KaOS 2024.09 released with Linux kernel 6.10, KDE Plasma 6.1, and Calligra by default

KaOS, an independent Linux distribution with a focus on Qt and KDE, has released version 2024.09, powered by the Linux kernel 6.10.11. This release includes KDE Plasma 6.1.5, KDE Gear 24.08, and KDE Frameworks 6.6.0, all built on Qt 6.7.2. Significant updates include more applications transitioning to Qt6 and Frameworks 6, notably Calligra.

The installer UI has been refreshed, offering users a choice between Calligra and LibreOffice as the preferred office suite. Additionally, there is now an option to install using the experimental bcachefs filesystem, supported by the kernel and bcachefs-tools available in the repositories.

New packages include Zed, a Rust-based code editor positioned as a fast alternative to Visual Studio Code. KaOS is also tracking the development of Ladybird, a pre-alpha independent web browser, with monthly builds available for simple browsing tasks.

System updates encompass a shift to Boost 1.85.0/ICU 75.1 stack, Ruby 3.3.5, Perl 5.38, systemd 253.25, ZFS 2.2.6, KMod 33, OpenSSL 3.3, FFMPEG 6.1, OpenJDK 17, and Mesa 24.2.3. Notably, GTK2 has been removed from repositories four years after its end of life.

SDDM 0.20.0 now supports running in Wayland mode, moving KaOS closer to moving away from X11. The Calamares installer’s automated partitioning option now supports all popular filesystems, including XFS, EXT4, BTRFS, and ZFS, eliminating the need for manual partitioning.