Distro News

CachyOS April 2026 release introduces Shelly package manager and DoH support

Key Takeaway

The April 2026 update brings Shelly as the new default GUI package manager and adds DNS-over-HTTPS support via blocky.

Summary

CachyOS has released its third update of 2026, featuring significant changes to its installer and system tools. Key updates include replacing Octopi with Shelly as the default GUI package manager, adding DNS-over-HTTPS support in CachyOS-Welcome, and enabling fingerprint-based sudo authentication via chwd. The release also optimizes NVMe performance by switching the default I/O scheduler to kyber.

Technical changes in CachyOS April 2026

  • Package Management: Shelly replaces Octopi as the default GUI manager.
  • Networking: DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) support is integrated into CachyOS-Welcome using blocky.
  • Storage: The default NVMe I/O scheduler has changed from 'none' to kyber for improved responsiveness.
  • Security: Added support for fprint to allow fingerprint readers for sudo prompts.
  • Hardware/Kernel: Improved detection for Intel CPUs (intel-lpmd), handheld devices like Xbox ROG Ally, and specific Marvell Wi-Fi profiles.

Why it matters

These updates refine the user experience for specialized hardware like handhelds and optimize system-level defaults for NVMe storage and privacy.

Original reference: cachyos.org →