EndeavourOS Mercury: A Modern Arch Linux Experience with Community Spirit
What is EndeavourOS?
EndeavourOS is a rolling-release, Arch Linux-based distribution designed to bridge the gap between Arch’s "do-it-yourself" philosophy and user-friendly accessibility. Born from the ashes of Antergos in 2019, it retains the simplicity of Arch while offering a curated experience with a graphical installer (Calamares), preconfigured desktop environments, and a vibrant community. Unlike its predecessor, EndeavourOS avoids unnecessary bloat, providing a lightweight base that users can customize to their liking. As of 2024, its default desktop environment shifted from Xfce to KDE Plasma, reflecting modern user preferences while maintaining flexibility for offline installations.
A Brief History and the Minds Behind the Project
EndeavourOS emerged in mid-2019 when Antergos, a popular Arch-based distro, abruptly shut down. Bryan Poerwoatmodjo, a former Antergos forum moderator, rallied the community to preserve its spirit. Within days, Johannes Kamprad, Fernando Omiechuk Frozi, and Manuel joined him, pivoting from a forum-focused initiative to building a new distro. Their goal wasn’t to clone Antergos but to create a streamlined, community-driven successor closer to vanilla Arch. The first stable ISO launched on July 15, 2019, featuring an offline Xfce installer, followed by an online installer in December 2019.
Key milestones include:
- 2020: Official ARM support for devices like Raspberry Pi.
- 2021: Transition to Calamares for installations, replacing Antergos’ defunct Cnchi.
- 2023: Discontinuation of community editions (e.g., BSPWM, Worm) due to maintenance challenges.
- 2024: KDE Plasma became the default desktop, replacing Xfce.
Why EndeavourOS? Who Is It For?
EndeavourOS targets intermediate Linux users who desire Arch’s power but prefer a gentler onboarding. It’s ideal for:
1. Arch Enthusiasts: Those who want a near-Arch base without manual installation.
2. Customization Lovers: A minimal setup with access to the Arch User Repository (AUR) via `yay`.
3. Community Seekers: A welcoming forum and Discord server for troubleshooting and collaboration.
The distro avoids preinstalled GUIs for package management (e.g., Pamac), encouraging users to engage with `pacman` and the terminal—staying true to Arch’s ethos while lowering the entry barrier.
EndeavourOS Mercury: The Latest Release (2025-02-10)
Codenamed Mercury, this release focuses on polish and reliability:
- Core Updates: Linux kernel 6.13, Mesa 24.3.4, Firefox 135, and NVIDIA 570.86 drivers.
- Installer Fixes: Calamares 25.02 resolves double EFI entries and "Replace Partition" bugs.
- Theming: Dark mode defaults for KDE Plasma 6.2.5, GNOME 47, Xfce 4.20, and others. Xfce’s theme now mirrors its vanilla look.
- Hardware Support: Memory testing for EFI systems and Legacy BIOS installation fixes.
- Mirror Optimization: Pre-ranked mirrorlists ensure faster package downloads during setup.
Existing users need not reinstall—regular updates via `eos-update` or `sudo pacman -Syu` or `yay -Syu` suffice.
Desktop Environments: Flexibility at Its Core
Mercury’s offline installer defaults to KDE Plasma 6.2.5, while the online installer offers:
- Full Desktop Environments: GNOME, Xfce, MATE, Budgie, Cinnamon.
- Window Managers: i3, Sway (Wayland).
Though community editions (e.g., BSPWM) were discontinued in 2023, enthusiasts can still manually configure niche setups.
Download and Installation Guide
System Requirements:
- 64-bit CPU, 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended), 20 GB storage.
- UEFI or Legacy BIOS support.
Steps:
1. Download: Visit the official EndeavourOS site and select Mercury ISO.
2. Verify: Check checksums to ensure integrity.
3. Create Boot Media: Use Ventoy or BalenaEtcher.
4. Install: Boot the live environment, launch Calamares, partition disks (guided or manual), select DE, and proceed.
5. Post-Install: Run `eos-update` or `sudo pacman -Syu` or `yay -Syu` to sync with Arch repos.
Support and Community
- Forums: Active discussions on the EndeavourOS Forum.
- Documentation: Detailed guides on the EndeavourOS wiki (Discovery).
- Real-Time Help: Discord and Telegram channels for instant support.
- Bug Reporting: GitHub repositories for ISO and package issues.
Conclusion
EndeavourOS Mercury exemplifies how a community-driven project can thrive without compromising its roots. By balancing Arch’s raw power with accessibility, it empowers users to craft their ideal system. Whether you’re a seasoned Arch veteran or a curious newcomer, Mercury offers a refined, modern Linux experience backed by one of the friendliest communities in open source.
Disclaimer
The Distrowrite Project is not affiliated with EndeavourOS. All information is accurate as of February 2025. Verify installation steps and hardware compatibility on official channels before proceeding.
References
1. EndeavourOS
3. EndeavourOS Mercury Brings Fixes, Dark Themes, and Improved Installer
5. EndeavourOS-ISO/CHANGELOG.md at main
6. Our new ISO release is here, meet Mercury - EndeavourOS
8. Discovery
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