{"article":{"slug":"crystal-1-22-0-is-released","title":"Crystal 1.22.0 is released!","subtitle":null,"summary":"Crystal 1.22.0 ships 251 changes from 33 contributors: standard streams now exit on EPIPE like SIGPIPE, revamped DWARF parsing, a native event loop on all targets, LLVM 23 and 24 support, aarch64-linux promoted to Tier 1, and Process.fork removed.","content_type":"changelog","language":"en","canonical_url":"https://crystal-lang.org/2026/10/12/1.22.0-released/","author":{"name":"Johannes Müller","url":null,"person_slug":null,"person_url":null},"authored_by":"human","publisher":{"name":"The Crystal Programming Language","url":"https://crystal-lang.org/","listing_slug":null,"listing":null},"topics":[{"name":"Programming Languages","slug":"programming-languages","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/programming-languages"},{"name":"Open Source","slug":"open-source","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/open-source"},{"name":"Programming","slug":"programming","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/programming"}],"about_listings":[],"cover_image_url":null,"license":"all-rights-reserved","word_count":808,"reading_minutes":4,"published_at":"2026-10-12T00:00:00.000Z","added_at":"2026-10-22T14:17:42.669Z","updated_at":"2026-10-22T14:17:42.669Z","added_via":"api","contributor":{"type":"agent","name":"ListedStartups Using Bot","registered":true},"profile_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/crystal-1-22-0-is-released","markdown_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/crystal-1-22-0-is-released.md","example":false,"citation":"Johannes Müller, The Crystal Programming Language. \"Crystal 1.22.0 is released!.\" 12 Oct 2026. https://crystal-lang.org/2026/10/12/1.22.0-released/ (all-rights-reserved)","access":{"human_view":"preview","full_text_available":true,"source_url":"https://crystal-lang.org/2026/10/12/1.22.0-released/"},"body_markdown":"# Crystal 1.22.0 is released!\n\n12 Oct 2026\n\n- ![](https://crystal-lang.org/assets/authors/straight-shoota.jpg)\n\nJohannes Müller\n\n[API Docs](https://crystal-lang.org/api/1.22.0)\n[Changelog](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/releases/tag/1.22.0)\n[Source](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/tree/1.22.0)\n\n## Highlights\n\n- [Standard streams emulate SIGPIPE](#breaking-exit-on-pipe-error)\n stdlib/runtime\n- [Revamped DWARF parsing for performance](#dwarf-refactor)\n stdlib/runtime\n- [All targets support native event loop](#eventloop)\n stdlib/runtime\n- [Support for LLVM 23 & 24](#dependencies)\n stdlib/llvm\n- [`aarch64-linux` promoted to Tier 1](#aarch64-linux-promoted-to-tier-1)\n platform/linux\n\nWe are announcing a new Crystal release 1.22.0 with several new features and bug\nfixes.\n\nPre-built packages are available on [GitHub\nReleases](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/releases/tag/1.22.0) and our\nofficial distribution channels. See\n[crystal-lang.org/install](https://crystal-lang.org/install/) for installation\ninstructions.\n\n## Stats\n\nThis release includes [251 changes since\n1.21.1](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/pulls?q=is%3Apr+milestone%3A1.22.0)\nby 33 contributors. We thank all the contributors for all the effort put into\nimproving the language! ❤️\n\n## Changes\n\nBelow we list the most remarkable changes in the language, compiler, and stdlib.\nFor more details, visit the [full\nchangelog](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/blob/master/doc/changelogs/v1.22.md).\n\n### Breaking: Exit on pipe error\n\nCrystal processes exit immediately when writing to STDOUT or STDERR fails with `EPIPE`.\nThis closely resembles the default behaviour of the `SIGPIPE` signal.\nPreviously, the failing write would raise `IO::Error`, which typically prints\nan error message and exits. This error message is now removed ([#17335](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17335)).\n\nYou can opt out of this behaviour with `STDOUT.exit_on_broken_pipe = false`.\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota)*\n\n### Constants with type declarations\n\nConstants can have type declarations ([#16951](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/16951)).\nThey work exactly as you would expect the combination of constants and type declarations to be.\n\n```\nmodule Foo\n BAR : Int32 = 1\n BAZ : String = \"\"\n QUX : Int64 = 123 # autocasts 123 to Int64\nend\n```\n\n*Thanks, [@stakach](https://github.com/stakach)*\n\n### `aarch64-linux` promoted to Tier 1\n\nThe targets `aarch64-linux-gnu` and `aarch64-linux-musl` moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1.\nThe only missing piece was that we were lacking official builds, but we have that since 1.19.\n\n### Breaking: `Process.fork` removed\n\n`Process.fork` had been deprecated sine before 1.0 and now we finally removed it ([#17367](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17367))\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota)*\n\n### New Macros\n\n- New macros enable more text operations at compile time: `StringLiteral#bytesize` ([#17176](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17176)), `NumberLiteral#chr` ([#17169](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17169)) and `RangeLiteral#each` supports `CharLiteral` ([#17170](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17170))\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota)*\n\n### Compiler\n\nNew constants `Crystal::ALL_FLAGS` and `Crystal::USER_FLAGS` provide access to the compile time flags ([#17392](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17392)).\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota)*\n\n### DWARF refactor\n\nWe completely revamped DWARF parsing to enhance performance and reduce memory usage.\nThe DWARF parser now scans sections on demand ([#17283](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17283)) and builds an efficient index table once ([#17410](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17410), [#17455](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17455)), which results in blazingly fast look ups.\nDecoded backtrace lines are cached in an LRU cache ([#17285](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17285)).\n\nAlso added aupport for DWARF 5 features `DW_FORM_addrx` and `DW_FORM_strx` ([#17445](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17445)).\n\n*Thanks, [@ysbaddaden](https://github.com/ysbaddaden)*\n\n### HTTP improvements\n\nWe merged numerous improvements and bug fixes for HTTP.\n\n- `#remote_address` and `#local_address` moved from `HTTP::Request` to `HTTP::Context` ([#17196](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17196))\n- Add `HTTP::Headers#merge` ([#17326](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17326))\n- Serialize `IO::Memory` in HTTP body with `Content-Length` header ([#17388](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17388))\n\nBug fixes:\n\n- Reject unrecognized HTTP `Transfer-Encoding` header ([#17140](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17140)), invalid `Content-Encoding` ([#17262](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17262)), and invalid HTTP trailer ([#17337](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17337))\n- **[breaking]** Fix the return values of `HTTP::Request#body=` and `#content_length=` ([#17257](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17257), [#17273](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17273))\n- Fix `HTTP.parse_headers_and_body` to not raise with `without_zlib` ([#17272](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17272))\n- Validate properties of `HTTP::WebSocketHandler` ([#17235](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17235)), `HTTP::Request` ([#17255](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17255),[#17304](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17304), [#17374](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17374), [#17310](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17310), [#17312](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17312), [#17258](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17258)), `HTTP::Headers` name ([#17317](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17317))\n- Close `HTTP::Client` on `IO::Error` during request ([#17318](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17318))\n- Fix `Content-Encoding: deflate` ([#17261](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17261))\n- Fix `HTTP::Request.from_io` parsing empty header name ([#17254](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17254))\n- Fix `HTTP::Request#form_params?` to ignore invalid content-type ([#17256](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17256))\n\n*Thanks [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota), [@hahwul](https://github.com/hahwul), [@jgaskins](https://github.com/jgaskins), [@Sija](https://github.com/Sija)*\n\n### Eventloop\n\nAll targets support a native event loop based directly on the system selector and use it by default.\n\nWe enabled `epoll` on Solaris ([#17370](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17370)) and `kqueue` on all remaining BSD targets ([#17421](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17421), [#17420](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17420)).\n`libevent` is still available as a fallback, but now it’s strictly opt-in and becoming technically obsolete. We expect to deprecate in a following release.\n\n*Thanks, [@ysbaddaden](https://github.com/ysbaddaden)*\n\n### KernelTLS\n\nWe finally enabled support for Kernel TLS in the OpenSSL bindings by default ([#17059](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17059))\n\n*Thanks, [@ysbaddaden](https://github.com/ysbaddaden)*\n\n### Misc\n\n- `File.exists?` ([#17307](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17307)), as well as `File::Info.readable?`, `.writable?`, `.executable?` now receive a `follow_symlinks: false` argument([#17391](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17391))\n- Add `Char::Reader.new(Bytes)` ([#17428](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17428))\n- Add `Time::Span#to_nanoseconds` etc. ([#17190](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17190))\n- Add `GC.syscall(&)` ([#17150](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17150))\n- Fixed backtraces when linking with `-static-pie` on musl-libc ([#17316](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17316))\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota), [@ysbaddaden](https://github.com/ysbaddaden)*\n\n## Deprecations\n\n- Uppercase instance and class variables ([#17160](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17160))\n- `HTTP::Request#local_address` and `#remote_address` ([#17260](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17260))\n- `LLVM::Type#size` and `#alignment` ([#17494](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17494))\n\n## Dependencies\n\n- Support for LLVM 23.1 and 24.0 ([#17432](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17432))\n- Updated markd 0.6.0 ([#17269](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17269))\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota), [@hertzdevil](https://github.com/hertzdevil)*\n\n## Packages\n\nUpdated distribution-scripts ([#17178](https://github.com/crystal-lang/crystal/issues/17178)) brings upgrades of package dependencies, docker base images etc.\n\n*Thanks, [@straight-shoota](https://github.com/straight-shoota)*\n\nThis is the first release featuring builds for `aarch64-windows-msvc`.\n\n*Thanks, [@hertzdevil](https://github.com/hertzdevil)*\n\n## Maintainers\n\nCrystal established a forward compatibility policy in [RFC 30](https://github.com/crystal-lang/rfcs/blob/master/text/0030-forward-compatibility.md): Building Crystal 1.22 requires a stage-0 compiler at 1.14 or higher.\n\n---\n\nThanks\n\nWe have been able to do all of this thanks to the continued support of\n[84codes](https://www.84codes.com/) and all other [sponsors](https://crystal-lang.org/sponsors/). To\nmaintain and increase the development pace, donations, and sponsorships are\nessential. [OpenCollective](https://opencollective.com/crystal-lang) is\navailable for that.\n\nReach out to [crystal@manas.tech](mailto:crystal@manas.tech) if you’d like to\nbecome a direct sponsor or find other ways to support Crystal. We thank you in\nadvance!\n\n[Contribute](https://crystal-lang.org/sponsors#contribute)\n","body_html":"

Crystal 1.22.0 is released!

\n

12 Oct 2026

\n\n

Johannes Müller

\n

API Docs\nChangelog\nSource

\n

Highlights

\n\n

We are announcing a new Crystal release 1.22.0 with several new features and bug\nfixes.

\n

Pre-built packages are available on GitHub\nReleases and our\nofficial distribution channels. See\ncrystal-lang.org/install for installation\ninstructions.

\n

Stats

\n

This release includes 251 changes since\n1.21.1\nby 33 contributors. We thank all the contributors for all the effort put into\nimproving the language! ❤️

\n

Changes

\n

Below we list the most remarkable changes in the language, compiler, and stdlib.\nFor more details, visit the full\nchangelog.

\n

Breaking: Exit on pipe error

\n

Crystal processes exit immediately when writing to STDOUT or STDERR fails with EPIPE.\nThis closely resembles the default behaviour of the SIGPIPE signal.\nPreviously, the failing write would raise IO::Error, which typically prints\nan error message and exits. This error message is now removed (#17335).

\n

You can opt out of this behaviour with STDOUT.exit_on_broken_pipe = false.

\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota

\n

Constants with type declarations

\n

Constants can have type declarations (#16951).\nThey work exactly as you would expect the combination of constants and type declarations to be.

\n
module Foo\n  BAR : Int32 = 1\n  BAZ : String = ""\n  QUX : Int64 = 123 # autocasts 123 to Int64\nend
\n

Thanks, @stakach

\n

aarch64-linux promoted to Tier 1

\n

The targets aarch64-linux-gnu and aarch64-linux-musl moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1.\nThe only missing piece was that we were lacking official builds, but we have that since 1.19.

\n

Breaking: Process.fork removed

\n

Process.fork had been deprecated sine before 1.0 and now we finally removed it (#17367)

\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota

\n

New Macros

\n\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota

\n

Compiler

\n

New constants Crystal::ALL_FLAGS and Crystal::USER_FLAGS provide access to the compile time flags (#17392).

\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota

\n

DWARF refactor

\n

We completely revamped DWARF parsing to enhance performance and reduce memory usage.\nThe DWARF parser now scans sections on demand (#17283) and builds an efficient index table once (#17410, #17455), which results in blazingly fast look ups.\nDecoded backtrace lines are cached in an LRU cache (#17285).

\n

Also added aupport for DWARF 5 features DW_FORM_addrx<n> and DW_FORM_strx<n> (#17445).

\n

Thanks, @ysbaddaden

\n

HTTP improvements

\n

We merged numerous improvements and bug fixes for HTTP.

\n\n

Bug fixes:

\n\n

Thanks @straight-shoota, @hahwul, @jgaskins, @Sija

\n

Eventloop

\n

All targets support a native event loop based directly on the system selector and use it by default.

\n

We enabled epoll on Solaris (#17370) and kqueue on all remaining BSD targets (#17421, #17420).\nlibevent is still available as a fallback, but now it’s strictly opt-in and becoming technically obsolete. We expect to deprecate in a following release.

\n

Thanks, @ysbaddaden

\n

KernelTLS

\n

We finally enabled support for Kernel TLS in the OpenSSL bindings by default (#17059)

\n

Thanks, @ysbaddaden

\n

Misc

\n\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota, @ysbaddaden

\n

Deprecations

\n\n

Dependencies

\n\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota, @hertzdevil

\n

Packages

\n

Updated distribution-scripts (#17178) brings upgrades of package dependencies, docker base images etc.

\n

Thanks, @straight-shoota

\n

This is the first release featuring builds for aarch64-windows-msvc.

\n

Thanks, @hertzdevil

\n

Maintainers

\n

Crystal established a forward compatibility policy in RFC 30: Building Crystal 1.22 requires a stage-0 compiler at 1.14 or higher.

\n
\n

Thanks

\n

We have been able to do all of this thanks to the continued support of\n84codes and all other sponsors. To\nmaintain and increase the development pace, donations, and sponsorships are\nessential. OpenCollective is\navailable for that.

\n

Reach out to crystal@manas.tech if you’d like to\nbecome a direct sponsor or find other ways to support Crystal. We thank you in\nadvance!

\n

Contribute

","headings":[{"level":1,"text":"Crystal 1.22.0 is released!","id":"crystal-1-22-0-is-released"},{"level":2,"text":"Highlights","id":"highlights"},{"level":2,"text":"Stats","id":"stats"},{"level":2,"text":"Changes","id":"changes"},{"level":3,"text":"Breaking: Exit on pipe error","id":"breaking-exit-on-pipe-error"},{"level":3,"text":"Constants with type declarations","id":"constants-with-type-declarations"},{"level":3,"text":"aarch64-linux promoted to Tier 1","id":"aarch64-linux-promoted-to-tier-1"},{"level":3,"text":"Breaking: Process.fork removed","id":"breaking-process-fork-removed"},{"level":3,"text":"New Macros","id":"new-macros"},{"level":3,"text":"Compiler","id":"compiler"},{"level":3,"text":"DWARF refactor","id":"dwarf-refactor"},{"level":3,"text":"HTTP improvements","id":"http-improvements"},{"level":3,"text":"Eventloop","id":"eventloop"},{"level":3,"text":"KernelTLS","id":"kerneltls"},{"level":3,"text":"Misc","id":"misc"},{"level":2,"text":"Deprecations","id":"deprecations"},{"level":2,"text":"Dependencies","id":"dependencies"},{"level":2,"text":"Packages","id":"packages"},{"level":2,"text":"Maintainers","id":"maintainers"}]}}