Parrot OS Switches to KDE Plasma Desktop

Dec 16, 2025

Yet another distro is making the move to the KDE Plasma desktop.

Parrot OS, a security-focused Linux distribution, is migrating from MATE to KDE Plasma, starting with version 7.0, now available in beta.

Based on Debian 13, Parrot OS's goal is a shift toward "modernization, focusing on clearing technical debt and future-proofing the system."

One big under-the-hood change is that the /tmp directory is now automatically mounted as tmpfs (in RAM), as opposed to the physical drive. By making this change, Parrot OS enjoys improved performance and reduces wear on SSDs. This shift also means that all data in /tmp is lost during a reboot.

Parrot OS 7.0 also includes a more readable text interface with APT, with the help of colors, aligned columns, and clearer missing dependencies.

Of course, the big change is the adoption of KDE Plasma as the default desktop environment. According to the official Parrot OS blog, "We have noticed and observed the continuous improvements made by the KDE team, such as their approach toward Wayland and Qt6, enhancements in its main various components, the new task switcher, KRunner, improvements on monitor HiDPI/4K, updates to system settings, and much more."

You can download the beta for Parrot OS 7.0 here.
 
 

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