Solus Begins a New Epoch with Polaris Repository and Python 2 Removal

Solus, a rolling-release Linux distro that takes a more conservative approach to updates to ensure stability, is entering a new phase of development with the launch of the Polaris repository, marking what the team calls the start of a “new epoch.” The move follows last year’s successful Usr-Merge transition, which unified core system directories under /usr.

But what exactly do developers mean by “epoch”? In short, it’s a major binary version of the distro’s package repository. Bumping the epoch means creating a new repository derived from the existing one—in this case, moving from Shannon to Polaris. The idea is to ensure that every Solus system is updated to a known, consistent state before new packages roll out, reducing the risk of breakages during upgrades.

According to devs, the Polaris epoch opens the door to several long-planned updates that couldn’t safely be pushed to the Shannon repository. Among them are newer systemd and baselayout packages, which improve virtual console handling and remove technical limitations tied to older system components.

Another significant milestone is the complete removal of Python 2, a dependency that has lingered for years due to Solus’ old Software Center being written in it. Because that tool is often responsible for performing updates, removing it while it was running would have risked breaking systems.

The epoch transition provides a clean break, replacing the old Software Center with GNOME Software or KDE Discover, depending on the user’s desktop environment.

The good news is that the migration to the new Polaris repo is mostly automated. A new package, usysconf-epoch, will deliver a boot-time script that checks if a system is ready and then performs the migration.

Users who want to test early can opt in by running:

echo EPOCH_ENABLE=yes | sudo tee /etc/sysconfig/epochCode language: PHP (php)

The script is already available in the Unstable repository for opt-in testing. On October 17, it will be synced to the Stable (Shannon) repository. Assuming no major issues arise, all Solus users will automatically transition to the Polaris epoch starting October 24.

Once the move is complete, Solus will proceed with upgrading to GNOME 49, which requires APIs only available in newer versions of systemd. After that, the project will enter feature freeze to prepare and test new ISOs, allowing fresh installations to use Solus without manually going through the epoch transition.

Finally, with Polaris in place, the Solus team says it can now move forward again—focusing on modernizing its stack and keeping the distribution on a solid footing for the years ahead.

For more information, see the announcement.