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KDE Plasma 6.6 Desktop Environment Officially Released, This Is What’s New

Highlights of KDE Plasma 6.6 include a new “Plasma Login Manager” display manager that could replace existing login managers like SDDM in popular distributions shipping with a KDE Plasma edition, such as the upcoming Fedora Linux 44, but most probably also in CachyOS, EndeavourOS, and other distros. One thing to mention is that Plasma Login Manager is dependent on systemd, so it won’t work on systemd-free distros.

Tor Project blog

New Alpha Release: Tor Browser 16.0a3

This version includes important security updates to Firefox.

news

Today in Techrights

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jan 21, 2026

Two Owls

Updated This Past Day

  1. openai.com Traffic Said to Have Fallen 50% in the Past Three Months, Reports Say It Nearly Ran Out of Money to Borrow
    After the slop frenzy all we'll have left is environmental destruction
  2. Rudeness and Vulgarity Won't Stop Journalism About Free Software
    we seem to be on the right path
  3. IBM Plans for Layoffs Becoming Clearer With "Employee Reviews"
    Of course this impacts Red Hat as well

    New

  4. LLM Slop Not Dead Yet, Examples of Slop About "Linux"
    We wish to see the totals down to zero
  5. Links 20/01/2026: Cheeto Blackmails France Into 'Peace' While Looking to Annex EU, Mass Layoffs in Capgemini (Microsoft Reseller/Promoter) in France
    Links for the day
  6. Gemini Links 20/01/2026: Boxing and "Inbox Zero" Success
    Links for the day
  7. Windows and Slop Declining While Microsoft Silences Critics
    Microsoft tries to suppress facts while faking 'demand' by imposing slop on everybody, everywhere
  8. IBM Kills OzLabs, Signalling An Attack on Free Software (a Sign for Red Hat)
    ibiblio also appears to have died (or experiences critical issues)
  9. Red Hat Vice President Leaving After Nearly Two Decades
    IBM's culture of secrecy is not compatible with Free software
  10. Links 20/01/2026: "ChatGPT Health" (Latest Distraction From Being Insolvent) Flops and Raises Concerns, "The U.S. Military Faces a Reckoning on Greenland"
    Links for the day
  11. Readers Pleased With Layout Changes
    Two days ago we began improving clarity and accessibility in the site
  12. IBM is Outsourcing Red Hat's Fedora to Slop to 'Save Money'
    If IBM cared about quality rather than alleged "cost savings" (cutting corners), it would assign more IBM staff to Fedora, but instead the exact opposite happened, with the likes of Cotton and Miller removed from the project
  13. European Patent Office (EPO) Industrial Actions Formally Start in Two Hours
    As per the latest (revised) action plan, today workers will slow down their work and limit patent grants
  14. Microsoft Under Fresh Investigation by the Italian Competition Authority
    In 2025 we kept a running tally of 30,000+ Microsoft layoffs, so 40k this year would not be unthinkable
  15. The "Alicante Mafia" - Part VI - More Strikes Planned at the EPO, Starting This Month
    Yesterday we said that friends of Berenguer or inside Berenguer's circle may have left
  16. Gemini Links 20/01/2026: New Tea, Using a Roku at a Hotel, and "Voltage-Based Power Management for Any Raspberry Pi"
    Links for the day
  17. Over at Tux Machines...
    GNU/Linux news for the past day
  18. IRC Proceedings: Monday, January 19, 2026
    IRC logs for Monday, January 19, 2026

    The corresponding text-only bulletin for Tuesday contains all the text.

    Top-read articles (excluding bot/crawler visits):

    Span from 2026-01-14 to 2026-01-20
    3282 /about.shtml
    2370 /n/2026/01/14/Canonical_Make_Ubuntu_Bloated_Debian_With_Snaps_Then_Sell_the_D.shtml
    1884 /index.shtml
    1283 /n/2026/01/13/Not_Journalism_Almost_80_of_the_Articles_We_Saw_About_Torvalds_.shtml
    1148 /irc.shtml
    1113 /n/2026/01/14/The_Last_Dilberts_or_Some_of_the_Last_Salvaged_Comic_Strips_Whi.shtml
    920 /browse/latest.shtml
    905 /n/2026/01/15/Proton_Mail_compromise_Hannah_Natanson_Washington_Post_police_r.shtml
    898 /n/2026/01/18/Slop_Bubble_Is_Worse_Than_The_Dot_Com_Bubble.shtml
    879 /n/2024/12/08/When_Python_is_Basically_Run_by_a_Microsoft_Friendly_Mole_Who_O.shtml
    854 /n/2026/01/16/At_Microsoft_Firing_People_is_a_Cheat_Code_to_Pump_the_Stock_Sh.shtml
    816 /n/2026/01/14/AI_Slop_Demand_Isn_t_Growing_It_s_Fake_It_s_a_Pyramid_Scheme.shtml
    810 /n/2025/03/24/Days_Ago_yewtu_be_Found_a_Workaround_That_Made_Invidious_Work_A.shtml
    773 /n/2026/01/16/Recent_Layoffs_at_Red_Hat_2026_the_Year_of_Ultimate_Bluewashing.shtml
    760 /n/2026/01/16/The_Alicante_Mafia_Part_I_An_Introduction_to_the_Mafia_Governin.shtml
    752 /n/2026/01/18/3_IRC_Proceedings_Saturday_January_17_2026.shtml
    746 /n/2025/05/24/Free_Software_as_a_Culture_of_Resistance.shtml
    727 /n/2026/01/13/Bluewashing_Continues_Red_Hat_Onboarding_Interns_in_Low_Paid_Re.shtml
    726 /n/2026/01/17/Accounts_or_Devices_e_g_Phones_That_Get_Burnt_Have_Many_Pitfall.shtml
    703 /n/2026/01/15/Linuxiac_May_Have_Reverted_Back_to_LLM_Slop.shtml
    695 /n/2026/01/19/Claim_That_the_Board_of_Directors_at_IBM_Isn_t_Happy_With_How_t.shtml
    680 /n/2026/01/18/Cancel_Culture_Doesn_t_Work_in_the_Long_Run.shtml
    674 /n/2026/01/14/XBox_s_Major_Nelson_Loses_His_Job_Again_This_Time_in_a_Microsof.shtml
    664 /n/2026/01/17/EPO_Abuses_Covered_in_Spanish.shtml
    664 /n/2026/01/19/Over_at_Tux_Machines.shtml
    657 /n/2026/01/14/EPO_People_Power_Part_XXXIV_Bad_Optics_for_the_European_Union_f.shtml
    657 /n/2026/01/16/Stack_ed_Rankings_and_Ongoing_Layoffs_at_Red_Hat_and_IBM_Failur.shtml
    641 /n/2026/01/15/Links_15_01_2026_Internet_Blackouts_Jackboots_Society_in_US.shtml
    640 /n/2026/01/14/Over_at_Tux_Machines.shtml
    635 /n/2026/01/17/The_Alicante_Mafia_Part_III_Europe_s_Second_Largest_Organisatio.shtml
    631 /n/2026/01/16/Team_Campinos_Talks_About_SAP_Days_Before_EPO_Industrial_Action.shtml
    630 /n/2026/01/16/J_H_M_Ray_Dassen_Debian_Red_Hat_GNOME_unexplained_deaths.shtml
    625 /n/2026/01/15/Coming_Soon_Impact_With_EPO_Cocainegate.shtml
    624 /n/2026/01/10/Monday_January_12_Red_Hat_Layoffs_Allegedly_Planned.shtml
    623 /n/2026/01/15/Red_Hat_IBM_is_Driving_Away_Remaining_Fedora_Users.shtml
    623 /n/2026/01/14/Reminder_That_Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux_RHEL_Is_Not_Free_And_It_.shtml
    619 /n/2026/01/17/Stack_Ranking_Against_IBM_Red_Hat_Staff_and_a_Signal_of_Mass_La.shtml
    612 /n/2024/10/03/Invidious_Seems_to_be_Nearing_End_of_Life_After_Repeated_Crackd.shtml
    607 /n/2026/01/16/Naming_Culprits_in_Switzerland.shtml
    605 /n/2026/01/16/Gemini_Links_16_01_2026_Porting_My_Main_Website_Over_to_Gemini_.shtml
    605 /n/2026/01/15/GAFAM_is_a_National_and_International_Threat_to_Everybody.shtml
    603 /n/2026/01/17/Microsoft_Lunduke_Keeps_Distracting_From_the_Real_Problems_With.shtml
    600 /n/2026/01/19/More_Confirmatory_Rumours_Regarding_Massive_Red_Hat_Layoffs.shtml
    599 /n/2026/01/16/IBM_s_Scientific_Sounding_Tech_Porn_Won_t_Help_IBM_Survive_or_B.shtml
    599 /n/2026/01/15/EPO_People_Power_Part_XXXVI_In_Conclusion_and_Taking_Things_Up_.shtml
    598 /n/2026/01/15/The_Creator_of_Git_Probably_Doesn_t_Know_How_to_Install_and_Dep.shtml
    597 /n/2026/01/14/Difficult_Times_at_IBM_and_Microsoft_Ahead_of_Mass_Layoffs_Prob.shtml
    595 /n/2026/01/19/IRC_Proceedings_Sunday_January_18_2026.shtml
    594 /n/2026/01/14/Hours_Ago_The_Register_MS_Published_Microsoft_Windows_SPAM_Spon.shtml
    590 /n/2026/01/19/If_You_Don_t_Want_Linux_to_Become_Windows_Then_Follow_GNU.shtml
    587 /n/2026/01/18/IBM_Sued_Over_PIPs.shtml
    586 /n/2026/01/14/What_Will_Happen_to_GAFAM_After_the_US_Defaults_Rather_Than_Bai.shtml
    579 /n/2026/01/18/FOSDEM_2026_democracy_panel_GNOME_Sonny_Piers_modern_slavery_ex.shtml
    578 /n/2026/01/15/Don_t_Cry_for_Gaslighting_Media_in_a_Country_Which_Loathes_the_.shtml
    578 /n/2026/01/16/The_Alicante_Mafia_Part_II_Breakout_of_Discontent_This_Winter_i.shtml
    572 /n/2026/01/18/Place_Your_Bets_Who_Will_Die_First_Microsoft_or_IBM.shtml
    571 /n/2026/01/15/Slop_is_a_Liability.shtml
    570 /n/2026/01/15/GAFAM_and_IBM_Layoffs_Outline.shtml
    567 /n/2026/01/18/GNU_Linux_Still_up_statCounter_Says_to_6_in_Bosnia_And_Herzegov.shtml
    562 /n/2026/01/15/Over_at_Tux_Machines.shtml
    560 /n/2026/01/17/Report_Benchmark_Says_Vibe_Coding_Results_in_Security_Holes.shtml
    559 /n/2026/01/14/Links_13_01_2026_Dilbert_creator_Scott_Adams_Passes_Away_With_C.shtml

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