The 20250214 set of images is now published.
This took longer than originally expected but there have been major changes that warranted waiting a bit longer for it.
Changes
The images come with a fresh version of apk-tools. This version
finally supports several features that we began using, particularly
variable expansion and being able to migrate most of its files into
a system-wide /usr location.
That means you finally have a way to properly change your mirror of choice without having to mess with the repository definitions. The process of doing that is in the relevant documentation section.
The repository definitions have been updated to use the new v3-style index naming, though backwards compatibility is also provided.
Kernel 6.13 is used in the new images. That means updated hardware support and other things.
Both the GNOME and Plasma images (the latter is still experimental) come with the latest versions of their respective desktop environments.
Various fixes have been made to allow the live system to work better and more seamlessly on more machines.
Additionally, 32-bit PowerPC images are now a standard release architecture and included in the batch. We have some plans to also introduce support for the LoongArch64 ISA, which may join them next time.
Due to all of these changes as well as updates in the infrastructure, this new set is the recommended baseline for installation. Older images have an out of date package manager and installation scripts, which may be problematic with the current layout.