This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

KDE discontinues Plasma LTS releases, reduces feature update to 2 in a year instead of 3, offers extended bug-fix support period:
https://news.itsfoss.com/kde-plasma-lts-discontinued/
(Well done, KDE! In my experience, the biggest issue with Plasma has always been the amount of annoying bugs and crashes, which kind of negated the experience for me, despite the cool extra features and the extensive customization options. However, this new strategy might pay off in the long term, and make Plasma a more stable experience.)

4MLinux 48.0 released with Linux kernel 6.12, updated packages, Kino (classic IEEE 1394 DV video editor) preinstalled, VVenC encoder:
https://betanews.com/2025/04/28/overcome-depression-about-the-state-of-the-world-by-installing-4mlinux-48-0/

Trinity Desktop Environment (TDE) R14.1.4 released with emoji support, support for Ubuntu 25.04 and Fedora 43, tab support in KPDF document viewer, support for clickable links in calendar events, new wallpapers and color themes etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/trinity-desktop-environment-r14-1-4-released-with-support-for-ubuntu-25-04

Tails 6.15 released with updated Linux kernel and Tor Browser, various bug and security fixes:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/5/tails-6-15-update-security-and-compatibility-fixes/

Linux kernel 6.15 RC4 released with various enhancements, bug fixes:
https://ostechnix.com/linux-kernel-6-15-rc4-released/

OpenSUSE Tumbleweed update includes Linux kernel 6.14, post-quantum resistant OpenSSH, updated packages:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/5/opensuse-tumbleweed-s-update-brings-linux-6-14-kernel-and-post-quantum-resistant-openssh/

Ubuntu 24.04 is now compatible with Qualcomm DragonWing processors:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/05/ubuntu-24-04-desktop-qualcomm-dragonwing-release

(FOSS news in comment)

#WeeklyNews #News #Linux #LinuxNews #Ubuntu #Ubuntu2504 #LinuxKernel #KDEPlasma #4MLinux #Trinity #TrinityDesktop #TrinityDesktopEnvironment #TDE #Tails #TailsOS #openSUSE #openSUSETumbleweed #Ubuntu2404 #LinuxDesktop #DesktopLinux #DistroRelease #DesktopEnvironment #LinuxDistro #LinuxDistribution #KDE #FosseryTech

KDE Plasma 6.4 improves drag-and-drop for files

As we are getting closer to the soft freeze for the next version of KDE Plasma, which is v6.4, more features are being added to the desktop environment which is slated to be released this June. This release is going to be the most exciting version, hence the fact that there was an 18-year-old feature request (December 29th, 2007) posted on the bug tracker since the KDE 3 days.

Starting from this version of KDE Plasma, you can now configure the desktop environment via the Settings application so that you can now drag and drop files to a different folder on the same disk without asking every time. This saves time and effort, and this feature is demonstrated here.

To enable this setting, open the KDE settings, navigate to Workspace > General Behavior, scroll to Drag and Drop, and press on Move if on the same device.

Besides this one, there are various highlights that you can see in the blog article linked above, which coincides with how this version makes your user experience better, such as the following:

• KWin’s full-screen zoom feature with a three-finger pinch gesture,
• GPU usage monitoring in the System Monitor for AMD and Intel GPUs, and
• Raw sensor data information in the Info Center.

For gamers, various improvements to the game controller joystick support have been added to this version of KDE Plasma.

Photo by Peter Kasprzyk on Unsplash

#KDE #KDE6 #KDEPlasma #KDEPlasma6 #Linux #news #Tech #Technology #update

KDE Plasma 6.4 to release this June contains an 18-year-old feature request, which improves your productivity!

#Linux #KDE #KDEPlasma #PlasmaDesktop #Computers #Laptops #TechNews #TechUpdates

https://officialaptivi.wordpress.com/2025/05/04/kde-plasma-6-4-improves-drag-and-drop-for-files/

@itsfoss This is a (very) GOOD news, IMHO, not a bad news

#KDE 💓 #KDEPlasma 💘

#kdeplasma :addio alla versione LTS,più supporto per tutte le versioni e nuova telemetria trasparente.Il progetto KDE Plasma,uno degli ambienti desktop più apprezzati e utilizzati nel mondo delle distribuzioni GNU #linux ha annunciato un importante cambiamento nella gestione del supporto e dell’evoluzione del proprio desktop.Dopo un intenso Plasma Sprint di sviluppo a Graz, in Austria,il team KDE ha deciso di abbandonare la distinzione tra versioni LTS continua a leggere. https://www.laseroffice.it/blog/2025/05/03/kde-plasma-addio-alla-versione-lts-piu-supporto-per-tutte-le-versioni-e-nuova-telemetria-trasparente/

KDE verabschiedet sich von Plasma-LTS – So geht es weiter https://fosstopia.de/kde-kein-lts-mehr/ #KDE #KDEPlasma #KDEPlasmaLTS #LinuxDesktop

Well, I am clueless. Because this should have worked:

# Load Bluetooth-related kernel modules at boot
  boot.kernelModules = [ "usb" "xhci_hcd" "btusb" "bluetooth" ];
``` 

Followed by

@hisold Absolutely agree with you. I still can't find what i want, when i want, like i could [eventually] in P5.

However, coz ofc everyone's own preferences re layout will differ, i would love them to redesign it so that users can "build their own" by hiding unneeded sections, & rearranging by d&d their important ones to the top.

@kde

#KDE #Plasma #KDEPlasma #KDEPlasma6

#ViernesDeEscritorio #KDE #ArchLinux #Plasma #KDEPlasma #GNU_Linux #Linux

@mike

I use keyboard shortcuts all the time, for everything I can. You only have to memorise them once, and then they save you time every time you use them.

I learn them incrementally, as I need them, rather than trying to memorise whole pages of weird keychords.

One of the reasons I prefer #KdePlasma is that it's so #keyboard-friendly.

@kev @frameworkcomputer

En un contexto de escritorio, el #BleedingEdge ha evolucionado hasta el extremo de ofrecer unos niveles de estabilidad que poco tienen que envidiar a un sistema estanco y además da la ventaja de tener un soporte de hardware actualizado.

La #inmutabilidad puede terminar dando incluso más fuerza al bleeding edge frente a los sistemas #Linux con software estanco, más viendo que #Silverblue me resulta bastante más estable que #Fedora Workstation. https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/05/kde-plasma-drops-lts-releases-but-will-do-extra-bug-fix-releases-along-with-a-new-steam-like-hardware-survey/

#KDE #KdePlasma

@eliasp

I sometimes find that, if I log out and immediately log back in, it takes a weirdly long time for #KDEPlasma to start up. Is it because part of Plasma is running as a #systemd service and a new session can't start until the old one has completely terminated? Seems like a bad idea…

@irfan

#KDE

The Fosstodon Drama tells us a bigger problem about Mastodon

https://tube.kockatoo.org/w/9Ecas4aP6hEj9hVXh9uo5h

Reacting to PewDiePie Switching to Linux

https://tube.kockatoo.org/w/idqbZDVauSFyWEZvnAMYRp

(What even is a "Reproducible Build"?)

https://tube.kockatoo.org/w/mC36jds3ASaRnL1jJZokAy

Another banger series of updates by #KDE - especially stoked by the new Animations (config) section, that alone is a huge boost to usability/intuitiveness of #KDEPlasma.

Heck, even some of the other updates are positive (and necessary) UI/UX improvements like highlighting newly installed apps in the app launcher, triggering DND when an app is in fullscreen mode (and focused), informing the user if the mic is muted when an application is trying to use it, and even adding a warning/disclaimer when a user tries to, 'presumably' configure the clipboard system tray icon alone without knowing that under the hood, it's actually affecting the service and why they might not want to do what they're doing (they have to fix this tho long term).

All in all, it's always a good time when Nate Graham is summarising these positive changes up :) NOW I look forward to the day when we'd have a dedicated settings page purely for configuring ALL touchpad gestures.. PLEASE. I'm happy all the drawing tablet folks are getting the love from KDE on #Wayland, but it'd be so nice to have this for the touchpad too considering how many people use these on laptops or even PCs with touchpad i.e. #Apple's Magic Trackpad. For now, these people need to rely on hacky workarounds like using #Touche/#Touchegg, which isn't even meant to work on Wayland (but somehow it does, without none of that one-to-one gesture goodness tho unfortunately).

RE: https://floss.social/users/kde/statuses/114403557090038351

Why did Servo, Loupe and ElementaryOS ban AI contributions?

https://tube.kockatoo.org/w/isuhQaKwPjXaR8j1MHbKc5

#ViernesDeEscritorio con #SolusOS #kdeplasma

Hello #FOSS folks. How do you use three keyboard layouts under #KDE #Plasma? The traditional way of Alt+Shift to switch to the next layout is annoying.

Reposts are welcome if you don't know the answer.

#keyboard #keyboardlayout #Linux #opensource #kde_plasma #kdeplasma #opensource #freesoftware