The KDE Plasma desktop system has released version 6.0, marking the first major update in a decade since KDE Plasma 5.0 in 2014.
New features in KDE Plasma 6.0 include the use of Qt 6.0 and a shift to the Wayland graphics system, while still supporting the legacy X11. It now supports HDR and ICC color profile systems (not yet sRGB but under development) and features color blindness correction filters to aid those with color vision deficiency.
The panel, akin to a taskbar, now floats on top of other windows on the desktop by default, but can be set to auto-hide.
File and folder handling has been improved with options for double-click opening and single-click selection, similar to other operating systems. Tap-to-click is now the default for touchpads.
The Breeze theme has been slightly updated for a more modern look, with thinner borders and more consistent spacing between objects. Settings have been reorganized with fewer nested pages, and a new sound theme named Ocean replaces the old Oxygen theme.
Window switching effects like the cube have made a comeback after architectural background adjustments.
The KDE Gear suite of apps has undergone several updates, adopting a new Breeze theme and reducing border usage for a cleaner look.
KMail now includes features like blocking tracking codes in emails and offline language translation powered by the Bergamot model, the same one used in Firefox.
Dolphin, the file manager, now allows for right-clicking on folders to display information in split view.
The KDE text editor now has improved Language Server support, better separation of file types like CSS, SCSS, LESS, XML, Julia, PHP automatically, and a new efficient JSON converter, RapidJSON, with reduced memory consumption.
Source: KDE, OMG Ubuntu
TLDR: KDE Plasma 6.0 introduces a slew of new features including Qt 6.0 support, Wayland graphics system, color profile enhancements, improved panel behavior, file handling improvements, updated themes, and revamped KDE Gear apps.
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