A new version of the Manjaro Linux distribution is now available to download.

Manjaro 21.3.0 “Ruah” is the third update in the Manjaro 21.x series and contains a wealth of improvements across three distinct editions, each based around a different open-source desktop environment.

Although Manjaro Linux is a rolling release distro it periodically issues snapshot images —’hop on’ points as I tend to think of them— to make it easier for newcomers to start using it.

In this post I share what’s new and notable in the latest milestone, share the download links, and remind those already running the distro on how to upgrade to the latest version.

What’s new in Manjaro 21.3?

screenshot of Manjaro 21.3.0 release
Manjaro 21.3.0 uses the Calameres installer

Manjaro 21.3.0 is still based on the Linux Kernel 5.15 LTS by default, and both the 5.4 LTS and 5.10 LTS kernels are also available for those who need, prefer, and/or want them.

Calamares 3.2 is on hand for installation. This picks up support for managing LUKS partitions within the Partitions module, while the Users module now warns you against using user names and host names that could ‘mess up the install’ — handy!

Manjaro’s GNOME edition ships with the latest GNOME 42 release.

Among the many features of GNOME 42 are a swathe of GTK4/libadwaita ports; a new ‘dark mode’ preference; an interactive screenshot tool; and a switch to RDP from VNC as default handler of remote desktop connections.

“GNOME 42 includes a valuable set of performance improvements, as the GNOME community continues its work to enhance system speed and resource usage,“ Manjaro project lead Phillip Müller adds in the official release announcement.

Manjaro desktop screenshot
I tested the Manjaro 21.3 ‘Xfce’ version

Manjaro’s Xfce edition (all of the screenshots in this post are of this version) ships with the latest Xfce 4.16 release. This includes fractional scaling support (accessible via the Display dialog); settings manager improvements; more file transfer/copy controls in the Thunar file manager; and a slew of window manager tweaks.

Finally, Manjaro’s KDE edition ships with KDE Plasma 5.24 LTS rather than the recent KDE Plasma 5.25 release. Changes here include better management of desktop panels; a new Overview effect; and info hints available in the KRunner tool.

Download Manjaro 21.3.0

a screenshot of several apps open on Manjaro 21.3.0
Manjaro is sleek and modern

Head over to the official Manjaro website to download Manjaro 21.3.0. GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Xfce versions are available to download, each in full or minimal variants. Once downloaded write the ISO file to a USB drive, boot from it, and then install.

A quick recap of Manjaro’s system requirements:

  • 64-bit Intel Atom CPU (or better)
  • 2GB RAM (or more)
  • 30GB disk space (or more)

Upgrade instead?

If you already use Manjaro and are fully up-to-date you “have” Manjaro 21.3.0, ergo you do not need to download or reinstall anything. Just pop open a terminal and run sudo pacman -Syu to check/update/etc.

Home > News > Manjaro 21.3 ‘Ruah’ is Now Available to Download