How to install test versions of Plasma Next

KDE neon

KDE neon has the latest builds of Plasma built continuously from releases, Git stable branches or Git unstable branches.

openSUSE

openSUSE offers snapshots from git master updated frequently as well. Use https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Argon_and_Krypton or https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:KDE_repositories

Gentoo

Gentoo is packaging releases in the official Portage tree, usually a stable version and in addition the latest upstream release in a timely manner (see Packages: kde-plasma/plasma-meta for current status). It also provides beta, current stable branch and master branch ebuilds inside kde overlay. The following command will install a full Plasma desktop, configurable via multiple USE flags, this being Gentoo.

emerge plasma-meta

See the KDE Plasma wiki for detailed installation instructions.

Fedora

Now that Plasma 5 has been released, Fedora packaging only tracks the official Plasma 5 releases, not snapshots. See Plasma/Packages#Fedora for installation instructions.

Arch

Plasma 5 workspace is available through the official repositories. For the full installation, simply install plasma-next.
Frameworks 5 libraries are also in the official repositories under kf5 and kf5-aids.
There are git versions of the above, as well as many other Frameworks 5 applications installable through the AUR.

See the KDE page on the ArchWiki for more information.

From Source

Following the instructions here it will automatically build all KDE software that has a KF5 port, most notably the Plasma workspaces, but also development previews of Kate, Konsole and Dolphin.

Afterwards follow the guides for "Runtime setup" and then run "kwin --replace" and "plasmashell".

Live CD

Live Image of Kubuntu Wily with Packages from Git The Weekly Live Image, updated with latest source from Git to run a full system from a USB drive or DVD. Based on Kubuntu 15.10, Wily.

Fedora-based LiveCD: https://dvratil.fedorapeople.org/plasma5/iso/ (More information at http://www.progdan.cz/2014/05/kde-frameworks-5-beta-and-plasma-next-preview-on-fedora/)