14 DAY TRIAL // Netrunner 16 "Ozymandias," a GNU/Linux distribution based on Kubuntu that features a customized KDE experience is now available for download, and it integrates the latest Plasma 5.3 desktop.
As it stands right now, there are two distinct versions of Netrunner in the wild, one based on Kubuntu and one based on Manjaro, which is actually using Arch Linux. Some users might get confused by the two editions, but it's not difficult to set them apart. The one that uses Kubuntu (and Debian implicitly) only gets standard iterations from time to time, and the one using Manjaro is following a rolling release model. Long story short, the ones with cool version numbers such as 16, for example, it's clearly based on Kubuntu.
On the other hand, the rolling release Netrunner is a different kind of beast. It doesn't need a major upgrade, and everything is delivered with the regular updates. It's been a while since this branch was regenerated, back in September, 2014.
Netrunner with Plasma 5.3 is something else
One of the things setting Netrunner apart from all the other KDE-powered operating systems is the fact that the desktop is heavily customized. The developers don't just provide a vanilla integration of KDE; they make some serious changes to it, making it hard to say what it is after just a glance.
"Much like sand exposed to heat is transformed into something new called silicon, Plasma was formed out of the building blocks of its ancestor KDE 4. And so the old king is back – in its new incarnation called Plasma Desktop 5! The Plasma Desktop carries all the DNA of its predecessor and molds it into something new: A thing of the future, for the next generation to come. So when using Plasma 5 today, let’s not forget: We're standing of the shoulder of Giants!" reads the official announcement.
The developers have explained that Plasmazilla (Plasma-enabled Firefox and Thunderbird) Skype, Pidgin, Transmission-Qt, Marble, Gmusicbrowser, Audacious, Radiotray, Kdenlive, HandBrake, Steam, VLC, Playonlinux, and a number of other applications have been added by default.
Also, the Linux kernel has been updated to version 3.19.0.16, and KDE Applications 15.04 has been implemented. A complete list of changes and improvements can be found in the official announcement. You can download Netrunner 16 right now from Softpedia.
