In the dynamic world of open-source software, the KDE community has once again proven its commitment to innovation with the highly anticipated release of Plasma 6. This significant milestone showcases the passion and dedication of the KDE community to building free open source software and being early adopters of new technology, such as migrating to Qt 6.
Let's dive into the exciting developments surrounding Plasma 6, explore the release notes, and recognize the invaluable contributions of KDE members to the Qt ecosystem.
The KDE Community
Behind every great project there are people; in this case, rather a community. At the heart of Plasma 6 lies the vibrant and inclusive KDE community, a global collective of developers, designers, and enthusiasts united by a passion for creating cutting-edge open-source software.
Plasma, KDE's flagship desktop environment, has earned a reputation for its user-centric design, customization capabilities, and robust performance. The release of Plasma 6 further cements KDE's commitment to providing an intuitive and visually stunning computing experience.
Exploring Plasma 6
Plasma 6 introduces many exciting features and enhancements, making it a significant leap forward in desktop computing.
Release Highlights:
• Qt 6 and Wayland Migration
As the latest iteration of the Qt toolkit, Qt 6 introduces a heap of improvements, performance optimizations, and modern features that elevate the overall development experience. This transition not only ensures that Plasma 6 remains at the forefront of technological advancements but also underscores KDE's commitment to providing users with a cutting-edge, stable, and efficient desktop environment. The embrace of Wayland as the primary display server protocol is equally significant, as it represents a forward-looking approach to display management. Wayland's improved security, performance, and native support for modern hardware align seamlessly with Plasma 6's quest for an enhanced user experience.
• Overview and Desktop Grid
The Overview and Desktop Grid effects were combined into one and massively improved its touchpad gestures.
• Cube Effect
Yes, it's back. And guess what, it is powered by QtQuick3D!
• Colors
Plasma on Wayland now has partial support for High Dynamic Range (HDR).
You can set an ICC profile for each screen individually and Plasma will adjust the colors accordingly.
Improving accessibility, for color blindness correction filters was added, which can also help in case of protanopia, deuteranopia or tritanopia.
KDE MegaRelease
Plasma 6 is just one of the many recent releases by KDE. Take a look at their announcement page to find more about this and other exciting releases.
As QML applications, it is worth mentioning Neochat and Spectacle.
We at Qt Group celebrate the Plasma 6 releases, its migration to Qt 6, and our ongoing collaboration with the KDE community though our KDE Free Qt Foundation, which has reached its 25 year mark.
We welcome and value how much KDE contributes to the Qt Project; and we highlight the porting process, in which KDE members have contributed with both code and bug reports, while also adding support for new Wayland protocols.
The journey of KDE and Qt together exemplifies the true spirit of collaboration and shared progress in the open source ecosystem.
We look forward to meeting you all at KDE Akademy later this year!
Your Qt Team,
Pedro Bessa
Community Specialist
Volker Hilsheimer
Director, R&D & Qt Project Chief Maintainer
