How to install test versions of Plasma Next

Kubuntu

Packages for Kubuntu Utopic Next and Next backports PPAs for Utopic (14.10) are now deprecated.

To test upgrade to Vivid, please use the PPA-purge package to remove those PPAs and packages, and then install `kubuntu-desktop` meta-package, and finally:

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

before initiating:

sudo kubuntu-devel-release-upgrade

to move to Vivid beta. Full instructions to upgrade from 14.10.

Live Image of Kubuntu Vivid with Packages from Git The Weekly Live Image, updated every Friday with latest source from Git to run a full system from a USB disk. Based on Kubuntu 15.04, Vivid.

KDE Frameworks 5 and Plasma 5 is available in the Vivid development version of Kubuntu, now in beta.

openSUSE

openSUSE offers snapshots from git master updated frequently as well. Add the KDE:Unstable:Frameworks repository (http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:KDE_repositories#Plasma_Next) and the Qt53 repository (available at the same link) and install the plasma-next-session package to have a session available at the next login.

Gentoo

Gentoo provides beta as well as live ebuilds inside kde overlay, with dependencies in qt overlay. The following assumes you have a basic understanding of Gentoo Portage and already set up layman initially:

layman -a kde && layman -a qt
emerge @kde-next-live --autounmask-write=y

To make the most of it, run

layman -S && smart-live-rebuild

to get the latest packaging changes for qt and kde and update any live packages that got new commits since last time.

Fedora

Now that Plasma 5 has been released, Fedora packaging only tracks the official Plasma 5 releases, not snapshots. See Plasma/Packages#Fedora for installation instructions.

Arch

Plasma 5 workspace is available through the official repositories. For the full installation, simply install plasma-next.
Frameworks 5 libraries are also in the official repositories under kf5 and kf5-aids.
There are git versions of the above, as well as many other Frameworks 5 applications installable through the AUR.

See the KDE page on the ArchWiki for more information.

siduction

Right now the default on siduction is KDE SC 4.x, however you can upgrade from your KDE SC 4 installation to KDE Frameworks + Plasma 5 + KDE Applications using the kdenext repository. You can also install KDE's Plasma 5 if you are using a non-KDE flavour of siduction, like "siduction lxde", see below.

To upgrade from KDE SC 4 to Frameworks + Plasma 5 + latest KDE Applications:

In a siduction installation with KDE SC 4, add the unstable and kde-frameworks suite of the kdenext repository to your sources.list:

deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext unstable main
deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext kde-frameworks main

Perform a dist-upgrade.
It's recommended to install either kde-standard or kde-full (whichever you prefer) after the upgrade.
If you find issues with the upgrade (such as apt-get/aptitude wanting to remove packages which shouldn't be removed) please use the siduction forum to report the issue.

To install KDE's Plasma 5 in a non-KDE siduction flavour:

Add the kde-frameworks suite of the kdenext repository to your sources.list:

deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext unstable main
deb http://packages.siduction.org/kdenext kde-frameworks main

Install either the package kde-standard or kde-full, whichever you prefer. After that you are suposed to be able to run plasma 5, no matter the login manager you are using.

Last but not least, if you also want to switch to sddm you just have to install the sddm package; you can also install sddm-kcm to be able to configure sddm in Plasma's systemsettings.

From Source

Following the instructions here it will automatically build all KDE software that has a KF5 port, most notably the Plasma workspaces, but also development previews of Kate, Konsole and Dolphin.

Afterwards follow the guides for "Runtime setup" and then run "kwin --replace" and "plasmashell".

Live CD

Kubuntu-based Live CD: http://files.kde.org/snapshots/neon5-latest.iso (More information at http://kshadeslayer.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/introducing-project-neon-5-isos/)

Fedora-based LiveCD: https://dvratil.fedorapeople.org/plasma5/iso/ (More information at http://www.progdan.cz/2014/05/kde-frameworks-5-beta-and-plasma-next-preview-on-fedora/)