Kubuntu ( ) is an official flavor of Ubuntu, a Linux distribution that uses the KDE Plasma Desktop Environment instead of GNOME. As part of the Ubuntu project, Kubuntu uses the same underlying systems. Kubuntu shares the same repositories as Ubuntu and is released regularly on the same schedule as Ubuntu.
Kubuntu was sponsored by Canonical Ltd. until 2012, and then directly by Blue Systems. Now, employees of Blue Systems contribute upstream to KDE and Debian, and Kubuntu development is led by community contributors. During the changeover, Kubuntu retained the use of Ubuntu project servers and existing developers.
Name "Kubuntu" is a registered trademark held by Canonical. It is derived from the name Ubuntu, prefixing a K to represent the KDE platform that Kubuntu is built upon (following a widespread naming convention of prefixing K to the name of any software released for use on KDE platforms), as well as the KDE community.
is a Bantu term translating roughly to 'humanity'. Since Bantu grammar involves prefixes to form noun classes, and the prefix has the meaning 'toward' in Bemba, is therefore also a meaningful Bemba word or phrase translating to 'toward humanity'. Reportedly, the same word, by coincidence, also takes the meaning of 'free' (in the sense of 'without payment') in Kirundi.
Comparison with Ubuntu Kubuntu typically differs from Ubuntu in graphical applications and tools:
Software Ubuntu Kubuntu Kernel and core Linux kernel and Ubuntu core Display server Wayland Sound server PipeWire Multimedia GNOME Videos and Rhythmbox Haruna and Elisa Window manager Mutter KWin Desktop environment GNOME Plasma Desktop Primary toolkit GTK Qt Browser Firefox Office suite LibreOffice Email and PIM Thunderbird
History Development started in December 2004 at the Ubuntu Mataró Conference in Mataró, Spain when a Canonical employee Andreas Mueller, from Gnoppix, had the idea to make an Ubuntu KDE variant and got the approval from Mark Shuttleworth to start the first Ubuntu variant, called Kubuntu. On the same evening Chris Halls from the OpenOffice.org project and Jonathan Riddell from KDE started volunteering on the newborn project.
Shortly after Ubuntu was started, Mark Shuttleworth stated in an interview that he recognized the need for the KDE-based distribution in order to maintain diversity in Linux distributions, which in his belief aligns with Ubuntu project's overall purpose of increasing the adoption of free software.
K Desktop Environment 3 was used as default interface until Kubuntu 8.04. That version included KDE Plasma Desktop as unsupported option which became default in the subsequent release, 8.10.
On , Canonical employee Jonathan Riddell announced the end of Canonical's Kubuntu sponsorship. On , Blue Systems was announced on the Kubuntu website as the new sponsor. As a result, both developers employed by Canonical to work on Kubuntu–Jonathan Riddell and Aurélien Gâteau–transferred to Blue Systems.
Since 2019, Kubuntu has partnered with MindShare Inc. to offer "Kubuntu Focus" laptops and mini-PCs optimized and supported specifically for the LTS releases.
Releases Kubuntu follows the same naming/versioning system as Ubuntu, with each release having a code name and a version number (based on the year and month of release). Canonical provides support and security updates for Kubuntu components that are shared with Ubuntu for 18 months – five years in the case of long-term support (LTS) versions – after release. Both a desktop version and an alternative (installation) version (for the x86 and AMD64 platforms) are available. Kubuntu CDs were also available through the ShipIt service (which was discontinued as of April 2011).
VersionRelease dateCode nameSupported untilLinux kernelKDE PlasmaQtNotes5.042005-04-08Hoary Hedgehog2006-10-312.6.10colspan=2 rowspan=20 Initial release including KDE 3.4 and a selection of the most useful KDE programs. Some of these are not in the official KDE itself, including Amarok, Kaffeine, Gwenview, and K3b. Inclusion of update-manager/upgrade-notifier; Kickstart compatibility.5.102005-10-13Breezy Badger2007-04-132.6.12KDE 3.4.3 and the Guidance configuration tools. It also comes with the Adept Package Manager, the first to make use of debtags for easier searching (replacing the Kynaptic package manager used in the previous release); System Settings, a re-organised kcontrol-like centre and KDE Bluetooth; Graphical boot process with progress bar (Usplash); OEM Installer Support; Launchpad tracking; GCC 4.0.6.06 LTS2006-06-01Dapper Drake2009-062.6.15Long Term Support (LTS) release; Live CD and Installer on one disc; Ubiquity installer; Adept Notifier and Simplified Installer; X Display Configuration from Guidance; Better Asian language support; Avahi networking software.6.102006-10-26Edgy Eft2008-042.6.17KDE 3.5.5. This release adds the photo management application digiKam and accessibility profiles–benefiting people with disabilities. System Settings is also redesigned, and power management, laptop button support & networking are improved. Also features automated problem reports and Upstart.7.042007-04-19Feisty Fawn2008-102.6.20KDE 3.5.6; Migration assistant; KVM; Easy codec/restricted drivers installation; System Settings restructured into General and Advanced categories; Improved Hewlett-Packard printer management; KNetworkManager included; WPA support; Topic-based help system; OEM installer update; PowerPC support officially dropped.7.102007-10-18Gutsy Gibbon2009-04-182.6.22New background art. Ships with Strigi and Dolphin by default. Qt port of GDebi graphical installer for package files. Includes Restricted Drivers Manager for the first time. New kubuntu-restricted-extras package is available for download from the repositories.8.042008-04-24Hardy Heron2009-102.6.24It has two versions: KDE 3.5 and KDE 4.0 (With community support only). This version intends to provide feature parity with GNOME-based Ubuntu. This includes a port of system-config-printer to Qt to enable printer auto-detection, easy video codec installation in Kaffeine, a simple Compiz setup tool and inclusion of Bulletproof X in KDM, and automatic grabbing and releasing of the mouse cursor when running on a VMware virtual machine. Unlike its Ubuntu counterpart, which is a long-term support release, Kubuntu 8.04 is not.8.102008-10-30Intrepid Ibex2010-04-302.6.27KDE 4.1.2 desktop environment by default, Linux 2.6.27, Xserver 1.5, Adept Manager 3, KNetworkManager 0.7, KWin desktop effects by default, various Kubuntu tool integration.9.042009-04-23Jaunty Jackalope2010-102.6.28KDE 4.2.2 desktop environment by default, kernel 2.6.28, Xserver 1.6, Adept superseded by KPackageKit, implementation of the ext4 filesystem, faster boot time, addition of community-supported PowerPC images9.102009-10-30Karmic Koala2011-04-282.6.31KDE 4.3.2 desktop environment by default, GRUB 2, init system moved to Upstart, kernel 2.6.3110.04 LTS2010-04-29Lucid Lynx2013-05-092.6.32Long Term Support (LTS) release. Security updates will be available for three years for desktops and five years for servers. KDE 4.4.2 desktop environment by default, kernel 2.6.32, KPackageKit 0.5.4, Firefox KDE integration, touchpad configuration module by default.10.102010-10-10Maverick Meerkat2012-042.6.35KDE Software Compilation 4.5. Faster login. Default browser changed to rekonq. New Bluetooth stack. PulseAudio inclusion. Updated KPackageKit with categories. Global menu for netbook. Updated Installer. Combining of the Desktop and Netbook Editions (autodetection).11.042011-04-28Natty Narwhal2012-10-282.6.38KDE SC 4.6, GStreamer multimedia backend for Phonon, GTK Oxygen theme, games in the default install, UDisks and UPower replace HAL.11.102011-10-12Oneiric Ocelot2013-05-093.0.3KDE SC 4.7, replacing KPackageKit with Muon Software Centre, Kubuntu low fat setting, OpenGL ES Powered Desktop Effects, KDE-PIM 4.7.212.04 LTS2012-04-25Precise Pangolin2017-04-283.2.0The third Kubuntu LTS release. KDE SC 4.812.102012-10-18Quantal Quetzal2014-043.5.5LibreOffice 3.6.2.2, rekonq 1.1, KDE SC 4.9.213.042013-04-25Raring Ringtail2014-013.8.0KDE SC 4.10, Muon Suite 2, LibreOffice 4, Optional Homerun launcher, out-of-the-box MTP support13.102013-10-17Saucy Salamander2014-07-173.11KDE SC 4.11.2, LibreOffice 4.1.2 rc314.04 LTS2014-04-17Trusty Tahr2019-04-253.13KDE SC 4.13.0, LibreOffice 4.2.3.3. Default browser changed back to Firefox.14.102014-10-23Utopic Unicorn2015-07-233.16KDE SC 4.14, KDE Plasma 5 as technical preview.15.042015-04-23Vivid Vervet2015-123.195.2.2rowspan=8 KDE Plasma 5.2.2 is now the default desktop environment. Adaptation to systemd and to SDDM. Behind-the-scenes work on the change to Wayland.15.102015-10-22Wily Werewolf2016-07-224.25.4Firefox 41.0, LibreOffice 5.0.16.04 LTS2016-04-21Xenial Xerus2019-04-214.45.5.5Firefox 45, LibreOffice 5.116.102016-10-13Yakkety Yak2017-07-204.85.7.5KDE Applications 16.04.3, KDE Frameworks 5.26.0, LibreOffice 5.2, Firefox 4917.042017-04-13Zesty Zapus2018-01-114.105.9KDE Applications 16.12.3, KDE Frameworks 5.31, LibreOffice 5.3, Firefox 5217.102017-10-19Artful Aardvark2018-07-194.135.10KDE Applications 17.04.3, KDE Frameworks 5.38, LibreOffice 5.4.1, Firefox 56, Cantata replaces Amarok as audio player, VLC media player replaces Dragon Player as media player18.04 LTS2018-04-26Bionic Beaver2021-05-014.155.12 LTSLibreOffice 6.0 and Firefox 59; double-click is now default to open files; file indexing default changed to "basic" only (not file content).18.102018-10-18Cosmic Cuttlefish2019-07-184.185.13KDE Applications 18.04.3, KDE Frameworks 5.50, LibreOffice 6.1.2, Firefox 63; snap integration by default in software centre, Plasma Wayland session-can be installed for testing (but is not supported), fingerprint scanner support, only available in 64-bit ISO images19.042019-04-18Disco Dingo2020-01-235.05.15.45.12.2KDE Applications 18.12.3, KDE Frameworks 5.56, LibreOffice 6.2.2, Firefox 66, KDE Connect 1.3.4, KDevelop 5.3.2, Krita 4.1.7, Latte Dock 0.8.819.102019-10-17Eoan Ermine2020-07-175.35.16.55.12.4KDE Applications 19.04.3, KDE Frameworks 5.62, LibreOffice 6.3, Firefox 6920.04 LTS2020-04-23Focal Fossa2023-04-295.45.18 LTS5.12.8KDE Frameworks 5.68.0, LibreOffice 6.4.2.2, Firefox 7520.102020-10-22Groovy Gorilla2021-07-225.85.19.55.14.2KDE Frameworks 5.74.0, LibreOffice 7.0.2, Firefox 8221.042021-04-22Hirsute Hippo2022-01-205.115.215.15.2KDE Frameworks 5.80, LibreOffice 7.1, Firefox 8721.102021-10-14Impish Indri2022-07-145.135.22.55.15.2KDE Gear 21.08, KDE Frameworks 5.86, LibreOffice 7.2, Firefox 9222.04 LTS2022-04-21Jammy Jellyfish2025-04-245.155.24 LTS5.15.3KDE Gear 21.12.3, KDE Frameworks 5.92, LibreOffice 7.3.2.2, Firefox 9922.102022-10-21Kinetic Kudu2023-07-205.185.255.15.5KDE Gear 22.04.1, LibreOffice 7.4, Firefox 103, KDE Frameworks 5.9523.042023-04-20Lunar Lobster2024-01-206.25.275.15.8.KDE Gear 22.12, LibreOffice 7.5, Firefox 111, KDE Frameworks 5.10423.102023-10-17Mantic Minotaur2024-076.55.27.85.15.10KDE Gear 23.08, LibreOffice 7.6.2.1, Firefox 11824.04 LTS2024-04-25Noble Numbat2027-046.85.27.115.15.13KDE Apps updates, including KDE Gear 23.08 and other updated apps Firefox 117 snap is the default browser from the Snap Store.
LibreOffice 24.2 is provided by default in the full installation.24.102024-10-10Oracular Oriole2025-076.116.1.5Qt6 6.6 / Qt5 5.15.13KDE Frameworks 6.6.0, KDE Gear 24.08 / 24.05 / 23.08, Firefox 131 snap, LibreOffice 24.8 Wayland as default Plasma session25.042025-04-17Plucky Puffin2026-016.146.3Qt6.8KDE Frameworks 6.12.0, KDE Gear 24.12.3, Firefox 137 snap, LibreOffice 25.225.102025-10-09Questing Quokka2026-076.176.4.5Qt6.9KDE Frameworks 6.17.0, KDE Gear 25.08, Firefox 143 snap, LibreOffice 25.8 Rust-based Sudo26.04 LTS2026-04-23Resolute Raccoon2029-047.06.6Qt6.10KDE Frameworks 6.24.0, KDE Gear 25.12.3, Firefox 150 snap, LibreOffice 26.2 Wayland as default and only supported Plasma sessionLegend:
System requirements