KDE, Kubuntu Focus and Techpaladin introduce “Bullet Proof KDE”, a KDE suite with three years of support
KDE, Kubuntu Focus and Techpaladin introduce “Bullet Proof KDE”, a KDE suite with three years of support
Full press release HERE
Nate Graham's post What a real LTS looks like: Kubuntu 26.04
tl;dr KDE, Kubuntu Focus, and Techpaladin bring back an LTS version with Plasma 6.6, providing three years' support on not only Plasma, but Frameworks and KDE gear as well. And guess who is pretty much the only place that as it at the moment.
Kubuntu Focus, Techpaladin Software, and KDE e.V. announced today the "bullet-proof KDE Software initiative”, designed to provide a minimum of three years of bug fixes and security updates for Plasma 6.6 LTS and related KDE software. The goal is to provide the capability and stability that professionals, companies, and public institutions require to replace proprietary operating systems with one that respects their autonomy, privacy, and security.
A $100K Commitment for Stability and Reliability
To spearhead this initiative, Kubuntu Focus has committed over $100K in direct payments to Techpaladin, KDE e.V. and developers over 3 years. This funds the continuous improvement and support of Plasma 6.6 LTS (Long-Term Support) and the associated Frameworks libraries and Gear apps. It also includes payments to KDE e.V. to sponsor three additional nodes on their continuous integration (CI) infrastructure to validate KDE software on Kubuntu 26.04 LTS over the support period. Together with Kubuntu and the Focus team, they are already identifying, improving, and releasing bug and security fixes.
Why This Matters
Users wanting the KDE desktop can select a distribution featuring the newest release or one providing an older release. While the newest release may bring new features and fixes for old bugs, it can also introduce new bugs and regressions — a risk for all new software. If a user selects a distribution with a fixed KDE release, it can be quite stable, but if that release is no longer supported, it may not receive security or bug fixes. This initiative offers an option that provides the best of both: a stable, sponsored KDE release with active security and bug fixes throughout the 3-year Kubuntu 26.04 LTS support period.
Where to Get It
The "bullet-proof KDE Software Suite” is currently distributed with Kubuntu 26.04 LTS. However, the open-source initiative is designed as a collaborative effort, and other vendors are encouraged to sponsor, distribute, and contribute to this project to further strengthen the ecosystem. Interested parties can contact: contact@techpaladinsoftware.com or bizdev@kfocus.org.
A $100K Commitment for Stability and Reliability
To spearhead this initiative, Kubuntu Focus has committed over $100K in direct payments to Techpaladin, KDE e.V. and developers over 3 years. This funds the continuous improvement and support of Plasma 6.6 LTS (Long-Term Support) and the associated Frameworks libraries and Gear apps. It also includes payments to KDE e.V. to sponsor three additional nodes on their continuous integration (CI) infrastructure to validate KDE software on Kubuntu 26.04 LTS over the support period. Together with Kubuntu and the Focus team, they are already identifying, improving, and releasing bug and security fixes.
Why This Matters
Users wanting the KDE desktop can select a distribution featuring the newest release or one providing an older release. While the newest release may bring new features and fixes for old bugs, it can also introduce new bugs and regressions — a risk for all new software. If a user selects a distribution with a fixed KDE release, it can be quite stable, but if that release is no longer supported, it may not receive security or bug fixes. This initiative offers an option that provides the best of both: a stable, sponsored KDE release with active security and bug fixes throughout the 3-year Kubuntu 26.04 LTS support period.
Where to Get It
The "bullet-proof KDE Software Suite” is currently distributed with Kubuntu 26.04 LTS. However, the open-source initiative is designed as a collaborative effort, and other vendors are encouraged to sponsor, distribute, and contribute to this project to further strengthen the ecosystem. Interested parties can contact: contact@techpaladinsoftware.com or bizdev@kfocus.org.
Nate Graham's post What a real LTS looks like: Kubuntu 26.04
tl;dr KDE, Kubuntu Focus, and Techpaladin bring back an LTS version with Plasma 6.6, providing three years' support on not only Plasma, but Frameworks and KDE gear as well. And guess who is pretty much the only place that as it at the moment.