KDE

KDE is an Open Source Desktop Environment for Linux Operating Systems. It offers a GUI with some pre-installed programs users like; ie Open Source office suites, browser, app store (flatpak), and more.

KDE made their own OS (Archived), launched the Alpha version of the product somewhere around this month September 2025. The OS, at launch, behaves similarly to SteamOS because there's no access to the base OS out of the box. Users have to homebrew or use similar methods to get root access and have to rely on flatpaks and Discover store. The differences, as of launch, is largely that SteamOS has a the big picture Steam mode packaged as a separate Game Mode on the deck.

The OS may make it for mainstream use to compete against Ubuntu or Mint to field some of the Windows users that are afraid of admin permissions, especially if SteamOS and Proton start eating Microsoft's lunch.

Links
KDE Community Docs about KDE Linux Alpha launch (Archived)