Arch Linux has released its January 2026 ISO snapshot (2026.01.01), featuring Linux kernel 6.18 LTS for better hardware support, the recently updated Archinstall 3.0.15 installer, and December 2025 package security updates. Ideal for new installations on modern hardware.
Arch Linux kicked off 2026 with the 2026.01.01 ISO snapshot, released on January 1. This first snapshot of the year uses the Linux kernel 6.18 LTS, added to stable repositories last month for improved compatibility with new devices.
It includes Archinstall 3.0.15, released December 31, 2025 (see prior article in this series), which adds rEFInd boot manager support, CUPS printing, COSMIC 1.0 desktop integration, power management options (power-profiles-daemon, tuned), Zram configuration, IWD networking, and more.
The ISO also integrates all official repository updates and security patches from December 2025. NVIDIA users will note a shift to open-source packages (nvidia-open, nvidia-open-dkms, nvidia-lts-open), dropping legacy support for Pascal GPUs like GTX 10xx series due to NVIDIA 590 driver changes.
Download the ISO from the Arch Linux website for fresh installs. Existing systems update via sudo pacman -Syu.
