from me, the 0.1 is would have liked to have seen more mabox related wallpaper, sad but true,
love it, keep supporting and using mabox, so worth it,
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-03
Votes: 3
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I love this distro. It's light, higly customizable, fast, not bloated nor clunkied. It just works and is not an obstacle to your workflow. On the contrary, with the additions of many Mabox tools, you can save/restore sessions, pseudo tile your windows easily, have a stack of boilerplate texts, colorize your pyRadio and conkies (which can be used as cheat sheets for the many keyboard shortcuts), etc. Since it uses Openbox, it is free of Javascript and yet you have your Win key to invoke any launcher, using either Mabox jgmenus or rofi launcher. On the cons side, I just say that I would prefer it over ArchLinux and not on Manjaro, which has a rather slow breakable update system.
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Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-26
Votes: 3
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I have Mabox on 3 very old computers, it is the most stable; light and fast i have used except Puppy and Loc Os also the customization options and menus are beginner friendly and that's great that's why i love this distro!
PS yes there are some things I don't like but it's silly things like default wallpaper and default taskbar, I also think it would be great to have more conky settings like ram and cpu meter... maybe a vumeter or battery indicator (in some configurations the battery indicator does not appear). Sorry for my bad English.
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Version: 22.09
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-24
Votes: 4
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A really nice distro if want a performant and always with latest software system.
and you don't want to waste time to configure some window manager
cause everything is already configured for you and you are good to go.
the overall experience is as good as with any full-featured DE.
Pros:
- really very fast distro (cause of openbox)
- openbox is configured very nicely and can be used as a DE
- manjaro based (which means no problems with updates)
- always up to date and with latest software selection (again because of Manjaro rolling release)
cons:
- didn't find any "all the settings in one place" app. so Openbox is still not ready.
cause you need to snipe for every setting in the menu, which is frustrating.
cause all major desktops have this kind of app.
- didn't find any app to configure the keyboard. only lxinput (WHICH SUCKS).
so no way to configure 3 or 4 layouts.
also the solution on mabox forum was weird from end user point of view.
you need to install fbxkb and give it a bunch of keyboard layouts, then
very very weirdly to switch between them, but what if I want 5 or 6 layouts.
so Mabox is still not ready for end users because of that.
- also bluetooth is not easily enableable/diseableable.
you have no easy way to find out if it is enabled/disabled.
p.s:
please test this distro not just with english/polish languages.
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Version: 22.09
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-16
Votes: 11
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Hardware: Dell Inspiron 3583.
This is a truly great OS. It's the closest I have found to the setup I had on Crunchbang. Maybe the developers think similarly to me. I haven't had to change any keyboard shortcuts. Super + w for default web browser. Super + f for file manager. I'll probably want to change a few, but Mabox makes that easy. Setting defaults is made so easy.
Coming from an Ubuntu (initially) base & then a Debian base, I find Mabox to be even easier to operate. And most of the software that I want/use is in the Mabox repository.
For certain (closed source) programmes, there is usually a .deb or .rpm available; but with Mabox I don't really need to use them any more. I used to use WPS Office on Debian, but I find that LibreOffice is so much better. (WPS is available from the AUR if you really want it).
I am so glad that FLOSS is growing & becoming more accessible, more usable, more UTD (up-to-date as well as united).
This may sound crazy, but I do see the possibility that M$W may start using the Linux kernel as its basis. There is a lot of cooperation going on.
This leads me to make comparisons.
Mabox is quite slow to boot (from an encrypted installation), but shutdown is almost like turning off a light. That is the the opposite of M$W.
Mabox has updates on an almost daily basis, which is the opposite of Debian Stable, or even Ubuntu LTS, but a bit like M$W, the difference being that with Mabox (being based upon Arch/Manjaro) is latest & best, whereas M$W is always fighting a self-defence position against hostile hackers. But the (mostly unpaid) Linux volunteers sort out problems on a coffee break. remember the code issue with BASH? Sorted in less than an hour!
I really like Debian. NASA use Debian, which is definite kudos. And the Debian based derivatives I have used have all been good.
And likewise, I really like Ubuntu, although I do prefer the derivatives, which are usually short-lived.
I killed an Arch install within 48 hours: my fault; I accept all responsibility.
I killed a Manjaro install within 1 week:ditto: my fault; I accept all responsibility.
Mabox doesn't let me do that. If something from the AUR is not compatible, then it will not install. That's fine. I don't have the time to spend time to be trying to make things fit. Mabox makes my life easier.
Mabox is a great OS.
I recommend Mabox.
Thank you to the Mabox developers.
And thank you to Distrowatch.
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Version: 22.08
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-09-20
Votes: 1
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Had problems with a couple of mainstream distro's on a small mini laptop, so thought I'd give this a go. I'm mostly a KDE and Cinnamon user, so open box took a little getting used to.
This OS is very streamlined and well configured. I do like its quirky vibe and look. I would have appreciated a bare bones version, as a lot of the software it comes loaded with, I'll never use and had to uninstall. I hate clutter.
Its memory usage is reasonably light but not a lot lighter than say Debian KDE, out of the box. In terms of overall performance it good with only one minor system crash (that said it is early days in terms of installation).
I think for an older system in particular this distro has a lot of promise. That being said, I could see myself using it on a more powerful and contemporary laptop or desktop too.
A lot to like here, I just hope being based on Manjaro, which I used to love but of late, have found a little unstable, doesn't weigh it down. I do think choosing a LTS kernel is a sensible move, that should help with stability and I have to confess I do like PAMAC.
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Version: 22.08
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-09-06
Votes: 4
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8.9 score.
Previous version did not work out of the box, but this one does.
1.So far LXLE distro has a quick switch wallpaper icon on the top left that has made it too be very nice distro. If this feature
be use for mabox, then it would leverage its popularity.
2. Mx Linux attraction point is the "snapshot" iso feature that no other distro could on par so far, not even "timeshift" that
comes near to that. So again, if the "snapshot iso feature from Mx-linux" be ported into mabox ? Timeshift can drop then.
I had stability issues with EndeavourOS but not with this 22.08 mabox.
If Mabox could follow "Devuan" not using systemd, it would be more scoring points in the future.
Mabox, a great catching up distro the moments one tried it.
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Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-09-03
Votes: 34
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So first things first, why oh why are you reading this when you could be enjoying Mabox right now?
10/10 well deserved and my reasons are listed below;
1) Superb themes from the Lightddm login window all the way to every aspect of the desktop.
2) Complete control over your system without bloat being forced onto you computer. You pick what you want using pacman from the terminal to install or using the provided GUI software installer. Pull in from Arch linux AUR to further enhance your experience.
3) A solid up to date Kernel with option to move to even newer if that's what you prefer.
4) In changing your wallpaper to which there are plenty to choose from your entire desktop pallet alters to match so no need to tinker to much trying to find the perfect colour to match your wallpaper.
5) The really useful Mabox control center.
6) The very useful keyboard shortcuts to your entire system so you use less mouse and more keyboard which is brilliant and quicker.
7) A desktop that keeps out of your way.
8) A Global menu using windows key/super and (M) to access software in a speedy way.
9) A normal menu which on tapping the windows/super key will appear quickly.
Overall this should really be higher in the distrowatch ranking and in my opinion above Manjaro, Ubuntu and Linux Mint.
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Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-31
Votes: 4
|
Well, after a long time trying to decide the best distro for my ThinkPad, I think I found the one.
Mabox is stable. Fast. Easy to configure and make a pretty desktop in just about 20 minutes or less.
It differs itself from Manjaro, and it's trying to be something in the middle of Arch and Ubuntu. Imagine semi-rolling like Fedora, but with access to the Arch repositories (use AUR at your own risk, of course, as always).
In my case, I just installed Plank, and was good to go :)
It has many pre-installed themes, but you can make your own and save it, and use it on another installation!
I cannot recommend Mabox enough. Give it a try
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Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-24
Votes: 11
|
Having never even heard of Mabox before, and looking for an Arch Linux based, Openbox fronted distro, I downloaded and tested it last weekend, and was immediately well impressed, enough to install it.
Mabox is a very elegant distro, and very easy to use. the installation is very straight forward, and has the advantage of being installable offline. It is also one of the fastest installs I have ever encountered: about 15 minutes.
I also consider it to be the best laid out Openbox fronted distro I have ever tried.
For the more adventurous, the Arch User Repository is available, with appropriate warnings of system breakage.
Having tried Manjaro before (Mabox can be described as a spin on Manjaro), I find Mabox to be much more stable.
In this, I would recommend Mabox as an excellent starting point for users wanting to explore the 'Arch Way', without having to jump in at the deep end.
Preferring to use my own folder names, rather than the defaults, I copied and pasted my 'user-dirs.dirs' file into '.config', which took immediate effect from relaunching pcmanfm.
PROS:
Rolling release means install once and continue to update, meaning no more point release issues, or even having to make a fresh install because the new release is incompatible with the previous version.
As with all Arch Linux based distros, it is especially important to pay great attention to the system. Mabox makes this very easy, because it is very informative, which makes it very friendly towards newcomers to the Arch Linux universe.
Being based upon Arch Linux, there is the availability of the almighty Arch Wiki, which is perhaps the best resource available for Linuxen users, regardless of distro. The Arch Linux Forum is also an excellent reference point (Just don't post questions that are not directly related to Arch Linux thereon. Mabox has its own forum).
CON:
If encrypting ones installation, using special characters in the password seems to default to the US keymap. Be aware of this. Learn the keymaps.
ALL-IN-ALL:
I would recommend Mabox as a distro for people who are new to the Linux base.
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Version: 22.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-06-13
Votes: 4
|
Running Mabox is a nice experience. The distribution never seems to do anything objectively wrong or buggy. Everything works properly, the system looks really sleek, modern, fast and stable. Although Mabox uses a really minimal window manager it has all the bells and whistles enabled. It ships with very few desktop applications, yet the menus are crowded with options. In my opinion Mabox has many configuration tools but they all seem to work, but the number of them (and the lack of a one central organization for them) can make it harder to find the options I want to adjust. The operating system should stay out of the way and not distracting the user. Nevertheless I think Mabox linux is very good. Recommended!!!
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Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-21
Votes: 11
|
For me is the best distro ever!
I've been using a lot of distros around linux's universe until I fall in the middle of Arch family (for me the most impress and promising linux family).
I'd tried to use ArcolinuxB, Garuda, Antergos(when it still existed) and Manjaro. In Manjaro I'd took my place for about 1 year and a half 'til I not bear its instablity anymore. Then I've found out MABOX! I've been working with it for about a half of year and I can say: THIS DISTRO IS AMAZING!!!
They're saying they're a Manjaro based distro, but they're working much better the Manjaro do! A Manjaro with openbox, STABLE, I need to repeat it, STABLE, and super lighter.
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Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-18
Votes: 2
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very cool and I haven't found any flaws so far. Very fast, full of configuration options system. The author has taken care of the smallest details, and if something is missing, he has allowed for complete freedom in configuration, so in a blink of an eye you can configure the system so that it is comfortable. In a word, stable, fast, not unreliable!
I'm new to OpenBox and am still learning my way around. It seems fast and stable but does not do as much for me automatically as does Plasma. It's a little frustrating but only because it's a different way of working that takes me back to when things were less automatic, and that's not a bad thing.
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Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-11
Votes: 4
|
I recently loaded up Mabox on my gaming laptop which I use for running VMs and for software development. I like Arch-based distros and I have been happy with ArcoB but decided to try something new.
Underlying OS is no surprise to me - rolling release, always up to date, easy to update graphically or through command line, not packed with a bunch of garbage out of the gate. Everything just works like it should and I only have loaded what I need.
I'm new to OpenBox and am still learning my way around. It seems fast and stable but does not do as much for me automatically as does Plasma. It's a little frustrating but only because it's a different way of working that takes me back to when things were less automatic, and that's not a bad thing.
I'm going to keep Mabox loaded for a while. I like ArcoB just fine, but Mabox will teach me more and it runs lighter.
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Version: 22.02
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-03-02
Votes: 0
|
Well. I'm most definitely an Openbox fanboy, since it's inception.
I only run window mangers.Awesome, Icewm and Openbox.
That said,I also prefer Debian testing/sid over Arch/aur.
Mabox is super well done and I have a partition of it I spend about a day a week in with zero problems other than the "normal" Openbox things like setting screen resolutions up in xdg to repeat on reboot and the "work" sometimes needed for hotkeys-volume control with mm keyboarding.Printing-scanning is flawless,blueteeth is fine, sound is right on out of the box. Xscreensaver needs work(as always).
I'd give it a 10 but I can give no Arch based system any 10. Using Manjararch as a base was a very good move. They chill a few days before shoving the constant Arch upgrades(occasionally problematic) to their fan base. Good on them !
ArcoB has a nice build of it but Mabox has more pizzazz.
sda= antix21 sid and Mabox
sdb=sparky rolling-Bookwormed w/ XFCE implementing Openbox NOIR and Crunch!++ 2021
sdc=Lilidog sid and Slackel
sdd=Solus and ArcoB w/ Awesomewm....playing with those to make them right ;-)
My laptop is all business. LMDE and MX. Even I can't break them and, if anyone could, I'm your guy !
I dont do gameboi stuff so this morning the laptop gets a fresh LMDE 5 and my Awesomewm on the desk needs a BUNCH of tweakage.
I don't recommend Awesome for n00bz.It takes some work to make it right but everything is already there
Behind me is a server. I should do a poll to see the guesses ;-)
C'mon man. Bullseye of course. I put JWM on the thing, after initial setup, just for giggles.
Arch fanboys looking for a super tweaked Openbox ? Mabox is your guy ! If you hate Green, get the ArcoB version ;-)
Mabox is first class. Maybe I can make him see the light.
If it was Debian testing it would get a 10.5 like Crunch!++ or...an 11 like Lilidog. The last time anything got an 11 was SalineOS...wayyyy back in the day
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Version: 22.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-17
Votes: 11
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Amazing system which runs out of the box, very fast and light. Openbox optimised to fit into a modern elegant desktop. I love its own Mabox-Gruvmox-dark-medium-yellow themes that makes a more relaxing eye-impact if you work many hours in front of the screen. I am also into these easy customize panels (left & right sides) which helps enourmously to give the most suitable settings for your personal likes. Indeed Mabox has become my everyday system since 2020. Thanks for this awesome development.
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Version: 21.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-01-16
Votes: 8
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Distribution based on Manjaro. It doesn't require a lot of resources, with high stability and smooth operation.
Openbox in mabox linux, is very consistently and clearly presented, work is facilitated by scripts created by the main developer of the distribution.
The mb-jgtools script is very fast and makes it easy to navigate the openbox. Mabox Linux Control Center provides all necessary tools to configure openbox, tint2, conky, picom, openbox theme, etc.
All shortcomings that existed in earlier versions are removed or corrected. Communication with the developer is a pleasure.
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Version: 21.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-15
Votes: 7
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A very well executed system. Everything in its place and if something is missing it can easily be added. The author took care of the smallest details. The system runs very stable and fast. Very lightweight and devilishly functional! Configured to work out of the box. Thanks to the lightness of Openbox, it can be used on weaker computers, still providing efficient operation. Recommended!
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Version: 21.12
Rating: 1
Date: 2022-01-14
Votes: 0
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I haven't found any flaws so far. Very fast, full of configuration options system. The author has taken care of the smallest details, and if something is missing, he has allowed for complete freedom in configuration, so in a blink of an eye you can configure the system so that it is comfortable. In a word, stable, fast, not unreliable!
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Version: 21.12
Rating: 6
Date: 2022-01-05
Votes: 1
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I am a Fedora guy, but when a new version comes, befeore upgrading I like to try something new using the "random" distro button on Distrowatch. This was a very nice discovery and I kept it much longer than I thought.
It uses Openbox with various tools all combined together (tint2, conky, jgmenu..) in a nice and intelligent way that is seems a full and powerful desktop. Only I don't like much the Arch world for the way packages are managed: yaum gave me different sources for various programs, sometimes the default one failed and had to try with another. If this desktop concept was with a Debian of Fedora based distro, this could really be a top lightweight distro.
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Version: 21.12
Rating: 5
Date: 2021-12-30
Votes: 0
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Installed Mabox recently, fast installation..Update all software etc..installed software...Firefox seems to hog the Bandwidth though...And when putting in Password to authenticate a software installation, it doesn't recognize it!
So wonder if there is an alternative root password!?
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Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-11
Votes: 3
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Very light on resources thanks to OpenBox, which I found surprisingly good and usable (compared to a full DE like MATE, KDE or Cinnamon). And adding your favourite DE is a simple install away.
Advantages of rolling with the Arch and Manjaro model, access to all that lovely, fresh (up to date versions) software.
On the fonts front, nothing pestilent like the Debian / Ubuntu / Mint global bucket cater-to-every-last-village fever, which takes 2 hours to clear up. Just 'Noto" had to get removed, and was not (like in some distros) ties to anything else as a dependency.
Testing in a VM but I think I will spin this one to actual hardware for a bit. Looks to be a keeper.
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Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-30
Votes: 3
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I'm more than happy with Mabox, use it as daily driver since 6 months or so already.
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Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-30
Votes: 3
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I have been using Mabox for the last year
It is the essence of everything I like about Linux.
Fast, stable, easily customizable.
I recommend it to everyone.
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Version: 21.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-10-14
Votes: 4
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I 'm really hapy with Mabox Linux distro..Thank you evrybady..good works...
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-09
Votes: 4
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I'm using Linux for more than 20 years now, so I tried and used many distro's. For about half a year ago I tried Mabox and I'm was pleasantly surprised: light, fast, the design and functionality well thought out i.m.h.o., and I like the fact it's based on a stable rolling Manjaro-release.
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Version: 21.09
Rating: 5
Date: 2021-10-05
Votes: 1
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I love openbox, it's a beautifully simple Window Manager. I also like Artix. I've tried Manjaro and just did not get into the systemd side of things.
This is a great Manjaro derivative; IMO, it makes Manjaro better; however, the largest sticking point is that it contains systemd. If this were able to be made systemd free, I'd use it as my daily driver.
The single developer has put in a lot of effort and when I contacted him on FB, he answered quickly and succinctly.
Most other distros that use systemd received a '1' star rating from me, so I am fairly impressed with this distro.
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Version: 21.07
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-08-05
Votes: 8
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I'm really surprised with this distro. I've no problems during installing on hard drive, no problems using my phone as ethernet to install rtl8821ce drives, no problems with grub or similar. I love this "desktop" cause i love retro styles ant its very customizable, it run fast on my new laptop (SSD, AMD silver, 8GB ram) but no similar experience on other one older (Celeron, 4GB ram), perhaps i've mabox iso with 5.10 kernel. I hope it will no crash soon on the next manjaro update. This is my first experience on manjaro and i love it: it's a groovy kind of love...
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Version: 21.07
Rating: 3
Date: 2021-07-21
Votes: 0
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Needs work. Failed 3 times to finish installing. Could be a nice system when fixed
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Version: 21.07
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-07-20
Votes: 8
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I've been using mabox for a year or two.
And I like it so much that I also run on triple screens.
what makes mabox better than other systems, one is very fast, safe to use and very stable.
You can set it up to your own taste, I myself have already updated mabox to a new version for 2 years and no version update has failed.
is the system for everyone , no not really , but if you can get away with short keys then it is one of the fastest I have tested , also the ram after reboort hangs somewhere between 320 a 340mb ram memory.
if we have to talk about the design of mabox and its beauty then mabox belongs to the top of linux development.
I would say try it out.
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Version: 21.07
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-07-19
Votes: 5
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Good work in VMware, i will switch from Windows 10 to it instead of 11.
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Version: 21.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-07-17
Votes: 6
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Although early in dev. this is the crunchbang replacement I have been looking for.
Didnt want to cross over to the dark side (manjaro,arch,mabox,etc) as I was happy with debian basted distros and aptitude pkg manager.
Quite frankly don't care about apt anymore. Yum/pacman or w.e will be easy to learn, hell I've been tinkering on a linux box for longer than some of you have been born.
I'm not an elite guru, just a staunch supporter of freedom. Crunchbang gave IMO the greatest freedom of all, here it is, its black, make it your own.
The biggest +++ is Openbox, Been saying it for decades, saying now, Openbox is the best WM out. It can look gorgeous, customizable to fit any needs, AND USES LITTLE TO NO RESOURCES. 289MB here for RAM usage in mabox, 2.0GB+ for Xubuntu out of the box on a 'lite version'.
Learning curve? Yes, but it is a good learning curve. Adapt or die. Fail and learn. This is life.
10/10 and a big 'nice try' to the bunsen guys... its just noteven in the same level as this distro.
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Version: 21.05
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-05-15
Votes: 17
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Excelente distribucion!! Estable, Rápida y muy customizable!
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-03-23
Votes: 22
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It combines the aesthetics and stability of Manjaro/Arch, and cleverly utilise OpenBox WM, Tint2 etc. to provide the Desktop Environment experience without the overhead and bloat of a full-fledged desktop environment.
It's blazing fast (especially so on SSD), extremely light on resources and still provide all the apps you might need to install via the Manjaro / AUR repos. There is just enough bling without overdoing it;
I have found my perfect distribution.
Thanks for all the hard work Mabox team
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-03-21
Votes: 12
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Very good distribution:
- lightweight
- easy in configuration and use
- stable
I've been using it for half a year now and I'm very satisfied. I am happy to recommend it to my friends
It is worth a try.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-03-19
Votes: 5
|
Good distro , installed in parrallel with Arch with same apps : libre office,firefox, virtualbox , redshift .....etc
No complain ,all is installed easely and all works fast and correctly on a machine 8 G RAM ,no swap, ,dual core , connection ethernet.( no wifi , no bluetooth).
I really appreciate the graphical apps installer , the conky is also nice and complete .
I have a Eeepc 0,98 G RAM but infortunatelly , calamares reject the installation due to RAM < 1G , I had liked to test it on a such old machine ....
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-03-09
Votes: 6
|
Very nice distro, lot of little fine helpers and eye candys.
Lightning fast, everything runs out of the box.
On my XPS15 9570 must start live + install with proprietery driverfirmware
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-02-28
Votes: 16
|
This is a great distro based on Manjaro.
Openbox is heavily customised and the whole environment is very very usable and comorable. The team behind the distro has put a lot of work into this, and it shows!
I have been looking for a WM based distro for a long time, but most of them were based on debian which was a no go for me. This one is a rolling release with a great base distro behind it.
Updating is the same as Manjaro: always on the terminal (real console with Alt-Shift-F2) and always look out for potential breakages (following Manjaro forum would not be a bad idea).
If you have an older machine, or you just line openbox, give it a try, you won't be disapointed!
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-02-24
Votes: 3
|
Highly configurable Openbox WM, on Manjaro based Linux distro. Great community with almost always an answer on your question within a day.
I use this ditro as my main driver on my old iMac which runs like a charm now!
For myself I changed already a lot on it as this one sparks my interest in changing things to my liking. The team behind the distro already has put a huge effort in giving it's users a very stable and easy to use environment.
Looking forward to use this for many years to come.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-02-24
Votes: 5
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I went from Mint to Mabox, what a great experience! Everything just works. This is a really lightweight distro using about 260mb ram when running. I had one small problem with my screen resolution not being detected correctly at boot but this was easy to correct with a simple shell script. Takes about 10 minutes to install, doesn't come with much bloatware (includes some beautiful wallpaper)and software is easy to install using pacman or the gui package manager.
I highly recommend Mabox to everyone especially if you are on older hardware.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-02-23
Votes: 7
|
Finally a good arch based openbox distro!
Although Manjaro is great, its openbox version, which I used for some time, is not so great anymore. So, i've been using Manjao XFCE lately. That woks very well.
But using Mabox feels like a 'coming home'. I like the combiation -Arch based- and -Openbox-
This distribution gives that combination the right kind of attention! And so far I have not found anything to complain about.
Conclusion: I you like Arch and you like Openbox, this distribution is for you
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-23
Votes: 2
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Pretty cool lightweight distro. Haven't had any problems yet. Gaming on this OS is a good experience so far.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-20
Votes: 3
|
Installed easily and quickly (under 15 minutes). Everything worked. Updates were quick and straightforward.
Boot time was 9 seconds, power off time 3 seconds. By comparison, on the same desktop machine with the same SATA SSD latest Debian Testing version boot time was 14 seconds, power off time 3 seconds.
Mabox has comprehensive menus, easy to navigate, and just worked. No adverse comments.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-20
Votes: 3
|
I wanted to try an Openbox system.
I need look no further.
Very polished.
Easy install and setup.
Fast - Light - Interesting
Give it ago it is mind broadening.
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Version: 21.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-02-18
Votes: 2
|
For me is one of the few distros I can't complain about, nearly perfect.
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-02-01
Votes: 12
|
I used to think about Openbox as an demanding enviorment, that is hard to master. Indeed an out-of-the-box experience seemed to be very challenging.
In Mabox, you can see the openbox tweaked and set as well as probably you won't see anywhere else. For me it is very well optimized.
I would definately recommend that system as a everyday use system for intermediate linux user (especially when you have some experience with Arch and Manjaro).
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-01-27
Votes: 5
|
Good Openbox window manager for Linux newbies.
Makes things easy.
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 8
Date: 2021-01-25
Votes: 1
|
I've installed and used Mabox several times. My only gripe is that the default Desktop settings don't seem to transfer across when installing. I've seen it install properly about 3 times and improperly about 10-15 times. When it doesn't install properly the Desktop is the same as the login screen - blank, no panels, no nothing. A simple right click menu is available, but none of the options in it work, apart from Exit/Logout.The only way to deal with it is to Ctrl Alt Fx and install some other Desktop environment.
I love the "menu under the right click" feature - enlightenment is also a long time favourite for the same reason. It saves on mousing to the corner of the screen.
Beyond that gripe - nothing to complain about - it runs nicely, behaves itself and has a ton of things to discover.
A great one for the tinkerers and explorers.
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-01-25
Votes: 5
|
Running this on my Lenovo notebook, works very well. I tried multiple desktop environments before, but it never clicked like with Mabox's Openbox, its great! The utility to share and save your environment across Openbox, Tint2, Picom and the other tools available make it a breeze to use! Package manager is very nice, has almost everything you need, and if you cant find it you can still fallback on AUR. Best thing about this distro for me personally is battery-life, since it's so lightweight, I can use my laptop for long periods of time for basic work. Also, the main dev, is very friendly and active on the forums, if you have any troubles! This is my main go-to distro now, 10/10.
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-01-22
Votes: 7
|
Mabox is the distribution I've been looking for. Arch based, with openbox! I have been using it on several machines for several weeks now. No major problems!
Why Mabox? Why not Manjaro openbox? Well, Manjaro openbox is allright, but it is a community edition. Manjaro does not have its main focus on supporting openbox. Its just a community-side-project so to say.
Mabox however exists only in one flavor: Mabox openbox. Thats a good thing. Its been in existence now for a while and seems to be pretty decent. And under active development. And getting better with each release (I suppose; i've only used the 20.10 edition)
So, if you like Arch (or need Arch) and like openbox (which is fast! and low on system resources) Than this little distro might be for you. I wish i'd found it sooner.
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Version: 20.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-01-18
Votes: 6
|
I had the distro live from a stick in memory. You will be greeted by a pleasant green desktop with conky on it. First of all I wanted to have look at the software but you won't get in unless you know the password: "mabox" without quotation marks. The software centre was reasonably well stocked.
I downloaded a few "essentials" such as "gnome-disks", "double commander" and "Abiword". They all integrated well.
Since I had Abiword now I was looking for a printer-setup. In vain - I couldn't find one.
The distro is virtually an Openbox version of Manjaro, quite pleasant, quite fast and good to work with. I found it a bit top heavy with desktop configuration playthings and toys and lacking the real machinery like a writer, printer, calendar, movie software etc. But, overall it's quite good and things can be adjusted and improved - if you got the time and patience .....
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Latest Reviews
Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 25.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2025-02-24
Votes: 3
|
Holy smokes. FAST boot up on a dual-core i7. Fast, insanely fast. I slapped this on an old ThinkPad X1 Carbon 5th Gen I plan to use for amateur radio stuff and it works wonderfully for that dang near right away (or maybe I just have enough experience across distros to set it up fast).
Did I mention how insanely fast it boots up? You should know how stupid fast it boots up.
Low RAM usage. Easy on the CPU and easy on storage. Openbox is a little busy and minimal looking, but draw your eyes to the big green M at the top bar and you'll find all your apps there, so it's only jarringly minimal at first. Using yay makes things easy. I found most of what I needed by just bashing yay -S whateverthehellineeded and there you go. You'll need to do that for Google Chrome.
Handed my laptop to my spouse who has virtually *no* Linux experience whatsoever and she was able to figure out Openbox and use it. Heck of a good OS.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.03
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-07-05
Votes: 21
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I've been playing around with Mabox for a few years, but now I've found that I like it so much I'm making it a part of my regular distro line up. It's much more fun than Manjaro. I've always been a fan of the lightening fast Openbox desktop environment, even though it's not as efficient to use as XFCE, KDE, Mate, or Cinnamon. The Mabox desktop may be a bit busy, or confusing for beginners, however I like it because it is anything but boring. It's functional and makes me feel like a geek instead of an office worker. I'm hoping this version of Arch will be more stable than others I've tried. So far, Mabox is one of my favorite flavors of Linux, right behind Neptune, Mint, and Pop OS.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-05-16
Votes: 14
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This is my second time around, so to speak, with Mabox. I first tried it a couple of years back and had a few issues which seem to have since been ironed out. I installed it on one of my secondary low spec laptops and so far, so good.
I'm a big Arch user and my daily driver is pure Arch. Generally I like to build my system from the ground up, which is what Arch offers but for this older laptop I could not see the point. Mabox is a nice compromise, it offers an Arch derivative based on Manjaro and it runs Openbox window manager, which keeps the on idle ram utilisation, under 500mb.
I'd characterise Mabox quirky, eccentric and retro, in a really good way. It has lots of fun tools you can tinker with to customise the look, feel and utility, of the operating system, so it suits your specific needs. I had as much fun playing with its features, as I did using it for various things. Well, in truth, I think I enjoyed the tinkering more, if I'm being honest.
Theme-ing in this distro is a stand out feature that needs to be mentioned. You can not only choose from a array of themes, you can tint and apply refined colours to different aspects of the desktop, to suit your very specified taste.
Manjaro's Pamac is on offer too, for those who don't want to use the command line. Now one word of warning, Pamac does not play well with the AUR in all instances, so unless absolutely necessary, I'd steer clear of enabling it. Stick to Pamacs curated packages instead.
Is there a downside? Well I would have liked a slider for volume control. I find the option they have in place a little fiddly if you are not using a mouse. It would be good to see a slider on offer, its just easier with a touch-pad.
Beyond that minor gripe this mostly an amazing distro from Poland and I do recommend it to those who like a more minimalist but stylish vibe or perhaps want something for an older system.
Great effort guys. Thumbs up.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.03
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-05-05
Votes: 6
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I've always liked the lighter desktops, mostly because my early Linux experiments (over 20 years ago) were on old low spec hardware that needed all the help they could get and I like something different from the more mainstream ones which try too hard to be Windows like to try and encourage new people to Linux. That failed anyway as the majority of home users are too brainwashed by Windows and unwilling to accept change, but that's a whole different story
Now I use far more modern hardware and don't really need the extra boost from a lighter OS, but I just like the look and true Linux feel of them.
A lot of work has obviously gone into Mabox and it's definitely my favourite Arch derivative. Well Manjaro for the pedantic, but essentially Arch at heart, but not restricted to geeks!
I'm usually not a fan of top taskbars, but this is so well laid out with right and left menus and conky screens I wasn't frantically searching to change it like I usually am. And i love the way you can easily arrange the conky items to your own taste.
It includes btop instead of htop or just plain top and it's one of many enhancements that I like. The screen shotting (by pressing Print) utility is far more advanced than the plain vanilla one in most distros too.
I usually go straight to Antix when trying to make old hardware useful again, but this is definitely a good alternative and while i've been using MX Linux as my daily driver on my main PC for many years, it might be time for a change as a few niggly bugs have started to creep into that.
I would give it 10 but the propriety driver option didn't work for my Nvidia 1050ti graphics card when booting it live. Hopefully that is an easy fix when installing it for real though.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-04-08
Votes: 13
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Wow. I have just played around in the past with some of the older versions and sort of liked it, but the latest has become a favorite. In fact, I have been using it as the default install on Chromebooks I've converted to running Linux. It's super fast, light weight and infinitely customizable. Really nice work. I sent the developers a donation, something I only do in rare circumstances here I think they've done something special. It's different and takes a bit to get used to but once you have it configured the way you want it to look and run, it's outstanding.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.03
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-26
Votes: 14
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Absolutely fantastic distribution!
After trying dozens of others, from the smallest ones, like Antix, Bang, Peppermint, etc., to the "regular" ones, like Mint, MX, Manjaro, etc., I have finally found the Linux-for-me distribution, for sure.
I like the fact that it is based on Arch (Manjaro, actually) and that it uses the LTS kernel. Also, I am an openbox-kinda person. The themes, which is not the decisive point for me at all, are quite stylish.
Fast, simple, light. I use it on a chromebook with 4GB RAM, and, while idling, Mabox uses only about 480MB. Built-in radio is a nice surprise as well.
By the way, their website is very good, too, which not every distribution can boast of.
So, 10 out of 10. Thanks, Mabox!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-03-04
Votes: 23
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Slick. Fast boot times, easy to use. Based on Manjaro (ultimately Arch) which rocks!
Pros - did I mention FAST boot times? Right from the install to ongoing daily use this is a well polished distro. It stays out of the way allowing me to get work done. The Conky panels all over are useful as guides and system monitoring. I do add CPU temp as for my one use case this is important to monitor. It also does not hog a lot of disk space, or much memory when running.
"Con" - a windows manager like OpenBox takes a little adjusting after a full-fat Desktop UI like Gnome, KDE/Plasma or Cinnamon. But actually once you get it... wow!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 24.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2024-02-03
Votes: 26
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just installed yesterday and immediately fell in love,i switched from arcolinux which has constant issues and after recent update now uses over a 1gb ram now at idle,after i set up mabox to my liking(main menu made all my changes so easy)i,m running at around 380mb at idle.not to mention how elegant mabox design is,its quite beautiful.hats off to the folks at mabox and thank you very much for this beautiful operating system.ps.,just as a side note the iso install via usb took less than ten minutes total,i mean ten minutes after plugging in usb stick to restart less than ten minutes,amazing.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2024-01-11
Votes: 16
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I usi it primary os on my comp. Very light and fast system. Beside this the openbox, tint2, jgmenu configuration is very easy. It needs time to see it through the panels, but after this time You can setup everything very very fast. This Colorize app is very useful. Unfortunetly not all of the themes can be setup perfectly, but You can create random and own looks. Mabox uses Manjaro stable branch - so I dont have any problem with stability issues. Mabox uses light and small apps - which are chngeable. Fe. I prefer vlc and not mplayer.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-17
Votes: 2
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I really like this distro. It is very fast. I'm using it on a i3 with 32gb ram (shuttle xpc) and as an external drive on another linux distro. If I have a con, it would have to do with the configuration for autostart. I was able to alter the configuration to get clamtk and plank to work....but unable to get the firewall to come up. No real problem as I can use other ways to bring the firewall up. I definitely count Mabox as one of my favorites which surprised me as I am working with over 20 distros. Manjaro is really easy to use and my appreciation for the variations will nudge me to contribute monetarily soon to the developers of Mabox. So much to learn with Mabox....so boredom is not a current problem. I used ventoy to install Mabox on both devices. No problem with installing it.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-12-05
Votes: 3
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Just downloaded the latest 23.12 in both kernel vraints as I have some older machines. I tried the 5.4 three times, but right at the stage of building the kernel it missed some dependency and could not continue. So, on 12 year old hardware, I tried the 6.6 kernel. Zero problems!! I am sure the 5.4 will get an ISO refresh and will be fine shortly.
I am most impressed with the amount of polish that has gone into this release. Mabox was my first foray into WMs instead of a full DE. With all the help right on the screen, and reassuring words in the install notes, I will follow the advice and give it some time, ease into this paradigm.
Granted I have some experience from previous releases, but this time I installed for the purpose geared more towards daily driver than run-and-forget toolbox. So far it has been a breeze to find my way around, add software. The centralised tool for this is great and has a comprehensive list of the more popular apps, just don't try changing (remove or install) more than maybe 3 apps at a time. I have noted in fonts that I again face the cleanup/removal of Noto and Inconsolata :( which should IMHO be banned. Otherwise, all apps work within the environment which is highly responsive and low on resources like RAM.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-12-05
Votes: 3
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I really like this distro. It is very fast. I'm using it on a i3 with 32gb ram (shuttle xpc) and as an external drive on another linux distro. If I have a con, it would have to do with the configuration for autostart. I was able to alter the configuration to get clamtk and plank to work....but unable to get the firewall to come up. No real problem as I can use other ways to bring the firewall up. I definitely count Mabox as one of my favorites which surprised me as I am working with over 20 distros. Manjaro is really easy to use and my appreciation for the variations will nudge me to contribute monetarily soon to the developers of Mabox. So much to learn with Mabox....so boredom is not a current problem. I used ventoy to install Mabox on both devices. No problem with installing it.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.12
Rating: 1
Date: 2023-12-04
Votes: 4
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Hello everyone. I really wanted to give this one a try, but had not luck installing it. I downloaded the iso image 3 different times. I flashed a USB drive 3 different times, and tried to install it 3 different times with the same result. There was an error and the installation could not be completed. As best as I could tell from the error messages, the iso image may not have been complete. I have installed countless Linux distros and never had this problem; not even with Manjaro. I really wanted to give it a try, but had to move on to something else so I could use my computer. I'll be glad to give it another try when the ISO image has been repaired.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-18
Votes: 8
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I recently installed Mabox Linux on my aging Dell laptop (Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, Intel GMA GPU), and I must say it's a game-changer. Unlike other distributions I've tried, Mabox Linux works flawlessly on this old machine, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The performance is impressive, making it suitable for various basic tasks like coding, internet browsing, and even running some old Windows games using Wine.
One standout feature is the user-friendliness of Mabox. The developers have done an excellent job of optimizing the distro for ease of use. The interface, based on the Openbox window manager, is clean and intuitive. Customizing the system to my liking was a breeze, requiring just a few clicks to personalize the desktop environment.
The only issue i encountered was bluetooth didn't work out of the box on my laptop. However, this issue was easily resolved by installing some missing packages.
Overall, Mabox is a reliable choice for breathing new life into older hardware. It handles everyday tasks with ease and provides a platform for learning and experimentation. If you're looking for a Linux distribution that combines performance, user-friendliness, and customization options, Mabox Linux is definitely worth considering for your aging devices.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-11-06
Votes: 9
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After experimenting with may other DMs, decided OpenBox was for me. Looking at the various distros which had an OB variant, Mabox is the most advanced and capable, yet is easy-to-use. Like other reviews, it is fast, lightweight, and totally customizable. Have hammered vanilla installs into DAW workstations, programming, and electronics engineering disciplines. Even have one system using a 32-core processor and 64GB of RAM (now that's fast!) The forum is nice and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Mabox team!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-11-01
Votes: 3
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One of the most advanced distros. Very fast even on old hardware. Yes, openbox is different. But if you are open to try this distro you will see, that this is one of the best way to use Linux on a daily base. I use Mabox since moth and I am totally satisfied. The possibility to configure this distro is amazing. There are so many option to make Mabox look like according your preferences. I use gruvbox as my preferred theme and it was one click to transform the whole distro in this visual style. This distro is also very stable. I have never had any problems with the rolling release of this distro.
Give Mabox a try - it's worth.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-09-18
Votes: 9
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MaBox is for me the best Linux distribution, with OPENBOX, you can do everything and above all customize everything, really everything from A to Z, I've never seen that! and yet, I have tried many distributions, with KDE, XFCE, GNOME, but here, I am amazed by this mastery of customization. With time, I manage to do something extraordinary that I like, and we discover more, it's endless....For the functionality of the distribution, I use 6.5.1.1 ARCH Manjaro everything works perfectly. Well done Thank you
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-09-12
Votes: 3
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This distribution is a fast booting and easy of use Linux for more advanced users. Out of the Box even new Linux users can use it. But the possibilities of configuration might be a bit overwhelming for new users. With a bit of experience you'll find in Mabox a very fast and very flexible distribution. There are may themes available to change the whole look and feel with one mouseclick. The distribution itself is very stable and the community is very active. Specifically for old computers Mabox is the right choice.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.06
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-07-12
Votes: 17
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Mabox is another Arch/Manjaro based distro that works great. The openbox window manager makes the system run very fast even on older computers. The system is well configured. There are many graphical tools to configure the system with the mouse instead of commands. I recommend this system as an introduction to the adventure with Arch Linuxen. I was not disappointed with this distribution. I am not able to find any serious flaws yet. I hope that I will stay on Maxbox longer. The LTS kernel is installed by default, so it should be stable. I recommend it again.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.02
Rating: 7
Date: 2023-02-28
Votes: 1
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Mabox is a very neat & tidy distro, & easy to use, if you don't want to get under the hood.
The tint2 & the panels are a bit messy, & are not easy to edit & configure. There is too much bling in the way, unlike with other Openbox fronted systems. There are too many unnecessary applications, that are effectively non-functional, because there's no apparent way to configure them, e.g., the weather forecast. There are too many applications that look flashy, but have no configuration options available.
Oh yes, it's easy to change the colourisation or the theme, but all of this conceals the functionality.
And there is a big negative.
There is no battery power icon, which is essential for running a laptop.; & there seems to be no way of adding one to either tint2 or the multiple panels.
The website claims that there is a battery indicator available, but it is invisible when the battery is fully charged.
This is clearly not true, because I have been running my laptop on battery power for 90 minutes, yet no battery indicator has appeared.
No battery indicator appears when it is charging, either.
This is a major oversight by the developers.
Mabox seems to be all about appearance.
There are far better Openbox fronted systems I could mention that are aimed at user friendliness, that can be easily user customised.
Also, there is far less FLOSS available, but that's probably because most developers will usually have a .deb or .rpm available, but not bother making one for the Arch family.
Mabox is very pretty, but doesn't come close to the usability of the Debian based Openbox distros.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-07
Votes: 17
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Even though Mabox is basically Manjaro or Arch one thing clearly stands out. Their implementation of "Openbox" WM is absolutely fantastic. I've never really liked using WM's and especially not "Openbox" but Mabox's useage of "Openbox" is outstanding. I ran it in a VM and from a flash drive and my usage was smooth and flawless. I installed it to one of my main PC's and was absolutely stunned. Everything worked from the instant it booted, no errors, no misconfigurations, no corrupted files just perfection. Everything was recognized right out of the box. Well done to the Mabox devs and contributors.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2023-02-05
Votes: 2
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Its beautiful, fast and very tasty imo. I am happy to come across it and installed it right away alongside two other os's.
Since i was looking for replacement on my new partition i now have an amazing bootscreen and mabox recognized the other systems flawlesly. So a big thanks to the developers! I tried a lot of different distro's but Mabox is one that sticks out for sure.
The openbox / taskbar combination makes it very easy to use. Mabox is really practicle and i keep coming back just for the looks.
Although you can change the looks the default state is amazing, keeps me interested and nothing is boring in the layout. I love that! However, i tried a couple of Manjaro and other arch-based distros and again the look and feel of Mabox is the most pleasant one.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 23.01
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-02-03
Votes: 4
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Very good distro for programmer, professional, enthusiast, hacker. Implemented on the basis of Manjaro, and therefore also Archlinux. Well balanced and optimized. A lot of own improvements implemented on the basis of the OpenBox window manager. Very comfortable to use, well-designed keyboard shortcuts. Working in this distribution is pleasant and effective. I highly recommend it, especially to people looking for a very fast, reliable and convenient distribution with wide expansion possibilities and a rich set of available software both in packages and for compilation from the AUR repository.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-11
Votes: 8
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Booted from flash drive for a few times to play around with it, then very soon decided to install to my hard drive's multi-boot line-up. It's very fast - was not expecting that. Major and minor details seem to be suited to my purposes. Openbox is my new favorite.
When the system updates, it keeps a number of versions (I think the default is 3) so as to not clog your partition with too many older versions. Mabox is fast and streamlined like Puppy, and a full-fledged operating system like MX.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-03
Votes: 3
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I love this distro. It's light, higly customizable, fast, not bloated nor clunkied. It just works and is not an obstacle to your workflow. On the contrary, with the additions of many Mabox tools, you can save/restore sessions, pseudo tile your windows easily, have a stack of boilerplate texts, colorize your pyRadio and conkies (which can be used as cheat sheets for the many keyboard shortcuts), etc. Since it uses Openbox, it is free of Javascript and yet you have your Win key to invoke any launcher, using either Mabox jgmenus or rofi launcher. On the cons side, I just say that I would prefer it over ArchLinux and not on Manjaro, which has a rather slow breakable update system.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2023-01-03
Votes: 1
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I love this distro, very cool and very different to most distros, openbox takes a little getting used to but well worth it, a definite must have if your a tinkerer like me, but all the same it all seems to work so well, with very little effort you can completely customize the look and feel and then save it as your own theme, colourizer works so nicely, very easy for beginners, this is the first time i have used openbox, after i looked for other distros with openbox it inspired me that much, and there are some, but not one of them is as cool and so well put together as mabox, sent a donation to the developer and will continue to do so, he should be supported i think this distro will fly up the rankings, take a little time to get used to it, and i dont think you will look elsewhere, it is like manjaro in eevery way except much more engaging, i like manjaro as well, but this distro tops manjaro in the interest stakes, beautiful distro, well put together, everything works, what more need to be said, its a 9.9 from me, the 0.1 is would have liked to have seen more mabox related wallpaper, sad but true,
love it, keep supporting and using mabox, so worth it,
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-12-26
Votes: 3
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I have Mabox on 3 very old computers, it is the most stable; light and fast i have used except Puppy and Loc Os also the customization options and menus are beginner friendly and that's great that's why i love this distro!
PS yes there are some things I don't like but it's silly things like default wallpaper and default taskbar, I also think it would be great to have more conky settings like ram and cpu meter... maybe a vumeter or battery indicator (in some configurations the battery indicator does not appear). Sorry for my bad English.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.09
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-24
Votes: 4
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A really nice distro if want a performant and always with latest software system.
and you don't want to waste time to configure some window manager
cause everything is already configured for you and you are good to go.
the overall experience is as good as with any full-featured DE.
Pros:
- really very fast distro (cause of openbox)
- openbox is configured very nicely and can be used as a DE
- manjaro based (which means no problems with updates)
- always up to date and with latest software selection (again because of Manjaro rolling release)
cons:
- didn't find any "all the settings in one place" app. so Openbox is still not ready.
cause you need to snipe for every setting in the menu, which is frustrating.
cause all major desktops have this kind of app.
- didn't find any app to configure the keyboard. only lxinput (WHICH SUCKS).
so no way to configure 3 or 4 layouts.
also the solution on mabox forum was weird from end user point of view.
you need to install fbxkb and give it a bunch of keyboard layouts, then
very very weirdly to switch between them, but what if I want 5 or 6 layouts.
so Mabox is still not ready for end users because of that.
- also bluetooth is not easily enableable/diseableable.
you have no easy way to find out if it is enabled/disabled.
p.s:
please test this distro not just with english/polish languages.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.09
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-10-16
Votes: 11
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Hardware: Dell Inspiron 3583.
This is a truly great OS. It's the closest I have found to the setup I had on Crunchbang. Maybe the developers think similarly to me. I haven't had to change any keyboard shortcuts. Super + w for default web browser. Super + f for file manager. I'll probably want to change a few, but Mabox makes that easy. Setting defaults is made so easy.
Coming from an Ubuntu (initially) base & then a Debian base, I find Mabox to be even easier to operate. And most of the software that I want/use is in the Mabox repository.
For certain (closed source) programmes, there is usually a .deb or .rpm available; but with Mabox I don't really need to use them any more. I used to use WPS Office on Debian, but I find that LibreOffice is so much better. (WPS is available from the AUR if you really want it).
I am so glad that FLOSS is growing & becoming more accessible, more usable, more UTD (up-to-date as well as united).
This may sound crazy, but I do see the possibility that M$W may start using the Linux kernel as its basis. There is a lot of cooperation going on.
This leads me to make comparisons.
Mabox is quite slow to boot (from an encrypted installation), but shutdown is almost like turning off a light. That is the the opposite of M$W.
Mabox has updates on an almost daily basis, which is the opposite of Debian Stable, or even Ubuntu LTS, but a bit like M$W, the difference being that with Mabox (being based upon Arch/Manjaro) is latest & best, whereas M$W is always fighting a self-defence position against hostile hackers. But the (mostly unpaid) Linux volunteers sort out problems on a coffee break. remember the code issue with BASH? Sorted in less than an hour!
I really like Debian. NASA use Debian, which is definite kudos. And the Debian based derivatives I have used have all been good.
And likewise, I really like Ubuntu, although I do prefer the derivatives, which are usually short-lived.
I killed an Arch install within 48 hours: my fault; I accept all responsibility.
I killed a Manjaro install within 1 week:ditto: my fault; I accept all responsibility.
Mabox doesn't let me do that. If something from the AUR is not compatible, then it will not install. That's fine. I don't have the time to spend time to be trying to make things fit. Mabox makes my life easier.
Mabox is a great OS.
I recommend Mabox.
Thank you to the Mabox developers.
And thank you to Distrowatch.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.08
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-09-20
Votes: 1
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Had problems with a couple of mainstream distro's on a small mini laptop, so thought I'd give this a go. I'm mostly a KDE and Cinnamon user, so open box took a little getting used to.
This OS is very streamlined and well configured. I do like its quirky vibe and look. I would have appreciated a bare bones version, as a lot of the software it comes loaded with, I'll never use and had to uninstall. I hate clutter.
Its memory usage is reasonably light but not a lot lighter than say Debian KDE, out of the box. In terms of overall performance it good with only one minor system crash (that said it is early days in terms of installation).
I think for an older system in particular this distro has a lot of promise. That being said, I could see myself using it on a more powerful and contemporary laptop or desktop too.
A lot to like here, I just hope being based on Manjaro, which I used to love but of late, have found a little unstable, doesn't weigh it down. I do think choosing a LTS kernel is a sensible move, that should help with stability and I have to confess I do like PAMAC.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.08
Rating: 8
Date: 2022-09-06
Votes: 4
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8.9 score.
Previous version did not work out of the box, but this one does.
1.So far LXLE distro has a quick switch wallpaper icon on the top left that has made it too be very nice distro. If this feature
be use for mabox, then it would leverage its popularity.
2. Mx Linux attraction point is the "snapshot" iso feature that no other distro could on par so far, not even "timeshift" that
comes near to that. So again, if the "snapshot iso feature from Mx-linux" be ported into mabox ? Timeshift can drop then.
I had stability issues with EndeavourOS but not with this 22.08 mabox.
If Mabox could follow "Devuan" not using systemd, it would be more scoring points in the future.
Mabox, a great catching up distro the moments one tried it.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-09-03
Votes: 34
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So first things first, why oh why are you reading this when you could be enjoying Mabox right now?
10/10 well deserved and my reasons are listed below;
1) Superb themes from the Lightddm login window all the way to every aspect of the desktop.
2) Complete control over your system without bloat being forced onto you computer. You pick what you want using pacman from the terminal to install or using the provided GUI software installer. Pull in from Arch linux AUR to further enhance your experience.
3) A solid up to date Kernel with option to move to even newer if that's what you prefer.
4) In changing your wallpaper to which there are plenty to choose from your entire desktop pallet alters to match so no need to tinker to much trying to find the perfect colour to match your wallpaper.
5) The really useful Mabox control center.
6) The very useful keyboard shortcuts to your entire system so you use less mouse and more keyboard which is brilliant and quicker.
7) A desktop that keeps out of your way.
8) A Global menu using windows key/super and (M) to access software in a speedy way.
9) A normal menu which on tapping the windows/super key will appear quickly.
Overall this should really be higher in the distrowatch ranking and in my opinion above Manjaro, Ubuntu and Linux Mint.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-31
Votes: 4
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Well, after a long time trying to decide the best distro for my ThinkPad, I think I found the one.
Mabox is stable. Fast. Easy to configure and make a pretty desktop in just about 20 minutes or less.
It differs itself from Manjaro, and it's trying to be something in the middle of Arch and Ubuntu. Imagine semi-rolling like Fedora, but with access to the Arch repositories (use AUR at your own risk, of course, as always).
In my case, I just installed Plank, and was good to go :)
It has many pre-installed themes, but you can make your own and save it, and use it on another installation!
I cannot recommend Mabox enough. Give it a try
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.08
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-08-24
Votes: 11
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Having never even heard of Mabox before, and looking for an Arch Linux based, Openbox fronted distro, I downloaded and tested it last weekend, and was immediately well impressed, enough to install it.
Mabox is a very elegant distro, and very easy to use. the installation is very straight forward, and has the advantage of being installable offline. It is also one of the fastest installs I have ever encountered: about 15 minutes.
I also consider it to be the best laid out Openbox fronted distro I have ever tried.
For the more adventurous, the Arch User Repository is available, with appropriate warnings of system breakage.
Having tried Manjaro before (Mabox can be described as a spin on Manjaro), I find Mabox to be much more stable.
In this, I would recommend Mabox as an excellent starting point for users wanting to explore the 'Arch Way', without having to jump in at the deep end.
Preferring to use my own folder names, rather than the defaults, I copied and pasted my 'user-dirs.dirs' file into '.config', which took immediate effect from relaunching pcmanfm.
PROS:
Rolling release means install once and continue to update, meaning no more point release issues, or even having to make a fresh install because the new release is incompatible with the previous version.
As with all Arch Linux based distros, it is especially important to pay great attention to the system. Mabox makes this very easy, because it is very informative, which makes it very friendly towards newcomers to the Arch Linux universe.
Being based upon Arch Linux, there is the availability of the almighty Arch Wiki, which is perhaps the best resource available for Linuxen users, regardless of distro. The Arch Linux Forum is also an excellent reference point (Just don't post questions that are not directly related to Arch Linux thereon. Mabox has its own forum).
CON:
If encrypting ones installation, using special characters in the password seems to default to the US keymap. Be aware of this. Learn the keymaps.
ALL-IN-ALL:
I would recommend Mabox as a distro for people who are new to the Linux base.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.06
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-06-13
Votes: 4
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Running Mabox is a nice experience. The distribution never seems to do anything objectively wrong or buggy. Everything works properly, the system looks really sleek, modern, fast and stable. Although Mabox uses a really minimal window manager it has all the bells and whistles enabled. It ships with very few desktop applications, yet the menus are crowded with options. In my opinion Mabox has many configuration tools but they all seem to work, but the number of them (and the lack of a one central organization for them) can make it harder to find the options I want to adjust. The operating system should stay out of the way and not distracting the user. Nevertheless I think Mabox linux is very good. Recommended!!!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-21
Votes: 11
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For me is the best distro ever!
I've been using a lot of distros around linux's universe until I fall in the middle of Arch family (for me the most impress and promising linux family).
I'd tried to use ArcolinuxB, Garuda, Antergos(when it still existed) and Manjaro. In Manjaro I'd took my place for about 1 year and a half 'til I not bear its instablity anymore. Then I've found out MABOX! I've been working with it for about a half of year and I can say: THIS DISTRO IS AMAZING!!!
They're saying they're a Manjaro based distro, but they're working much better the Manjaro do! A Manjaro with openbox, STABLE, I need to repeat it, STABLE, and super lighter.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-05-18
Votes: 2
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very cool and I haven't found any flaws so far. Very fast, full of configuration options system. The author has taken care of the smallest details, and if something is missing, he has allowed for complete freedom in configuration, so in a blink of an eye you can configure the system so that it is comfortable. In a word, stable, fast, not unreliable!
I'm new to OpenBox and am still learning my way around. It seems fast and stable but does not do as much for me automatically as does Plasma. It's a little frustrating but only because it's a different way of working that takes me back to when things were less automatic, and that's not a bad thing.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.04
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-04-11
Votes: 4
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I recently loaded up Mabox on my gaming laptop which I use for running VMs and for software development. I like Arch-based distros and I have been happy with ArcoB but decided to try something new.
Underlying OS is no surprise to me - rolling release, always up to date, easy to update graphically or through command line, not packed with a bunch of garbage out of the gate. Everything just works like it should and I only have loaded what I need.
I'm new to OpenBox and am still learning my way around. It seems fast and stable but does not do as much for me automatically as does Plasma. It's a little frustrating but only because it's a different way of working that takes me back to when things were less automatic, and that's not a bad thing.
I'm going to keep Mabox loaded for a while. I like ArcoB just fine, but Mabox will teach me more and it runs lighter.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.02
Rating: 7
Date: 2022-03-02
Votes: 0
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Well. I'm most definitely an Openbox fanboy, since it's inception.
I only run window mangers.Awesome, Icewm and Openbox.
That said,I also prefer Debian testing/sid over Arch/aur.
Mabox is super well done and I have a partition of it I spend about a day a week in with zero problems other than the "normal" Openbox things like setting screen resolutions up in xdg to repeat on reboot and the "work" sometimes needed for hotkeys-volume control with mm keyboarding.Printing-scanning is flawless,blueteeth is fine, sound is right on out of the box. Xscreensaver needs work(as always).
I'd give it a 10 but I can give no Arch based system any 10. Using Manjararch as a base was a very good move. They chill a few days before shoving the constant Arch upgrades(occasionally problematic) to their fan base. Good on them !
ArcoB has a nice build of it but Mabox has more pizzazz.
sda= antix21 sid and Mabox
sdb=sparky rolling-Bookwormed w/ XFCE implementing Openbox NOIR and Crunch!++ 2021
sdc=Lilidog sid and Slackel
sdd=Solus and ArcoB w/ Awesomewm....playing with those to make them right ;-)
My laptop is all business. LMDE and MX. Even I can't break them and, if anyone could, I'm your guy !
I dont do gameboi stuff so this morning the laptop gets a fresh LMDE 5 and my Awesomewm on the desk needs a BUNCH of tweakage.
I don't recommend Awesome for n00bz.It takes some work to make it right but everything is already there
Behind me is a server. I should do a poll to see the guesses ;-)
C'mon man. Bullseye of course. I put JWM on the thing, after initial setup, just for giggles.
Arch fanboys looking for a super tweaked Openbox ? Mabox is your guy ! If you hate Green, get the ArcoB version ;-)
Mabox is first class. Maybe I can make him see the light.
If it was Debian testing it would get a 10.5 like Crunch!++ or...an 11 like Lilidog. The last time anything got an 11 was SalineOS...wayyyy back in the day
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 22.02
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-02-17
Votes: 11
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Amazing system which runs out of the box, very fast and light. Openbox optimised to fit into a modern elegant desktop. I love its own Mabox-Gruvmox-dark-medium-yellow themes that makes a more relaxing eye-impact if you work many hours in front of the screen. I am also into these easy customize panels (left & right sides) which helps enourmously to give the most suitable settings for your personal likes. Indeed Mabox has become my everyday system since 2020. Thanks for this awesome development.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.12
Rating: 9
Date: 2022-01-16
Votes: 8
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Distribution based on Manjaro. It doesn't require a lot of resources, with high stability and smooth operation.
Openbox in mabox linux, is very consistently and clearly presented, work is facilitated by scripts created by the main developer of the distribution.
The mb-jgtools script is very fast and makes it easy to navigate the openbox. Mabox Linux Control Center provides all necessary tools to configure openbox, tint2, conky, picom, openbox theme, etc.
All shortcomings that existed in earlier versions are removed or corrected. Communication with the developer is a pleasure.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.12
Rating: 10
Date: 2022-01-15
Votes: 7
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A very well executed system. Everything in its place and if something is missing it can easily be added. The author took care of the smallest details. The system runs very stable and fast. Very lightweight and devilishly functional! Configured to work out of the box. Thanks to the lightness of Openbox, it can be used on weaker computers, still providing efficient operation. Recommended!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.12
Rating: 1
Date: 2022-01-14
Votes: 0
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I haven't found any flaws so far. Very fast, full of configuration options system. The author has taken care of the smallest details, and if something is missing, he has allowed for complete freedom in configuration, so in a blink of an eye you can configure the system so that it is comfortable. In a word, stable, fast, not unreliable!
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.12
Rating: 6
Date: 2022-01-05
Votes: 1
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I am a Fedora guy, but when a new version comes, befeore upgrading I like to try something new using the "random" distro button on Distrowatch. This was a very nice discovery and I kept it much longer than I thought.
It uses Openbox with various tools all combined together (tint2, conky, jgmenu..) in a nice and intelligent way that is seems a full and powerful desktop. Only I don't like much the Arch world for the way packages are managed: yaum gave me different sources for various programs, sometimes the default one failed and had to try with another. If this desktop concept was with a Debian of Fedora based distro, this could really be a top lightweight distro.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.12
Rating: 5
Date: 2021-12-30
Votes: 0
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Installed Mabox recently, fast installation..Update all software etc..installed software...Firefox seems to hog the Bandwidth though...And when putting in Password to authenticate a software installation, it doesn't recognize it!
So wonder if there is an alternative root password!?
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-12-11
Votes: 3
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Very light on resources thanks to OpenBox, which I found surprisingly good and usable (compared to a full DE like MATE, KDE or Cinnamon). And adding your favourite DE is a simple install away.
Advantages of rolling with the Arch and Manjaro model, access to all that lovely, fresh (up to date versions) software.
On the fonts front, nothing pestilent like the Debian / Ubuntu / Mint global bucket cater-to-every-last-village fever, which takes 2 hours to clear up. Just 'Noto" had to get removed, and was not (like in some distros) ties to anything else as a dependency.
Testing in a VM but I think I will spin this one to actual hardware for a bit. Looks to be a keeper.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-30
Votes: 3
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I have been using Mabox for the last year
It is the essence of everything I like about Linux.
Fast, stable, easily customizable.
I recommend it to everyone.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-11-30
Votes: 3
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I'm more than happy with Mabox, use it as daily driver since 6 months or so already.
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 21.10
Rating: 9
Date: 2021-10-14
Votes: 4
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I 'm really hapy with Mabox Linux distro..Thank you evrybady..good works...
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Project: Mabox Linux
Version: 20.10
Rating: 10
Date: 2021-10-09
Votes: 4
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I'm using Linux for more than 20 years now, so I tried and used many distro's. For about half a year ago I tried Mabox and I'm was pleasantly surprised: light, fast, the design and functionality well thought out i.m.h.o., and I like the fact it's based on a stable rolling Manjaro-release.
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