Plasma 6.1: EndeavourOS Celebrates Five-Year Achievement with New Release
After the launch of the Gemini version a couple of months back, EndeavourOS, a popular Arch-based Linux distribution recognized for its user-friendly yet robust interface, has introduced its latest iteration, Endeavour, to commemorate its fifth year in operation.
The Comeback and Enhancement of ARM Compatibility
In April 2024, EndeavourOS experienced a temporary pause in its ARM development when developer Pudge decided to take a step back. However, this hiatus was short-lived as he came back with renewed energy and a fresh outlook, leading to a significant improvement of the ARM project.
Shifting away from the Calamares installation approach, EndeavourOS has reintegrated ARM support with straightforward, device-specific downloadable images tailored for:
- Raspberry Pi 4b and 5b
- Odroid N2
- Pinebook Pro
- RPi 4b & 5b headless server
These images ensure a simpler and more streamlined installation process aimed at enhancing user convenience and accessibility.
The team is also looking towards future expansions, including extending support for devices running on the Snapdragon X Elite and seeking partnerships with Mac M1, M2, and M3 users as well as various ThinkPads with ARM architecture.
The Fresh “Endeavour” Edition
To celebrate the fifth anniversary, the latest release has been appropriately named “Endeavour.” This special version incorporates key updates such as:
- Calamares 24.06
- Firefox 127.0
- Linux Kernel 6.9
- Mesa 24.1
- Xorg-server 21.1.13
- Nvidia 550.90
- Plasma 6.1
In addition, this release delivers notable enhancements, including fixes for installation failures and language selection glitches. Though a significant unresolved concern persists with GRUB bootloader installation on older hardware, the team has proposed a workaround.
Being a rolling release distribution, simply keeping EndeavourOS up-to-date will ensure you are always on the latest version; just execute the well-recognized pacman -Syu command.
For a comprehensive list of all modifications, consult the release announcement. EndeavourOS can be obtained from the project’s site if you prefer a fresh installation.
