Linux users, rejoice! CachyOS fixes Nvidia issues and kills buggy browser

CachyOS is back with its latest May 2025 release, and yes, Nvidia users can finally breathe a sigh of relief. After months of headaches caused by the distro switching to the “open” Nvidia module, older GPUs like the 10xx series were left limping along with buggy Nouveau drivers. That mess is now cleaned up. The ISO now automatically detects your GPU and loads the correct driver.

The changes don’t stop there, folks. If you’re into aesthetics, the boot process just got a fresh coat of paint. There’s a new Plymouth boot animation and GRUB theme that help unify the distro’s visual identity. It’s a small touch, but it makes a difference.

In a move that might ruffle some feathers, however, CachyOS is officially dumping its homegrown browser. Yes, Cachy-Browser is dead, and Firefox is now the default. Existing users will see a pop-up guiding them through migrating their profiles. The team promises a future package to recreate the Cachy-Browser look and feel using Firefox, including uBlock tweaks. Honestly, sticking with Firefox just makes more sense.

Gamers, especially those rocking handhelds, get a bunch of love here too. Proton-CachyOS is now based on Proton 10, which means better Wayland support, improved Wine integration, and upgrades like FSR4 for AMD’s RDNA4 GPUs. There’s even haptics support for the DualSense controller when connected via audio jack. Steam Deck and ROG Ally users will also notice smoother sleep handling thanks to steam-powerbuttond and a new SteamOS Manager tool that puts hardware controls front and center.

Russia-based users, who’ve been unable to install the distro due to CDN blocks, are also back in action. A new fallback in the mirror script solves that. There’s even a shiny new 10Gbps mirror in Bangladesh now, improving speeds for users across Asia.

This release doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it shows CachyOS is listening to its users. Between cleaning up GPU detection, improving handheld support, and making browser sanity the default, it’s looking more like a real alternative for Windows switchers who want a modern, fast Linux experience that doesn’t get in their way.

You can grab the latest ISO right here. If you’re already running CachyOS, just update your system and optionally install the new boot animation.