Arch Linux-based Manjaro 21.1.0 'Pahvo' now available with GNOME, Xfce, and KDE Plasma
Manjaro is one of the most popular Linux-based desktop operating systems these days, and it's not hard to see why. The distribution is based on the rock-solid Arch, but unlike that distro, Manjaro is very easy to install and use. In other words, it has all the benefits of Arch, but without the hassles and headaches. This makes it a great choice for both Linux experts and beginners. Heck, it will even be used as the OS on an upcoming E-ink tablet.
Today, Manjaro 21.1.0 "Pahvo" becomes available for download. The Linux kernel used is version 5.13 and there are a trio of desktop environment options -- Xfce (4.16), GNOME (40), and KDE Plasma (5.22). While all three DEs are great, the Xfce Edition is the primary focus with this particular operating system.
"Since we released Ornara earlier this year all our developer teams worked hard to get the next release of Manjaro out there. We call it Pahvo. This release features major improvements to Calamares, including filesystem selection for automatic partitioning and enhanced support for btrfs. For btrfs installations, the default subvolume layout has been improved for easier rollbacks and less wasted space on snapshots. Additionally, swapfiles on btrfs filesystem are now supported," says The Manjaro Development Team.
Speaking on the Xfce Edition, the devs explain, "The window manager received lots of updates and improvements again in the area of compositing and GLX. Support for fractional scaling was added to the display dialog, along with highlighting the preferred mode of a display with an asterisk and adding aspect ratios next to resolutions. The settings manager has improved search and filter capabilities. Thunar file manager received a boatload of fixes and quite a few notable features, including pause for copy/move operations, support for queued file transfer, remembering view settings per directory and support for transparency in Gtk themes."
Ready to install one of the best Linux distributions on the planet? You can download a Manjaro 21.1.0 "Pahvo" ISO using the below links. It is recommended to download and install the Xfce Edition since it is the primary desktop environment of Manjaro. However, both GNOME and KDE Plasma are wonderful as well, and I would suggest trying all three to see which you like best.
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