KDE 6 misses boat to make it into Kubuntu 24.04

The next major release of KDE Plasma is getting close, but not close enough for the next major Ubuntu release. The Kubuntu developers have posted an update about their plans over the next couple of releases, including the forthcoming Ubuntu LTS release, "Noble Numbat," expected on April 25. The big news is played down, though …

[trevorde]

2024 will be the year of the Linux ... Oh, forget it!

[matjaggard]

If you were going to finish that with "desktop" then don't bother because desktop sales are on their way down.

If "laptop" then the year of the Linux desktop was around 2011 with the Chromebook.

If "computer" then it was probably 2008 with Android.

[Binraider]

I agree, desktop PC's are dead outside of hardcore gamers and workstations. AMD are trying really hard with some of the integrated graphics CPU's to have something a bit more accessible to mere mortals; but unless you're already an enthusiast it seems pretty unlikely you're going to go that way. "You'll own nothing, and you'll like it!" I believe some exec in Ubisoft said recently.

Generic PC has been going down a horrible rabbit hole of being devices to drive Edge/Chrome/Office, such a waste of capability, for at least a decade now.

[RedGreen925]

You may be able to get the latest plasma for the 22.04 Kubuntu but good luck with the apps they are stuck at their 22.03 versions. I have a franken system running the Ubuntu 22.04 base with the KDE Neon user that is built on that release it has the up to date frameworks, plasma and the apps from the latest release last December. Works very well I look forward to the 24.04 release containing these same components which will be usable for years to come. I am rather shocked all these Linux developers are not jumping on the latest new shiny, AI, to mess up the systems. That is what they usually do when they get a good working system going to mess it up, is chase the latest new shiny...

[PerlyKing]

Wait, what?

Did I understand that correctly? KDE 5 is EOL before KDE 6 is available? That sounds like poor planning.

[chololennon]

Re: Wait, what?

IRC the problem is not KDE 5, but QT 5 which has reached its end of life: https://endoflife.date/qt

[alcachofas]

Re: Wait, what?

Came to say the same thing.

KDE having no current, supported, stable version is a bit silly really.

[timrichardson]

5.27 has been stable for the entire release of kubuntu 23.10. So it has been getting so many rounds of bug fixes. More than any other edition of KDE v5.

It shows, too. There are a few ways of saying the same thing. Let me just say that many months of bug fixes has been good. 5.27 is truly a stable release.

[Zolko]

KDE 5.27 stable EOL

which, then shouldn't shock any LTS release. I'd be more surprised to see a KDE6 release candidate for a Kubuntu long-term support version

[cjcox]

Ok to wait

Historically speaking, with KDE, it's been better to wait a bit before using the new major release.

But I'll admit, KDE Plasma 6 is better than past major releases. Which either means breakages are coming and haven't been seen yet, or that it's been handled better than in the past.

[Paul Floyd]

And how many OpenBSD desktop users are there?

[keithpeter]

Enough to make it worth packaging the KDE desktop in the opinion of the maintainer of the OpenBSD port/package.

[Mockup1974]

Debian 12 is also stuck with Plasma 5.27.

I don't really see the issue though. If you want a stable, LTS distro - why not just stick to the Plasma 5 LTS version, which will still receive security fixes but no feature updates? While Plasma 6 seems to be a smoother transition than 3->4 or 4->5 there is still some risk of regressions and breakage.

If you feel that you need to Plasma 6 now, you can just use OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, Arch, Fedora, or non-LTS Kubuntu.

[VicMortimer]

Nah.

No thanks. I'll stick with Xubuntu.