Kubuntu vs. Fedora KDE: Which KDE Plasma distro is right for you?

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Both Kubuntu and Fedora KDE use the KDE Plasma desktop.
Each distribution takes a different approach to the desktop.
One of these may have an edge for new users.

KDE Plasma has won me over. It’s gorgeous, smooth, fast, and as stable as any desktop on the market. On top of all that, it has features that other desktops only dream of, including KDE Activities, KRunner, Window Rules, and KDE Connect.

But when you go to try KDE Plasma, you’ll find several distributions that offer the open-source desktop. Which one should you try?

Also: Microsoft surprises with its first server Linux distribution: Azure Linux 4.0

In my opinion, two distributions stand out for newcomers to KDE Plasma or Linux: Kubuntu and Fedora KDE. Considering that both distributions default to the KDE Plasma desktop, you’d expect them to be, for the most part, the same. They are not. And I’m here to help you choose.

Kubuntu: What is it and who is it for?

Kubuntu is essentially Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop. What that means is you’re getting all of the user-friendliness of Ubuntu (such as the APT package manager, Snap packages, and the massive default repositories), but instead of the Ubuntu-tweaked GNOME desktop, you get KDE Plasma.

Simple, right? Sort of.

Kubuntu delivers KDE Plasma in a way that makes clear who it’s for: new (or new-ish) Linux users. Even on first boot, you get two desktop launchers: one labeled How-To Guides and the other Kubuntu Websites. (These launchers open the default browser (Firefox) to those respective sites.)

Also: Fedora Kinoite vs. Silverblue: My verdict after testing both immutable Linux distros

Kubuntu’s look and feel leans into the past a bit; it’s sort of Windows 7-ish, with a bottom panel that extends from side to side, a fairly traditional desktop menu, and a default theme that is a mixture of dark and light. To my eye, Kubuntu’s look isn’t quite as modern as you might expect from KDE Plasma, but I suspect that’s intentional, to avoid scaring new users off.

And that’s the heart and soul of Kubuntu: it’s about bringing new users into the fold. This spin understands that the default Ubuntu desktop doesn’t appeal to the average user, whereas KDE Plasma does.

Kubuntu does its best to hold your hand through every step of the process, from getting the OS installed to using it.

Kubuntu’s preinstalled apps

Kubuntu ships with the usual collection of preinstalled apps. You’ll find Firefox, LibreOffice, Thunderbird, KDE Connect, Remmina (for remote desktop connections), Elisa (music player), Haruna (multimedia player), and the usual KDE utilities (such as the Kate text editor).

Also: Your KDE Plasma desktop is about to get a huge upgrade with 6.6 – what’s inside

Kubuntu not only includes the KDE Discover app store, but also ships with the Synaptic package manager and a menu entry labeled Manage Software. Click that entry (it’s in the System menu), and a pop-up appears asking whether you’d like to open KDE Discover or Synaptic. If you’re new to Linux and KDE Plasma, ignore Synaptic; KDE Discover is by far the more user-friendly option.

To my surprise, Snap is not enabled by default in KDE Discover. Snap is installed, but out of the box, you’d have to use it from the command line. When I went to enable it in KDE Discover > Settings > Snap, I discovered that (for some reason) it refused. Because of this, I opted to enable Flatpak. To do that, I went to KDE Discover > Settings > Discover – “Flatpak backend” and clicked Install.

Once the Flatpak backend was installed, I restarted the system and could then enable Flathub and install apps using the universal package manager.

Who is Kubuntu for?

As you’ve surmised, Kubuntu is ideal for those new to Linux and/or KDE Plasma. This Ubuntu spin goes out of its way to make using the KDE Plasma desktop far easier than you might expect.

Also: GNOME 50 is a brilliant release – but I had to look twice to see why

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a modern, out-of-the-box experience, Kubuntu is not for you. I found the look and feel of Kubuntu to be a bit off-putting. The good news is, it’s KDE Plasma, so it doesn’t take long to customize it to better suit your taste.

Fedora KDE: What is it and who is it for?

Fedora KDE takes a different approach to the desktop. It goes all-in with a sleek, elegant desktop that assumes you know what you’re doing.

And because this is based on Fedora, you’re getting more up-to-date software and more frequent upgrades. After installing Fedora KDE, I had to run the upgrade process (which requires rebooting) four times. After the fourth upgrade/reboot, it finally decided it was up to date (for now), so I went to work.

Also: Fedora 44 made me forget I was using Linux – in the best way

The look and feel of Fedora KDE is much more modern than Kubuntu, and I’m all for it. Fedora KDE looks more like what KDE Plasma should, right down to the floating panel.

Fedora’s preinstalled software

Similar to Kubuntu, Fedora KDE gives you everything you need out of the box. You’ll find Firefox, LibreOffice, KMail, KDE Connect, Dragon Player (videos), Elisa (music), Kamoso (webcam), KolourPaint, and the usual KDE utilities.

Open KDE Discover, and you’ll find that Flatpak is enabled by default, but that the Flathub repo is not. If you want to install proprietary apps like Slack and Spotify, you’ll need to enable Flathub by going to Discover > Settings > Add Flathub. Once you’ve added Flathub, you’ll find considerably more apps to install.

Both Kubuntu and Fedora KDE ship with KDE Plasma 6.6.4, but Fedora KDE has the edge because it also ships with KDE Frameworks 6.25, whereas Kubuntu ships with 6.24. KDE Frameworks is a collection of libraries and software frameworks that allow developers to create applications. It’s not a big deal for standard users, but developers will appreciate the differences between versions.

My guess is that Fedora KDE will also receive the next big version of the desktop (6.7) before Kubuntu does.

Who is Fedora KDE for?

Fedora KDE is for those who want a more modern, elegant take on the KDE Plasma desktop, without spending much time customizing it (though you can). It’s also for those who want more recent software releases. However, there is one odd exception here. While Kubuntu ships with LibreOffice version 26.2.2.2, Fedora KDE ships with version 26.2.1.2. That took me by surprise, because Fedora is considered a “leading edge” distribution, which means it typically receives software updates faster than others.

Here’s one surprise: a Fedora KDE installation is much easier (and more modern) than a Kubuntu one. That’s not to say the Kubuntu installation is challenging (it’s not), but if you want an easier path to installing Linux, Fedora KDE is the way to go.

Which distro is right for you?

The answer to this question is a bit more challenging than usual because of the mixed bag of new versus old. With Fedora KDE having an easier installation, you’d think I would be inclined to recommend it over Kubuntu for new users. But seeing as how the Kubuntu installation is still easy and the entire distribution feels geared toward new users, I would have to say that if you’re new to Linux (and thus KDE Plasma), then Kubuntu is, hands down, the way to go.

Also: This is my favorite Linux distro of all time – and I’ve tried them all

If, on the other hand, you want a leading-edge distribution that ships with a more modern-looking desktop, then Fedora KDE is for you.

The truth is, either one of these desktop distributions would be a great option for you, regardless of how much Linux knowledge you possess.

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Kristina Dawson

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Timberwolves game 3 win vs. Nuggets showed team at playoff best

If Game Two of their first-round playoff series with the Denver Nuggets saved the 2025-26 season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Game Three showed why it should be saved.

The Timberwolves were a different beast while decisively thumping the Nuggets, 113-96 Thursday night at Target Center, in a game that wasn’t nearly that close. These Wolves were the mythical creature we’d heard about in preseason lore, purposefully locked and loaded to be both marauding and staunch. They owned both ends of the court, gleefully transferring back and forth from irresistible force to immovable object.

A quartet of Timberwolves deserve special mention, but it begins with Jaden McDaniels. After his team had toppled Denver to even the series at a game apiece Monday night, McDaniels used the sizable chip on his shoulder to etch some graffiti into the public discourse, casually castigating the most prominent Nuggets players by name as “bad defenders” in a matter-of-fact manner that had the media compelling him to confirm what he had just said.

Trash talk is fleetingly fungible in the jaundiced social environment of 2026, functioning more like coupons than currency in that it needs to be rapidly leveraged before its expiration date. The common perception naturally was that McDaniels was calling out the Nuggets. But in a more subtle, profound way, he was also putting his teammates on notice.

All season long the Timberwolves have procrastinated on their full potential, frequently demonstrating that their preseason talk about maturity and commitment was cheap. By contrast, those words uttered by McDaniels were expensive. He had just picked a fight with the opponent, leaving open the question of how many of his teammates would join him in the fray.

That he would lead the charge was established early, after the Timberwolves’ top two scorers, Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, had each missed a pair of open looks against Denver’s bad defenders in the game’s first 90 seconds.

With the game still scoreless, the NBA’s best pick-and-roll combo, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, were clustered around the foul line with Minnesota’s best defenders, McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. As they jammed up Jokic, McDaniels picked the ball loose and started sprint-dribbling the other way. To no one’s surprise, Donte “Ragu” DiVincenzo was also on his horse in transition, receiving a pass from McDaniels and then lobbing it back for a Jaden slam against a hapless Murray and Murray’s late-arriving teammate, Cam Johnson, who committed the foul that allowed McDaniels to finish with the “and-1” free throw.

On the Timberwolves next offensive possession, McDaniels muscled his way to two offensive rebounds, feeding Ragu off the first one for a missed three-pointer, which he corralled for the second one and executed the putback in traffic. It was McDaniels 5, Nuggets 0, setting the tone for a game in which not only did the Wolves never trail, but never let the lead go under double digits after McDaniels made a consecutive pair of driving layups eight minutes into the game.

“Spectacular. I thought his activity offensively in the first quarter was outstanding,” said Wolves coach Chris Finch after the game. “He was inspirational.”

Among the most inspired were McDaniels fellow wing players, Ragu and Ayo Dosunmu. Ragu is exactly the kind of player who will have your back in a squabble, and his galvanized performance seemed borne of satisfaction that someone else had clarified the mission. As usual, the Timberwolves were at their best with him on the court: +20 in the 32:54 he played, -3 in the 15:06 he sat.

“He makes so many hustle plays, momentum plays, different styles of plays.” Finch raved. “He’ll make a shot, get a transition bucket, he’ll rebound, get a steal, blow something up. So many different plays. He’s just a basketball player.”

Related: How the Timberwolves sparked a season-saving Game 2 comeback over the Nuggets in Denver

Then there was Ayo, whose fearless, blazing, bee-lines for the bucket were quicksilver kryptonite for a Nuggets defense that is neither swift nor rugged. “I’ve been waiting for him to wake up a little bit in this series,” Finch accurately observed. “The downhill mindset that he played with all season for us was back.”

Back with the sort of multipurpose propulsion that leaves witnesses with giddy whiplash. Ayo led the team with 25 points and 9 assists in 32 minutes of time-lapse hoops, the lone blemish being three clanks from long range. Why chuck treys when you can so easily undress players in the paint? Ayo was 10-for-12 on two-pointers and none of those dozen shots came from anywhere but beneath the rim. Five of his nine dimes likewise yielded layups or dunks, which means he personally accounted for 30 of the 68 points in the paint by the Timberwolves on Thursday, doubling up the Nuggets’ 34.

Which brings us to the non-wing in Game 3’s ring of honor, Rudy Gobert. For the third straight game, Gobert blunted the supposed advantage Denver had with the magical playmaker Nikola Jokic at the controls. Suffice to say that in the last five quarters, Jokic has shot 8-for-33 from the floor. If that continues, the Nuggets are toast in this series.

When I asked Finch after the game if the herculean job Gobert was doing on Jokic made planning his defense simpler and better thus far, he replied, “Rudy is making all of us look good right now with his defense.”

Amen.

If there is an asterisk on this game, it would be the absence of Denver’s brutishly versatile power forward Aaron Gordon. Nuggets coach David Adelman should be given a lot of credit for his honesty and transparency in dealing with the media during his first full season at the helm, but it came back to bite him and his team during the pregame presser, when he was clearly rattled and dejected by the sudden unavailability of Gordon, whose playing status went to “probable” to “out” in a period of a few hours due to a chronic calf strain.

Gordon is far and away his team’s best defender, making the timing of his injury especially troublesome in the wake of McDaniels laying down his marker. Rattled is a good way to describe the entire team’s performance in the first quarter, an emotional wounding that needs to heal as fast as Gordon’s body if the Nuggets are going to be competitive in a series that had dramatically been flipped on its head over the past three days.

That the Timberwolves played with such dominance despite mediocre outings from Ant and Randle would be a good thing for both of those current cornerstones to keep in mind. Ant was beset by foul trouble and Randle had a solid second quarter, but it stood out that neither player fully embraced what so often works on offense when the Wolves are at their best: Push the pace, move the ball, move without the ball, and make quick decisions. Ant and Randle can still be first among equals and blend into that catechism if they stay attuned to the possibilities of a greater good, one that all of sudden doesn’t have to end with them being postseason fodder for the Spurs or the Thunder.

Not when you’ve got three wings at a collective peak, with a chaser of Rudy semi-clowning the Joker.

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