SparkyLinux has published new installation images for its semi-rolling branch with the release of SparkyLinux 2026.03, code-named “Tiamat.” These updated ISOs are based on Debian Testing “Forky” and include the latest updates from both Debian and Sparky repositories as of March 14, 2026.
Consistent with Sparky’s semi-rolling approach, this release updates the installation media without introducing a new version. Existing rolling edition users do not need to reinstall; a standard system update will provide the latest packages.
The updated images include Linux kernel 6.19.6 by default. Additional kernel versions, such as 7.0-rc3, 6.19.8, 6.18.18-LTS, and 6.12.77-LTS, are available through the Sparky repositories.
The release features Firefox 140.8 ESR and Thunderbird 140.8 ESR. Users seeking a newer version of Firefox can install Firefox 148 from the Sparky repositories. The distribution also includes the Calamares 3.4.2 graphical installer, as well as GCC 15 and GCC 16 base packages.
The Sparky CLI installer, sparky-installer, now offers the option to install the 32-bit ia32 version of GRUB UEFI on 64-bit machines. The Calamares graphical installer now technically permits single-character passwords during installation, though developers recommend a strong password with a minimum length of 8 to 12 characters.
The project notes that installing SparkyLinux on UEFI systems requires an active internet connection. For these systems, the graphical Calamares installer is recommended. Installation on older hardware with a 64-bit processor and BIOS or UEFI firmware can be completed using the CLI installer with the sudo sparky-installer command.
SparkyLinux 2026.03 is available for amd64 systems in several editions: LXQt, KDE Plasma, MATE, Xfce, MinimalGUI with Openbox, and MinimalCLI for a text-only environment.
The new rolling ISO images are now available on the project’s download page. For more details, see the announcement.
