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Linux Lite 6.0 RC1, announced on April 25, 2022, made Google Chrome its default browser. The project said it chose Chrome because Ubuntu was distributing Firefox as a Snap package and Linux Lite wanted people moving from Windows to deal with as few package managers as possible. RC1 was a test release, not a version the project recommended installing as a main or secondary operating system.

Why Linux Lite 6.0 RC1 switched to Chrome

The Linux Lite team cited two related reasons in its April 25, 2022 announcement: Ubuntu was distributing Firefox as a Snap package, and Linux Lite wanted to reduce package-manager friction for people moving from Windows. The announcement reported Chrome 100.0 in RC1. That is a historical version detail, not a current browser recommendation.

At the time, the move was part of Linux Lite’s effort to make its software choices more familiar to Windows switchers. BetaNews also reported the Chrome change and that the release candidate was based on Ubuntu 22.04, providing a contemporaneous cross-check of those release details.

RC1 was for testing, not everyday installation

The project described 6.0 RC1 as a release candidate and asked users to test it before the planned final release on June 1, 2022. It said there was no upgrade path to or from release candidates and advised against using an RC as either a main or secondary operating system. Linux Lite 6.0, codenamed “Fluorite,” was released on June 1, 2022, according to the official release history and download page.

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The RC announcement listed a 2.1 GB ISO, suitable for writing to a USB stick of at least 4 GB or to a writable DVD. It mentioned balenaEtcher and Rufus as graphical tools for creating installation media. These instructions describe the 2022 candidate, not the latest Linux Lite installer.

What else changed in Linux Lite 6.0 RC1

Accessibility tools

The project highlighted Orca screen-reader support, the Onboard virtual keyboard, and desktop magnification using Left Alt plus the mouse scroll wheel. These are features listed by Linux Lite; the announcement did not report independent accessibility testing or usability results.

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System monitoring and desktop changes

System Monitoring Center replaced Task Manager and Process Viewer. The announcement said it combined task and process monitoring and displayed CPU, RAM, disk, network and GPU information. Linux Lite also introduced the Materia window theme and Lite Patch, a package intended to provide emergency fixes.

Hardware requirements and known RC issues

Linux Lite’s 2022 announcement listed these requirements for the release candidate. They should not be treated as current Linux Lite requirements.

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Storage 8 GB 20 GB or more
Display 1024 × 768 1366 × 768

The same announcement documented several release-candidate problems:

  • Release notes did not work on the first installer slide.
  • Desktop icons were supported in English only.
  • Dropbox setup might need to be run a second time.
  • The OEM installation option crashed near the end.
  • Legacy installation did not show an eject-media prompt, although UEFI installation did.

For a fresh RC1 installation, Linux Lite instructed users to choose Menu → Favorites → Install Updates. Its creator, Jerry Bezencon, stated: “The first thing you MUST do after a fresh install of Linux Lite is run Menu, Favorites, Install Updates.”

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Linux Lite’s current release is much newer

Linux Lite’s official download page currently lists version 8.0, released June 1, 2026, as the latest release. It lists Linux Lite 6.6 as the last 6.x release, with support ending in June 2027. The same page gives current Linux Lite requirements of a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 4 GB of memory, 40 GB of storage, a 1366 × 768 display, and a DVD drive or USB port. Those current requirements differ from the 2022 RC1 figures above.

For someone choosing an operating system now, the practical takeaway is to consult the current download page and use its current release and requirements, rather than installing the historical RC1 ISO. The Chrome change explains what Linux Lite announced in 2022; it does not establish which browser or package format a current release uses.

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