Manjaro Linux 26.1 Bian-May RC1 Released with Linux Kernel 7.1.3

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Manjaro Linux 26.1 "Bian-May" release candidate launched on July 10, delivering GNOME 50, Plasma 6.6.6, and a refreshed default kernel lineup. The update enforces a Python 3.14 migration, permanently drops NVIDIA Pascal GPU support, and formalizes the project's transition to a community-governed non-profit. Early testers should navigate known roadblocks including refind bootloader conflicts, mkinitcpio hook mismatches, and pamac instability during package operations. Official KDE, GNOME, and XFCE ISOs are now available for download, though the release candidate status means stability isn't guaranteed.



Manjaro 26.1 "Bian-May" Release Candidate Drops Pascal, Brings GNOME 50

The first release candidate for Manjaro Linux, version 26.1 codenamed "Bian-May," arrived on July 10, 2026 with Linux Kernel 7.1.3. If you need a preview of GNOME 50, Plasma 6.6.6, and the new kernel lineup without waiting for the stable push, the ISOs are live now. The update also forces a migration to Python 3.14 and permanently kills NVIDIA Pascal support.

On top of the software changes, Manjaro's governance structure has shifted. The project is now a community-governed non-profit e.V. instead of a GmbH entity. You can grab the ISOs from the official download page, but keep in mind that this is a release candidate. Expect rough edges, especially if you're dealing with the known issues lurking in refind and mkinitcpio.

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Desktop Environments Get Major Upgrades

The GNOME edition finally lands on version 50. Manjaro is importing parental controls from the sister project Big Linux, which brings screen time monitoring and bedtime schedules. Remote desktop support gets a hardware acceleration boost via Vulkan and VA-API. Wayland color management protocol v2 is now supported, and you'll see improved fractional scaling and VRR handling.

Plasma hits 6.6.6 with KDE Frameworks 6.25.0. You can now save custom global themes for day/night switching. Accessibility improvements include a new grayscale filter for color blindness and OCR text extraction in Spectacle. XFCE gets version 4.20. Thunar gains file highlighting and recursive search. The panel length is now configurable in pixels rather than percentages. Control Centre options have expanded to manage header bars and multi-monitor behavior.

COSMIC also appears in the package list at Epoch 1.2.0, though support is still experimental for most users.

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Core System Changes

Python 3.14 is now the default. If you live in the AUR, you'll need to rebuild packages that install files to site-packages or link against libpython3.13.so. It's a breaking change. Head here to the AUR guidelines if you need details on the migration process.

The kernel lineup has shifted. The default linux70 kernel was removed from the repos. Supported kernels as of the July 11 release candidate update include linux61, linux66, linux612, linux618, linux71, and linux72. RT variants are available for linux61, linux66, and linux612.

NVIDIA driver 590 is now the default. Pascal support is gone. GTX 10xx series and older GPUs will fail to load the driver. Legacy options exist in the form of linuxXXX-nvidia-580xx for Turing+, but NVIDIA 570xx and 575xx series drivers have been dropped from the repos. If you're running an older NVIDIA card, you'll need to downgrade to linuxXXX-nvidia-580xx or switch to Nouveau. It's not ideal for legacy hardware owners, but NVIDIA's support matrix leaves little room for compromise.

Organizational Shift

Manjaro's history is littered with org changes, but this one feels more permanent. The Manjaro 2.0 Manifesto published in March 2026 proposed splitting the project from the GmbH and establishing a non-profit e.V. After negotiations, Philip Muller agreed to the transition.

The Manjaro Project e.V. is now led by Roman Gilg. Community assets like the forum, domains, and GitHub orgs are migrating to the e.V. The GmbH remains a downstream entity. The e.V. holds an exhaustive license of the Manjaro trademark until the end of 2029.

Known Issues and Warnings

This is a release candidate. You'll want to back up your config files before updating. Several issues have been flagged by early testers. The refind package shipped with this release breaks booting on ext4 and btrfs. Downgrade or remove refind before you update.

A switch from udev to systemd hooks in mkinitcpio may cause boot failures on encrypted systems. Ensure your /etc/mkinitcpio.conf matches your kernel boot line parameters. pamac is flaky. Users have reported crashes during updates. Use pacman from the command line or octopi as alternatives until stability returns. Intel i9-2xxx CPUs may experience Mesa rendering problems. You can downgrade Mesa or use mesa-amber as a workaround. NTFS partitions might fail to mount due to the switch from ntfs-3g to the ntfs3 kernel driver. Clear the dirty bit from Windows before mounting.

Download and Hardware

Official release candidate ISOs are available for KDE, GNOME, and XFCE. Each edition offers full and minimal variants. You can also grab minimal ISOs with the linux618 and linux612 LTS kernels.

Download XFCE
Full linux71
Minimal linux71
Minimal linux618
Minimal linux612
Download GNOME
Full linux71
Minimal linux71
Minimal linux618
Minimal linux612
Download KDE
Full linux71
Minimal linux71
Minimal linux618
Minimal linux612

Community editions for Cinnamon, i3, and Sway are also available. Links are scattered across the mirrors. Check the product page for the current paths.

Hardware partners have devices ready for the latest Manjaro releases. Slimbook's Manjaro III packs an RTX 4070 and up to 96GB of DDR5. Star Labs offers the StarFighter and StarLite lines with various Intel and AMD configs. Zotac and Orange Pi also have upcoming devices supporting the new stack.

Head here for the official announcment. The Python update alone is reason enough to verify your AUR build chain before touching your main install.

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