In May, KDE Linux, KDE’s in-progress operating system, received infrastructure, security, testing, and application updates, advancing the project toward a cleaner and more controlled system base.
While the distro uses Arch packages for many core components, it is not a typical Arch-based distribution. Instead, it is an immutable image-based operating system for KDE software, featuring Flatpak-centric application delivery.
Previously, KDE Linux generated Arch packages for KDE software and installed them using mkosi, a tool for building complete Linux OS images. But now, the project has switched to using KDE’s kde-builder tool to compile KDE software directly.
Testing also progressed as KDE Linux now performs basic automated checks to ensure each image boots to the desktop. On top of that, developers are implementing an OpenQA-based testing system, which will help identify broken images before release and expand automated checks over time.
On the kernel side, KDE Linux is reverting from Zen, a kernel variant tuned for desktop responsiveness, to the vanilla Linux kernel. According to the devs, the Zen kernel offered little beyond configuration changes already present in KDE Linux.
The distro also removed the out-of-tree OpenRazer and APFS kernel modules. The devs say that the project determined they could cause issues during secure boot review. APFS support remains available through a FUSE driver, though the current userspace option may be discontinued.
Another notable removal is fuse2, which KDE Linux identifies as unmaintained and insecure. As a result, some older AppImage applications may stop working and will need to transition to fuse3.
KDE Linux has also eliminated its use of the AUR. The project previously relied on a packaging script that pulled some items from the Arch User Repository and generated PKGBUILD files, but developers considered that a security, reliability, and maintenance problem. It also conflicted with KDE Linux’s goal of keeping the system less tied to Arch-specific packaging.
On the application-handling side, KDE Linux now includes a service that installs new pre-installed Flatpak apps on existing systems while respecting apps that users have manually removed.
Other changes include support for installing compiled binaries in /opt/local, since /usr/local is read-only on KDE Linux. A bug causing installation failures when two KDE Linux live USB drives were connected simultaneously was also fixed.
For additional details, see the announcement.
