RedBear-OS/local/docs/CONSOLE-TO-KDE-DESKTOP-PLAN.md

Red Bear OS: Console to Hardware-Accelerated KDE Desktop on Wayland

Version: 2.0 (2026-04-16) Replaces: All prior console-to-KDE roadmap documents Status: Canonical desktop path plan

Purpose

This is the single authoritative plan for the Red Bear OS path from console boot to a hardware-accelerated KDE Plasma desktop running on Wayland.

It consolidates and replaces the planning role previously held by:

• docs/03-WAYLAND-ON-REDOX.md (historical Wayland rationale)
• docs/05-KDE-PLASMA-ON-REDOX.md (historical KDE rationale)
• local/docs/AMD-FIRST-INTEGRATION.md (AMD-specific hardware detail)
• local/docs/PHASE-0-3-REASSESSMENT.md (deprecated reconciliation doc)
• Prior revisions of this document (v1, which used a different Phase 1–5 breakdown)

Those documents remain useful for subsystem detail, porting history, and design rationale. This document answers the higher-level question: what must happen, in what order, before Red Bear OS can honestly claim a usable KDE Plasma desktop on Wayland — first in software, then with real hardware acceleration.

This plan is grounded in the current repo state, not greenfield assumptions. The project has substantial build-side progress across relibc, driver infrastructure, Wayland, Mesa, Qt6, KF6, D-Bus, and desktop-facing profiles. The remaining problem is not package absence. It is the gap between what builds and what is runtime-trusted.

Scope: console boot → first Wayland compositor proof → software-rendered Qt6 on Wayland → hardware GPU validation → KWin session bring-up → KDE Plasma session bring-up.

Out of scope: USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (covered by their own subsystem plans).

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Evidence Model

This plan uses strict evidence classes. They are not interchangeable.

Class	Meaning	Safe to say	Not safe to say
builds	Package compiles and stages	"builds"	"works"
boots	Image reaches prompt or known runtime surface	"boots"	"desktop works"
enumerates	Scheme/device node appears and answers basic queries	"enumerates"	"usable end to end"
usable	Bounded runtime path performs its intended task	"usable for this path"	"broadly stable"
validated	Repeated proof on the intended target class	"validated"	"complete everywhere"
experimental	Partial, scaffolded, or unproven	"experimental"	"done"

Rules:

• Compiles-only → called builds
• Boots but doesn't complete a session → called boots
• Daemon registers a scheme → called enumerates
• Only QEMU proof → claim stays bounded to QEMU
• Dependencies still shimmed/stubbed → layer remains experimental
• Nothing is validated without repeated runtime proof on the intended target class

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Current State Baseline

Honest capability matrix

Area	State	Evidence	Notes
AMD bare-metal boot	validated	Boot, ACPI, SMP, x2APIC all work	Bounded to current tested hardware
relibc Wayland/Qt unblockers	builds	signalfd, timerfd, eventfd, open_memstream, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, MSG_NOSIGNAL, bounded waitid, bounded RLIMIT, bounded eth0 networking, shm_open, bounded sem_open, bounded sys/ipc.h, bounded sys/shm.h	Runtime pressure from real consumers still untested
redox-driver-sys	builds	Driver substrate
linux-kpi	builds	Linux kernel API compatibility layer
firmware-loader	builds, boots	scheme:firmware registers at boot
redox-drm (AMD + Intel)	builds	DRM scheme daemon	No hardware runtime validation
amdgpu C port	builds	AMD DC + TTM + linux-kpi compat	No hardware runtime validation
evdevd	builds, boots	scheme:evdev registers at boot
udev-shim	builds, boots	scheme:udev registers at boot
libwayland 1.24.0	builds	No compositor proof yet
wayland-protocols	builds	Build blocker removed
Mesa EGL + GBM + GLES2	builds	Software rendering via LLVMpipe proven	Hardware path not proven
libdrm + libdrm_amdgpu	builds	Package-level success only
Qt6 qtbase 6.11.0	builds	Core, Gui, Widgets, DBus, Wayland, OpenGL, EGL
qtdeclarative	builds	QML JIT disabled
qtsvg	builds
qtwayland	builds
D-Bus 1.16.2	builds, bounded runtime	System bus wired in redbear-full
libinput 1.30.2	builds	Runtime integration open
libevdev 1.13.2	builds	Runtime integration open
seatd	builds	Session-management runtime proof open
All 32 KF6 frameworks	builds	Major build milestone
kdecoration	builds
plasma-wayland-protocols	builds
kf6-kwayland	builds
kf6-kcmutils	builds	Widget-only build (QML stripped)
redbear-wayland profile	builds, boots	Bounded Wayland runtime profile
redbear-full profile	builds, boots	Broader desktop plumbing profile
redbear-kde profile	builds	KDE session-surface profile	KWin only, not plasma-workspace/desktop yet
smallvil compositor path	experimental	Reaches xkbcommon init + EGL platform selection in QEMU	No complete session
qt6-wayland-smoke	builds, partial	Creates QWindow with colored background, runs 3 seconds
QEMU graphics	usable (bounded)	Renderer is llvmpipe	Not hardware acceleration
D-Bus system bus (redbear-full)	usable (bounded)	Not full session integration
VirtIO networking (QEMU)	usable
KWin	experimental, blocked	Recipe exists, blocked by shimmed/stubbed deps
plasma-workspace	experimental	Recipe exists, incomplete deps
plasma-desktop	experimental	Recipe exists, incomplete deps
QtNetwork	blocked	Intentionally disabled — relibc networking too narrow
Hardware GPU acceleration	blocked	PRIME/DMA-BUF scheme ioctls implemented, no GPU CS ioctl
Working Wayland compositor session	blocked	Runtime not proven
KWin compositor runtime	blocked	Runtime not proven
KDE Plasma session	blocked	Runtime not proven

What is DONE (build-side)

The repo has crossed major build-side gates:

1. relibc surface — signalfd, timerfd, eventfd, open_memstream, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, MSG_NOSIGNAL, bounded waitid, bounded RLIMIT, bounded eth0 networking, shm_open, bounded sem_open, bounded sys/ipc.h, bounded sys/shm.h
2. Driver substrate — redox-driver-sys, linux-kpi, firmware-loader, redox-drm (AMD+Intel), amdgpu C port, evdevd, udev-shim
3. Wayland/graphics packages — libwayland, wayland-protocols, Mesa EGL+GBM+GLES2, libdrm, libdrm_amdgpu
4. Qt6 + D-Bus — qtbase (7 libs + 12 plugins), qtdeclarative (11 libs), qtsvg, qtwayland, D-Bus 1.16.2
5. KF6 + KDE-facing — All 32 KF6 frameworks, kdecoration, plasma-wayland-protocols, kf6-kwayland, kf6-kcmutils
6. Tracked profiles — redbear-wayland, redbear-full, redbear-kde

What is runtime-proven (limited scope)

• AMD bare-metal boot with ACPI, SMP, x2APIC
• redbear-wayland boots in QEMU, smallvil reaches early init
• QEMU graphics via llvmpipe (software)
• D-Bus system bus wired in redbear-full
• VirtIO networking in QEMU
• firmware-loader, evdevd, udev-shim register schemes at boot

What is NOT DONE

Runtime not proven:

• No GPU hardware-accelerated rendering
• No working Wayland compositor session
• No KWin compositor runtime
• No KDE Plasma session
• Qt6 OpenGL/EGL only have software-path proof

Builds still blocked/scaffolded:

• KWin does not build with fully real dependencies (4 stub deps: libepoxy, libudev, lcms2, libdisplay-info)
• kirigami is stub-only
• kf6-kio is a heavy shim
• 9 KWin feature switches remain disabled
• QtNetwork disabled (relibc networking incomplete)

Baseline conclusion

The repo is no longer stuck at package availability. It is limited by runtime trust, hardware validation, and KWin/Plasma session assembly. That is the real starting point.

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Dependency Stack

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           KDE Plasma Session                                 │
│       plasma-workspace, plasma-desktop, shell, panels, launcher, apps        │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│                    KWin desktop-session layer                               │
│            KWin, kdecoration, seat and session wiring                       │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│                 Qt6 and KDE frameworks                                       │
│       Qt6 Widgets, QtWayland, QtDBus, QML, KF6, KDE support libs            │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│              Wayland compositor and protocols                                │
│        smallvil first, then KWin, plus libwayland                            │
│        NOTE: KWin replaces smallvil as the compositor in Phase 3,            │
│        spanning both the compositor layer and the session layer.             │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│             Mesa, GBM, EGL, GLES2, libdrm                                   │
│       software path first, hardware path after DMA-BUF                       │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│          DRM, KMS, firmware, input, device enumeration                       │
│       redox-drm, amdgpu, Intel path, evdevd, udev-shim                      │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│           Kernel and libc substrate for desktop                              │
│        relibc, fd passing, DMA-BUF, IRQ, PCI, schemes                        │
├──────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│              Hardware and boot substrate                                     │
│       AMD64 boot, ACPI, SMP, x2APIC, AMD and Intel GPUs                     │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Layer-by-layer status

Layer	State	What's proven	What's missing
Hardware + boot	partly runtime-proven	AMD boot, ACPI, SMP, x2APIC	Desktop-path validation on real AMD/Intel GPUs
Kernel + libc	strong build-side, runtime incomplete	relibc surfaces, driver substrate	Real Wayland/Qt event-loop pressure, GPU CS ioctl
DRM/firmware/input	build + boot visible, not runtime-trusted	Scheme registration at boot	Real firmware loading, real input flow, real DRM/KMS queries
Graphics userland	software builds, hardware blocked	Mesa EGL/GBM/GLES2, libdrm, Qt6 OpenGL	Hardware renderer path, GBM/EGL on hardware
Wayland compositor	partial runtime, not complete	smallvil reaches early init in QEMU	Complete compositor session, input routing, Qt6 client display
Qt6 + KF6	build milestone, runtime thin	All packages build	Real Qt6 Wayland client behavior, QML without JIT
KWin session	experimental, blocked	Recipes exist, some features re-enabled	Honest deps, KWin runtime, session services
KDE Plasma	not yet proven	Recipe surfaces exist	plasma-workspace, plasma-desktop, shell, panel, apps

Conclusion

The shortest honest path is not "port more packages". It is:

1. Validate the substrate (turn builds into runtime trust)
2. Finish one software compositor path (smallvil)
3. Finish one KWin session path (on software renderer)
4. Finish one Plasma session path (on software renderer)
5. Land real hardware acceleration (in parallel with steps 3–4)

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Phased Work Plan

This plan uses a three-track model:

• Track A: Runtime Substrate → Compositor (sequential, blocking)
• Track B: Desktop Session Assembly (sequential after Track A, Phase 2)
• Track C: Hardware GPU Enablement (parallel with Track B)

Track A (Phases 1–2): Substrate → Software Compositor
    Phase 1: Runtime Substrate Validation (4–6 weeks)
    Phase 2: Wayland Compositor Proof (4–6 weeks)

Track B (Phases 3–4): Desktop Session Assembly
    Phase 3: KWin Desktop Session (6–10 weeks, starts after Phase 2)
    Phase 4: KDE Plasma Session (8–12 weeks, starts after Phase 3)

Track C (parallel): Hardware GPU Enablement
    Phase 5: Hardware GPU Enablement (12–20 weeks, starts after Phase 1)

Phase 1: Runtime Substrate Validation

Duration: 4–6 weeks Goal: Turn the lowest desktop-facing layers from build-visible into runtime-trusted. Why it matters most: Without this phase, all later failures will be impossible to diagnose correctly.

Work items

#	Task	Acceptance criteria
1.1	Validate relibc POSIX APIs against real consumers (libwayland, Qt6)	signalfd/timerfd/eventfd pass libwayland event-loop smoke test; shm_open/sem_open pass Qt6 shared-memory path; waitid passes Qt6 process exit detection
1.2	Validate evdevd path: input schemes → /dev/input/eventX	Keyboard/mouse events arrive with correct semantics
1.3	Validate udev-shim device enumeration	libinput can enumerate at least one keyboard and one pointer device through udev-shim; DRM devices are visible to Mesa
1.4	Validate firmware-loader with real blobs + real consumer	Blob is requestable, loadable, consumable at runtime
1.5	Validate scheme:drm/card0 registration + bounded KMS queries in QEMU	Scheme registers, answers basic queries, no startup-class failures
1.6	Produce repeatable runtime-service health check for redbear-wayland	redbear-info or equivalent shows all Phase 1 services as functional

Exit criteria

• redbear-wayland boots in validation environment
• All Phase 1 runtime services register without startup errors
• relibc runtime checks pass for desktop-facing consumers
• Input path reaches evdevd and yields expected event nodes + bounded test events
• udev-shim exposes expected bounded device view
• firmware-loader serves at least one real consumer path with real blobs
• scheme:drm/card0 registers and answers bounded basic queries

Exit statement

The desktop substrate is no longer only a build artifact. It is runtime-trusted enough to support a compositor completion pass.

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Phase 2: Wayland Compositor Runtime Proof

Duration: 4–6 weeks Goal: Produce the first working Wayland compositor session using software rendering. Profile target: redbear-wayland Renderer: LLVMpipe (software) — acceptable for correctness proof.

Why smallvil first

Jumping straight to KWin combines too many unknowns: compositor runtime, input, QML, session services, dependency scaffolding. smallvil is smaller, easier to debug, already present. It isolates compositor + input + Qt client issues before session-shell complexity.

Work items

#	Task	Acceptance criteria
2.1	Complete smallvil runtime path to usable session	smallvil launches, creates a Wayland surface, and does not crash for at least 60 seconds in QEMU; WAYLAND_DISPLAY is set and a client can connect
2.2	Wire evdevd input into compositor	Keyboard + mouse work through Redox input stack
2.3	Wire Mesa software rendering through GBM + EGL	Software rendering works through Mesa/GBM/EGL
2.4	Get Qt6 widget app to display through compositor	qt6-wayland-smoke shows a window inside compositor in QEMU

Exit criteria

• smallvil launches into a working session in QEMU
• Keyboard and mouse work through the current input stack
• Mesa software rendering works through GBM and EGL
• qt6-wayland-smoke shows a window inside the compositor in QEMU

Exit statement

Red Bear OS has a working software-rendered Wayland compositor path with a visible Qt6 client.

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Phase 3: KWin Desktop Session

Duration: 6–10 weeks (starts after Phase 2) Goal: Turn compositor proof into a real desktop-session substrate centered on KWin. Profile target: redbear-kde Renderer: LLVMpipe (software) — KWin inherits accelerated renderer once Phase 5 lands.

Blocked dependency set that must be closed

Stub dependencies (INTERFACE IMPORTED cmake targets without real implementations):

Stub	Must become	Path
libepoxy-stub	Real libepoxy build	Port or find minimal GL dispatch alternative
libudev-stub	Real libudev or enhanced udev-shim lib	Extend udev-shim to provide libudev API
lcms2-stub	Real lcms2 build	Port lcms2 color management library
libdisplay-info-stub	Real libdisplay-info build	Port or find alternative

Stub-only/heavily shimmed packages:

Package	Current state	Path forward
kirigami	Stub-only for dep resolution	Real build needed for QML-dependent Plasma shell
kf6-kio	Heavy shim build	Must become honest build for session claims

KWin feature switches (9 still disabled):

Switch	Why disabled	Re-enable condition
BUILD_WITH_QML=OFF	QML-dependent paths	QML runtime proof in Phase 2
KWIN_BUILD_KCMS=OFF	Requires QML	After BUILD_WITH_QML
KWIN_BUILD_EFFECTS=OFF	Desktop effects	After basic compositor works
KWIN_BUILD_TABBOX=OFF	Alt-tab switcher	After basic window management works
KWIN_BUILD_SCREENLOCKING=OFF	Screen locking	Late session polish
KWIN_BUILD_SCREENLOCKER=OFF	Screenlocker binary	Late session polish
KWIN_BUILD_X11=OFF	X11 windowing	Intentional: Wayland-only
KWIN_BUILD_RUNNING_IN_KDE=OFF	KDE runtime detection	After KWin runs as compositor
KWIN_BUILD_ELECTRONICALLY_SIGNING_DOCS=OFF	Document signing	Low priority

5 switches already re-enabled (deps verified built): DECORATIONS, GLOBALSHORTCUTS, RUNNERS, NOTIFICATIONS, USE_DBUS.

Work items

#	Task	Acceptance criteria
3.1	Resolve KWin stubbed blockers (libepoxy, libudev, lcms2, libdisplay-info)	KWin cmake configure succeeds without any -stub INTERFACE IMPORTED targets; ldd on the KWin binary shows real .so links for all four libraries
3.2	Launch KWin as Wayland compositor	KWin process starts, registers WAYLAND_DISPLAY, and owns the display output for at least 60 seconds without crash
3.3	Validate libinput backend behavior	Keyboard keypress and mouse motion events arrive at a KWin-managed window via libinput + evdevd chain
3.4	Validate D-Bus session behavior	dbus-send --session --dest=org.kde.KWin /KWin org.kde.KWin.supportInformation returns a non-empty string
3.5	Validate seatd for bounded KWin session model	seatd grants the KWin process graphics+input seat access; a client launched under the same seat receives input events

Exit criteria

• KWin cmake configure succeeds without any -stub INTERFACE IMPORTED targets
• KWin process starts and registers WAYLAND_DISPLAY
• KWin owns display output for at least 60 seconds without crash
• Keyboard and mouse events arrive at KWin-managed windows
• D-Bus session bus responds to KWin supportInformation query
• seatd grants graphics+input seat access to KWin

Exit statement

Red Bear OS has a working Wayland desktop session substrate centered on KWin.

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Phase 4: KDE Plasma Session

Duration: 8–12 weeks (starts after Phase 3) Goal: Boot into a KDE Plasma session with essential desktop shell and session services. Profile target: redbear-kde

Work items

#	Task	Acceptance criteria
4.1	Complete plasma-workspace compilation + integration	plasma-workspace cmake configure succeeds without stub targets; binary stages to sysroot
4.2	Complete plasma-desktop compilation + integration	plasma-desktop cmake configure succeeds without stub targets; binary stages to sysroot
4.3	Shell, panel, launcher visible and usable	plasmashell process starts; panel renders at least app launcher + clock; clicking launcher opens and closes an app
4.4	File-manager and settings paths working	dolphin (or kfmclient) opens a directory view; systemsettings opens a settings module
4.5	Bounded network + audio integration	ip addr shows a configured interface inside Plasma session; a sound card device node is visible under /dev/snd/ or equivalent scheme

Dependency chain to close

plasma-desktop
  └── plasma-workspace
        ├── kf6-knewstuff (currently stub) → Phase 4: must become real or bounded real build
        ├── kf6-kwallet (currently stub) → Phase 4: must become real or bounded real build
        ├── kf6-prison (real recipe, needs compilation) → Phase 4: compile + validate
        └── other unresolved deps → identify during Phase 3

Cross-phase blocker ownership

Blocker	Named in "NOT DONE"	Owned by phase
kirigami stub-only	Yes	Phase 4 — real build needed for QML-dependent Plasma shell components
kf6-kio heavy shim	Yes	Phase 3 — KWin uses kf6-kio for runners; honest KWin claim requires honest kio
QtNetwork disabled	Yes	Post-Phase 4 — not a desktop session blocker; network clients will use it after relibc networking matures
kf6-knewstuff/kwallet stubs	Yes	Phase 4 — plasma-workspace dependency

Exit criteria

• redbear-kde boots into a KDE Plasma session (plasmashell process is running)
• KWin is the active compositor (WAYLAND_DISPLAY owned by KWin)
• Plasma panel renders and is interactive (launcher opens, clock visible)
• An application can be launched from the session and displays a window
• A file-manager path opens a directory view
• A settings module opens from systemsettings
• Network interface is visible inside Plasma session

Exit statement

If Phase 5 incomplete: Red Bear OS has a software-rendered KDE Plasma session on Wayland. If Phase 5 complete: Red Bear OS has a hardware-accelerated KDE Plasma session on Wayland.

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Phase 5: Hardware GPU Enablement

Duration: 12–20 weeks (starts after Phase 1, runs in parallel with Phases 3–4) Goal: Replace software-only graphics with real hardware-accelerated display + rendering. Why separate: Hardware acceleration is a different class of systems work. It should not block KWin/Plasma session assembly, which can proceed on the software renderer. Dependency note: Phase 5 can start after Phase 1 (substrate trust), but its final acceptance criterion ("compositor runs through hardware path") requires a working compositor from Phase 2 or Phase 3. In practice, Track C's final validation gate depends on Track A completing first.

Work items

#	Task	Acceptance criteria
5.1	Implement GPU command submission (CS ioctl)	PRIME buffer sharing already implemented; CS ioctl is the gating missing piece
5.2	Validate redox-drm AMD driver on real hardware	Device detection, MMIO mapping, firmware loading, connector detection, mode enumeration, bounded modeset proof
5.3	Validate redox-drm Intel driver on real hardware	Same validation surface as AMD
5.4	Validate Mesa hardware rendering path	Real renderer (radeonsi for AMD, iris/anv for Intel), not llvmpipe
5.5	Validate GBM buffer allocation through hardware path	GBM allocates through real DRM/GPU, not software fallback

Exit criteria

• GPU command submission exists with focused proof coverage
• modetest -M amd shows display modes on real AMD hardware
• Equivalent Intel DRM query shows display modes on real Intel hardware
• Compositor runs through hardware path on at least one AMD + one Intel class
• Runtime evidence shows hardware-backed renderer, not software fallback

Exit statement

Red Bear OS can drive real display hardware and run the compositor on a hardware-accelerated path.

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Critical Path

Primary path to software-rendered KDE session

Phase 1 (runtime substrate validation)
  → Phase 2 (software Wayland compositor proof)
    → Phase 3 (KWin desktop-session assembly)
      → Phase 4 (KDE Plasma session)

This is the shortest honest path. ~22–34 weeks with 2 developers.

Parallel hardware path

Phase 1 (runtime substrate validation)
  → Phase 5 (hardware GPU enablement, parallel with Phases 3–4)

Phase 5 + Phase 3 + Phase 4
  → hardware-accelerated KDE Plasma desktop

~34–54 weeks total with 2 developers for hardware-accelerated KDE.

Why Phase 1 is the real gate

Phase 1 converts lower-layer package progress into runtime trust. Without it, Phase 2+ failures will be misdiagnosed as compositor bugs when they're actually substrate bugs.

Why smallvil before KWin

Smallest environment to isolate compositor + input + Qt client issues. KWin adds session services, QML, dependency scaffolding, and desktop-shell behavior on top.

Why hardware doesn't block session assembly

KWin and Plasma have their own blockers (dependency cleanup, session services, compositor integration). Those can be solved on software renderer while hardware path matures.

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Risk Register

ID	Risk	Likelihood	Impact	Mitigation
R1	relibc runtime gaps worse than build evidence suggests	Medium	High	Validate with real consumers in Phase 1
R2	GPU CS ioctl scope is uncertain	High	High	Isolate design + proof early in Phase 5
R3	Real-hardware validation reveals fundamental driver issues	High	High	Validate AMD and Intel separately
R4	KWin needs significantly more patches than estimated	Medium	High	Finish smallvil proof first for cleaner lower-layer evidence
R5	QML-heavy pieces behave badly with JIT disabled	Medium	Medium-High	Keep QML runtime proof explicit in Phases 3–4
R6	Mesa hardware rendering needs Redox-specific winsys work	Medium	High	Separate display proof from renderer proof
R7	linux-kpi gaps only surface during real-hardware execution	High	Medium-High	Budget for hardware-driven compat fixes in Phase 5
R8	kirigami/stub deps cannot be resolved without full QML stack	Medium	High	Evaluate early in Phase 3; may need alternative approach

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Timeline

Planning assumptions

• 2 developers with access to representative AMD and Intel hardware
• No major regression from upstream refresh during desktop push
• Estimates do not assume perfect first-pass success on real hardware

Phase estimates

Phase	Weeks	Notes
Phase 1: Runtime Substrate Validation	4–6	Must finish honestly before claiming runtime trust
Phase 2: Wayland Compositor Proof	4–6	Can overlap with late Phase 1 cleanup
Phase 3: KWin Desktop Session	6–10	Starts after Phase 2; lower bound is optimistic — assumes stub/shim cleanup stays bounded
Phase 4: KDE Plasma Session	8–12	Starts after Phase 3; lower bound assumes kirigami/knewstuff stubs resolve without major rework
Phase 5: Hardware GPU Enablement	12–20	Starts after Phase 1, parallel with 3–4

Total duration (2 developers)

Target	Weeks	Months
Software-rendered KDE Plasma on Wayland	22–34	6–8
Hardware-accelerated KDE Plasma on Wayland	34–54	8–13

One-developer estimate

Target	Months
Software-rendered KDE	9–16
Hardware-accelerated KDE	12–27

Rough overlap model

Weeks  1– 6: Phase 1 (runtime substrate validation)
Weeks  4–12: Phase 2 (software compositor proof)
Weeks  7–26: Phase 5 (hardware GPU enablement, parallel)
Weeks 13–22: Phase 3 (KWin session assembly)
Weeks 23–34: Phase 4 (KDE Plasma session)

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Relationship to Other Plans

This is the canonical document for the desktop path. It does not replace subsystem-specific plans.

Primary supporting plans

Plan	What it covers
local/docs/AMD-FIRST-INTEGRATION.md	AMD-specific GPU/driver detail (equal-priority AMD+Intel policy)
local/docs/QT6-PORT-STATUS.md	Qt6, KF6, KWin blocker/shim/stub status detail
local/docs/DESKTOP-STACK-CURRENT-STATUS.md	Short current-state desktop truth summary
local/docs/RELIBC-COMPLETENESS-AND-ENHANCEMENT-PLAN.md	relibc completeness detail + patch ownership
local/docs/INPUT-SCHEME-ENHANCEMENT.md	Input-path design if structural cleanup needed
local/docs/P2-AMD-GPU-DISPLAY.md	AMD display status + validation targets
local/docs/DMA-BUF-IMPROVEMENT-PLAN.md	DMA-BUF scheme detail
local/docs/IRQ-AND-LOWLEVEL-CONTROLLERS-ENHANCEMENT-PLAN.md	Controller/IRQ/IOMMU quality work
local/docs/PROFILE-MATRIX.md	Profile roles + support-language reference

How to use this plan

1. Read this document first for execution order, claim language, completion criteria, critical path
2. Read subsystem plans for exact relibc, driver, package, or input details behind those phases
3. Use docs/07-RED-BEAR-OS-IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md for the repo-wide workstream ordering

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Pre-Phase Work (Already Complete)

The following work was completed before this plan was written. It is listed here for continuity, not as future work.

Work	Status	When
AMD bare-metal boot (ACPI, SMP, x2APIC)	✅ Complete	Prior to this plan
Driver infrastructure (redox-driver-sys, linux-kpi, firmware-loader)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
AMD GPU display (redox-drm, amdgpu C port)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
relibc POSIX unblockers (signalfd, timerfd, eventfd, etc.)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
Qt6 base stack (qtbase, qtdeclarative, qtsvg, qtwayland)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
D-Bus 1.16.2	✅ Builds + bounded runtime	Prior to this plan
All 32 KF6 frameworks	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
Input stack (libevdev, libinput, evdevd, udev-shim)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
Mesa EGL/GBM/GLES2 + libdrm amdgpu	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
Desktop profiles (redbear-wayland, redbear-full, redbear-kde)	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan
PRIME/DMA-BUF scheme ioctls	✅ Implemented	Prior to this plan
KWin recipe with 5 re-enabled features	✅ Partial build	Prior to this plan
kdecoration, plasma-wayland-protocols, kf6-kwayland	✅ Builds complete	Prior to this plan