Manjaro Linux 26.1 "Bian-May" preview 5 is now available for testing, delivering the complete GNOME 50 integration with significant parental control enhancements and hardware-accelerated remote desktop improvements. The Plasma edition upgrades to version 6.6, introducing global theme creation and expanded accessibility filters, while Xfce reaches 4.20 with customizable file highlighting and panel pinning options. Default kernel support includes Linux 7.0 alongside LTS branches 6.18 and 6.12 for broader hardware compatibility. This rolling release preview provides early access to these desktop updates, though testers should back up their data before installing.

Manjaro Linux 26.1 'Bian-May' Preview 5 arrives with GNOME 50 and Plasma 6.6

The fifth preview for Manjaro Linux 26.1 "Bian-May" is out, putting the latest desktop environments directly into your hands. If you're on the GNOME edition, you'll finally get the full GNOME 50 integration. Plasma and Xfce get fresh 6.6 and 4.20 updates. Keep in mind that this is a preview release. You're testing ground features, not a stable daily driver. Back up your data first.

We're about six months past the last stable release, Manjaro 26.0 "Anh-Linh," which shipped in January. Manjaro's rolling release model means these updates are trickling in gradually, but this preview is the official checkpoint for the point release cycle.

GNOME 50 catches up on fixes and parental controls

GNOME 50 launched in March, and this preview covers the fixes and polish the team has been working on. The headline feature for families is a massive overhaul of parental controls. You can now monitor screen time, set hard limits, and schedule bedtime locks. Parents can extend limits on the fly when needed. Manjaro is also shipping Big Parental Controls 1.0 from sister project Big Linux to comply with Brazilian laws. That's a specific touch for a global distro.

Remote desktop got a performance bump via Vulkan and VA-API hardware acceleration. Streams should be smoother with less lag. Explicit sync integration improves stability for NVIDIA drivers. VRR and fractional scaling received bug fixes. The cursor now stays fluid at your monitor's refresh rate even when apps drop frames. HDR screen sharing is live, letting you record content with accurate colors.

Plasma 6.6 and Xfce 4.20 bring fresh tweaks

Plasma 6.6 rides on Frameworks 6.25 and KDE Gear 26.04. Customization is easier with a new global theme feature. You can save your current setup and use it for day/night switching. Accessibility got a boost with a grayscale filter for color blindness, bringing the total to four filters. Spectacle can extract text from images now.

Xfce 4.20 focuses on Thunar. File highlighting lets you set custom colors for specific files. Recursive search is back. The panel can now be pinned above windows, solving maximization overlap issues. Panel length is configurable in pixels.

Kernel 7.0 is the default. Older hardware support includes 6.18 LTS and 6.12 LTS.

Manjaro's rolling release model means these updates hit your system eventually, but the preview is the official checkpoint. The parental controls are a welcome addition for GNOME users. Plasma's global themes might need some tweaking. Report bugs to the Manjaro tracker.

Head here to the official release announcement.