Hands-On with Rhino Linux's New UBXI KDE 6 Desktop

Rhino Linux is a really cool Ubuntu-based rolling-release distribution that offers a neat user experience thanks to tools like the Rhino PKG package manager and the Unicorn desktop environment.

A few months ago, the developers were seeking support to continue the project, and luckily, they appear to have received it, as Rhino Linux is now back on track with new releases.

Moving to the topic at hand, Rhino Linux has launched its first community-led UBXI port, expanding beyond Xfce. Stick around until the end for my quick hands-on of it.

UBXI KDE 6 Desktop: What to Expect?

Thanks to the efforts of the Rhino Linux community and villamorrd, who led the KDE Desktop port, the project has successfully expanded beyond Xfce, bringing a fresh and polished KDE Plasma experience to users.

If you didn’t know, UBXI or Unicorn Beyond Xfce Initiative, is an effort by Rhino Linux to extend their signature Unicorn theming and user experience beyond the Xfce desktop environment with the help of community-developed ports of other desktop environments.

The KDE-flavored port is live right now, equipped with KDE Plasma 6.3.5, and all that's needed to set it up is a single command:

rpk install ubxi-kde-desktop-git

After you run the command, you have to press "y" a bunch of times, except when the terminal asks whether you want to "view/edit the pacscript?" You can press "n" here to speed up the config process.

You can also choose whether you want optional dependencies (additional KDE tools) such as Ark, PowerDevil, Vault, Spectacle, and Plasma Thunderbolt. When everything is complete, remember to restart your computer and switch to the "Plasma" session from the log-in screen using the hamburger menu.

You can visit the project's GitHub repo if you are looking for the source. Additionally, keep in mind that the developers intend to release official disk images featuring the UBXI KDE Desktop by the end of 2025.

How Does It Hold Up?

I didn't expect the new desktop experience to be so slick. While KDE Plasma is known for its flashiness, the UBXI community has done an impressive job keeping the Rhino Linux aesthetic around, with the familiar violet tones, rounded window corners, and a clean layout.

I used the Rhino Linux 2025.2 image to run it on a GNOME Boxes virtual machine, and the overall performance was surprisingly solid. Even in a virtualized environment, the desktop felt responsive and well optimized.

The included KDE apps were a nice touch too, feeling right at home in Rhino Linux.

💬 Did you like what you saw? Considering a switch? Add your thoughts below!