F42 Change Proposal: Promote KDE Plasma Desktop variant to Edition (self-contained)

Promote KDE Plasma Desktop variant to Edition

This is a proposed Change for Fedora Linux.
This document represents a proposed Change. As part of the Changes process, proposals are publicly announced in order to receive community feedback. This proposal will only be implemented if approved by the Fedora Engineering Steering Committee.

Wiki
Announced

:link: Summary

This Change is about promoting the Fedora KDE Desktop deliverables to Edition status.

:link: Owner

:link: Detailed Description

As approved by Fedora Council, this promotes the Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop variant to full Edition status.

As the variant is already release-blocking, this is mainly a change for adjusting how the KDE Desktop variant is presented and promoted.

We have identified the following focus areas to market the KDE Plasma Desktop Edition:

  • Multimedia enthusiasts (AV and gaming particularly see: VRR on Wayland or DRM Leasing)
  • Content creators (aligning with KDE/Qt software in this space such as Kdenlive, Krita, and OBS Studio)
  • Accessibility (aligning with upstream work to make the Linux desktop friendlier to folks of various impairments such as [color]blindness, limited dexterity, and limited motor control)
  • Personalization (aligning with KDE Plasma features for customizing the desktop experience)

The details of how this will be done are in the process of being fleshed out.

:link: Feedback

:link: Benefit to Fedora

This makes Fedora stand out among the major Linux distributions by promoting the KDE Plasma Desktop as a flagship experience and signals a strong commitment to the KDE community by rewarding the current success of the Fedora KDE community and supporting its continued growth.

:link: Scope

  • Proposal owners:

    • Split KDE Desktop variant out of Spins section in pungi-fedora
    • Work with websites team to introduce KDE Plasma Desktop Edition information on the main site
    • Bring online initial Personal Systems WG documentation site
  • Other developers: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Release engineering: #12533

  • Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

  • Trademark approval: Done.

  • Alignment with the Fedora Strategy: Yes

    • This aligns with broadening our success with Editions (Fedora.next) and establishing a story around Fedora KDE to market more broadly.

:link: Upgrade/compatibility impact

None. This is mainly a marketing change.

:link: How To Test

Nothing to test as this is mainly a marketing change.

:link: User Experience

The main change will be the Fedora website showing the KDE Plasma Desktop Edition alongside Workstation and others.

:link: Dependencies

N/A.

:link: Contingency Plan

  • Contingency mechanism: Defer to next release
  • Contingency deadline: Final Freeze
  • Blocks release? Yes

:link: Documentation

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

:link: Release Notes

Fedora Linux 42 promotes the Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop variant to full Edition status.

Last edited by @amoloney 2025-01-15T23:26:54Z

Last edited by @amoloney 2025-01-15T23:26:54Z

5 Likes

How do you feel about the proposal as written?

  • Strongly in favor
  • In favor, with reservations
  • Neutral
  • Opposed, but could be convinced
  • Strongly opposed
0 voters

If you are in favor but have reservations, or are opposed but something could change your mind, please explain in a reply.

We want everyone to be heard, but many posts repeating the same thing actually makes that harder. If you have something new to say, please say it. If, instead, you find someone has already covered what you’d like to express, please simply give that post a :heart: instead of reiterating. You can even do this by email, by replying with the heart emoji or just “+1”. This will make long topics easier to follow.

Please note that this is an advisory “straw poll” meant to gauge sentiment. It isn’t a vote or a scientific survey. See About the Change Proposals category for more about the Change Process and moderation policy.

So, for workstation we have: Index of /pub/fedora/linux/releases/41/Workstation
What would the top level be here for this? Just KDE? Or KDE_Desktop?
I guess we can sort it out when the time comes too.
:slight_smile:

My thought would be /KDE for the folder.

Will this KDE Edition also receive a new name that reflects its identified focus areas and brings its brand more in line with the rest of the editions? Aside from “Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop Edition” being quite wordy, it also just doesn’t really feel like equal footing from a user perspective, particularly when compared to Workstation.

No. The name is set.

My feeling is that this problem will resolve itself when Silverblue and Kinoite become the default. :classic_smiley:

2 Likes

If, not when. It is unknown whether that will happen. And it is unrelated to this discussion.

This change proposal has now been submitted to FESCo with ticket #3350 for voting.

To find out more, please visit our Changes Policy documentation.