SparkyLinux 2025.09 “Tiamat” launches with Debian “Forky” base and Linux 6.16 kernel

SparkyLinux 2025.09 “Tiamat” has been released, bringing the latest iteration of this Debian-based Linux distribution. This version is built on the Debian “Forky” testing branch and adopts the Linux kernel 6.16, providing the groundwork for improved stability and hardware support.

Building on this foundation, SparkyLinux updates the Calamares installer to version 3.4.0. With this change, support for installation on encrypted disks has also been restored, addressing a key requirement for users seeking disk encryption during setup. Alongside installation enhancements, users receive updated software packages out of the box. Notably, Firefox 128 Extended Support Release (ESR) and GCC 15 come standard, with the option to install Firefox 143 from the repositories.

Following adjustments to desktop environments, SparkyLinux now ships Akregator as the default RSS reader on KDE Plasma, replacing QuiteRSS. For LXQt users, Liferea now serves as the default RSS reader. SparkyLinux 2025.09 for AMD64 systems is available in multiple editions, including LXQt, KDE Plasma, MATE, Xfce, MinimalGUI (Openbox), and MinimalCLI (text mode).