Arch Linux’s November ISO Is a Fresh Start, With a Separate Update Path

Arch Linux’s November ISO boots with Linux 7.2.11. That is useful information if you are about to boot an installer on an unfamiliar machine. It tells you much less about the version already installed on a laptop. The image dated November 1, 2026, is a 1.2 GB snapshot, and the Arch download page gives existing installations a separate route through the package manager.

Decide which system you are trying to change

An installer has its own kernel and tools. Those are what you use while you are booted from the USB stick. If you install Arch using its normal guide, the base packages are installed into the target system from a package source. The kernel in the boot image does not pin the kernel on that target. That distinction also explains why an ISO can boot on a machine while a separate, installed system still needs investigation.

If you are preparing a new installation, the November image gives you a known starting point for a quick compatibility check. Boot it and see whether the storage you intend to use is visible and whether you can reach a mirror. Do this before partitioning. On a machine that does not see its disk or cannot reach the network from the live environment, the result tells you where to start looking. It does not, by itself, identify a defective component or promise that a later install will behave the same way.

Keep the image check separate from the package check

Arch publishes SHA-256 and BLAKE2 checksum lists on its download page. Compare the file you actually downloaded with the entry for that exact image. The installation guide also describes checking the PGP signature. A matching checksum can detect a damaged download. Signature verification answers a different question about the image’s source, provided you verify the signing key as described by Arch.

For an existing Arch installation, check current Arch news for any applicable manual intervention, then use pacman -Syu for the full system update. Installing one package against a newly refreshed package database while leaving the rest of the system behind is a poor substitute for a full upgrade. Our earlier coverage of Arch’s PHP and certificate updates shows why it matters which packages the machine actually uses.

Read the kernel version from the right boot

If a kernel was upgraded, finish the update and reboot before using uname -r to confirm what is running. The command reports the booted kernel. Run it on the installed system to check that system. Running it in the installer only describes the live environment. An installed machine on a different supported kernel track, such as LTS, can legitimately report a version other than 7.2.11. There is no need to make its version match the number printed on the download page.