Following the September release of the KDE LInux reference distribution for the KDE desktop in alpha form, KDE Linux developers have been working toward the beta release with more improvements to this open-source desktop distro.
KDE Linux as a reminder is KDE’s reference platform while leveraging an immutable base OS and Arch Linux packages for the core platform. KDE Linux will ship with all the latest and greatest KDE software releases.


Sure…but then you’re stuck with KDE. Not a great tradeoff.
KDE is hands down the best desktop environment option there is on Linux right now. You gotta load up Gnome with hundreds of extension to even make it bearable and you get limited customizability.
Out of the box, KDE is superior for Mouse+Keyboard.
Gnome is superior for Touchpad+Keyboard.
And Gnome requires you to adjust to its way of doing things, KDE lets you adjust it to yours.
But if you “get” Gnome and are on a laptop without a mouse attached, it’s a joy to use.
The idea behind Gnome is to have everything maximized, use virtual desktops for multitasking, and switch between them using touch gestures or cursor keys in the overview.
If you find yourself installing more than 3 extensions, especially major changes like Dash-To-Panel, just stop and use KDE instead. I firmly believe most people saying “Gnome sucks” just want a classical desktop metaphor. Which Gnome sucks at.
LOL! that’s me 😅
Honestly, Gnome is okay depending on the context. I think it’s wonderful on my 1st gen Surface Pro tablet. Whereas KDE sucks.
But yeah, most people are used to the classical desktop metaphorthat looks like every desktop since Win 95. I even changed the look and feel of my KDE with a tiled app launcher to make it work like. Win10 because I love the ergonomics.
Coming from a Mac maybe people would be more at ease with Gnome though.
You don’t have to though? I use vanilla GNOME. Customization is never free, if you aren’t using it it’s just bloat and the more you add the more it slows down development.
The development of KDE doesn’t seem any slower to me than Gnome. But it does support my workflow much better due to the customization options!
KDE is relatively smaller in scope than GNOME. Besides, GNOME has taken on its own hurdles like compatibility across devices, the userbase is also different so they’re less likely to contribute towards areas like gaming for example.
What lets GNOME dominate developer wise right now are adwaita and the language barrier - KDE is mostly c++, whereas in GNOME you’ll find a mix of languages and outreach programs like GNOME circle.
I’m not saying you’re wrong on all or even most points, but just by itself this comment is basically a marketing post.
By what measure, and which parts of the projects are you taking into account?
KDE has also taken on its own hurdles. By the way, compatibility across devices is one of the best examples of feature creep if you don’t need it, as most Desktop users don’t!
Don’t see how that’s relevant to the development speed of the environments and their customizability.
Again, by what measure? Does it result in faster development of helpful features for my workflow?
KDE also has outreach programs, so this also doesn’t show much.
We’re 3 comments deep in a 20 hour old topic, nobody but us will be reading this.
I’m curious, do you have any links?
how come i only use 3. how is this possible
wait was it only you that used hundreds of extensions? have you ever used gnome?
are you lying?
for shame
I use it on a Surface Pro tablet. I gotta say for that usage context it’s superior to KDE.
On desktop, I really don’t like it. It’s missing so many basic features. Most distributions that have a default Gnome desktop have to ass extensions to make it more usable and closer to what people are used to. I’m thinking of Pop! Os or Zorin OS for example.
Zorin OS actually got Gnome right imo.
you only use gnome 3 or 3 extensions?
I’ll just go with my WM. No need for DE bloat.
Thats not a con for gnome, thats why I like gnome, I buuld it how I want, extensions for what I need, no settings for what I dont want/need.
Even then all you need is arcmenu (customizable startmenu with many easy to use presets) and dash to panel/dock to get it looking nice, it’s pretty usable by default if you don’t like clutter. I love scrolling through the extension store and seeing what people made for their needs that might fit mine. I have dozens but I don’t need them, it’s all just a nice bonus. Mostly also use tophat to show resource usage, chronomix for a timer for work in the topbar, the one that adds the background app icons, and idr the customization ones to make the top bar be colorful and have seperated buttons instead of a bar.
All the gnome hate is why I used kde for months before giving gnome a proper look (initially tried it for 5 seconds and didn’t even try to use extensions), I have not wanted to go back for the 6 months I’ve been using gnome.
Forgot I use an extension for dynamic tiling, always need something like that on any de/os.
Sire, the entire point of KDE Linux is that it’s meant to be a reference platform for developers that are creating apps that will be used in KDE Plasma. It’s like if a prototype Xbox was given out to developers, and somebody complained that it’s stupid because you’re stuck with Xbox. If you don’t like KDE, just use a distro that doesn’t ship with it. This doesn’t make any sense at all sire
@sbeak @sin_free_for_00_days exactly, and most distros have mutltiple DEs to choose from:)