Release Roadmap

Where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. Transparent versioning — no surprise rewrites, no phantom releases.

Version Timeline

v2.0 RC1–RC3 Done

March 2026

First bootable ISOs. Debian Bookworm base, kernel 6.1.0-44 LTS. Live-build pipeline established. RC3 was the first verified-bootable ISO — resolved the dual kernel-naming bug that caused boot failures on RC1–RC2.

v3.0 RC4–RC5 Done

March–April 2026

Rebased from Bookworm → Trixie (Debian 13). Kernel upgraded to 6.12 series. New hooks: network hardening (nftables, MAC randomization), full disk encryption (LUKS2).

v4.0 RC6 Done

April 2026

All 10 hooks complete. 32 security modules configured. Calamares graphical installer with FDE option. Full security audit of hook code.

v4.0 RC7 — Kernel 7.0 Done

April 2026

First distro to ship Linux kernel 7.0.0-rc7-alfred, custom-compiled from Linus Torvalds' mainline tree. Three kernel-7-exclusive mitigations: ITS, TSA, VMSCAPE. 24 total CPU mitigations.

v4.0 RC8 Current

April 2026

Current release. Stability fixes, installer polish, documentation pass. Community infrastructure launched (GoForge issues, hardware compatibility list). 2.4 GB ISO.

v4.x LTS Planned

Target: Q3 2026

First Long Term Support release. 2-year security patch commitment. Kernel track pinned to stable LTS (7.x when available). Automated security updates via apt.

v5.0 Planned

Target: Q4 2026

ARM64 support (Raspberry Pi 5, Apple Silicon via UTM). Wayland session option. Alfred Agent pre-configured as system service.

Release Cadence

How we plan to version and maintain Alfred Linux going forward.

RC → GA

Release Candidates

RCs are functional but not recommended for production. Each RC adds features or fixes from the previous. GA is the first production-ready version.

2 Years

LTS Support Window

LTS releases receive security patches for 2 years. Critical CVEs patched within 7 days. Kernel and userland updates via standard apt.

~6 Months

Major Version Cycle

New major versions approximately every 6 months. Each brings kernel upgrades, new hooks, expanded hardware support.

AGPL-3.0

Always Open Source

Every version, every hook, every build script — publicly auditable on GoForge. No closed modules, no enterprise-only features.

v4.0 GA — Goals Checklist

What needs to be done before we tag v4.0 as General Availability.

GoalStatusTracking
All 10 hooks passing clean build ✓ Done alfred-linux repo
32 security modules active on boot ✓ Done Security page
Kernel 7.0 compiled and booting ✓ Done RC7+
Calamares installer with FDE ✓ Done RC6+
DistroWatch submission ✓ Submitted April 2026
Hardware compatibility list (20+ configs) In progress HCL page
Community contribution guide ✓ Done Community page
GPG-signed release ISOs In progress GA release target
ARM64 research complete Research phase ARM64 doc
Automated security update pipeline Planned v4.x LTS target

Track Progress

All roadmap items are tracked as issues on GoForge. You can watch progress in real time: