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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.
KDE Plasma 6.6 also adds the ability to adjust the visual “sharpness” of all content on the screen on distros running Linux kernel 6.19, implements a USB portal that allows sandboxed apps to request access to USB devices, and introduces OCR capabilities to the Spectacle screenshot tool.
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Plasma 6.6
Plasma 6.6 makes your life as easy as possible, without sacrificing the flexibility or features that have made Plasma the most versatile desktop in the known universe.
With that in mind, we’ve improved Plasma’s usability and accessibility, and added practical new features into the mix.
Planet KDE:
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Plasma 6.6 - KDE Community
Plasma 6.6 makes your life as easy as possible, without sacrificing the flexibility or features that have made Plasma the most versatile desktop in the known universe.
With that in mind, we’ve improved Plasma’s usability and accessibility, and added practical new features into the mix.
Plasma Setup Released | Merritt Codes
Plasma Setup, the new wizard that guides users through the initial configuration of KDE Plasma, is having its first release as part of the Plasma 6.6 release!
With Plasma Setup, the technical steps of operating system installation and disk partitioning can be handled separately from user-facing steps like setting up an account, connecting to a network, and so on. This facilitates important use cases such as...
OMG Ubuntu:
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KDE Plasma 6.6: Screenshot OCR, Custom Themes & More
The update also introduces new components, including on-screen keyboard, login manager and OEM setup wizard. All are offered alternatives rather than replacements.
This is the seventh major update to KDE Plasma 6 since Plasma 6.0 arrived in February 2024, which saw the popular Linux desktop environment ported to Qt 6. It is dedicated to the memory of KDE contributor Björn Balazs.
Users of Ubuntu-based KDE Neon as well as rolling-release distributions like Arch will be able to install KDE Plasma 6.6 from today. Users on Kubuntu 25.10 may be able to install it via the Kubuntu backports PPA, and Kubuntu 26.04 LTS will ship Plasma 6.6 by default.
UbuntuHandbook:
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KDE Plasma 6.6 Released! New Initial Setup & OCR Support in Spectacle | UbuntuHandbook
After almost 4 months of development, KDE announced the new major 6.6 version of its Plasma desktop yesterday.
The new version of this popular Linux desktop environment introduced a new on-screen keyboard (aka virtual keyboard), that will be automatically enabled when there’s no real keyboard detected.
GoL:
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KDE Plasma 6.6 released with improved accessibility, new on-screen keyboard and lots more | GamingOnLinux
The KDE team have released KDE Plasma 6.6, the latest new feature update to the popular Linux desktop environment with lots of goodies.
Lesser known site:
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KDE Plasma 6.6 Officially Released
KDE released Plasma 6.6 today, the latest version of the popular Linux desktop environment, also used in Steam Deck desktop mode. The biggest addition is the new Plasma Login Manager, a potential replacement for Simple Desktop Display Manager (SDDM) in distributions like Fedora Linux 44, CachyOS, and EndeavourOS. Note that it requires systemd, so it won't work on systemd-free distros. The Spectacle screenshot tool gains OCR capabilities, and a new USB portal lets sandboxed apps request access to USB devices. Users running Linux kernel 6.19 can now adjust the visual sharpness of all on-screen content. You can also turn your current Plasma setup into a global theme. KDE Plasma 6.6 adds XRandr emulation in KWin for better XWayland app compatibility, per-DRM-plane color pipeline support, and custom screen mode support in Wayland sessions. Screen mirroring is improved, and a new "Slow Keys" accessibility feature has been added.
LWN:
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Plasma 6.6.0 released
Version 6.6.0 of KDE's Plasma desktop environment has been released. Notable additions in this release include the ability to create global themes for Plasma, an "extract text" feature in the Spectacle screenshot utility, accessibility improvements, and a new on-screen keyboard. See the changelog for a full list of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes.
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KDE Plasma 6.6 Turns Spectacle Into an OCR Tool and Ships a New Setup Wizard
The beauty of desktop Linux lies in freedom of choice. Here, people can opt for a different distribution, window manager, login manager, file manager, terminal, and desktop environment.
KDE Plasma is one of the most popular desktop environments out there, known for its extensive customization options and a Windows-like layout that makes it easy for newcomers to settle in.
You might remember a few months ago, the KDE developers announced that they would be sunsetting the Plasma X11 session with the 6.8 release, opting for Wayland by default.