Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways
- KDE Plasma 6.8 beta 1 is available for testing.
- Graphics have been dramatically improved.
- You’ll get a smoother feel and better performance.
If you know Linux, you’ll know KDE Plasma, which is one of the most popular open-source desktops on the market. Over the past few years, KDE Plasma has become an elegant, efficient, and high-performing desktop. Yet if the beta version of 6.8 is any indication of future direction, the developers plan to take the desktop to another level.
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I downloaded the latest KDE Linux ISO, which includes KDE Plasma 6.8 beta 1. As soon as I installed the release and logged in, I was impressed.
Yes, KDE Plasma has the same layout it’s had for some time (with the same floating panel, subtle blur, and slight transparency). But once you start using the desktop, you’ll understand that this latest release is, hands down, as good as it gets.
So, what does the 6.8 release bring to the table? Let’s find out.
Performance boosts
One of the bigger-ticket items coming to 6.8 is triple buffering for Nvidia GPUs, enabled by default. Essentially, triple buffering is a graphics rendering technique that uses three memory buffers (rather than just two) to make animations smoother. If your machine has an Nvidia GPU, you’ll notice the entire desktop feels buttery smooth (especially if you’re playing games).
The buffers work like this:
- Buffer 1: Holds the image currently on the screen.
- Buffer 2: Holds the next frame to be displayed.
- Buffer 3: Allows the GPU space to draw the next frame immediately, without waiting for the monitor to refresh.
This approach is considerably more efficient than the two-buffer system, and it’s noticeable on KDE Plasma 6.8. Even on lower-end hardware, you won’t see the stuttering that can accompany window movement.
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If you have a multi-monitor setup, KDE Plasma 6.8 identifies each monitor with a color-coded and numbered badge, so it’s easier to distinguish monitors. This capability is crucial when you have two identical monitors and need to know one from the other.
Sticking with monitors, the update includes the second part of the public tech preview of Union, Plasma’s new theming engine. This new engine is CSS-based and solves a long-standing fragmentation issue in themes, such that creators can style Plasma, QtQuick, and QtWidget applications using a single, unified set of CSS rules. With Union, users will benefit from a single standard, consistent output, and easier development.
The remote desktop feature in 6.8 enjoys lower-latency performance. Now, remote desktop sessions will feel much faster and smoother.
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In keeping with the graphics updates, KWin merges support for the Wayland commit-timing protocol. This is an important change for anyone who watches video or plays games that rely on Adaptive-Sync/FreeSync technology. Xaver Hugl, the developer who requested the merge, said: “This protocol allows applications to set the earliest time the compositor should apply the commit. It can be used, for example, by video players to schedule frames in advance, or to better control the refresh rate with adaptive sync.”
Automatic brightness now learns user preferences intelligently when users manually adjust their displays. And finally, Plasma 6.8 fully removes X11 support and is a Wayland-only desktop.
Other changes
- Users can search System Settings using English keywords, even if the default language is set to something else.
- Users can disable Autostart entries without deleting them.
- Spectacle (screen recorder app) can now also record mic and/or system audio during a screen recording.
- A new dwell clicker has been added (move your cursor to a new location, leave it there, and Plasma can click for you automatically).
- Middle-click scrolling has been added.
- If multiple authentication methods are available, you can choose which one to use directly from the lock screen.
- And, of course, there’s the usual vast array of minor improvements.
You can kick the tires of KDE Plasma 6.8 by downloading the KDE Linux ISO, creating a bootable USB drive, and installing it on a spare computer (or as a virtual machine).
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To see the complete changes, check out the changelog.
