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The Pharo project announced Pharo 14 on October 26, 2026, with changes to its development tools, refactoring and command infrastructure, and virtual machine. It is the first release under the project’s new September-to-November schedule and includes RISC-V JIT support, though the announcement does not specify supported hardware or provide comparative performance figures.

The Pharo project released version 14 on October 26, 2026, introducing updates to its development environment, refactoring and command infrastructure, and virtual machine. The release also marks the project’s shift from a spring release window to a September-to-November schedule, a change that will affect when users can expect future versions.

The project said its work on Pharo 14 focused on three areas. The first was modernizing development tools: the release introduces Mission Control and Pulse, which replaces Spotter, and includes changes to the Method Browser and a rewrite of the Settings Browser. The project also brought Epicea and ProfStef into NewTools as part of an ongoing move toward a Spec-based tooling stack.

The second area was refactoring and command infrastructure. According to the release announcement, refactoring commands moved to a driver-based architecture and a unified command registry. The project also expanded command-line features, listing command-line testing, a command-line debugger and Sindarin script tooling. Other listed changes include TestRunner integration and updates to debugging, code editing, file browsing and window behavior.

The third area was the virtual machine (VM). Pharo 14 unifies frames and stack management, adds RISC-V just-in-time (JIT) support and makes changes to memory management, including direct allocation to old space and garbage-collection improvements. The project also reported work on Slang and C compilation, VM cleanup, cross-platform builds and updated dependencies. It says 978 pull requests were integrated in the Pharo repository and 616 issues were closed since Pharo 13.

At a glance
announcementWhen: Released October 26, 2026
The developmentThe Pharo project released version 14, detailing a set of development-tool, command-line and virtual-machine changes.

Changes Across Tools and VM

Pharo 14 is a platform release rather than a single-feature update: its changes touch the tools developers use to browse, edit, test and debug code, as well as the machinery that executes that code. The new command-line testing and debugger capabilities may be relevant to teams that want to use Pharo in scripted or automated workflows, while the refreshed browsers and consolidation into NewTools affect the interactive development environment.

RISC-V JIT support extends the VM’s stated platform coverage, but the announcement does not give a list of supported RISC-V devices, performance tests or deployment guidance. Likewise, it describes memory and garbage-collection work without quantifying the effects. Those details matter to developers deciding whether to upgrade for a particular workload: the release notes identify areas of change, but do not establish how much faster or more suitable Pharo 14 will be in any given environment.

The schedule change has a practical effect beyond this version. By moving from a spring window to fall, the project is changing the timing users and maintainers may use to plan upgrades, compatibility work and application releases. Pharo 14 is the first version under that calendar, according to the announcement.

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Pharo’s New Release Calendar

Pharo describes itself as a pure object-oriented programming language and development environment built around objects and messages. Its official announcement emphasizes an interactive workflow, including the ability to develop, test and debug with immediate feedback. Those are descriptions from the project, not independently measured comparisons with other programming environments.

The project says the full stack is released under the MIT License and is available on GitHub. Pharo 14 follows Pharo 13, and the release announcement says 616 issues have been closed since that earlier version. It also points to separate projects included in the release, such as NewTools, Spec, Iceberg, Roassal, Microdown and the Pharo VM.

The announcement says the project has moved its release schedule from March–May to September–November. The October 26 release falls within the new window. The source does not give a precise date for Pharo 13 or a fixed day for future releases, so the schedule should be understood as a seasonal window rather than a specific annual launch date.

“In this iteration of Pharo, our efforts have concentrated on three main areas: modernizing the development tools; rebuilding the refactoring and command infrastructure; and modernizing the virtual machine.”

— The Pharo project, in its October 26 release announcement

Performance and Platform Details

The release announcement does not publish benchmark results or quantify the performance effects of the VM, memory-management or garbage-collection changes. It also does not specify which RISC-V systems can run the new JIT support, what compatibility limits apply, or whether every listed capability is available across all supported platforms.

There is no detailed upgrade guide or breakdown of possible incompatibilities in the supplied announcement. It is also not clear whether the new command-line tools and changes to browsers require adjustments to existing workflows. The project describes the changes and points readers to its download and documentation pages, but further technical detail is needed to answer those questions.

The release reports 432 forks and 1,494 GitHub stars, but gives no measurement date or comparison baseline for those figures. They are therefore snapshots stated in the announcement, not evidence of growth or a measure of adoption. The project also mentions more than [X] contributors in one passage without supplying a number; the source does not establish a precise contributor total there.

Downloads and Upgrade Guidance

Users can get Pharo 14 through the project’s download page, which the announcement links alongside its documentation and feature pages. Developers considering an upgrade can consult those official resources for installation information and details not included in the release summary. The announcement does not provide a separate upgrade timetable or name a follow-up maintenance release.

The next practical milestones are likely to be users testing the new version in their own environments and the project publishing or refining technical documentation around the changes. The official release establishes the new fall window, but does not name a date for Pharo 15. Until the project provides that information, the stated September-to-November range is the available schedule guidance.

Key Questions

When was Pharo 14 released?

The Pharo project announced the release on October 26, 2026.

What are the main changes in Pharo 14?

The project highlights modernized development tools, a rebuilt refactoring and command infrastructure, and VM updates. Specific additions include Mission Control, Pulse, command-line testing and debugging, and RISC-V JIT support.

What does the release say about RISC-V support?

Pharo 14 adds RISC-V JIT support, according to the announcement. It does not list supported devices or publish performance comparisons.

Has Pharo changed its release schedule?

Yes. The project says it moved its release window from spring, defined as March to May, to fall, defined as September to November. Pharo 14 is the first release under that schedule.

Where can users get Pharo 14?

The announcement directs users to the official Pharo download page and links to the project’s documentation and feature information.

Source: pharo.org

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