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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.

VS
Ultimate Edition screenshot

Ultimate Edition

Ultimate Edition, first released in December 2006, was a fork of Ubuntu and Linux Mint though recent versions (starting in 2024) have been based on Arch Linux. The goal of the project is to create a complete, seamlessly integrated, visually stimulating, and easy-to-install operating system.

Technical Specs Comparison
KaOSUltimate Edition
IndependentBaseArch
pacman / pkgPackage Managerpacman / flatpak, pkg
systemdInit Systemsystemd
Rolling ReleaseRelease ModelFixed Release
2026.02Latest Version5.5
IntermediateDifficultyIntermediate
February 15, 2026Release DateJune 25, 2017
x86_64
Architecture
x86_64
niriNoctaliaCinnamonKDE PlasmaMATEXfce
Desktops
niriNoctaliaCinnamonKDE PlasmaMATEXfce