KDE developers are revamping the ‘first run experience’ for users setting up KDE Plasma on new devices. This improvement draws inspiration from the sleek, guided setup processes found in Windows and macOS. Currently, KDE Linux distributions manage user creation through the Calamares installer, which, while functional, lacks the polish that users expect.
To counter this, the project named KDE Initial System Setup (KISS) is being developed. Initially, progress was slow, but recently there has been a renewed focus on enhancing the KISS project. This will involve building out existing ideas, refining the codebase, and improving the overall functionality of the setup process.
The goal is to provide a welcoming experience that showcases KDE’s unique personality on initial boot, something that both users and hardware manufacturers will find appealing.
Recent updates from KDE developer Kristen McWilliam highlight substantial advancements within the KISS codebase:
- The setup tool now compiles and runs successfully.
- Key code improvements and user interface design enhancements have been made.
- User account creation functionality has been integrated, moving beyond the previous placeholder interface.
- Language and keyboard layout selectors are now functional, although their implementation required careful adaptation of existing keyboard settings.
These developments are essential as they move towards establishing a fully functional first-run setup experience. The tool must perform critical tasks without user-created passwords, implying that it may require permissions handled via sysusers.d and associated polkit rules.
While the project is still in its early development stages, the progress suggests that KDE will soon provide a polished setup experience. This enhancement is timely as the desktop environment sees increased adoption by hardware vendors, potentially elevating the overall user experience for KDE Plasma.