Linux distribution Kubuntu 24.04 will use KDE Plasma 5 instead of Plasma 6

The development team of the Kubuntu Linux distribution has recently released information about the upcoming Kubuntu 24.04 LTS ("long-term support") release. The next version of the official Ubuntu flavour Kubuntu will be released at the end of April with KDE Plasma 5.27, although KDE Plasma 6.0 is already scheduled for launch at the end of February. The Kubuntu developers mention several reasons for continuing to rely on an outdated version of KDE Plasma.

Inconsistencies in the release schedule of Plasma 6 and Ubuntu 24.04

At first glance, the time between the completion of the KDE Plasma 6 development packages on 21 February and the planned release of Kubuntu 24.04 on 25 April seems sufficient. However, the feature freeze of Ubuntu 24.04, on which Kubuntu 24.04 will be based, and the package freeze from the base Ubuntu distribution Debian will take place as early as 29 February this year.

There would not be enough time for an in-depth test of a complete desktop environment like KDE Plasma 6, including its applications, especially as Kubuntu 24.04 is an LTS distribution with a longer support period.

"At Kubuntu, we place a high value on a stable, reliable and trustworthy user experience, especially with our upcoming Long Term Support release. We agree that Plasma 6 is a big step forward, but for this release we are prioritising stability over new features" - Simon Quigley, Kubuntu Developer

An alpha version of KDE Plasma 6 for Kubuntu will be made available within the next three months by KDE developer Scarlett Gaetley Moore. This will make Kubuntu 24.10, scheduled for release in October this year, the first official Kubuntu version to feature the latest KDE Plasma 6 desktop. In addition, software developer Scarlett Moore will replace the Kubuntu installer with the well-known Calamares installer for installing Kubuntu.