release of a custom KDE Plasma 5.18 shell built using the platform and Qt 5 libraries using OpenGL/OpenGL ES to speed up rendering. Evaluate the work
new version can be through from the openSUSE project and builds from the project . Packages for various distributions can be found at .
The new version is categorized as a Long Term Support (LTS) release, with updates being generated over several years (LTS releases are published every two years).
Key improvements:
- Implemented correct rendering of GTK applications that use client-side window decorations to place controls in the title bar of a window. For such applications, window shadow rendering is provided and the ability to use the correct window capture areas for resizing is added, which does not require thick borders to be drawn (previously, with a thin border, it was very difficult to grab the edge of the window for resizing, which forced the use of thick borders that made GTK windows -applications are alien among KDE programs). Handling of areas outside the window became possible due to the implementation of the _GTK_FRAME_EXTENTS protocol in the KWin window manager. In addition, Plasma settings related to fonts, icons, cursors, and other controls are automatically inherited for GTK applications;
- The emoji insert interface can now be invoked from the application menu (App Launcher β Applications β Utilities) or using the key combination Meta (Windows) + ".";
- A new global editing panel has been introduced that makes it easier to customize desktop layout and widget placement, as well as providing access to various desktop settings. The new mode replaces the old button with desktop customization tools that was displayed in the upper right corner of the screen.
The new panel is called through the "Customize layout" item in the context menu, which is shown when you right-click on an empty area of ββthe desktop; - Application menu (Kickoff) and widget editing interface optimized for touch screen operation;
- For the system tray (System Tray), a new widget has been implemented that allows you to control the activation of the night light mode;
- The volume control widget located in the system tray has a more compact interface for selecting the default sound device. Also, if an app is playing sound, the app's taskbar button now displays a volume indicator;
- In the application menu, a round icon with the user's avatar has been implemented (previously the icon was square);
- Added a setting to hide the clock on the login lock screen;
- Implemented the ability to configure keyboard shortcuts for activating and disabling night illumination and blocking notifications;
- The widget that displays the weather forecast has a visual indication of windy weather;
- Added the ability to enable a transparent background for some widgets on the desktop;
- Added support for WPA3 wireless security technology to Plasma Network Manager;
- The close time indicator on toast notifications is implemented as a descending pie chart surrounding the close button;
- A draggable icon has been added to notifications informing about the completion of a file download, allowing you to quickly move the file to another location;
- Provided notifications with a low battery warning on a connected Bluetooth device;
- Added settings for the level of detail of sent telemetry with information about the system and the frequency of user access to certain KDE features. Statistics are sent anonymously and are disabled by default;
- A slider has been added to the configurator to select the animation speed of windows (when the slider is moved to the right, windows will appear instantly, and when moved to the left, they will appear using animation). Improved search in the sidebar. Added an option to scroll to the position corresponding to the clicked position on the scrollbar. The interface for setting the night illumination mode has been redesigned. A new interface for setting the style of application design has been proposed;
- Redesigned page with system tray parameters;
- Added the ability to post nested comments when discussing add-ons in the Applications and Add-ons Install Center (Discover). The design of the sidebar header and the interface with reviews has been modernized. Added support for searching add-ons from the main page. Keyboard input focus now switches to the search bar by default;
- Work has been done to eliminate visual artifacts in applications when using fractional scaling in an X11-based environment;
- KSysGuard provides statistics for NVIDIA GPUs (memory consumption and GPU load).
- When working in the Wayland environment, the ability to automatically rotate the screen on devices with accelerometers is provided;
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Of the significant innovations that appeared in KDE Plasma 5.18 compared to the last LTS release there is a complete reworking of the notification system, integration with browsers, redesign of system settings, improved support for GTK applications (using color schemes, global menu support, etc.), improved management of multi-monitor configurations, support for "Β» Flatpak for desktop integration and access to settings, night light mode and tools for managing Thunderbolt devices.
Source: opennet.ru