The Plasma desktop for Linux and cross-platform KDE apps just got massive updates.
KDE Plasma is one of the most popular desktop environments for Linux PCs and phones, and the connected KDE framework powers many apps on Linux, Mac, and Windows. KDE 6 has been released, and it’s a massive update.
The KDE team wrote in a blog post, “With Plasma 6, our technology stack has undergone two major upgrades: a transition to the latest version of our application framework, Qt, and a migration to the modern Linux graphics platform, Wayland. We have done our best to ensure that these changes are as smooth and unnoticeable to the users as possible, so when you install this update, you will see the same familiar desktop environment that you know and love. But these under-the-hood upgrades benefit Plasma’s security, efficiency, and performance, and improve support for modern hardware.”
KDE Plasma 6 is mostly the same clean and customizable desktop, but there are many small improvements scattered through the interface. There’s now partial support for High Dynamic Range (HDR), partially thanks to code contributions from Valve so the Steam Deck OLED could use HDR. The bottom panel (KDE’s version of the Windows taskbar) now floats by default, like the macOS Dock, but you can revert back to the older design if you want. The default Breeze theme has also been updated with fewer frames and more consistent spacing.
