KaOS 2026.02 and KDE Plasma

Table of contents:-

KDE Plasma and systemd

What this means for users and distro maintainers

Conclusion

KaOS’s February 2026 ISO is a deliberate experiment: the project shipped a live image that replaces the long‑standing KDE Plasma desktop with a niri/Noctalia Wayland‑based shell, while keeping the distribution firmly Qt‑focused and free of GTK. 

This is not a sudden abandonment of KDE technology so much as a practical response to an ongoing discussion about init systems. The KaOS team explains the change as part of exploring alternatives to systemd — trials with Dinit and a niri/Noctalia desktop shell have been used to see whether KaOS can maintain its Qt/KDE application set without depending on systemd. At the same time, Plasma 6 remains available in KaOS repositories for users who prefer it, so the ISO is best read as a testbed rather than a permanent fork.

Beyond the desktop swap, the 2026.02 image brings a number of technical updates. The ISO uses Limine as the default bootloader, moves to a newer toolchain (GCC 15.2.1, Glibc 2.42, Binutils 2.45.1), and ships a modern kernel and userland components (Linux 6.18.10, Systemd 255.22 on the ISO with installs planned to move to 257.10). The image also includes Wayland‑centric components such as niri (a scrollable‑tiling compositor), Quickshell, and Noctalia Shell, all built on Qt 6.10.2, plus utilities like seatd, pavucontrol‑qt and xwayland‑satellite to round out the experience.

KaOS has kept its installer (Calamares) and live environment tightly integrated with Qt: the Welcome page no longer launches a root browser but instead provides extra information via a QML drawer, and the distribution has switched to a Qt6‑ready Phonon backend (phonon‑mpv) for media. The ISO defaults to an XFS layout with CRC and finobt enabled, and includes tools such as Kjournald for GUI log inspection. Known limitations are clearly listed by the project (for example, RAID installation is not currently supported). 

Here are a few screenshots of KaOS 2026.02:-

KDE Plasma and systemd

The KaOS move prompted wider discussion about whether KDE Plasma itself is becoming dependent on systemd. The KDE project has publicly clarified that Plasma will not force users to adopt systemd. The only component explicitly tied to systemd in recent messaging is the new Plasma Login Manager (PLM) introduced with Plasma 6.6; PLM can be used by distributions that choose it, but it is not mandatory and Plasma’s core components are not being made systemd‑dependent. Distributions that prefer non‑systemd setups can continue to ship Plasma with alternative login managers such as SDDM. 

Put simply: KaOS’s decision is a distribution‑level choice driven by its particular goals (a strictly Qt stack and an aversion to systemd), not a unilateral change in KDE policy. KDE’s position leaves room for both approaches — distributions that want the new PLM and its features can adopt it (and with it, systemd), while others can continue to provide Plasma without that specific dependency.

A recent build of KDE Linux shows the vanilla KDE Plasma experience with respect to PLM:-

A current snapshot of openSUSE Tumbleweed (systemd) still supports KDE Plasma using its own themed SDDM:-

A similar approach is adopted by both Fedora Linux 43 and KDE Neon User Edition with a bonus of getting PLM from their respective repositories:-

What this means for users and distro maintainers

• For curious users: the KaOS 2026.02 ISO is a practical way to test a Qt‑only, Wayland‑first environment that deliberately avoids GTK and explores non‑systemd init options. It’s a live snapshot intended for feedback and wider testing rather than a final roadmap.

• For maintainers: KDE’s stance reduces the pressure to adopt systemd across the board; maintainers can weigh the benefits of PLM against the desire to remain systemd‑free and choose the login manager and init system that best fit their audience.

Conclusion

KaOS 2026.02 is an intriguing, technically ambitious snapshot: it demonstrates how a distribution can experiment with alternative shells and init systems while keeping a clear identity (Qt‑centric, KDE‑aligned applications). At the same time, KDE’s public clarification reassures the ecosystem that Plasma itself will not unilaterally force systemd on users — the choice remains with distributions and their maintainers.

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References

• KaOS 2026.02 — KaOS official news

• KDE Says Plasma Desktop Will Never Force Users to Use systemd — 9to5Linux

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