The KDE project has officially ended support for starting new X11 sessions within its Plasma desktop environment. Users who prefer to continue using X11 are restricted to the previous Plasma 6.7 release. This transition follows the industry trend set by GNOME, which dropped X11 support by default in 2025.
Plasma 6.8 introduces several functional updates, including the integration of the Kup backup utility directly into the desktop environment. The release also enables Nvidia triple buffering by default and adds kscreenctl, a new command-line tool designed for advanced display configuration management.
Visual and system management improvements include enhanced window decoration support for third-party applications and a redesigned System Monitor. The updated monitor now allows users to pin specific processes to individual CPU cores directly through the graphical user interface.
The update includes significant changes to the remote desktop server, specifically targeting virtual display access. New features include clipboard synchronization, an Exclusive Mode for locking physical displays, and adaptive streaming technology to improve stability on slower network connections.
Alongside the software release, the KDE team published a documentary titled A Story of Free Software Underdogs. The film features interviews with contributors and explores the history of the project as it marks its 30th anniversary.
