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KDE-Centric KaOS Goes Qt5-Free with July 2025 Release, Adds Plasma 6.4
Quoting: KDE-Centric KaOS Goes Qt5-Free with July 2025 Release, Adds Plasma 6.4 —
The latest stable ISO of KaOS, version 2025.7, a rolling KDE-centric Linux distribution that relies on the XFS file system, has just been released, marking the fourth distribution release of the year.
Regarding visuals, the Midna theme has been completely overhauled, featuring a brand-new icon set, redesigned login and splash screens, an updated window decoration, and a modernized color scheme.
However, what is more important is that KaOS has effectively transitioned to a Qt6-only default installation. While Qt5 remains temporarily available in the repositories for those who need legacy applications, KDE Frameworks based on Qt5 are no longer supported.
An update
In BetaNews:
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KaOS Linux gets a modern makeover and a big under-the-hood upgrade
KaOS has released a brand new version of its popular Linux distro, delivering major visual updates, package changes, and the elimination of Qt5 in default installations
Unlike other Linux operating systems, KaOS is built from scratch and limits itself to one desktop environment, one toolkit, and one architecture, KDE Plasma, Qt, and x86_64 respectively.
This new release continues the distribution’s focused approach to providing a streamlined KDE Plasma experience with a refined, rolling-release system. The most noteworthy change in KaOS 2025.07 is the complete removal of Qt5-based KDE Frameworks and applications from the default install.
Qt5 remains available in the repositories, but the team says the transition to Qt6 is now effectively complete. To support this shift, several KDE applications were upgraded to the upcoming 25.08 series to enable Qt6 builds.
DW:
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KaOS 2025.07
KaOS is a desktop GNU/Linux distribution that features the latest version of the KDE desktop environment, the Calligra office suite, and other popular software applications that use the Qt toolkit. It was inspired by Arch Linux, but the developers build their own packages which are available from in-house repositories. KaOS employs a rolling-release development model and is built exclusively for 64-bit computer systems.