Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
In a break from tradition, Debian is opting to go with the newest version of the KDE Plasma desktop for the testing branch. This goes against their previous method of exhaustive testing before a piece of software is released with a distribution.
Debian is well known for shipping applications that seem to be out of date. The reason behind this is the focus of the "mother of all" distributions is primarily on stability. To that end, the developers have always ensured each release includes only software that can be trusted to run without problems.
For those who prefer to use more up-to-date software, you can always install it manually but in some instances – such as with a desktop environment – that can get a bit tricky.
So, if you prefer Debian with an up-to-date KDE Plasma desktop environment, you'll be able to enjoy that very thing by using the Debian testing branch.
That version is Debian 12 (Bookworm). And given that Bookworm is already in a soft freeze state, it's pretty certain KDE Plasma 5.27 will wind up being the official release once Bookworm is out of testing.
KDE Plasma 5.27 includes the new tiling window manager, a much-improved Discover app store, tons of bug fixes, and top to bottom refinements of the desktop. This release also ships with KDE Frameworks 5.103 and KDE Gear 22.12.3.
To find out more about the Debian 12 release, read the official release plan. Bookworm will hit the hard freeze state this month (around March 12). The full freeze and release dates have yet to be announced.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.