Manjaro’s October Stable Update Needs a Package Check Before Installation

Before installing Manjaro’s October 28 stable update, check whether micro-manjaro is installed. The project warns that this unmaintained package can interrupt the update and break the system, and says to remove it first if present. It is a preparation step, rather than something to discover after the desktop upgrades.

The warning belongs to the stable release

The official announcement describes the third point release of the 26.1 series, with Bian-May 26.1.3 installation images. Its package list includes Plasma 6.7.5, GNOME 50.5, COSMIC 1.9.0, Mesa 26.2.4, PipeWire 1.6.9 and VirtualBox 7.2.20.

That is a stable-branch update, distinct from the October unstable-branch report we covered earlier. Seeing the same Mesa version in both announcements does not make their package sets or preparation notes interchangeable. Check the branch your machine actually uses.

In the release thread’s known-issues section, the team says micro-manjaro will be dropped from the repositories because it is no longer maintained. Inspect the installed-package list in your package manager before starting. If it is present, review the removal transaction and complete that step before the full update.

Firmware changes have a narrower audience

The AMD warning specifically concerns users who removed the linux-firmware metapackage. Manjaro says those users need both linux-firmware-amd and linux-firmware-amdgpu after updating, because the firmware was previously supplied together. Texas Instruments hardware has a corresponding new linux-firmware-ti package.

A metapackage that keeps pulling in the required components and a manually reduced firmware selection can therefore lead to different outcomes. Do not assume that every reader needs the same repair, or remove firmware just because the release notes mention a split. Compare the warning with the hardware and packages on the affected machine.

Use the preparation notes before the download

The thread links a mirror-check service so users can establish whether their mirror has synchronised. Its preparation guidance also offers pamac update --dry-run to simulate an update, and asks users to review .pacnew files rather than leaving configuration changes unnoticed.

Read the proposed transaction before accepting the real update. A dry run shows what the package manager intends to do; it is not evidence that the system has already been upgraded or that every application will work afterward.

After the update and restart, check the desktop version and the hardware affected by your firmware selection. If something fails, keep the package-manager output and the exact symptom for troubleshooting. The useful record is what changed on that installation, not simply that Manjaro published newer packages.