AerynOS has officially released version 2025.03, making it one of the first independent Linux distributions to feature the new GNOME 48 desktop environment in a live ISO format accessible for testing. This update includes significant enhancements, such as HDR support, dynamic triple buffering, a Wayland color management protocol, a Wellbeing feature, and battery charge limiting, which are all part of the GNOME 48 upgrade.
In its initial alpha state, AerynOS 2025.03 is built on Linux kernel 6.13.8, with plans for an upgrade to Linux kernel 6.14 in subsequent releases. The distribution utilizes the latest Mesa 25.0.2 graphics stack alongside an updated toolchain that features LLVM 19.1.7 and Vulkan SDK 1.4.309.0.
A noteworthy addition in this version is the integration of os-info into the moss package manager. This offers a more detailed identification and metadata experience, diverging from the primitive capabilities provided by the traditional os-release and lsb_release systems. Developer Ikey Doherty has emphasized the benefits of this change, explaining that it enhances flexibility and expressiveness in system identification.
Future updates promise to bring more exciting features, including automated package updates, simplified rollback management, Rust-based disk handling, fractional scaling as a default setting, and a revamped installer that allows for complete disk wiping and dynamic partitioning options.
Users can download AerynOS 2025.03 from the official website to experiment with this promising independent Linux distribution, though it is crucial to note that the current build is categorized as alpha quality.