The Linux desktop environment has long been a bastion of customization, security, and performance. With the release of KDE Plasma 6.0, the KDE community has taken these qualities to a new level. This major release brings a list of new features and improvements that promise to redefine the Linux desktop experience.
What’s new In KDE Plasma 6.0
Table of Contents
The Transition to Qt 6 and Wayland
One of the most significant changes in Plasma 6.0 is the transition to the latest version of the Qt application framework and the modern Linux graphics platform, Wayland. This move not only enhances the security, efficiency, and performance of Plasma but also improves support for modern hardware. Users will notice a smoother and more reliable user experience that paves the way for future improvements.
The New Overview Effect
The Overview and Desktop Grid effects have been combined into one in Plasma 6.0 with significant improvements to touchpad gestures. This makes multitasking and navigating between applications even more intuitive and seamless.
Colors and High Dynamic Range (HDR)
Plasma on Wayland now has partial support for High Dynamic Range (HDR), providing richer and deeper colors for games, videos, and visual creations. Users can also set an ICC profile for each screen individually with Plasma adjusting the colors accordingly. On top of that, Plasma now supports color blindness correction filters which enhances accessibility for users with color vision deficiencies.
New Wallpaper and Wallpaper Settings
The mesmerizing ‘Scarlet Tree’ wallpaper by axo1otl is now available in Plasma 6.0 which captures the dynamic interplay between the sun’s vibrant energy and the comet’s celestial dance. Users can change their wallpaper from System Settings, with options to change the wallpaper for specific screens or all screens simultaneously.
The Floating Panel
The panel now floats by default in Plasma 6.0 and provides a more modern and flexible user experience. We can also configure panels with an intelligent auto-hide mode (“Dodge Windows”) to make them hide when windows touch them.
Refreshed Breeze Theme
The Breeze theme has been overhauled in Plasma 6.0 to give it a more modern look and feel with fewer frames and more consistent spacing. This refresh enhances the overall aesthetic of Plasma and makes it more visually appealing.
Reorganized Settings
The Settings app has been improved in Plasma 6.0 and makes it more user-friendly. It reduces the number of nested pages.
Buttons have been relocated to the toolbar on many settings pages, enhancing consistency with other applications and creating additional space for content. We can now customize their sound theme with a new default sound theme named “Ocean” introduced to replace the “Oxygen” sound theme.
The Return of the Cube Effect
The famous cube effect which was temporarily removed in previous versions of Plasma due to architectural improvements in KWin, is now back in Plasma 6.0. This effect provides a clear visualization of multiple desktops and is a fun way to showcase Plasma’s capabilities.
Plasma Search
Plasma Search now lets users customize the ordering of search results to provide a more personalized search experience. We can also convert between time zones and making it easier to keep in touch with colleagues, friends, and family in different parts of the world.
Improved Fingerprint Unlock
Plasma 6.0 now supports both password and fingerprint authentication for the lock screen simultaneously to provide users with more flexibility and convenience.
Support for More Islamic Calendars
The calendar applet now supports the Astronomical and Umm al-Qura Calendar in addition to the existing Julian, Milankovic, Chinese Lunar, Indian, Hebrew, Persian, and Islamic Civil calendars.
KDE Gear 24.04
KMail and KOrganizer Enhancements
KMail, the email viewer, now removes ads and tracking code from emails using a more powerful ad blocker written in Rust. The email composer now shows the validity and trust level of OpenPGP keys of recipients and warns users when keys are almost or currently expired.
KOrganizer now lets us send encrypted and signed email invitations which ensures confidentiality in professional settings.
Itinerary
Itinerary is KDE’s travel assistant that has been improved in Plasma 6.0. The default home screen now allows users to organize their preferred applications in a grid and group them.
A welcome screen has been added on the first launch, guiding users through configuring WiFi, timezone, device scaling, and mobile connection settings.
Kdenlive
Kdenlive, the video editor, has been updated to Qt 6 in Gear 24.02 with many applications adopting a more frameless look for their interface.
Dolphin
Dolphin, KDE’s file and folder explorer, has been redesigned in Plasma 6.0. The settings have been reorganized to make them easier to navigate, and accessibility improvements have been made with toolbar buttons and the disk space in the status bar now keyboard-accessible.
Spectacle
KDE’s screenshot utility, Spectacle, has been improved in Plasma 6.0. Recording features have been enhanced with a system tray icon now showing the time recorded. We can now record any arbitrary part of the screen, in addition to the whole screen or an application window.
NeoChat
NeoChat, KDE’s Matrix client, has been updated in Plasma 6.0. A welcome page now lets users choose which account to use and log in to other accounts. Users can register a new account directly from the app, and deactivating a Matrix account is now possible from within NeoChat.
PlasmaTube
PlasmaTube, KDE’s YouTube client, has been updated in Plasma 6.0. We can now search for videos, view video details, and play videos in full screen.
Tokodon
KDE’s Mastodon client, Tokodon, has been updated in Plasma 6.0. Users can now write new posts more easily with the option to set focal points for followers to see in their timelines.
Users can also hide boosts and replies in their main timeline, and reporting and muting accounts are now more accessible.
Download KDE Neon
If you want to use KDE Plasma 6.0, download and test the latest KDE Neon.
Conclusion
So that’s KDE Plasma 6.0. With a great list of new features and improvements, Plasma 6 is now more beautiful than ever. I remember including Plasma in one of my first reviews of the best Linux desktop environments, and I am glad to say that it has maintained its status in the list.
