OpenMandriva announced ROME 26.09 on October 1, 2026. It is a refresh of the installation images for OpenMandriva’s rolling-release edition, not a point upgrade that rolling users had to wait for: the project says those users had already received updates over time. The new images include Linux kernel 7.2.7 and KDE Plasma 6.7.5, plus updated developer tools, libraries, desktops and applications. OpenMandriva’s announcement has the complete release details.
What’s new in OpenMandriva ROME 26.09?
ROME is OpenMandriva’s rolling-release edition, intended for people who want current packages. For existing ROME users, the October announcement chiefly marks newly refreshed and tested installation images; it does not describe a one-time package transition from an older numbered release. The project’s ROME information page calls the system “a working, usable system,” while advising users to be comfortable using the command line or terminal when needed.
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These are versions reported by the OpenMandriva project, not independent performance or compatibility test results.
| Area | Versions or changes listed by OpenMandriva |
|---|---|
| Kernel and KDE | Linux kernel 7.2.7; kernel-rc 7.3.0-rc4 is also available; KDE Plasma 6.7.5, KDE Gear 26.08.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.29.0 |
| Compilers and packaging | LLVM/Clang 23.1.2, GCC 16.2.0 and RPM 6.1.0 |
| Graphics and desktop libraries | Qt 6.11.2, Qt 5.15.19, GTK 4.22.5, GTK 3.24.52 and Mesa 26.2.3 |
| System and multimedia | PipeWire 1.6.9, glibc 2.44 and GRUB 2.16 |
| Other desktops and browser | Firefox 156.0, GNOME 50.3 and LXQt 2.4.0; Xfce components are updated to current stable versions, with Xfce itself at 4.20.x |
| Gaming | Steam installer 1.0.0.86 from the non-free repository, Proton 11.0+20260808, DXVK 3.0.2, vkd3d 2.0 and WINE 11.18 with WoW64 support |
| AI and compute | ROCm 10.0.0 and applications including llama.cpp, Ollama, whisper.cpp, KoboldCpp and ComfyUI |
The project also reports bug-fix updates for MATE 1.28 and an experimental Wayland session for MATE. Its release notes describe extensive updates across compilers, libraries, AI tools and creative applications; consult the announcement for its full package list.
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Which ROME 26.09 image should you choose?
Choose by desktop, session, processor architecture and hardware compatibility rather than by version number alone. OpenMandriva lists Plasma X11, Plasma Wayland and LXQt images for x86_64, alongside a GNOME Wayland image. It also offers specially optimized znver builds for AMD Ryzen processors. Community-maintained LXQt, MATE and Xfce spins are separate options.
| Your system or preference | Image choice and qualification |
|---|---|
| Most x86_64 PCs | Use the general x86_64 image for the desktop and session you want: Plasma X11, Plasma Wayland or LXQt; a GNOME Wayland image is also listed. |
| AMD Ryzen PC | Consider the matching znver build, which OpenMandriva describes as specially optimized for Ryzen processors. Verify the image name and hardware fit before downloading. |
| ARM system | The announcement says aarch64 currently has only a server image, rather than the desktop image choices listed for x86_64. |
| Community desktop preference | LXQt, MATE and Xfce community-maintained spins are available; check their current download listings and support details. |
The ROME page lists 3.2 GiB for its Plasma 6 X11 and Wayland x86_64 and znver1 images, but image names and snapshots change. Check the current download listing for the exact 26.09 image and file size. The announcement provides no minimum USB-drive capacity, so do not assume a specific capacity without checking the ISO you select.
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How to download and install OpenMandriva ROME 26.09
- Open the release announcement and follow its link to the SourceForge release directory or a project mirror.
- Select the image that matches your desktop, session and architecture. Confirm the current filename and size in the download listing before choosing installation media.
- Where available, compare the downloaded ISO’s SHA256 checksum with the checksum published on the project mirror.
- Create bootable installation media using your preferred method, then boot the target computer from it and follow the installer. The announcement does not specify a required USB capacity or a particular drive model.
If you plan to keep an existing ROME installation, the project characterizes this announcement as refreshed installation media for a rolling system whose updates arrive over time. Its announcement does not prescribe a separate release-upgrade procedure for current ROME users.
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- NVIDIA with Plasma X11: OpenMandriva’s known-issues list warns that OM-Welcome may crash on some NVIDIA configurations, particularly with the open-source driver.
- Older NVIDIA GPUs: The announcement says the open NVIDIA kernel module included in the kernel does not support older GPUs such as Volta or Turing (10-series). It also reports that the proprietary NVIDIA driver was updated to 610.57.04. Check current project errata for guidance on your specific GPU and driver.
- VirtualBox and Wayland LiveISO: The project says the Wayland LiveISO can show a black screen when booted in VirtualBox. Selecting the VMSVGA graphics controller may allow boot to complete.
- Cosmic desktop: A Cosmic installation image was not released with ROME 26.09 because of a login-manager problem. The project says existing Cosmic installations can be updated and remain working.
What does the “up to 20%” performance claim mean?
OpenMandriva says that choosing an appropriate interchangeable malloc implementation “can provide performance improvements of up to 20%.” That is the project’s stated potential, not a measured gain promised for every app or computer. The announcement says ROME 26.09 supplies infrastructure for interchangeable implementations; configurations selecting optimal implementations for particular key applications are expected in future releases.
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Installing Snap support
OpenMandriva says Snap support has been added, while expressing a preference for native packages and noting that Flatpak and AppImage are supported too. To install and enable snapd, the project gives these commands:
sudo dnf install snapdsudo systemctl enable --now snapd
The project recommends rebooting after setup, though it says a reboot is not strictly necessary.
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