New manjaro ISO

[anon79574093]

I was downloading manjaro from manjaro.org/downloads and I noticed that the version is now 21.2pre1. Is this an unstable or development version ? For the longest time I just used to download the 21.0 pavho or something like that. Please clarify. Can I use the latest iso from manjaro.org as a stable version of manjaro ? The current version sounds like a dev of beta version since it has the word pre in it.

[Aragorn]

@anon79574093

I was downloading manjaro from manjaro.org/downloads and I noticed that the version is now 21.2pre1. Is this an unstable or development version ?

No, it’s only a pre-release of the next .iso. What this means is that it’s not certain yet whether the software included in the .iso will also be in the official one, and perhaps whether the same default settings will be applied when the official .iso comes out.

For instance, one of the things that will probably be different in the official .iso is that Calamares will no longer allow you to create an account without a password, which has already often led to problems.

But once you’ve installed the system and run the following command…

sudo pacman-mirrors -f 5 && sudo pacman -Syyu

… you will be up to date.

[anon79574093]

Thank you for your clarification. I was thinking of installing fresh manjaro. I think I will hold it off until the next official version comes out. Do you know how many (approx.) weeks it might take to come out ?

[Aragorn]

@anon79574093

I think I will hold it off until the next official version comes out.

There is absolutely no need for that. The .iso is only a snapshot, and once you install from it and update your system, everything will be on par with the latest Stable update.

Manjaro is a (curated) rolling release, and the versions of the .isos are only to be seen as a kind of timestamps.

[anon79574093]

Oh ! Sorry, I was thinking of it in terms of debian releases. Thank you for your answer

[Aragorn]

Ah, but Debian is a different beast. They use a fixed-point release model, and barring urgent security updates, nothing ever changes anymore once you’ve installed the system. And then usually ─ not always but usually ─ if you want to go to a newer release, you have to reinstall.

Manjaro isn’t like that. The idea is that you install the system only once, and then you keep it updated. You will be notified of pending updates by way of an icon in the system tray, but I also advise everyone to subscribe to notifications here on the forum for the #announcements:stable-updates category.

As I said, Manjaro is a curated rolling release, which means that updates are generally bundled together ─ urgent security fixes or urgent bug fixes being the exception ─ and will appear on average twice a month. Each time, @philm will post an announcement about that to the #announcements:stable-updates category, with the changes and possible gotchas to look out for (along with their fixes).

[alven]

But if

@Aragorn

@anon79574093

I think I will hold it off until the next official version comes out.

There is absolutely no need for that. The .iso is only a snapshot, and once you install from it and update your system, everything will be on par with the latest Stable update.

than why

@anon79574093

the version is now 21.2pre1

but not 21.2. The pre is for a reason or means absolutely nothing?

Also, stable updates and stable ISO - is different things, while ISO run certain/exact and different run-time configuration and package versions, the stable updates just updates already installed and configured in the past packages.
Even all packages versions are the same, ISO run-time contains packages and configs which are not present on further installed OS copy.

So:

1. stable updates and stable ISO run-time environment - are different things.
2. if pre is the meaningful suffix in this case, then why to add this pre? It makes reasonable confuses only. Then, may be pre was added for a reason?

---

I think the OP’s question has the base under it, may be OP has feelings of it, but I tried to go a bit deeper in try to describe what exactly could be different, but I am also do not know it for sure.

[Aragorn]

@alven

But if

@Aragorn

@anon79574093

I think I will hold it off until the next official version comes out.
[/quote]

There is absolutely no need for that. The .iso is only a snapshot, and once you install from it and update your system, everything will be on par with the latest Stable update.

than why

@anon79574093

the version is now 21.2pre1

but not 21.2. The pre is for a reason or means absolutely nothing?

I’ve already answered that.

@Aragorn

No, it’s only a pre-release of the next .iso. What this means is that it’s not certain yet whether the software included in the .iso will also be in the official one, and perhaps whether the same default settings will be applied when the official .iso comes out.

For instance, one of the things that will probably be different in the official .iso is that Calamares will no longer allow you to create an account without a password, which has already often led to problems.

---

@alven

Also, stable updates and stable ISO - is different things, while ISO run certain/exact and different run-time configuration and package versions, the stable updates just updates already installed and configured in the past packages.
Even all packages versions are the same, ISO run-time contains packages and configs which are not present on further installed OS copy.

Doesn’t really matter. Everyone will tweak their installation afterwards anyway…

• Installing additional software.
• Installing and/or customizing the GUI themes.
• Modifying system settings.
• …

[alven]

@Aragorn

I’ve already answered that.

Perhaps I was typing so long.

@Aragorn

when the official .iso comes out.

A bit remark: not official, but you mean release version (not the pre one)

@Aragorn

Doesn’t really matter. Everyone will tweak their installation afterwards anyway…

I think it is unable to configure Calamares or other only LiveCD environment running stuff packages and their configs after installation was done, as that LiveCD environment only packages are absent in the installation copy and nothing to setup already like stuff of how to install, which you already described about pre:

@Aragorn

and perhaps whether the same default settings will be applied when the official .iso comes out.

…and also algorithms of how to install.

Ok, I got the idea too. Anyway usually I use unstable ISO to install the OS from and do not remember critical (during installation) issues there also.

[Aragorn]

@alven

Anyway usually I use unstable ISO to install the OS from

That’s a different thing. The Unstable .iso contains packages from the Unstable branch, which is bleeding-edge and still untested by the Manjaro community ─ Manjaro Unstable corresponds to Arch Stable, so there has been some testing, but not by us ─ and if you do not change your branch selection with pacman-mirrors after installing, then you will remain on the Unstable branch.

If you did however switch over to the Stable branch after installing from an Unstable .iso, then you’ve proven my point that people will always tweak and customize their system after installing.

[alven]

I meant that unstable ISOs are actually stable enough to make installation from, so stable pre, should not be the issue also as having stable packages only. It is as the additional description to Aragorn’s answers for the cmossimp’s question.

[maycne.sonahoz]

[HowTo] Upgrade Manjaro to the latest version

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ How can i upgrade Manjaro to the latest version? Simply update as usual. Being a rolling release distribution, keeping Manjaro up-to-date is enough to always be at the latest version. How can i upgrade the kernel? Actually, kernels are an “exception” to the above rule, in the sense that they will only update to the latest patch version. This is because Manjaro allows users to have multiple kernels installed. As such, updating your system will also update your installed ke…

[philm]

OK, to clarify that:

• 21.2pre means a preview release of the upcoming Qo’nos release of Manjaro
• There will be an RC following until the final release is done. Maybe we will squeeze in a Beta before
• The ISO is based on stable branch and may not reflect the final install media yet
• All systems got updated to Qo’nos Preview

Manjaro is constantly rolling and our development team agreed that the preview is ready for the public as it is now.

[anon79574093]

Well I was not thinking that deeply
I just wanted to know if installing from the 21.2pre1 iso will install any unstable packages or not. Which doesn’t seem to be the case. Also one of my concerns were that if there could be any additional bugs while installing from the iso. I had problems with a ‘beta’ iso of pop os back in july where due to a bug, the iso will just randomly shut down if connected to the internet while installation. But I get @Aragorn’s answer i.e. Once installing and updating the system you basically cannot tell it was installed from 21.2pre1 or 21.0. I will just install from the currently available iso since it really doesn’t matter once the system is updated.