Plasma/Live Images
Try and install Plasma from a live medium provided by several Linux distributions.
Shipping the latest code from Git
KDE neon Unstable
KDE neon builds Frameworks, Plasma and Applications on a continuous integration system.
You can use the Testing Edition for builds from Plasma/5.x branches or the Unstable Edition for builds from master branches.
OpenMandriva Cooker and Rolling
OpenMandriva is a desktop centric, completely Plasma focused, distribution. The current development branch ("Cooker") includes Qt 5.15.1, KDE Frameworks 5.75, Plasma 5.20.2 and KApps 20.08.2. The current rolling release branch includes Qt 5.15.1, KDE Frameworks 5.75, and Plasma 5.20.2 and KApps 20.08.2. OpenMandriva Lx is available for x86_64 (with a specially optimized version for Ryzen/Threadripper CPUs) and aarch64. RISC-V, armv7hnl and PPC versions are in development.
openSUSE Krypton
Krypton is an installable live image based on openSUSE Tumbleweed with the latest KDE software from Git master (unreleased) on top.
See also https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Argon_and_Krypton
Debian
Norbert Preining's repository is a third-party way to install the newest Plasma; the Unstable repository includes builds from git enabled via openSUSE's Open Build Service.
Ships Plasma 5.23 Beta
openSUSE Argon
Argon is an installable live image of openSUSE Leap with the latest Plasma release. See also https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Argon_and_Krypton
KDE neon Testing Edition
The Testing edition can be used to test the beta as well without resorting to builds straight from git.
Kubuntu
The Kubuntu Beta PPA is especially tailored for users from Kubuntu 21.04 and 21.10 to test the Plasma 5.23 Beta.
Arch
kde-unstable is especially made for testing Beta releases.
Debian
Norbert Preining's repository is a third-party way to install the newest Plasma; the Testing repository includes the Beta.
Ships Plasma 5.22
GeckoLinux
GeckoLinux is built directly from openSUSE packages and uses openSUSE repositories.
GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma includes the Plasma 5.22 desktop environment on top of the Leap 15.3 base system. It also includes KDE Applications 21.08 and the KDE Framework at version 5.86.0.
http://geckolinux.github.io/#download-next
KDE neon
KDE neon builds Frameworks, Plasma and Applications on a continuous integration system.
The User Edition has Plasma 5.22
Kubuntu 21.10 development release
Daily builds of the Kubuntu 21.10 (Impish Indri) development release ship Plasma 5.22
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/daily-live/current/
openSUSE Tumbleweed
In addition to Git based versions there is openSUSE's rolling distribution "Tumbleweed" which ships the latest Plasma release tested with openQA:
Both 32 bit and 64 bit versions are available.
Ships Plasma 5.22 Beta
Fedora 34 (COPR)
You will need to enable two coprs, like so:
sudo dnf copr enable marcdeop/plasma sudo dnf copr enable marcdeop/kf5
Then, update.
sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
Fedora Rawhide development release
Fedora releases Rawhide development snapshots nightly with live and installable images.
https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Spins/x86_64/iso/
Ships Plasma 5.21
Fedora 34 GA release
Fedora 34 released with live and installable images.
https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/34/Spins/x86_64/iso/
Kubuntu 21.04
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/21.04/
Ships Plasma 5.19
Slackware
Alien BOB (Eric Hameleers) provides an installable Live image for Plasma 5 based on the development tree "slackware64-current" and the liveslak scripts. Login account/password are both "live". Use su or sudo to become root (using the "live" password).
Manjaro
Manjaro KDE Edition is rolling release distribution. It provides the latest stable Plasma, KDE Applications, KDE Frameworks and Qt releases.
https://manjaro.org/get-manjaro/
Ships Plasma 5.18 LTS
KaOS 2020.02
KaOS is a sophisticated distro which focuses completely on KDE. A modern packaging approach based on Arch's pacman leads to stability and freshness at the same time. Small and helpfully community.
KaOS 2020.02 (stable release) is built on Qt 5.14.1, runs Linux kernel version 5.5.6 and features:
- Frameworks 5.67.0
- Plasma 5.18.1 LTS
- Applications 19.12.2
Other package versions of note include systemd 244, make 4.3, sudo 1.8.31, gmp 6.2.0, mesa 19.3.4, NetworkManager 1.22.8, nano 4.8, and nss 3.50.
Kubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa"
Kubuntu 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa", released in April 2020, includes Plasma 5.18. The Live ISO is available for download.
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/20.04/release/
openSUSE Leap
The latest released Plasma LTS version is available as a live image with openSUSE's stable branch "Leap":
Ships Plasma 5.17
Debian
Official Debian 10 “buster” live images can be downloaded from debian.org/CD/live. There’re several desktop environment flavors, including KDE.
OpenMandriva Lx 4.1
OpenMandriva is a desktop centric, completely Plasma focused, distribution. Release 4.1 includes Qt 5.14.1, KDE Frameworks 5.66, and Plasma 5.17.5.
Ships Plasma 5.16
OpenMandriva Lx 4.0
OpenMandriva is a desktop centric, completely Plasma focused, distribution. Release 4.0 includes Qt 5.12.3, KDE Frameworks 5.58, and Plasma 5.15.4.
Ships Plasma 5.13
GeckoLinux
GeckoLinux is built directly from openSUSE packages and uses openSUSE repositories.
GeckoLinux NEXT Plasma includes the Plasma 5.13 desktop environment on top of the Leap 15.0 base system. It also includes KDE Applications 18.04 and the KDE Framework at version 5.47.0.
http://geckolinux.github.io/#download-next
GeckoLinux ROLLING Plasma can also be updated to Plasma 5.13.
http://geckolinux.github.io/#download-rolling
Ships Plasma 5.12 LTS
GeckoLinux
GeckoLinux is built directly from openSUSE packages and uses openSUSE repositories.
GeckoLinux STATIC Plasma includes the Plasma 5.12 LTS desktop environment on top of a Leap 15.0 base.