Recently, the development team behind EndeavourOS announced the availability of its new version 25.11, under the codename "Ganymede"This distribution, which continues the legacy of the Antergos project, remains true to its promise of offering one of the simplest and most polished ways to install Arch Linux with your preferred desktop environment.
This new installment comes after a long wait, but This serves to confirm that the project is still active and under constant development.dispelling any rumors about its continued existence. The update focuses on refreshing the graphics stack, improving the installation experience on modern hardware, and fixing compatibility issues with certain network components.
Main new features of EndeavourOS 25.11 "Ganymede"
In this new version of EndeavourOS 25.11 "Ganymede", the heart of the system has been completely renewed, as it is powered by the Linux Kernel 6.17.8 and uses the latest version of the Calamares installer (25.11.1.9)In addition, the graphics stack has received critical updates with Mesa 25.2.7, xorg-server 21.1.20, and Nvidia-utils drivers 580.105.08.
On the other hand, one of the most important technical changes is the Improvement implemented in compatibility with NVIDIA graphics cardsAnd now the system dIt automatically detects the GPU during startup. from the ISO image and installs the correct driver without user intervention. Furthermore, The nvidia-open package has been added to the Live environmentallowing the loading of open-source kernel modules if the hardware requires it.
Changes in connectivity and desktop environments
Another notable change in this new version is the one affecting wireless connectivity. The developers have decided that The Broadcom-WL driver for Broadcom chips now comes disabled by default. in the ISO image. This driver used to cause conflicts with other network devices; now, if the system detects a Broadcom chip in the live session, it will display a pop-up dialog box suggesting its activation only if necessary.
For those who love personalization, EndeavourOS 25.11 brings specific settings depending on the desktop environment you choose:
- plasma: The Maliit virtual keyboard has been replaced by Qt Virtual Keyboard and the Libappindicator-gtk3 library has been replaced by the standard Libappindicator.
- GNOME: The Gnome-screenshot application has been removed from the default selection, opting instead for modern native tools.
- LXDE: A name cleanup has been performed by removing the gtk3 prefix from the packages and the Obconf configurator has been replaced by lxappearance-obconf-gtk3.
- i3-WM: For managing screen brightness, Xbacklight has been replaced by the brightnessctl tool.
Finally, the team has reported a known issue: Windows 11 might not boot if installed on a separate drive using Systemd-bootHowever, this does not affect whether GRUB is used or whether both systems coexist on the same hard drive.
If you are interested in learning more about it, you can consult the details at the following link.
Download and update EndeavourOS
It is important to mention that, being a Rolling Release distribution, Users who already have EndeavourOS installed do not need to download this ISO.Simply keeping your system updated will give you access to all these new features. The installation image, which is 3.4 GB in size, is primarily intended for new installations.
If you're already an EndeavourOS user, as mentioned earlier, you don't need to download the ISO. Being an Arch-based distribution, You just need to update your system from the terminal. to receive the new Kernel, Mesa, and desktop environment updates.
The first thing you should do is Open your terminal and run the Pacman master update command:
sudo pacman -Syu
If you also use packages from the Arch User Repository (AUR), it's recommended to use your AUR assistant (like yay or paru) to update the entire system:
yay -Syu
If you are a new user and want to try this distribution, you will need to Go to the project website to obtain the ISO imageYou can save it to a USB drive using tools like Etcher or Ventoy. The link is this.