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KaOS screenshot

KaOS

KaOS is a desktop Linux distribution that features the latest version of the Noctalia desktop environment, the Calligra office suite, and other popular software applications that use the Qt toolkit. It was inspired by Arch Linux, but the developers build their own packages which are available from in-house repositories.

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NebiOS screenshot

NebiOS

NebiOS is an Ubuntu-based desktop Linux distribution with a custom Wayland compositor called NebiDE (based on Wayfire). It features various user interface enhancements, an initial setup module called OOBE, the NebiOS App Runtime (napp-runtime) portable application format with bubblewrap containerization, improved gaming performance with Steam Proton integration, a kernel switcher for easy multi-kernel installation, and the Wine compatibility layer for running some Windows applications.

Technical Specs Comparison
KaOSNebiOS
IndependentBaseUbuntu (LTS)
pacman / pkgPackage Managerapt / deb, flatpak
systemdInit Systemsystemd
Rolling ReleaseRelease ModelFixed Release
2026.02Latest Version10.2
IntermediateDifficultyIntermediate
February 15, 2026Release DateFebruary 25, 2026
x86_64
Architecture
x86_64
niriNoctaliaNebiDE (Wayfire)
Desktops
niriNoctaliaNebiDE (Wayfire)