The Calamares team has officially released version 3.3.7 of their popular distro-agnostic Linux installation framework. This release follows a notable pause following version 3.3.6, which did not receive a public announcement.
With an intent to “get the process moving again,” the Calamares development team acknowledges the slight delay caused by meticulous issue resolution over two months. Here’s what’s new in this release.
What’s New in Calamares Installer 3.3.7
Enhanced Code Formatting and Standards: The update includes revised clang-format settings to improve code readability and maintenance. Additionally, it introduces measures for C++20 compatibility, ensuring the installer remains up-to-date with the latest programming standards.
Advanced Command List Capabilities: The CommandList feature, integral for executing contextual and shell processes during installation, now supports substituting global storage keys as variables. This improvement enhances the flexibility and power of automated commands during the setup process.
Module Improvements and Bug Fixes:
- File System Table (fstab) Module: A noteworthy refinement in the fstab module ensures that no encryption keyfile is added if it does not exist, streamlining the encryption process where necessary. This update comes through the diligent efforts of contributor Eugene.
- Initcpiocfg and Keyboard Layout Enhancements: The initcpiocfg has received new settings for adjusting initcpio hooks more precisely. Meanwhile, the keyboard module now better supports the Persian (fa) layout along with other non-ASCII layouts.
- Partition Module Tweaks: Calamares 3.3.7 clarifies the partition module’s handling of invalid fstab entries, ensuring that these entries are not erroneously written and preventing potential system configuration errors. A new configurable default check-state for the encryption checkbox has been introduced, enhancing user control over encryption settings.
- Various Qt6-Related Fixes: As part of improving compatibility with Qt6, the latest version of the popular framework for developing graphical user interfaces, Calamares 3.3.7, includes critical fixes that enhance stability and user experience.
- Preventing Sleep and Suspend During Installation: A practical new feature has been introduced to improve the reliability of unattended installations. Calamares now actively prevents the system from entering sleep or suspending modes while the installation process is ongoing.
For more information about all changes in Calamares Installer 3.3.7, refer to the release announcement. The new release and its source code are available for download from GitHub’s project page.
