How to update Plasma ?

[claydoh]

In KDE most bug fixes are done via new versions, though now with Plasma having LTS versions, this has been changing. Many bug fixes have been added to 5.12.x, for sure.

Often the bug fixes are actually found in Qt updates, but Ubuntu are not going to update that on an LTS release.

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[daihard]

Your only options will be to upgrade to a newer Kubuntu release, or another distro that has a newer Plasma. Else learn how to build all of Plasma from the ground up, and that includes Qt.

The Qt version in Ubuntu 18.04 is a contributing factor in 18.04 not having a newer Plasma even in a PPA. The upgrade to these libraries would break anything not compiled against it, which would include a lot of non_KDE stuff (ask any KDE Neon user about this). An updated Qt is also the source of many bug fixes on its own. As Ubuntu is heavily tied to the version used in 18.04, Kubuntu can't on its own just upgrade it, especially on an LTS.

Thanks for the reply.

That being the case, I wonder about the bug fix policy of the KDE team. I don't necessarily want to upgrade to a newer version of Plasma / Qt. In most cases, I want a version that has bugs fixed. The major reason I use LTS is for its stability as I use Kubuntu for software development work.

[Grave Digger]

I run 18.04 LTS fully updated and have no complaints about it. As a W10 convert it is close to ideal. However, I wish to keep pace with improvements, and have the latest Plasma.

I like a stable distro which gives me control over updates/upgrades.

Bearing in mind the thread so far, would it be better for me to install KDE Neon, or Kubuntu 19.04, or wait for 19.10 LTS?

kubuntu is what you want. neon lacks too much.

[Don B. Cilly]

The next Kubuntu LTS will be 20.04.
KDE Neon User Edition is based on 18.04 but has the "latest" Plasma. In the sense that you can get even more "latest" by using Testing or Unstable editions, but they are pre-release and quite buggy at times.
It's "semi-rolling", in the sense the base software is always LTS-based, the Plasma part is updated continuously.

If, as you say, you like an LTS base but want the latest Plasma, it could just be the thing for you.
Why not try it?
In a virtual machine, a live USB with persistency, or even a HD partition...
I use Testing. I really like it.

[JoHubb]

I run 18.04 LTS fully updated and have no complaints about it. As a W10 convert it is close to ideal. However, I wish to keep pace with improvements, and have the latest Plasma.

I like a stable distro which gives me control over updates/upgrades.

Bearing in mind the thread so far, would it be better for me to install KDE Neon, or Kubuntu 19.04, or wait for 19.10 LTS?

[claydoh]

I have a related question. I've encountered issues with the current version of KDE Plasma and learned that they have been (or will be) fixed for a new version of Plasma. I'd like to get those fixes onto my LTS (18.04, for instance), but fixes like that, unless security-related, don't seem to be backported. In that case, what are my options? Some of those issues have been severe enough for me to consider downgrading to an older LTS version when a newer LTS isn't available yet.

Your only options will be to upgrade to a newer Kubuntu release, or another distro that has a newer Plasma. Else learn how to build all of Plasma from the ground up, and that includes Qt.

The Qt version in Ubuntu 18.04 is a contributing factor in 18.04 not having a newer Plasma even in a PPA. The upgrade to these libraries would break anything not compiled against it, which would include a lot of non_KDE stuff (ask any KDE Neon user about this). An updated Qt is also the source of many bug fixes on its own. As Ubuntu is heavily tied to the version used in 18.04, Kubuntu can't on its own just upgrade it, especially on an LTS.

[daihard]

As you are using 18.04 LTS, which by design will only have Plasma 5.12 LTS, the only way to get a newer version is to upgrade to Kubuntu 19.04, and then to 19.10 once that is released.
Plasma version upgrades are quite safe, as they normally have updates regularly, and non-LTS users can get them via PPAs if they can't wait for the next Kubuntu release every six months.
Now, upgrading the whole OS, that can for some be troublesome as there is always a risk of breakage. I have had great luck as I only upgrade my main systems, bar any hardware failures. My desktop has been upgraded every 6 months since 12.10, except for a hard drive replacement on 17.10.

Others swear by clean installs.

I have a related question. I've encountered issues with the current version of KDE Plasma and learned that they have been (or will be) fixed for a new version of Plasma. I'd like to get those fixes onto my LTS (18.04, for instance), but fixes like that, unless security-related, don't seem to be backported. In that case, what are my options? Some of those issues have been severe enough for me to consider downgrading to an older LTS version when a newer LTS isn't available yet.

[Don B. Cilly]

Neon Dev stable is a better choice to see what the next plasma version will actually be like, as it is beta software, and is extremely close to what the next Plasma version will be, as opposed to the more wild west playground that the Unstable is.

Oh well. I managed to suss out that the current Testing edition has Plasma 5.16.90.
Since all I needed was 5.16+ for my clock to work, :·) I moved to Testing in about two hours. Not bad, considering some custom database/python stuff I have.



I now have the same setup I had on Unstable, except things here work... and it does not have unattended-upgrades either :·)
So I'm quite happy.
I guess when you suggested I use Unstable (which I really liked, mind you, except lately it was getting a bit Unusable), Testing didn't have 5.16.

[claydoh]

19.10 is here in about two weeks, and of course one can upgrade early if they are impatient. At the beta stage, *buntu are solid, and all hard 'freezes are coming up in a week or so.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/EoanErmine/Beta/Kubuntu

[dagmann]

Next April is a long time to wait. I just have the O/S installed to become familiar with it. I have nothing important on the Kubuntu system.

[vinnywright]

lololololol.
No, just no.

This translates into running pre-pre-release quality software, as opposed to Neon User edition, which has the latest, official, stable releases. A bit fresher than the latest Kubuntu + official updates PPAs

Neon Dev stable is a better choice to see what the next plasma version will actually be like, as it is beta software, and is extremely close to what the next Plasma version will be, as opposed to the more wild west playground that the Unstable is.

I think that one is officially "testing" now , we had to change the source list from

archive.neon.kde.org/dev/stable

to

archive.neon.kde.org/testing/

and IS what my main boot is .

and at the moment is as such

Operating System: KDE neon Testing Edition
KDE Plasma Version: 5.16.90
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.63.0
Qt Version: 5.13.1
Kernel Version: 4.15.0-66-generic
OS Type: 64-bit
Processors: 8 × Intel® Core™ i7-4910MQ CPU @ 2.90GHz
Memory: 15.6 GiB of RAM

VINNY

[oshunluvr]

I suppose that I will wait for 19.04 LTS ... hopefully there will be one.

Nope. LTS releases are every two years so April 2020 (20.04) is the next LTS release.
For some reason IME, the .04 releases are pretty solid but the .10 releases are always a problem. Starting 2014 or so I stopped bothering with October releases at all. So if you want to upgrade to get newer Plasma, you might as well go ahead and install 19.04. Either that or what it out until next April.

I will say there have been a lot of improvements since 18.04 so it might be worth the trouble. That's the main reason I use KDEneon instead of Kubuntu - fastest possible KDE updated but riding on an LTS core so less drama.

[claydoh]

The next *ubuntu LTS will be 20.04. There is one every two years. It should have the next LTS release of Plasma as well, 5.18.


*buntu releases are numbered by year and month, so 19.10 is coming this month, and 20.04 this coming next April.

[dagmann]

I suppose that I will wait for 19.04 LTS ... hopefully there will be one.

[claydoh]

Right. That's what VMs are for...

Sure, but the dev-unstable is still not necessarily the best choice to see where Plasma is going, as features and code are not always in a settled state.