Squeak 6.1 ships after four years with a new tree browser and 1,700 merged patches

Sources: release notes, discussion
Summary: The Squeak 6.1 release notes carry datePublished 2026-08-10 and record more than 1,700 merged patches and more than 9,000 method changes since the previous release four years ago. The release is named Vanessa in memory of Vanessa Freudenberg. Highlights are a tree browser that integrates Monticello packages, a bytecode mode in the debugger that steps through VM instructions, and kernel changes to process simulation, unwinding, scheduling, and class reshaping.
Why it matters: The notes carry their own Major Deprecations, Known Issues, and Compatibility Notes sections, so an image upgrade needs review rather than a straight version bump.