A month after its previous June update, CachyOS launched its July 2024 version, delivering many updates and marking its 8th release for the year. For those unfamiliar, it is an Arch-based rolling Linux distro that aims to provide users with improved performance while being simple.
The spotlight of the July 2024 release is the introduction of a Zen 4 optimized repository. This new addition is specifically designed to leverage the capabilities of Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs, promising significant performance improvements.
The repository includes advanced instruction sets like AVX-512 extensions and is automatically configured during new installations for compatible CPUs, ensuring users receive the best possible performance without manual adjustments.
Moreover, the updated CachyOS Hardware Detection tool (chwd) now includes support for AMD’s “GC” GPUs, enabling automatic configuration of supported hardware for AI applications through the AI SDK installation variant.
Additionally, for NVIDIA users, the tool will configure the libva driver as default, further broadening hardware support.
On the desktop side, powered by Linux kernel 6.9, CachyOS’s July release brings the latest Plasma 6.1.2, accompanied by Frameworks 6.3.0 and KDE Gear 24.02.5 app collection.
The kernels now support AMD’s Core Performance Boost (CPB) feature, allowing users to manage power more efficiently across CPU cores. This is particularly beneficial for enhancing gaming performance by minimizing latency and frequency drops during idle periods.
User interface and system management tools have also seen updates. In light of this, the added GUI for the Kernel Manager is a quality-of-life improvement, which now allows users to manage the sched-ext scheduler directly through a user-friendly interface.
Moreover, the update removes the userspace kernel samepage merging daemon, which consumed high CPU resources on lower-end CPUs, replacing it with a more efficient MemoryKSM function from systemd.
It’s worth mentioning that CachyOS has removed Cutefish from its desktop selection due to maintenance issues but continues offering it via repositories for interested users.
Lastly, the Calamares installer has been updated to ensure a smoother installation process, prioritizing top-tier mirrors and incorporating the latest fixes.
The announcement provides a complete list of changes. For users eager to try out the latest capabilities, the updated ISO files are available for download via CachyOS’s SourceForge mirrors for those opting for a fresh install.
Of course, as a rolling release, existing CachyOS users can update their systems via the standard sudo pacman -Syu command. Those with Zen 4 CPUs are encouraged to migrate to the new optimized repository to fully exploit their hardware’s capabilities.
