The Best Linux Distributions for KDE Plasma 5
Apart from GNOME, KDE Plasma is one of the powerful and dominant desktop environments that boasts a stunning appearance with polished icons and an amazing look-and-feel. KDE Plasma has evolved and is more crisp and elegant as ever.
This review takes a deep dive into some of the Best Linux distros that can support KDE Plasma 5.
1. Manjaro KDE
Manjaro is available for download in 3 Desktop editions: GNOME, XFCE, and KDE Plasma. But it’s the KDE Plasma edition that stands out from the rest with it’s downright elegant and flashy KDE Plasma 5 environment. At the time of penning down this guide, the latest version is KDE 5.18.4.
It comes with a modern and chic look, with some really cool menus that you can style to match your taste/preference. There’s no denying about it’s truly stunning and user-friendly UI that simple to use. Everything works out of the box, and there are you spoilt for choice as to the enhancements you can apply to improve the look-and-feel.
Manjaro KDE
The default file manager is the Dolphin manager which has replaced Konqueror which also served as a web browser.
Manjaro Dolphin Manager
You can easily set your preferred desktop background, change the theme, style of widgets, and so much more. KDE Plasma is tailored for users who want a user-friendly experience with a touch of simplicity and flexibility.
At the time of writing this review, the latest Manjaro available on KDE is Manjaro 20.0.3 which is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit.
2. Kubuntu
By default, Kubuntu ships with KDE, the benefit of which is the combination of the merits of Ubuntu with a modern, lightweight and appealing UI. For those of you riding the Plasma wave, you might already be aware that the latest release. Kubuntu 20.04 ( Groovy Gorrila ) ships with KDE Plasma 5.19 as of 9th June 2020.
Kubuntu Linux
KDE 5.19 was developed with an emphasis on consistency and unification of desktop elements and widgets in mind. This enhances usability and gives users better control over their desktop. Generally, components are much easier to use, giving users a pleasurable experience.
Once you log in, the first thing that you will notice is the new eye-catching wallpaper that adds a splash of color to your desktop. Feel free to click anywhere on the desktop and select the option “Configure desktop” from the menu and select a different wallpaper.
You get three themes to choose from Kubuntu, Breeze & Breeze Dark. Various widgets such as system monitor and media playback applet have been overhauled to yield a new refreshing look. There are many other subtle improvements that have been added to improve the general appeal and improve user experience.
KDE 5.19 also ships with Dolphin file manager that includes the subsurface clipping feature which minimizes the flickering of applications, thereby reducing eye strain. Additionally, icons on the title bar have been recolored to match the color scheme, effectively making them easily visible.
Kubuntu Dolphin Manager
KDE 5.19 also packs a new set of beautifully designed avatars to choose from when creating new users.
Kubuntu Avatars
The KDE Kubuntu 20.04 LTS is only available in 64-bit architecture.
3. KDE Neon
KDE Neon is a community-based operating system now rebased on Ubuntu 20.04. KDE Neon ships with the latest Plasma experience from the KDE community combined with the stability and security of a Ubuntu LTS release. This makes it the ideal system to go for when trying out or testing the most recent Plasma releases.
KDE Neon
To try out KDE Neon, the User Edition is what you would want to go and download. It comes with all the latest from the KDE community on a stable build, unlike the Testing edition which is buggy.
With KDE Neon, rest assured that your Plasma environment, as well as KDE applications, will be continuously updated to provide a stable and secure system.
4. OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
OpenSUSE comes in 2 flavors: OpenSUSE Leap, which is a stable fixed release, and OpenSUSE Tumbleweed which is purely a rolling release. Generally, OpenSUSE is focussed on Software developers, and sysadmins and is usually deployed on servers given its high stability and enhanced security.
OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
Still, OpenSUSE is available for desktop users and Linux enthusiasts, and users can choose from a variety of desktop environments such as GNOME, XFCE, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, and LXQt.
KDE Plasma 5 comes out more refined than the rest. Unfortunately, there is little in the way of customizations and users may not enjoy the freedom of making tweaks here and there, unlike earlier mentioned distributions. For example, you are limited to the number of wallpapers you can choose from.
5. KaOS 2020.07
KaOS is an independently built Lean KDE distribution inspired by Arch Linux. It’s another rolling distribution built with an emphasis on KDE Plasma 5 and Qt.
Just like Arch Linux, It uses Pacman as its package manager. The downside to KaOS is the limited number of repositories which means you users don’t have the luxury of thousands of packages to download unlike in other systems like Kubuntu.
KaOS Linux
KDE Plasma 5 is the native Desktop environment and is a bit toned down, unlike other distributions. It’s quite minimal and resource-friendly while at the same time providing the basic KDE applications out of the box. The UI is quite stunning and while it has limited software packages, it works quite okay for an average desktop user. KaOS is only available in 64-bit architecture.
6. NetRunner
Netrunner is based on Debian and the latest version is Nerunner 20.01 released on 23rd February 2020. It comes with a drop-dead gorgeous UI that sets it apart from the rest. It ships with its own theme known as the Indigo global theme with variants such as Theming-wise.
NetRunner Linux
Out of the box, you get a mix of tools and applications to get you started out. These include productivity applications such as LibreOffice suite, image editing tools such as GIMP and Krita, the popular Inkscape for vector graphics, and chatting applications such as Skype and Pidgin.
That was a roundup of some Linux distributions we felt exude some elegance & visual appeal while at the same time offer the stability and simplicity required by most users. Let us know your thoughts.
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Top 5 Best KDE Plasma Linux Distros of 2020
KDE Plasma has been evolving at a great pace. It has improved significantly in terms of both looks and performance in recent years. Today it is more refined and faster than ever. KDE has undergone a performance overhaul and has become very efficient in terms of resource usage. The UI itself looks downright stunning. While most other desktops environments have remained pretty much the same, KDE Plasma has grown into something that You SHOULD CHECKOUT in 2020. KDE Plasma provides a very polished user experience that is unmatched.
5. Netrunner
Netrunner 20 is a Debian based Linux distro that features a heavily customized KDE Plasma. Netrunner is a rock-solid OS and it has an absolutely stunning user interface. It ships with Plasma 5.14 but it is very different from the vanilla KDE that we’re used to seeing.
Out of the box, the theming, icons and the desktop look on spot.
Redesigned application menu looks gorgeous. It is immersive and feels really responsive. The search is fast and layout is really good for touchscreens, and two in ones.
Netrunner has its own theme which comes in a few variants, but the default one is good. The colors pop but not so much that they are distractive. Netrunner cuts down on animations and windows effects pretty aggressively in favor of responsiveness and a lighter system and this approach does work. The desktop, windows maximize minimize, it all feels very rapid. But KDE Plasma has some crazy good effects. We can, of course, enable these effects here in Netrunner too.
Netrunner is based on Debian Stable so it provides a very dependable operating system for students, developers, schools, offices and pretty much everybody. It provides a very large number of software to its users directly from the Debian stable pool. Debian Stable repositories have an upward of 50,000 packages. These packages are extensively tested for stability and security. So you can install pretty much anything and everything you need in a very convenient, fast and secure way.
The Debian stability coupled with a modern desktop that comes with a twist, make Netrunner one of the best operating systems you can use. Netrunner takes a different approach in many aspects and provides a very refined computing experience. If You’re a KDE Plasma fan, this OS is something you might really love.
4. KaOS
KaOS Linux is one of the most distinctive operating systems you’ll ever get to use. KaOS is a completely independent Linux distro built from scratch. It is built on strong principles of providing a very lean and efficient computing environment.
KaOS achieves this by prioritizing quality over quantity. It has only one desktop environment that is KDE Plasma, uses only one toolkit that is qt and is available for only one architecture, that is 64-bit.
By strongly limiting the number of versions they need to produce, KaOS developers have created ONE OS to rule them all. KaOS uses a slightly toned-down version of KDE Plasma. It looks like this out of the box.
Why? Dare to be different. That’s why. Anyway, It can be un-differented.
KaOS feels so minimal and responsive. It comes with a good number of KDE applications. Out of the box, pretty much everything expected from a home computer is here. Music player, video player, office suite, KDE Connect which pairs your phone to your PC and some additional stuff.
You get LibreOffice re-written in qt here, which is significantly faster than the normal version. In fact, KaOS feels very responsive everywhere. The fact that only qt applications are used here does contribute to this performance boost. As far as installing more software is concerned, we can do so from the Octopi store here.
Quick note, KaOS uses the Pacman package manager, but has completely independent software repositories. These software repositories are not exactly big. In fact, KaOS developers don’t even intend to provide you with every software there is. Again, their intent is quality over quantity.
Sofware written in GTK are non-existent in the repositories. Talking from a software availability point of view, KaOS is just good enough for most home users. Not great. Just good enough. You get a decently functional system with high quality and performance. If most of your work is done through a browser. You’re set. If this is the case, try KaOS and You’ll thank me. KaOS gives you Falkon browser which is good and fast too. Most browsers today are too complicated with too many functions. I liked using a very simple browser for a change. KaOS also has Flatpak support so you can install many popular applications here. Firefox will also be soon available in Flatpak format so you can get it here. Even Steam can be installed with Flatpak. So gaming too is good here.
Overall, I agree KaOS is not for everybody. But it is a great OS for many people. It is fast, has high quality and looks stunning. If you want to build a minimal system like a Chromebook, KaOS is one of the best options at the moment.
3. OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE started focusing heavily on software developers, system admins, and servers. While many Linux distros became more and more usable for the general public, that is students, homes and stuff, OpenSUSE evolved into the ideal OS for us software professionals.
While openSUSE is available with all the desktop environments, the KDE Plasma version is particularly very refined. It comes with very little customization, still looks good. OpenSUSE has 2 versions. Leap, which is the stable regular version and Tumbleweed, which is the rolling release. Tumbleweed is like Arch Linux, it keeps getting updates regularly and is always new. I personally like Leap. Leap is supported for 3 years and gets point updates every year or so. With Leap, there is very less pressure to update and do housekeeping with the system. This is particularly important for us developers as we are working on the same, tried and tested version till we finish a project. But again, nothing is outdated.
OpenSUSE has very enhanced security, Since, it is one of the top distros deployed on servers, it enforces very high standards as far as system security goes.
Another great thing about openSUSE is Yast2 or just Yast. Yast is the central control system for openSUSE. You control everything from here. When I say everything, I mean everything.
OpenSUSE uses the rpm package manager. The repositories contain a good number of software. OpenSUSE is highly involved in the development of new technologies regarding software development and deployment. As a result, OpenSUSE is in high synergy with new trends that happen in this field and the tech is easily implementable on OpenSUSE.
OpenSUSE KDE is really good to use. If you’re a software student or a professional, I recommend you check out the Leap version. It is very stable, tested, and is an experience. If you’re not in the software field, fret not my friend, the next one is for you.
2. Kubuntu
Kubuntu has always been the go-to distro for anybody who loves KDE and rightly so. Kubuntu combines the solid Ubuntu base with KDE Plasma. While Kubuntu does not always provide the latest KDE desktop, it is new enough and the focus here is on providing a system which is highly usable.
Kubuntu comes with the complete KDE ecosystem of apps. All the day to day tools are built for KDE. So the users who choose Kubuntu specifically for KDE are satisfied. But choosing to stay with just qt applications is not always a good thing as you’re limiting yourself to a very small pool of software. Kubuntu provides some apps like Firefox, which is straight better than Falkon browser in many ways. You can also download and install software from Ubuntu repositories, PPA’s and other .deb files irrespective of what technology they are built on. GTK or Qt.
Kubuntu is developed parallel to Ubuntu. It has the same core and follows the same principles. Kubuntu is a very stable operating system. It is highly optimized for performance and usability. It has an amazing software availability. That makes Kubuntu adequate for everybody.
The driver support here is really good. It gets Ubuntu’s driver install tool which is really helpful for installing NVIDIA proprietary drivers. And KDE Plasma desktop works better if proprietary drivers are installed for NVIDIA GPUs.
Kubuntu is good for gaming too. Since Steam officially supports Ubuntu, all the games are tested and optimized for this system. And with great support for NVIDIA graphics cards, You’re getting the best possible gaming experience on Kubuntu.
Kubuntu is a great operating system for 2020. It’ new and dependable.
1. Manjaro KDE
Manjaro KDE is an absolutely premium experience. Directly out of the box, we get a stunning UI that is just so elegant.
Manjaro 19 is the latest version we have, and with this version, they have given us a new theme with improved color scheme, and the new wallpaper that looks perfect here. Of all the KDE Plasma distros I’ve used, I resonate with this one very much. I absolutely love the dark and clean UI here. Almost every distro I try, there is some customization from my part that goes in. But with Manjaro KDE, this thing looks just perfect.
Manjaro is a rolling release Linux distro, with high focus on system stability. It uses Arch Linux software releases as testing grounds and releases updates to its users only after confirmed stability. Manjaro is suitable for students, home usage and Linux and tech enthusiasts in particular because you get access to the newest of everything out there. It’s a cutting edge distro with enhanced stability. Manjaro has very huge software repositories and everything is kept fresh there. You also get access to the Arch User Repository, which is the biggest collection of Linux software.
Manjaro provides a system that is and feels newer than most operating systems out there. It provides the cutting edge tech to you. It allows you to experience the newest packages long before they hit most other Linux distros. It keeps you a step ahead. Installing Manjaro KDE is also very simple. It has a beginner-friendly installer that makes the whole process easy for everybody. You’ll have a new system up and running in 15-20 minutes.
KDE Plasma in 2020, makes more sense than ever. It has a tried and tested layout that is highly productive. While GNOME is a great desktop, I’ve always been critical about the fact that its application menu has the potential to be distracting and less productive. Plasma, Cinnamon, Xfce and Windows 7, they all have a similar layout that promotes distraction-free productivity. On top of that, Plasma looks modern and just so good to look at. It has also become very efficient. And KDE intelligently adjusts its effects and stuff based on hardware to deliver a smooth system. All these things make KDE Plasma one of the best desktop environments you should be using.
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