The AnduinOS team has officially released version 1.4, aligning with Ubuntu 25.10 “Questing” and introducing major updates, including GNOME 49, Linux kernel 6.17, and the complete removal of X11 in favor of Wayland.
AnduinOS 1.4 marks a major update for the Ubuntu-based distribution, following its commitment to track each Ubuntu release. Built on Ubuntu 25.10, the new version modernizes the desktop experience and refines the system architecture to match upstream changes.
Key highlights include the upgrade to GNOME 49 and Linux kernel 6.17, along with the introduction of “sudo-rs” as the default privilege command. The update also replaces GNOME Console with Ptyxis, adds Gnome Papers as the default PDF viewer, and switches to Firefox ESR to maintain compatibility after Canonical’s PPA support ended for Ubuntu 25.10.
User experience improvements extend to new GNOME extensions for automatic accent color switching, the inclusion of Gnome Calendar by default, and a new AnduinOS To Go mode enabling persistent USB use. Romanian (ro_RO) language support has been added, and several utilities such as System-config-printer and Fastfetch now come preinstalled.
With this release, AnduinOS officially drops X11, adopting Wayland as the sole display protocol, bringing it in line with Ubuntu’s transition. Branding changes further distinguish AnduinOS from its parent distribution: the /etc/os-release ID now reads anduinos, and patches have been applied to maintain compatibility with Ubuntu PPAs.
AnduinOS 1.4 is a non-LTS release with a nine-month support window, mirroring Ubuntu 25.10’s lifecycle. It is not recommended for production environments requiring long-term stability.
Users can continue to upgrade within minor versions using the do_anduinos_upgrade command. A safe upgrade path from version 1.3 to 1.4 is currently in development, expected to be ready by January 2026, when AnduinOS 1.3 reaches the end of its maintenance period. Future plans include establishing dedicated software repositories and integrating the upgrade process directly into apt.
Disclosure: This article was written with editorial oversight and verified facts using AI assistance.
