Neptune 7.0

Debian-based KDE distros are a dime a dozen, so Mayank Sharma was keen to see how it stacks up against the competition.

- Mayank Sharma

Linux distribution

On paper Neptune looks rather bland. The distribution is based on Debian’s Stable branch, which has been upgraded to the new Debian 11 “Bullseye” in this release, and rocks the KDE desktop. It isn’t the only distro to offer this combination, and we were waiting to be wowed. But rather than a piece of software, or a set of configuration tools, it’s the distro’s execution that made it a keeper in our books.

Neptune is available in just one edition for 64-bit computers, which the developers have spent considerable time polishing to create a stellar out-of-the-box experience for the desktop users.

Monsieur distro

The distro boots into a simple desktop that features the Excalibur application launcher at the bottom, instead of the standard KDE menu. Excalibur, which is based on the Lancelot launcher, sports a favourites column on the left, and a categorised application browser on the right. It has all the conveniences of a modern launcher and the appearance of a traditional one, and does a good job of balancing form and functionality.