A month and a half after the Ganymede release, Arch-based EndeavourOS has released Ganymede Neo, its first ISO refresh of 2026. As with the other Neo releases, this one also serves as an interim refresh edition of the distribution’s installation media, providing updated package snapshots and some fixes without introducing major new features.
With that said, the Ganymede Neo ISO ships with updated core components, including Calamares 26.01, Firefox 146, Linux kernel 6.18, Mesa 25.3, Xorg Server 21.1.21, and NVIDIA utilities version 590.48.
One of the most notable fixes addresses an issue where the Calamares installer could exhibit extended startup times. In addition, the Nemo preview package has been removed from the default installation bundle for Cinnamon and Budgie editions, following its removal from the upstream Arch Linux repositories.
On the desktop side, Ganymede Neo provides users with KDE Plasma 6.5.4 (upgradable to the just-released v6.5.5), along with Frameworks 6.22 and the KDE Gear apps collection 25.12.1.
The release also brings a significant change in NVIDIA driver handling. In response to upstream developments, EndeavourOS has switched its proprietary NVIDIA option to use nvidia-open.
As a result, proprietary driver support is now limited to Turing-based GPUs (GeForce GTX 16xx series) and newer. Older NVIDIA hardware remains supported via the default boot option, which uses the open-source Nouveau driver.
Finally, keep in mind that the changes mentioned above applied only to the ISO, the live session, and the Calamares installer. Existing EndeavourOS users who regularly apply updates already have the relevant fixes and package updates on their systems.
For more information, see the release announcement. For those who opt for a fresh install, the new ISO is now available on the EndeavourOS website.
