Manjaro Linux 26.1.1 Ships With Linux 7.1 Default and Three Desktop Options
Manjaro Linux 26.1.1 has arrived. The new stable snapshot ships today, August 25, 2026, with build tag 260825. You can grab the ISOs straight from the Manjaro SourceForge repository.
The release covers all three official desktop editions: GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce. Each edition comes in two flavors: a full image packed with preconfigured applications and a minimal image that drops you into a stock desktop environment where you can pick your own kernel and install exactly what you need.
The headline change in the specs is that linux71 is now the default kernel. That tracks kernel 7.1, which Manjaro points to as the option with the newest drivers and broadest hardware support. If you're running hardware where bleeding-edge kernels tend to cause issues, the minimal ISOs let you swap in the linux6.18 or linux6.12 long-term support branches instead. Full images stick with linux71 and don't offer a kernel choice.
Image sizes and kernel details
The full ISOs run between 5.2 GB and 5.5 GB, mostly depending on which desktop environment you pick. The minimal images sit in the 4.0 GB to 4.7 GB range.
- GNOME: Full image is 5.3 GB. Minimal ISOs come in at 4.0 GB to 4.1 GB across three kernel variants.
- KDE Plasma: Full image is 5.5 GB. Minimal ISOs range from 4.6 GB to 4.7 GB.
- Xfce: Full image is 5.2 GB. Minimal ISOs are 4.1 GB to 4.2 GB.
For what it's worth, the kernel lineup mirrors what you'd see on a rolling Arch system, but Manjaro's cascading stability model means updates move through unstable, testing, and stable branches before hitting these ISOs. You're getting fresh software without the risk of breaking your install on day one.
Manjaro is backed by Manjaro GmbH & Co. KG, the company that keeps the project rolling. The base system is still Arch Linux underneath, so if you're already familiar with the Pacman ecosystem, the migration path here is straightforward. You can also find community-maintained editions for Cinnamon, i3, and Sway over on OSDN if the official trio doesn't match your workflow.
Verification files are bundled with every download. You'll find GnuPG .sig files, SHA-512, SHA-256, and SHA-1 hashes, plus a .pkgs manifest that lists every package included in the image. As always, check your downloads against these before running dd or Rufus.
Head to the Manjaro SourceForge project page to download the GNOME, KDE Plasma, or Xfce editions of 26.1.1.
