Less than a year after its previous “Bird of Prey” release, Garuda Linux has just rolled out its latest version, “Broadwing,” marking the first update in 2025. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it is a rolling release, performance-focused, Arch-based distro designed to deliver a user-friendly experience right out of the box. And yes, it comes with a GUI installer.
However, their style of doing this makes it stand out from others in the same niche, such as Manjaro or EndeavourOS. What do I mean? Well, look at the screenshot below. Now, to what’s new.
Powered by Linux kernel 6.13 Zen (designed to improve responsiveness, reduce latency, and provide a smoother experience, particularly for desktop users and gamers), one of the Broadwing release’s biggest highlights is Garuda Rani, a brand-new application engineered to simplify and enrich the user experience.
Short for “Reliable Assistant for Native Installations,” the new app combines the functionalities of several existing Garuda tools, such as Welcome, Gamer, and Assistant, into one central hub, making it easier for users to manage and customize their systems.
Moreover, Garuda “Broadwing” is available in a full range of separate editions, tailored for almost any desktop environment and window manager you can imagine—Cinnamon, KDE, GNOME, Xfce, Hyprland, i3, Sway, and so on. However, now we have something new, namely the Mokka edition.
So, what’s this Mokka variant? In short, it is a Catppuccin-themed KDE Plasma experience – colorful, playful, and visually cohesive. Whether you’re a loyal KDE devotee or simply intrigued by Catppuccin’s whimsical design, Mokka might become your new favorite desktop environment. I have to admit, it looks great.
In tandem with the changes inside the operating system itself, Garuda’s website and forum have both been treated to a stylish makeover featuring the soothing hues of Catppuccin Mocha and Catppuccin Latte—pastel tones, etc.
Beyond these headline updates, the Garuda Linux developers have put considerable effort into polishing many distribution aspects. Let’s take a quick look at some highlights:
- Chaotic-AUR 4.0: Enhanced ways of viewing repository data. An all-new start page to make navigation smoother.
- Dr460nized Edition: Improvements in customization and stability. The Panel Colorizer is now deeply integrated, making desktop personalization a breeze.
- Hyprland Edition: A revamped screenshot script powered by gum for intuitive captures. Special workspaces for a more organized workflow. X11 as a secondary GDK backend for broader compatibility.
- i3 Edition: FontAwesome support for sharper visuals. Bug fixes for CPU temperature display, font sizing, and Dunst notifications. Minor color tweaks and code cleanups for a tidier environment.
- Sway Edition: A sleek new greeter known as nwg-hello offers a customizable login interface. Transition from Swaylock to gtklock, which provides user info and power controls right on the lock screen. Updated Waybar with expandable module groups for neater organization.
For detailed information about all changes in Garuda Linux “Broadwing,” refer to the release announcement or visit the distro’s blog.
Lastly, if you want to try the new release, remember that the system requirements are slightly higher than for other Linux distributions but still well within normal limits.
- 30 GB storage space
- 4 GB RAM
- Video card with OpenGL 3.3 or better
- 64-bit system
Before wrapping up, however, I want to share a few personal takeaways. First off, Garuda Linux definitely stands out from the crowd. I really like that it comes with the Zen Linux kernel by default—big plus in my book. It’s also obvious that the developers put a ton of effort into the visual design.
That said, some of the styling feels a bit over the top. The colors are pretty intense (though the Mokka edition offers a more toned-down version), so that’s not my cup of tea. At the same time, the animated, somewhat quirky cursors left a weird impression on me—they just didn’t feel right.
Don’t get me wrong—the team has done an amazing job, but I’d caution against relying too much on personal taste when designing for a broad audience. I’m trying to say that what looks cool to the devs might not click with the average user.
For those interested in trying out or upgrading to the new “Broadwing” release, ISO images of the different editions are available directly from the Garuda website.
