KDE ends X11 support in Plasma 6.8 at 30th anniversary

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 01:44 · Archive

KDE has retired native X11 session support in Plasma 6.8, marking the software developer's 30th anniversary.

KDE marked its 30th anniversary on 14 October with the release of Plasma 6.8, which retires native X11 session support in favour of Wayland. The update, dubbed the '30th Anniversary Edition', prepares Plasma for the future as X11, which has been in service for 42 years, winds down. Legacy X11 applications will continue to function via the XWayland compatibility layer, and KDE applications will also continue supporting X11 under other desktop environments. Users on Plasma 6.7 can maintain their existing X11 sessions.

Plasma 6.8 introduces several improvements including enhanced window decorations for third-party applications, a streamlined Union theming system, and Nvidia triple buffering enabled by default. A revamped System Monitor grants users more control over system processes, allowing them to pin processes directly to CPU cores through the graphical interface. The release also adds kscreenctl, a command-line utility for adjusting display configurations.

Remote desktop capabilities have been enhanced with clipboard synchronisation between client and server, an 'Exclusive Mode' that locks the server's physical display, and adaptive remote streaming to improve stability on slower networks. The move follows GNOME's expected official deprecation of X11 sessions by default in 2025.

KDE ends X11 support in Plasma 6.8 at 30th anniversary — Image: Ars Technica

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How it is being reported

KDE turns 30 with Plasma 6.8, remote upgrades, and an X11 farewellKDE celebrates 30 years with a new Plasma release, a farewell to X11, and a movie.Ars Technica · 15 Oct, 23:21
KDE hits 30, decides it's time to move out of the X11 eraWayland-only Plasma 6.8 heads for Kubuntu 'Tenacious T-Rex' early next yearThe Register · 15 Oct, 16:13

In this story: KDE · Plasma · GNOME · Wayland · Nvidia

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