Arch Linux has rolled out its updated installation ISO for March (2026.03.01), containing package updates pushed to the repos throughout February 2026. As usual, this monthly snapshot does not introduce distribution-specific changes but provides refreshed media for those who want to perform a fresh Arch installation.
Here are the most important package updates included in the ISO, along with key updates from the official Arch repositories, summarized. The refreshed image ships with Linux kernel 6.18.13 LTS, while 6.12.74 LTS is also available in the repos.
Core system components are also updated. The ISO includes Glibc 2.43, GCC 15.2.1 across the full compiler stack, and systemd 259.2. Toolchain updates are accompanied by GNU Binutils 2.46.
On the security front, the snapshot integrates updated cryptographic and certificate packages, including NSS 3.121, ca-certificates-mozilla 3.121, GnuTLS 3.8.12, and libgcrypt 1.12.1. Hardware support is improved through the updated linux-firmware 20260221 collection, alongside amd-ucode 20260221 microcode updates.
On the desktop side, the February update to the Arch repos includes KDE Plasma 6.6.1, alongside KDE Frameworks 6.23 and KDE Gear 25.12.2, delivering the latest refinements and fixes in the Plasma 6.6 series.
GNOME 49.4 is also present, shipping with the updated GNOME Shell, Files, and core applications. Other desktop environments and Wayland compositors have been refreshed as well, including Cinnamon 6.6.7, Budgie 10.10.1, COSMIC 1.0.8, and Hyprland 0.54, all available directly from the repositories.
Many widely used desktop apps are also updated, with Chromium 145 and Firefox 148 for web browsing, while office productivity is covered by LibreOffice 26.2.1.
Container tooling has been bumped to Docker 29.2.1, and users who prefer a daemonless alternative can install the latest Podman stack from the repositories. For creative workloads, Blender 5.0.1 is available in the repos.
Additional core updates reflected in the ISO include Python 3.14.3, iproute2 6.19, and refreshed base utilities such as GNU Coreutils 9.10 and zstd 1.5.7.
Finally, the updated ISO includes Archinstall 3.0.15, a guided text-based setup utility that streamlines Arch installations.
You can download the updated Arch Linux 2026.03.01 ISO from any official Arch mirror right now. As always, the ISO is meant for new installations only. If you’re already running Arch, a simple sudo pacman -Syu will fully update your system to the latest packages.
