The MiDesktop project aims to bring the nostalgic feel of 1990s Linux computing back to modern systems. Announced by developer Alec Bloss in early 2025, this initiative has successfully adapted the KDE 1 desktop environment for contemporary use, compatible with Debian 13 and Ubuntu 24.04.
Currently, the project is in its initial development phase, offering packages that showcase a retro Linux experience. However, users should be aware that the software is still buggy, lacking several essential KDE applications such as KEdit and KWrite, and encountering issues with window resizing in Chrome and Firefox. Although it runs on X11, plans for a Wayland port are in the pipeline, though this will require significant effort.
For those interested in trying it out, MiDesktop can be installed via the official software repositories for Ubuntu and Debian. Post-installation, users can select a MiDesktop session on reboot, although caution is advised due to potential security vulnerabilities and the overall instability of this development release.