Open Source KDE Software

Pearl Linux puts a twist on this XFCE Desktop release by using Kwin as pre configured default window manager. Available in both amd64 and i386 it also updates from the Ubuntu 18.04 LTR supported until April 2023. All releases from Pearl up till now have always included Compiz. Since the last time I used Kwin the wobbly windows, magic lamp minimize effect etc were not really were I felt it needed to be. Now Kwin really is very smooth and it is a pretty nice alternative to compiz for xfce. As with all other Pearl releases you can count on the usual software bundle we preinstall. Use your favorite software to flash ISO to USB.

Nord for Vim/Neovim is a carefully curated arctic, north-bluish color scheme designed for aesthetic harmony and low eye strain. Its palette centers on “Polar Night,” “Snow Storm,” and “Frost/Aurora” tones, giving a cool, subdued backdrop with distinct accents for keywords, strings, diagnostics, and UI chrome. The theme targets consistency across terminals and GUIs with true-color support and well-mapped 256-color fallbacks. It includes integration highlights for common plugins and Treesitter groups so that statuslines, file explorers, and LSP diagnostics look cohesive. Nord prioritizes clarity over flash, using contrast and hue separation to keep code readable in long sessions. The result is a calm, professional look that many developers adopt across editors, terminals, and UIs for a unified workspace.

vim-startify is a plugin that replaces or enhances Vim’s default blank start screen (when Vim is launched without files) with a more structured, usable homepage. On starting Vim, it presents a menu showing recently edited files, bookmarked files or sessions, and optionally saved sessions that can be resumed. The menu is navigable, and you can choose entries either by selecting with cursor keys or simply typing the bracketed number next to the item. Additionally, the plugin supports configuring custom headers/footers (for example with ASCII art or useful information) and even opening multiple files at once via the menu. This startup experience enhances productivity by giving immediate access to recent work or commonly edited files, reducing the need to type paths manually. It also supports sessions, so you can quickly restore your editing environment (splits, buffers) for a project.