You can download the core files directly from Drupal.org in the following formats: Tar.gz (18.59 MB): Preferred for Linux/Unix environments. Zip (29.56 MB): Preferred for Windows environments. Key Features of the 8.8.x Branch

This version cemented Composer as the primary way to manage Drupal sites, simplifying the management of dependencies and PHP libraries.

Introduced as an experimental administrative theme, offering a cleaner, more accessible interface than the older "Seven" theme.

To run Drupal 8.8.5, your server environment must meet these minimum specifications: drupal 8.8.5 | Drupal.org

To start a new project specifically with this version, use the following command in your terminal: composer create-project drupal/recommended-project:8.8.5 "install-dir" .

Drupal 8.8 was a significant "minor" release that introduced features designed to bridge the gap toward Drupal 9.