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EndeavourOS Mercury Neo was a refreshed installation ISO announced on March 23, 2025. It updated packages used by the live environment and offline installation, and fixed several online-installer issues. The project said regularly updated EndeavourOS systems did not need to upgrade to it. Mercury Neo is now a historical image, not the latest ISO.
What changed in Mercury Neo?
In its March 23, 2025 release announcement, EndeavourOS described Neo as a refresh of the Mercury installation media. The announcement listed these software versions for that ISO; they are historical release versions, not current package versions.
| Package | Version listed for Mercury Neo |
|---|---|
| Calamares | 25.02.2.1-2 |
| Firefox | 136.0.2-1 |
| Linux | 6.13.7.arch1-1 |
| Mesa | 1:25.0.1-2 |
| Xorg-server | 21.1.16-1 |
| Nvidia | 570.124.04-4 |
The package refresh mattered to the installation image: it updated software available in the live session and packages used during offline installation. It was not presented as a new version that existing users needed to install over their systems.
Online installer and boot-menu fixes
- The installation script stopped trying to install xwaylandvideobridge, which had been removed upstream.
- A mirror-ranking bug that could cause installation failures in some regions was fixed.
- Obsolete Nvidia boot-menu options were removed.
- Systemd auto-install began creating a 2 GB EFI partition instead of a 1 GB partition.
These are changes to installer behavior and defaults, not performance claims or guarantees about a particular computer. The project’s ISO changelog records changes across the Mercury releases.
#1 Best Overall
- 🟣EndeavourOS is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Arch Linux.
- 🟣The project aims to be a spiritual successor to Antergos - providing an easy setup and pre-configured desktop environment on an Arch base. EndeavourOS offers both off-line and on-line install options.
- 🟣The off-line installer, Calamares, uses the KDE Plasma desktop by default. The on-line installer can install optional software components, including most popular desktop environments.
- 🟣Start your Endeavour with a lightweight Arch-based, terminal centric system ready to personalize and a stellar community at your side.
Do existing EndeavourOS users need to upgrade?
No. The release announcement explicitly limited the changes to new installs, Calamares, and the ISO’s live environment. Bryanpwo wrote: “Running systems don’t have to “upgrade” to Mercury Neo, if you update regularly your system is fine.” In practical terms, continue updating an existing installation normally; downloading or reinstalling from Mercury Neo is not required just to receive its ISO-specific fixes.
Is Mercury Neo still the latest EndeavourOS ISO?
No. Mercury Neo was announced in March 2025, and the project announced newer releases afterward, including Ganymede in November 2025. A dated ISO mirror listing includes Titan-Nova dated August 15, 2026, as well as the older Mercury Neo image dated March 19, 2025. That listing is a mirror directory, not the canonical download page; use the official download page to find current installation media.
Rank #2
- [Package Offer]: 2 Pack USB 2.0 Flash Drive 32GB Available in 2 different colors - Black and Blue. The different colors can help you to store different content.
- [Plug and Play]: No need to install any software, Just plug in and use it. The metal clip rotates 360° round the ABS plastic body which. The capless design can avoid lossing of cap, and providing efficient protection to the USB port.
- [Compatibilty and Interface]: Supports Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / Vista / XP / 2000 / ME / NT Linux and Mac OS. Compatible with USB 2.0 and below. High speed USB 2.0, LED Indicator - Transfer status at a glance.
- [Suitable for All Uses and Data]: Suitable for storing digital data for school, business or daily usage. Apply to data storage of music, photos, movies, software, and other files.
- [Warranty Policy]: 12-month warranty, our products are of good quality and we promise that any problem about the product within one year since you buy, it will be guaranteed for free.
Why later fixes do not mean an installed system needs reinstalling
The project’s hotfix history records later adjustments to Mercury Neo’s installation selections, including replacing xbacklight with brightnessctl for i3 in August 2025, package changes affecting LXDE in October, and Plasma package changes in November. These entries show that an ISO’s package choices can need maintenance as upstream software changes. They concern the image and installation selections; they are not instructions to reinstall an already-running system.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11If you are preparing a fresh installation, download the current ISO from EndeavourOS rather than choosing Mercury Neo for its historical package list. You will need a way to write the downloaded image to installation media; the project sources do not specify a minimum USB capacity or recommend a particular device.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 🔹 The preinstalled USB stick allows you to boot and load Linux without touching anything on your existing Operating System! Comes with the 64-bit version
- 🔹 Take your Endeavour installation with you anywhere, and always have your own O/S on any PC you use!
- 🔹 Minimalist & Bloat-Free: With "zero crap installed," EndeavourOS provides only essential tools and a custom Welcome app to help you add what you actually need
- 🔹 Easy Installer: It uses the Calamares installer, allowing you to install a full Arch Linux system with a graphical interface in under 15 minutes, bypassing the manual, multi-hour process
- 🔹 Nvidia-Friendly: Recent updates have significantly streamlined the setup for Nvidia hardware, making it a strong choice for gamers and creators
Rank #4
- Compact plug-and-stay design to instantly add storage to your laptop, game console, in-car audio, and more
- Save time with ultra-fast transfer speeds up to 400MB/s (Based on read speed. 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors. USB 3.0 port required.)
- Transfer a full-length movie to the drive in less than 30 seconds (Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.2 Gen 1 or USB 3.0 host device.)
- Get space for your high-resolution photos, videos, and more at a great value with up to 128GB of storage (1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.)
- Password-protect files using a downloadable software (Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 10+ and macOS v10.9+ (Software download required, see Password Protection page on SanDisk site).)
Rank #3
- BOOTABLE LINUX INSTALLER: Includes one USB flash drive containing the 64-bit EndeavourOS installer for installation or evaluation on compatible computers
- ARCH-BASED OPERATING SYSTEM: Provides a lightweight and customizable open-source Linux environment designed for user personalization
- 64-BIT HARDWARE SUPPORT: Intended for compatible 64-bit Intel and AMD desktop and laptop computers that support startup from a USB device
- RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATION: EndeavourOS recommends a dual-core 64-bit processor, at least 4 GB RAM, and 15 GB of available storage
- INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED: Initial installation guidance is provided; verify hardware compatibility and back up important files before installation
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