Raspberry Pi OS 2026-06-18 is available for download. The release brings the Linux 6.18.34 LTS kernel, which adds ARM-specific tuning, smoother system behavior, and better network performance. For anyone running a Raspberry Pi, this is the build that completes the move to the Debian 13 Trixie base.
What changed under the hood
The 6.18.34 kernel is the headline. It tracks an LTS branch, so it gets long-term maintenance, and the ARM tuning shows up as lower latency in everyday tasks and steadier networking.
The Labwc Wayland compositor moves up to version 0.9.7. The project has been shifting to Labwc as the default session instead of X11, and each revision keeps polishing the desktop experience.
There’s also a change to the default touchscreen mappings. Plug a touchscreen into the board and the touch input should line up correctly without manual tweaking.
Desktop, translations, and icons
This version adds a Polish translation, so the system ships with broader language coverage out of the box. It also brings new toolbar icons, in line with the visual refresh that came with the Trixie base (the PiXtrix icon set and the Nunito Sans Light font).
Internally, the system now uses DBus to stop multiple instances of the same application from launching. It’s one of those quiet fixes that cuts down on odd behavior when you open a program twice.
The Printers and Volume plugins have been improved, and the Control Centre plugin code has been cleaned up. Control Centre is the unified settings app that pulls system configuration, appearance, mouse, keyboard, screen, and printer setup into one place, built on a plugin architecture meant to grow over time.
The base: Debian 13 Trixie
This image consolidates the work on top of Debian 13 Trixie. Among the changes that base carries is the switch to 64-bit timestamps, which puts the year 2038 problem to rest, along with the new meta-package scheme (rpd-wayland-core, rpd-theme, rpd-preferences, and friends) that allows more tailored installs.
Worth noting: at launch, support for the AI HAT+, AI Kit, TV HAT, and Wolfram Mathematica wasn’t ready yet. The Raspberry Pi Foundation plans to add it over the following weeks.
Who it’s for
Anyone using a Raspberry Pi as a desktop, a home server, or a project board. The system has been tested from the Pi 1 through the Pi 5, with the best performance on the Pi 3 and newer.
If you already have a working install, there’s no need to reimage: update from the terminal with apt update and then apt full-upgrade. For a clean install, the images are on the official site and you can flash them with Raspberry Pi Imager.
Raspberry Pi OS tracks Debian closely, so if you come from that world you’ll feel right at home. And if you want to see how it compares to other Debian-based spins, take a look at SparkyLinux 2026.06, which also builds on the Debian base.