KaOS 2025.07 launches with KDE Plasma 6.4.3, new Qt6 focus, and refreshed interface

Linux distribution KaOS 2025.07 has been released, introducing KDE Plasma 6.4.3 as its desktop environment. This version of Plasma brings a range of enhancements and addresses various bugs, offering a more refined user experience.

Accompanying the desktop update, the KaOS Plasma Midna theme sees a full redesign. Users will notice an all-new icon set, revamped login and Ksplash screens, a new default wallpaper, and updates to both window decoration and the color scheme. These visual changes deliver a modernized look to the distribution.

Building on the shift to KDE Plasma 6, KaOS now uses Qt6 exclusively for all new default installations. While Qt5 libraries are still temporarily available in the repositories for users relying on older applications, KaOS no longer supports KDE Frameworks based on Qt5. The audio stack has also changed, with KaOS adopting a new Phonon sound backend as VLC is not yet ported to Qt6.

Following these core changes, KaOS includes SDDM 0.20.0, which can now operate as a Wayland display manager. This brings the distribution closer to a future without X11. Among applications, plasma-keyboard joins as a virtual keyboard based on Qt Virtual Keyboard, and Amarok returns after a prolonged absence. The release rounds out with updates with numerous other software and package updates.