Let it not be said that all the fish is already sold, and it is that no matter how little the year remains, there is still time for such interesting releases as that of Manjaro 21.2, the most recent version of this rolling-A slow release that, however, usually includes new features for those who install new ones.
Manjaro 21.2 is a good example of this and the first change to comment on is in the Calamares system installer, which in this version presents improvements in the selection of the file system for automatic partitioning, or in the btrfs support with subvolume management and, more importantly, support for creating swap files, instead of a regular partition.
Regarding the generic internals of Manjaro 21.2, it is also worth mentioning the new version of the kernel used by default, Linux 5.15 LTS, as well as the most recent drivers. Besides, it is possible to install Linux 5.4 and Linux 5.10, both LTS versions, in the event that for support or stability issues it is the most recommended.
As for the three official editions that make up the launch of Manjaro 21.2 codenamed ‘Qonos’, the most notable changes are:
- The GNOME edition includes GNOME 41.2, with tweaks to Manjaro’s custom settings to bring it closer to its factory layout, but with the option, for example, to bring back the classic desktop view layout in portrait format. Firefox has also been adapted with a new visual theme for a better aesthetic integration with the desktop.
- The KDE edition It includes KDE Plasma 5.23, KDE Frameworks 5.88, and KDE Gear 21.12, so it’s all the rage; and it also has tweaks in the visual theme to bring it closer to the official of the environment, Breeze.
- The Xfce edition includes Xfce 4.16 with many updates in the desktop packages, with several improvements in the main applications of the same and something else that is worth noting: support for fractional scaling.
In short, the good news of Manjaro 21.2 is divided between the new features of the system installer, the base components of the system and the desktop environments that are part of the official editions of the distribution. The usual, wow. As usual it is to warn that if you are already using Manjaro and you have everything well updated, you are served.
Manjaro 21.2 is a revamped image targeting new installations and its download is available at official website, where else.
