Arch Linux-based CachyOS has released a new ISO snapshot for February 2025, featuring significant updates including the latest Linux kernel and enhanced support for NVIDIA GPU users.
The snapshot is powered by the Linux kernel 6.13 and runs the KDE Plasma 6.2.5 desktop environment by default. This release also includes the beta version of the NVIDIA 570 graphics driver, aimed at providing support for the NVIDIA 50xx (Blackwell) series of GPUs. The developers noted that because the Blackwell series only supports the open module driver from NVIDIA, adjustments were made to the default module included in the ISO. As a result, users with older NVIDIA 10xx series or lower should select the first boot option during the installation.
In addition to the updated graphics driver, the CachyOS ISO snapshot introduces several enhancements: it enables tap-to-click for X11 sessions by default, switches the NTFS driver from NTFS3G to NTFS3 for improved NTFS file system support, and updates the CachyOS kernel manager to support "server" mode for scx_loader.
Furthermore, the update addresses several issues, including improving the AMD 3D V-catch driver and fixing a bug that affected DaVinci Resolve’s compatibility with CUDA when the intel-opencl-runtime package was installed. During installation, the CachyOS kernel manager now automatically attempts to install the NVIDIA package for the default Arch Linux kernel.
For users interested in the full details about the changes, fixes, and additional updated packages in the CachyOS February 2025 release, they can visit the release announcement page. The ISO can be downloaded from the official website in both Desktop and Handheld editions.
As CachyOS follows a rolling-release model, existing users can update their installations with a simple command: sudo pacman -Syu in a terminal emulator or through the Plasma Discover graphical package manager.