After Testing Fedora Kinoite vs. Silverblue, Here’s My Unfiltered Verdict on Linux Immutable Distros

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Silverblue and Kinoite are atomic/immutable Linux distributions.
• Silverblue uses GNOME, while Kinoite uses KDE Plasma.
• Both are highly secure and reliable desktop operating systems.

Immutable Linux distributions are slowly gaining traction. With the increasing number of security vulnerabilities being discovered, any extra layer of protection is a welcome advantage.

For those unfamiliar, an immutable Linux distribution mounts specific directories—like /usr, /var, and /etc—as read-only, preventing modifications. This is a significant benefit.

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The Fedora Linux developers recognize this need and have created a distribution named Silverblue. From that project emerged Kinoite.

What’s the difference?

As mentioned, both are immutable, so their core foundations are identical. The differences are found in the desktop environment. Let’s explore which one is the best fit for you.

What is Fedora Kinoite?

Fedora Kinoite is the atomic/immutable Fedora variant built around KDE Plasma. It shares the same immutable core (and atomic updates) but features a more conventional desktop environment. Of course, KDE Plasma is far more than just a “traditional” desktop. After all, this is Linux, and Linux doesn’t always play by the rules.

Why KDE Plasma?

One reason KDE Plasma is so widely used is that it doesn’t force users transitioning from Windows to rethink how they interact with the desktop. You’ll find a bottom panel, a desktop menu, a system tray, and quick launch icons—everything you’d expect from a familiar desktop setup.

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KDE Plasma is still Linux at its core, so it’s highly customizable. With minimal effort, you can tailor the desktop to look and behave exactly as you prefer. Or, you can stick with the default settings and simply enjoy the polished experience they provide.

I could stop here by simply calling it immutable Fedora paired with KDE Plasma, but that wouldn’t be very interesting.

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Let me explain why I believe KDE Plasma and immutable Fedora are an excellent combination.

When you open KDE Discover (the KDE Plasma app store), you can search for any application you’d like to install. However, this is where things could become confusing (especially for the curious).

Suppose you want to install LibreOffice. You can search for LibreOffice and click the install button. The installation proceeds without requiring your user password. If you examine the settings closely, though, you’ll notice that Flathub isn’t enabled by default, so LibreOffice is pulled from the Fedora repositories. That piqued my curiosity, so I opened the terminal and typed:

rpm -qa libreoffice

Nothing appeared.

Next, I ran the list command with Flatpak like this:

flatpak list

There it was: org.libreoffice.LibreOffice.

Even without Flathub being enabled by default, KDE Discover installed Flatpak apps from the Fedora repository. I then tried downloading the RPM files to install LibreOffice, only to discover that /usr/share/rpm was locked.

I then enabled Flathub in KDE Discover > Settings > Add Flathub. Once that was done, the catalog of available apps expanded dramatically.

Because this is an immutable distribution, applications must be installed through containers (such as Flatpak); otherwise, those read-only mounted directories would need to be remounted with write access, which would undermine the entire purpose of immutability.

The result is a KDE Plasma experience that is significantly more secure than it would otherwise be. If you’ve ever compared Flatpak apps to native apps (such as Fedora .rpm packages), you’ll know that 1) installation takes slightly longer and 2) apps don’t launch quite as fast.

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Is the added security worth the minor delay? Absolutely. And since KDE Plasma is already a fast and efficient desktop, the extra time is barely noticeable.

Who is Fedora Kinoite for?

Fedora Kinoite is ideal for anyone who wants the KDE Plasma desktop along with the added advantage of an immutable distribution. Simple as that.

Oh, but there’s more. Due to how Fedora’s immutable distributions are structured, you can perform what’s called “rebasing,” which essentially lets you switch between different versions. For example, if you’d like to try the COSMIC desktop, you could do so with the command:

rpm-ostree rebase fedora:fedora/44/x86_64/cosmic-atomic

The process takes a while, but it’s quite impressive. Once it finishes, reboot with the command systemctl reboot, and you’ll be welcomed by the COSMIC desktop.

But since we’re focusing on KDE Plasma, you might not want to rebase until you’ve given the default desktop a fair chance.

What is Fedora Silverblue?

Silverblue is to GNOME what Kinoite is to KDE Plasma. However, Kinoite is not a rebase of Silverblue. That said, you could rebase Silverblue to KDE Plasma if you wanted, but if that’s your goal, you might as well go with Kinoite directly.

Confused yet?

Don’t be. All you need to remember is that Fedora Silverblue is the atomic/immutable version featuring the GNOME desktop.

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Why GNOME?

If you prefer your desktops to be minimal and stay out of your way, then GNOME is the right choice. GNOME isn’t for everyone. If you’re accustomed to the typical Windows layout, you might find GNOME challenging. Yes, you can install GNOME extensions

To give it a more Windows-like feel (or a very Windows-like one if you prefer), GNOME is all about simplicity, and it accomplishes that quite well.

Silverblue includes all of the features available in Kinoite, so you benefit from the immutable file system for security and the atomic updates (meaning that if an update encounters a problem, the system halts progress, so Linux always remains functional).

There is one difference. With Silverblue, you don’t need to manually activate Flathub support in the app store. Whenever you go to install an application, you can immediately choose between the Fedora and Flathub repositories. That’s a significant advantage, particularly for those who prefer to avoid the extra steps of adding Flathub repositories.

Who should use Silverblue?

With Silverblue, you gain the immutable file system, atomic upgrades, GNOME desktop (along with everything included in it), as well as the Flathub repositories turned on automatically.

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Basically, Silverblue is for those who desire a clean desktop that stays out of the way, value the added security and reliability of an atomic/immutable OS, and prefer not to configure the app store to access apps from the Flathub repositories.

Which one suits you best?

In the end, it comes down to this: Do you prefer the KDE Plasma desktop or the GNOME desktop? Once you decide, you’ll know exactly which version suits you. Whichever option you choose, you’ll receive the same reliable and secure OS with the speed and power of Fedora Linux.