A major release of KDE's flagship desktop is coming soon
Exploring Plasma 6
For many users, Plasma 6 will look like a run-of-the-mill upgrade. But the moment you start digging, KDE being KDE, you will discover a world of new features and enhancements.
Plasma [1], the desktop environment many refer to incorrectly as "KDE," is going through an overhaul. (Plasma is actually the desktop component of the expansive KDE toolset.) When Qt [2], the set of libraries, frameworks, and tools KDE developers base most of their software on, was upgraded from version 5 to 6 in 2020, the process of migrating Plasma, as well as KDE's apps and frameworks, suddenly became a priority.
Developers were aware that a time would come when Qt, the company, would stop supporting the free 5.x branch of their software. The free version of Qt is the backbone that KDE is built on, and basing your products on an unsupported framework is a really bad idea.
Indeed, the Qt Group stopped supporting Qt 5.15 for free software projects in December 2020, the moment Qt 6.0 was released. It's worth noting that the Qt Group did maintain the support for the commercial proprietary version of Qt 5.15 until May 2023.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.