For those who don’t know, KaOS is a Rolling Release distribution inspired by Arch Linux and focused on KDE Plasma. So, you will always find recent versions of this desktop environment, as well as programs related to QT and others. Being Rolling Release it is constantly updated and this makes it unnecessary to reinstall it. However, new ISO images are often released so that those who wish to install it do not have to update many packages.

So now this new image of KaOS is available and now we will see the main news.

KaOS Image (2020.07) features

The first thing you’ll notice is that Calamares, this great universal Linux distribution installer, has started a migration of its modules to QML. For example, the keyboard module is also rewritten in QML, which now gives a much clearer overview of possible keyboard models, languages, and variants.

Moreover, this new image of KaOS includes new firmwares. This will make it much more compatible with more hardware without the need for user intervention.

While all of these new features are very important, it is also true that the most notable is the inclusion of KDE Plasma 5.19. This version, which is loaded with new features, makes the system live up to its promise of providing a satisfying experience with this desktop environment. Also, Frameworks is at 5.72.0, Plasma at 5.19.3, and KDE Applications at 20.04.3.

Many packages have been updated e.g. Guile 2.2.6, Mesa 20.1.3, NetworkManager 1.26.0, Perl 5.30.3. All this with Linux kernel 5.7.8 as engine and QT 5.15.0. Also, The Midna theme used for KaOS has been redone for 2020.

Conclusion

KaOS is one of those rather special Linux distributions. It has earned its reputation and is perhaps the best for enjoying a full-blown Plasma KDE.

If you are interested you can download it from this link. You can also check the release notes for more information.

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KDE Plasma 5.19 features

As I said, this version focuses on giving more consistency to the desktop and polishing bugs. First of all, we have a new wallpaper that is one of the best they have released since KDE. And to further polish the system, they have improved the desktop widgets as well as the notification widgets.

Also, there is a completely new collection of photographic avatars to choose from when setting up your user.

On the other hand, the integration with GTK2 / GTK3 applications has improved so you will now see much better. “GTK3 apps immediately apply a newly selected color scheme, GTK2 apps no longer have broken colors,” say the developers.

In addition to this, the system font size has been increased from 9 to 10. This is welcome because it makes the text even easier to read. Although you can always change this from the system settings.

The System monitor widgets have all been rewritten from scratch and Sticky notes get several usability improvements. So now they are better and more eye-catching.

Other Features….

KSysGuard now supports GPUs with more than 12 cores. Also, the Info Center gains a feature that lets you see information about your graphics hardware. These two new features, while seemingly unimportant, add even more consistency to a desktop environment.

In the System Settings section, with KDE Plasma 5.19 comes new mouse and touchpad settings if you use Wayland. Also, the look and feel of the tool has been improved by adding small improvements to the fonts.

So, if you want to know, even more, check out the release notes. Also, take a look at the KDE Plasma website to find out more.

Finally, here’s a video presented by the development team with a summary of what’s new.

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KDE Plasma 5.18 is the latest stable version of this framework made with QT technology. This environment offers a high level of customization as well as a modern look without neglecting the stability of the system.

The main novelty of KDE Plasma 5.18 is that it is LTS that is to say, it will have support for two years while the other versions only 4 months. So it’s a candidate to appear in Kubuntu 20.04 and so on.

However, there are many more new features and here we will introduce you to the most important ones.

KDE Plasma 5.18 LTS features

One of the features that users will enjoy most is the Emojis selector that comes with this version.

This can be displayed using the Meta key (windows logo) + . or from the main menu (Applications > Utilites).

In the version 5.17 the night mode was released, because in this version a new widget is incorporated to activate or deactivate it.

This way we do not have to open the system preferences.

Also in this version you can share usage information with the developers. This will help to improve the environment, but without compromising your data.

This feature is present in the system settings.

Notifications have been improved to be fluid and less intrusive. However, you can now see the battery level of Bluetooth devices.

Also, in this version, the integration of GTK applications promises to be the best seen. They do this because they automatically inherit desktop preferences on fonts, icons, cursors and so on.

This version improves the graphics section, i.e. the rebirth with many current GPUs. Also thanks to a technical work, you have decreased the graphic failures of the applications.

In summary, what has happened since KDE Plasma 5.12 LTS

KDE Plasma 5.12 was the last LTS in this desktop environment. If you come from that version, you will notice even more the following changes:

• Completely rewritten notification system
• Browser integration
• Redesigned system settings pages, either using a consistent grid view or an overhauled interface
• GTK applications now respect more settings, use KDE color schemes, have shadows on X11, and support the global menu
• Display management improvements, including new OSD and widget
• Flatpak portal support
• Night Color feature
• Thunderbolt device management

Final thoughts

Since the announcement we are told that this version is a safe bet to update projects that have to be stable as work or educational computers. Therefore, it is expected to be a stable and reliable version for everyone.

Finally, I leave you with a link to the video that the development team has published for this great desktop environment.

If you want to know all the news, I invite you to read the official announcement.

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However, for all the gloss and polish, KDE Plasma is a resource-heavy desktop environment. If your system is low on hardware resource, then running other desktop environments is strongly recommended.

Over time, you may feel like your KDE Plasma is becoming slower and slower. If you’re being annoyed of a slow KDE Plasma environment, consider the following tips for refreshing the environment and enjoy the full potential of your system!

Note that all the following steps were performed on my Kubuntu 18.10 system. However, these tricks should work perfectly on any other Linux distros using KDE Plasma.

KDE Plasma speed-up hacks

• Update the KDE Plasma

KDE Plasma is a fine and well-maintained project. It gets updated and tweaked on a regular basis for proving the freshest feel and features to the users. If you’ve been using your system for a quite long time, it’s highly likely that your KDE Plasma is out-of-date.

From the menu, type “Discover” (without quotes) –

Discover is the default software center of KDE Plasma desktop.

From the bottom-left corner, select the “Updates” tab.

Hit “Check for Updates” >> update all the software possible. In my case, all my software are up-to-date.

• Desktop effects

In the KDE Plasma, there are numerous desktop effects. All the effects force a heavy load on the hardware. If your system is low on hardware resource, turning down the effects is a good place to speed things up.

From the menu, type “effects” >> select “Desktop effects”.

As you can see, there are tons of effects ongoing in my system. In your case, the selections may be different.

Once you’re done, hit “Apply” >> “OK”.

• Remove Akonadi

Akonadi is a robust service of KDE Plasma that allows apps to directly interact data with the KDE Plasma. It doesn’t make a noticeable difference in the case of high-end computer systems but it can definitely hurt low-end machines.

Run the following command(s) according to your Linux distro –

• Ubuntu

sudo apt remove akonadi --purge

• Debian

sudo apt-get remove akonadi --purge

• Fedora

sudo dnf remove akonadi

• OpenSUSE

sudo zypper remove akonadi

• Arch Linux

sudo pacman -Rsc akonadi

Then, restart your computer.

• Changing window managers

By default, KDE uses its own window manager. The window manager is greatly responsible for putting all the loads on your CPU and GPU. In that case, you should switch to a lighter one like Openbox. Openbox is a great one that’s easily compatible with KDE Plasma without any tweaking!

Run the following command(s) according to your Linux distro –

• Ubuntu

sudo apt install openbox openbox-kde-session

• Debian

sudo apt-get install openbox openbox-kde-session

• Fedora

sudo dnf install openbox-kde

• OpenSUSE

sudo zypper install openbox-kde

• Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S openbox

Then, restart your system and login using the KDE/Openbox session.

Voila! Your system should perform like brand new again!

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