● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 neutral
KDE Releases Plasma 6.8, Ends Native X11 Session Support
Key points
- KDE released Plasma 6.8 on its 30th anniversary.
- Plasma 6.8 ends native X11 session support, moving to Wayland.
- Legacy X11 apps will use XWayland compatibility layer.
- New features include improved window decorations and Union theming.
Plasma 6.8 Released with Wayland Focus
KDE announced the release of Plasma 6.8, coinciding with the software developer's 30th anniversary. This version is designated as the "30th Anniversary Edition" and focuses on preparing the Plasma desktop environment for future technological shifts.
A significant change in Plasma 6.8 is the removal of native X11 session support. Plasma will now fully adopt the Wayland display server system. Legacy X11 applications will continue to function through the XWayland compatibility layer, and KDE applications will still support X11 when used with other desktop environments.
Transition from X11 to Wayland
The decision to drop native X11 session support aligns Plasma with a broader industry trend, as the X11 protocol, after 42 years, is being phased out by major desktop environments. GNOME, for instance, plans to drop X11 sessions by default in 2025. Users who wish to retain X11 sessions can remain on Plasma 6.7 for the time being.
New Features and Improvements
Plasma 6.8 introduces several enhancements. These include expanded support for adding window decorations, such as shadows and rounded corners, to third-party applications. The update also features a more streamlined Union theming system.
Other additions include Nvidia triple buffering being enabled by default, integration of the Kup backup utility into Plasma, and the introduction of kscreenctl, a command-line utility for adjusting display configurations.
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Primary sources
GitHub KDE/kupReporting from
KDE released Plasma 6.8, marking its 30th anniversary, and removed native X11 session support, fully adopting Wayland. This update prepares Plasma for future display server technologies and introduces several user interface and utility improvements.