How to install test versions of Plasma Next

Kubuntu

Packages for Kubuntu Utopic For Utopic (14.10) releases of KDE Frameworks 5 and Plasma 5 are being packaged in the next PPA. These will replace your Plasma 4 install.

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/next
sudo apt update
sudo apt install kubuntu-plasma5-desktop
sudo apt full-upgrade
sudo reboot  [save any work first; sorry no elegant way to reboot]

For daily builds you can use one of the Kubuntu CI PPAs.

Live Images of Utopic Kubuntu Plasma 5 images are a development build of what will become the default desktop for Kubuntu next year.

Live Image of Kubuntu Utopic with Packages from Git The Weekly Live Image, updated every Friday with latest source from Git to run a full system from a USB disk. Based on Kubuntu 14.10.

openSUSE

openSUSE offers snapshots from git master updated frequently as well. Add the KDE:Unstable:Frameworks repository (http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:KDE_repositories#Plasma_Next) and the Qt53 repository (available at the same link) and install the plasma-next-session package to have a session available at the next login.

Gentoo

Gentoo provides beta as well as live ebuilds inside kde overlay, with dependencies in qt overlay. The following assumes you have a basic understanding of Gentoo Portage and already set up layman initially:

layman -a kde && layman -a qt
emerge @kde-next-live --autounmask-write=y

To make the most of it, run

layman -S && smart-live-rebuild

to get the latest packaging changes for qt and kde and update any live packages that got new commits since last time.

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.

siduction

Right now the default on siduction is KDE SC 4.x, however you can upgrade from your KDE SC 4 installation to KDE Frameworks + Plasma 5 + KDE Applications using the kdenext repository. Please note that the state of plasma 5 in siduction is still experimental, so you may find some issues and you may want to stay with KDE SC 4.x for a while. In doubt, it's recommended to install it in a virtual machine to try it first.

Make sure you have done the following before upgrading:

Make sure you have the kdenext/unstable line activated in your sources.list:

deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext unstable main

With kdenext/unstable enabled (see the previous point) perform a dist-upgrade and make sure that everything was updated to their latest versions.

To upgrade to Frameworks + Plasma 5 + latest KDE Applications:

In a siduction installation with KDE SC 4, add the kde-frameworks suite of the kdenext repository to your sources.list:

deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext kde-frameworks main

Perform a dist-upgrade.
If you find issues with the upgrade (such as apt-get/aptitude wanting to remove packages which shouldn't be removed) please use the siduction forum to report the issue.

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

Kubuntu-based Live CD: http://files.kde.org/snapshots/neon5-latest.iso (More information at http://kshadeslayer.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/introducing-project-neon-5-isos/)

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/)