Manjaro has pushed out a new stable update. It’s the first point release in the current 26.1 “Bian-May” series. The update brings fresh kernels and a large batch of package upgrades.
Highlights include KDE Frameworks 6.29, Mesa 26.1.7, QEMU 11.1, Firefox 154, Thunderbird 153.0.2, and VirtualBox 7.2.16. Full details are in the official announcement. Here’s what changed.
The biggest addition is Linux kernel 7.2. Manjaro now lists it among its supported kernels. Linux 7.1.9 stays available too. Several LTS branches remain on offer: 6.18.45, 6.12.104, 6.6.152, and 6.1.183. Real-time builds of the 6.1, 6.6, and 6.12 kernels are also maintained.
The kernel refresh brings a likely fix. Manjaro’s developers say it probably resolves the AMDGPU regressions that hit some users earlier. The team also flags several end-of-life kernels. Linux 6.16, 6.17, 6.19, and 7.0 have reached EOL. Manjaro recommends moving to Linux 7.1 or a supported LTS kernel instead.
KDE users get Frameworks 6.29.0. There’s also an optional login-manager switch. If you run SDDM, you can move to the newer Plasma Login Manager. You’ll need plasma-login-manager 6.5.90-1 or later. The change is manual: disable SDDM, then enable the plasmalogin service.
GNOME users get a Papirus touch-up. A new Papirus Folder Colorizer extension adjusts folder colors automatically. It matches the accent color chosen in GNOME Settings. This applies with the Papirus Dark or Papirus Light icon theme. Accent colors set through Manjaro’s Layout Switcher can sync with folder colors too. That needs the supporting package installed.
The graphics stack moves to Mesa 26.1.7. Virtualization users get two upgrades: QEMU 11.1.0 and VirtualBox 7.2.16. Mozilla’s apps advance as well. Firefox jumps to 154, and Thunderbird to 153.0.2.
NVIDIA owners should read carefully. Manjaro now ships NVIDIA’s 590 driver series. That drops support for Pascal GTX 10-series GPUs and older architectures. Systems with Pascal, Maxwell, or older cards need the legacy 580xx driver packages. Switch to those to keep proprietary graphics support.
This update also follows Manjaro’s move to Python 3.14. Some AUR packages may need a rebuild as a result. That affects packages installing files into Python’s site-packages directory. It also affects those linking against libpython3.13.so. Manjaro suggests checking your locally installed packages. Rebuild the affected ones after the upgrade.
Manjaro is a rolling release, so existing users just run their normal upgrade. The distribution now supports the 6.1, 6.6, 6.12, 6.18, 7.1, and 7.2 kernel series.
See also: Mastering the Linux Command Line — Your Complete Free Training Guide
FAQ
What’s the headline change? Linux kernel 7.2 joins Manjaro’s officially supported lineup.
Which kernels are supported now? The 6.1, 6.6, 6.12, 6.18, 7.1, and 7.2 series, plus LTS and real-time variants.
Which kernels are end of life? Linux 6.16, 6.17, 6.19, and 7.0. Move to 7.1 or a supported LTS kernel.
I have an older NVIDIA GPU—will it still work? Pascal (GTX 10-series), Maxwell, and older cards need the legacy 580xx driver. The new 590 series drops them.
Do I need to rebuild AUR packages? Possibly. After the Python 3.14 move, rebuild AUR packages that use site-packages or link libpython3.13.so.
How do I get the update? It’s a rolling release. Just run your normal system upgrade.
Where are the full details? In the Manjaro stable update announcement.
