What Is the Difference Between AV Linux and MX Moksha?

AV Linux (AVL) and MX Moksha (MXM) are two editions released together from bandshed.net, built on the same MX Linux base and aimed at the same kind of user. The difference is the desktop: AV Linux ships with the Enlightenment desktop, while MX Moksha pairs the same base with the Moksha desktop. Both are offered as separate ISOs in the same release announcements, so the practical choice comes down to which desktop environment you prefer to work in.

Where the two editions come from

The bandshed.net blog shows a consistent pattern across releases. Announcements are titled jointly, for example "AV Linux and MX Moksha 25.2 Released!" and "AV Linux and MX Moksha 25 Released!" The 25 release post describes the arrival of "two flavors of Enlightenment for the E-curious," which confirms that both editions are Enlightenment-family desktops rather than one Enlightenment build and one unrelated one.

The project is described on the site as covering "Linux Audio / Linux Video," and the release history is dominated by audio and video workstation concerns: ISO refreshes, bug fixes, and bundled audio tools such as the AVL Drumkits. That context matters when choosing between the two, because both are positioned as media-production systems first.

The core difference: desktop environment

The site does not publish a feature-by-feature comparison table, so the table above reflects only what the release posts establish: shared base, shared release cycle, separate ISOs, and different desktops. Anything beyond that, such as which edition has more preinstalled audio software, is not stated in the available material and should not be assumed.

What "two flavors of Enlightenment" means in practice

Enlightenment is a lightweight, compositing desktop with its own module system and a distinctive look. Moksha is a continuation of the Enlightenment 17 desktop, maintained separately and used by systems such as Bodhi Linux. Both are lighter than a full GNOME or KDE stack, which is consistent with building an audio workstation where background overhead matters.

For a reader deciding between them, the honest answer is that the difference is ergonomic rather than functional at the base level: same MX foundation, same release timing, different window management, panel behaviour, and configuration tools. If you have used Enlightenment before and liked it, AVL is the natural pick. If you prefer the more traditional Moksha layout, MXM is the one to download.

How the release cycle works

The blog shows two kinds of releases, and understanding them prevents confusion when picking an ISO:

• Full releases introduce a new version number, such as 25. The 25 post describes it as arriving "after a long and laborious development period."
• Point/ISO refreshes keep the same version but rebuild the image with updates and fixes. The 25.1 post states plainly that these "are not new OS versions, simply freshened up ISOs with updates and minor bugfixes," and that existing users do not need to reinstall.

The 25.2 post adds a candid note that so much work went into what was labelled a point release that the next full release will be substantial. In practice, this means: if you are installing fresh, take the highest point release available for your chosen edition; if you already run 25.x, a point release is not a reason to reinstall.

Earlier history on the site shows the same joint-release habit under older names, including "AVL-MXE and MXDE-EFL 21.3 ISO Update!" and "AVL-MXE 21.2.1 + MXDE-EFL 21.2.2 Released!" The naming has changed over time, but the two-edition structure has been stable.

Choosing between them

Use these conditions rather than a general recommendation:

• Choose AV Linux if you want the Enlightenment desktop and the edition that carries the AVL name and its audio-tooling identity in the release notes.
• Choose MX Moksha if you want the Moksha desktop on the same MX base and release schedule.
• Choose either if your priority is an MX-based media workstation and you have no strong desktop preference; in that case, try the live ISO of one and switch only if the desktop gets in your way.
• Do not choose based on version number alone. Both editions share version numbers (25, 25.1, 25.2), so "25.2" does not tell you which desktop you are getting.

One caution: the site's posts do not list system requirements, included application sets per edition, or download sizes. Check the individual release post and the linked ISO page for those details before committing, rather than assuming the two editions are identical apart from the desktop.

What bandshed.net offers beyond the ISOs

The same site hosts Bandshed Records and the AVL Drumkits, including the "Blonde Bop" kits released in partnership with x42 Plugins, following the earlier Red Zeppelin and Black Pearl libraries. If your interest in AV Linux comes from music production rather than desktop tinkering, these sample libraries and plugins are part of the same ecosystem and are worth checking alongside the OS releases.

For the specific question of AVL versus MXM, the answer stays simple: same base, same release cycle, different desktop. Pick the desktop you can work in, install the latest point release of that edition, and ignore the point-release announcements unless you are setting up a new machine.