SparkyLinux 8.3 has been released as the third quarterly update in the Sparky 8 “Seven Sisters” stable series, refreshing the project’s Debian 13-based install images with updated packages, a newer LTS kernel, and current desktop components.
This release is based on Debian 13.4 and remains fully compatible. All packages have been updated from the stable Debian and Sparky repositories as of May 9, 2026, according to the Sparky team.
The default kernel is Linux 6.12 LTS. On top of that, Sparky’s repositories also offer newer and alternative kernels, including Linux 7.0, Linux 6.18 LTS, and Linux 6.12 LTS.
This release includes updated desktop environments, specifically: KDE Plasma 6.3.6, LXQt 2.1, MATE 1.26, Xfce 4.20, and Openbox 3.6.1. Core applications have also been updated, including LibreOffice 25.2.3, Firefox 140.10.2 ESR, and Thunderbird 140.10.1 ESR.
For more information, see the announcement.
For new installations, SparkyLinux 8.3 is available in several amd64 variants with BIOS/UEFI and Secure Boot support. Options include Xfce, LXQt, MATE, KDE Plasma, MinimalGUI with Openbox, and MinimalCLI in text mode. ARM64 images are also offered in Openbox and CLI editions.
Existing Sparky 8 users do not need to reinstall. Fully updated installations receive the same package updates through the regular Debian and Sparky repositories.
