EndeavourOS is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Arch Linux that fits into a similar-but-different niche as Manjaro. It provides a simple and user-friendly experience to new users transitioning from other distros or operating systems while preserving the power and customization options that Arch is known for.
Despite being promoted as a command-line-oriented distribution, EndeavourOS comes with a user-friendly graphical installer, some excellent GUI tools, and a great online community, making it a good choice for new and experienced Linux users.
Almost two months after the previous Cassini release, the new EndeavourOS Cassini Neo is now available for download. So let’s see what’s new.
EndeavourOS Cassini Neo Highlights
Right away, it is crucial to note that EndeavourOS Cassini Neo is not a brand new release in the full sense of the word but rather an updated installation ISO image containing bug fixes concerning the installation. So, let’s take a look at them.
The ISO image received a fix for slower machines during the installation process, which caused a time-out during the kernel image build. Furthermore, the installation will no longer crash if none of the settings in the Calamares bootloader field are selected. In that case, the system will be installed with the default systemd-boot option instead of GRUB, as introduced in the Cassini release.
And while we’re still on the subject of the Calamares installer, the most significant change in it is the addition of an encryption option when the “Replace a partition” option is selected.
It is important to note that EndeavourOS Cassini Neo now stores bashrc in “/etc/skel” rather than overwriting it in an existing user’s home directory, and OpenSSH, which was accidentally left out on the Cassini ISO, is installed by default again.
The distribution’s ARM version has a lot to boast of as well. According to the EndeavourOS developers, they have had a lot of positive feedback about the distro’s ARM variant. Still, there have also been calls to make the installation option available for dd, rather than downloading the complete ISO for x86 64 computers, while keeping the user-friendly approach with Calamares.
The community’s voices have been heard, and EndeavourOS Cassini Neo is changing that direction. The distro now offers three installation methods for ARM in desktop settings and as a headless server installation:
- Use the EndeavourOS x86_64 Live ISO to install an image.
- Download a script and use it to install an image.
- Download an image to be installed with a
ddor RPI imager.
Just a reminder that the supported devices for EndeavourOS Cassini Neo on ARM-based architecture include the Raspberry Pi 4, Odroid N2, and PineBook Pro ARM SOC.
Finally, we will mention that the EndeavourOS Cassini Neo ISO installation image comes with the following:
- Calamares 3.3.0-alpha3
- Firefox 109.0.1
- Linux kernel 6.1.9
- Mesa 22.3.4
- Xorg-Server 21.1.7
- nvidia-dkms 525.85.05
You can refer to the official announcement for detailed information about all changes. In addition, you can get your copy from the project’s download page if you want a fresh installation.
However, there is no need to perform a fresh install to upgrade to EndeavourOS Cassini Neo if you are already using EndeavourOS. As the distro follows the rolling release model, all you have to do to get the latest is to use the Pacman package manager and type the following into the terminal:
sudo pacman -SyuIf installing from scratch, keep in mind that offline installation doesn’t require an internet connection and provides a fully themed Xfce desktop environment.
