Folks who enjoy KDE-powered Linux distributions have something new to try today. Netrunner 26, code-named “Twilight,” has officially been released, and it arrives as a 64-bit ISO built on top of Debian 13 “Trixie.” The new version pulls in the latest security updates from Debian Stable while adding its own polish and tweaks on top of that foundation. For anyone who prefers a polished desktop experience without abandoning Debian’s stability, Netrunner continues to occupy a pretty comfortable niche.
At its core, Netrunner 26 ships with the Linux 6.16 kernel series, specifically Linux 6.16.12+deb13. Debian 13 itself defaults to Linux 6.12, so Netrunner is pushing a bit further ahead here to improve hardware compatibility for newer systems. That should help with support for recent AMD and Intel GPUs, along with updated wireless and audio hardware.
Debian 13 brings several under-the-hood changes that carry over into Netrunner. These include new hardening protections against ROP and COP/JOP attacks on amd64 and arm64 systems. APT now moves away from the older .list repository format in favor of the newer .sources configuration style based on deb822. There is even a tool, apt modernize-sources, to automatically convert older repository files.
Another interesting change is that the /tmp directory now lives in tmpfs by default, meaning it sits in RAM instead of persistent storage. That improves speed and automatic cleanup, although users might occasionally see dpkg warnings when older directories cannot be removed during package operations.
Of course, the real attraction here is the desktop experience. Netrunner 26 ships with KDE Plasma 6.3.6 along with KDE Frameworks 6.13.0. The release also includes the XLibre X server, which is used by Plasma’s X11 session. PipeWire and WirePlumber handle audio and multimedia duties, continuing the shift away from older sound stacks.
The Netrunner team also refreshed several distribution-specific tools and themes. The Samba-mounter utility has been rewritten using Qt 6 and PolicyKit, making it more modern and easier to maintain. Visual touches received attention too, including a new SDDM login theme and updated Plasma and global themes designed for the Plasma 6 desktop.
One interesting addition is Stacher7, which provides a graphical interface for yt-dlp. That means users who like downloading media through yt-dlp now have a convenient GUI option built right into the distribution.
The base software stack is also quite current for a Debian-based release. Netrunner 26 includes Qt 6.8.2, KDE Apps 25.04.3, Firefox 140.7 ESR, LibreOffice 25.2.3, Thunderbird 140.6.0 ESR, and VLC 3.0.23. Creative tools such as Inkscape 1.4, GIMP 3.0.4, and Kdenlive 24.12.3 are included as well, alongside VirtualBox 7.2.6 for virtualization needs.
Another welcome addition is power-profiles-daemon, which allows users to quickly switch between performance and power-saving modes depending on their workload.
I will admit something here. Netrunner is one of my favorite Linux distributions. I typically lean toward GNOME when it comes to desktop environments, but Netrunner does something special with KDE. The polish and attention to detail make the desktop feel cohesive and thoughtfully designed, and it is one of the rare KDE experiences that actually makes me stop and appreciate what that ecosystem can offer.
If you are the type of Linux user who likes KDE Plasma but prefers the stability of Debian underneath it all, Netrunner 26 “Twilight” looks like a release worth checking out. Grab an ISO here.
