{"id":237,"date":"2026-10-14T23:50:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T21:50:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxundich.de\/en\/?p=237"},"modified":"2026-10-14T23:50:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T21:50:52","slug":"30-years-kde-plasma-6-8-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxundich.de\/en\/30-years-kde-plasma-6-8-documentary\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Years of KDE: Plasma 6.8 Drops X11, Plus a Birthday Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Exactly 30 years ago today, on October 14, 1996, a student from T\u00fcbingen named Matthias Ettrich went looking for fellow developers on Usenet. His goal: a graphical interface for Linux that ordinary end users could handle, not just admins. That call turned into KDE, one of the largest communities in free software. For the birthday there are three things: Plasma 6.8, a documentary, and a fundraiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name originally stood for Kool Desktop Environment, a nod to the commercial Common Desktop Environment (CDE) on other Unix systems. Because KDE was built on Qt, whose license wasn’t really free back then, GNOME came about as the counter-project. The short version of the years that followed, according to heise<\/a> (in German): the KDE e.V. association in 1997, KDE 1 in 1998, later the much-loved KDE 3, and in 2008 the rather bumpy KDE 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KDE 4 drove a lot of users away at the time, and some still maintain its predecessor today as the Trinity desktop. At the same time, that release brought along programs like Dolphin and Okular as well as the Plasma interface. Today the project is split into the KDE Frameworks libraries, the KDE Gear applications, and the KDE Plasma desktop. Plasma now also runs on smartphones, TVs, and the Steam Deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plasma 6.8: So Long, X11<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right on time for the birthday, Plasma 6.8 is out<\/a>, and this release draws a thick line: Plasma no longer starts an X11 session and runs on Wayland only. GNOME already led the way here. Older programs that still need X11 keep working through XWayland. The KDE applications themselves are supposed to keep working on X11 desktops for the time being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KDE\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
The work goes on: KDE Linux already ships Plasma 6.8.80 in its testing channel, the development version of the upcoming Plasma 6.9.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Under the hood, KWin now renders through OpenGL ES only, according to 9to5Linux<\/a>, with Vulkan to follow later. NVIDIA graphics get triple buffering by default, and the Plasma shell starts faster. In everyday use, Spectacle stands out: screen recordings now capture system audio and the microphone. Also new are the Kup backup tool and dwell clicking, and Steam windows finally get shadows and rounded corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KDE\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Application launcher and Discover on KDE Linux: it takes a while until something as big as Plasma lands on your desktop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you get Plasma 6.8 depends, as usual, on your distribution. According to OMG! Ubuntu<\/a>, rolling-release distros like Arch Linux will ship it in the next few days, while KDE neon will take a few weeks. Kubuntu 26.10 just missed the date and stays on Plasma 6.7. So there it’s a matter of waiting or hoping for a backport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KDE: The Documentary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you’re interested in the story behind the version numbers, set aside a good hour. The YouTube channel CultRepo made a documentary with support from KDE, which premiered at 7:30 p.m. German time (CEST). KDE: The Documentary \u2013 The Story of Free Software Underdogs<\/a> runs for just over an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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