KaOS, a rolling-release KDE-centric Linux distro betting on the XFS file system, released its latest stable, 2024.07 ISO, powered by Linux kernel 6.9 and packed with updates and enhancements.
The release’s highlight is the integration of the latest Plasma 6.1.3, KDE Gear 24.05.2, and Frameworks 6.4.0, all built on Qt 6.7.2. This update brings many improvements, notably the ability to start up a remote desktop directly from the System Settings app, a feature that utilizes KRDC once enabled.
The visual aspect of the Edit Mode has also been overhauled, featuring a slick animation that zooms out the desktop, offering a clearer overview and easing the customization process.
For those using Wayland, a noteworthy addition is the session recall feature, which remembers the user’s last activities. This functionality aligns with that previously available under X11.
This release also introduces support for the experimental Bcachefs, a copy-on-write (COW) file system, which can be selected during manual installation mode through the updated Calamares installer.
Significant system base updates include the transition to LLVM/Clang 18.1.8, Libgcrypt 1.11.0, and the latest Linux kernel 6.9.9. Systemd, Dracut, Pipewire, OpenSSL, OpenCV, OpenSSH, and Mesa have also received updates, enhancing the system’s stability and security.
KaOS has moved away from using VLC due to the lack of a Qt6 port and now employs phonon-mpv as the default sound backend, ensuring complete Qt 6 compatibility. Additionally, removing GTK2 marks a significant cleanup, with major applications like Ardour now using an internal toolkit.
However, the release is not just about software updates; KaOS 2024.07 also makes strides in user interface improvements with the new Phonon sound backend and also includes Marknote, a note management application fully integrated into Plasma 6.
Moreover, KaOS continues to support a variety of filesystems, with Calamares now offering automated partitioning options for XFS, EXT4, BTRFS, and ZFS, in addition to the new Bcachefs.
Croeso, a welcome app that helps configure new installations and select essential packages, further simplifies the system installation process.
The aesthetic aspect of KaOS has also been enhanced. Custom icon themes for both light and dark themes have been featured, creating a unified look from boot-up to logout.
However, keep in mind that despite these advancements, there are known issues, such as the inability to install KaOS on RAID. Refer to the release announcement for detailed information about all changes.
Being a rolling-release Linux distro, those who have already installed KaOS do not need to reinstall; a regular “sudo pacman -Syu” will always give you the latest. For the rest, opting for a fresh install, you can download the ISO image from here.
