KDE Plasma Weekly Update: Key Improvements in Desktop Performance & Features

 

Discover the latest KDE Plasma updates for July, including fixes for screen flickering, enhanced screencasting, and GPU detection improvements. Learn how these changes optimize your Linux desktop experience for better performance and usability.

KDE Plasma 6.4.3 & 6.5.0: Smoother Scaling & Enhanced Screencasting

The KDE development team, led by Nate Graham, has rolled out another round of impactful updates to the Plasma desktop environment. 

These refinements focus on performance optimization, bug fixes, and usability enhancements, ensuring a seamless Linux desktop experience.

Key Improvements in KDE Plasma This Week

✅ Fixed Display Scaling in KDE Plasma 6.4.3

• KWin no longer auto-generates fractional scaling factors (e.g., 1.25x) near 1.0x, which previously caused blurriness and degraded visuals.

• Now, only 100% (1.0x) scaling is displayed by default, improving clarity.

✅ Screencasting Now Captures Pop-Ups (Plasma 6.5.0)

• When recording a specific window, the screencast now includes all associated pop-ups, making tutorials and demos more accurate.

✅ KDE’s New Virtual Keyboard in Development

• The team is working on a native KDE virtual keyboard to replace Maliit, with improved responsiveness and integration.

• While not yet ready for end-users, this signals a major step toward better touch and tablet support.

✅ Plasma 6.3.6 Fixes Screen Flickering in Games

• A bug causing display flickering when alt-tabbing from full-screen games has been resolved.

✅ Plasma 6.4.2 Prevents KWin Crashes

• Removing certain Task Switcher keyboard shortcuts no longer triggers crashes when using remaining shortcuts.

✅ KDE Frameworks 6.16 Enhances GPU Detection

• The "Run with dedicated GPU" feature now more accurately identifies the higher-performance GPU in hybrid systems.

🔗 Read the full changelog: KDE Official Blog

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Why These Updates Matter for Linux Users

KDE Plasma continues to refine its desktop environment, addressing real-world usability pain points. Whether you're a gamer, developer, or content creator, these optimizations ensure:

✔ Sharper visuals with proper scaling

✔ More reliable screen recording for workflows

✔ Fewer crashes during multitasking

✔ Better GPU utilization for performance-critical apps

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FAQ: KDE Plasma Latest Updates

Q: When will the new KDE virtual keyboard be available?

A: No official release date yet, but it’s under active development.

Q: Does fractional scaling still work in KDE Plasma?

A: Yes, but near-1.0x values are now excluded to prevent blur.

Q: How do I update to the latest Plasma version?

A: Check your distribution’s package manager (e.g., sudo apt upgrade on Ubuntu-based systems).