UPDATE: KDE has officially announced that it will discontinue support for X11 in its popular desktop environment, KDE Plasma 6.8. This decision has significant implications for users who rely on X11, but there’s no need to panic just yet.
The change, confirmed in a recent blog post by KDE, signals a major shift as the organization embraces Wayland as the primary display server. While KDE notes that most users have already transitioned to Wayland, support for X11 will officially end with the release of Plasma 6.8. Current users of Plasma are on version 6.5, which means X11 will remain supported for at least another year.
KDE emphasizes that the Plasma X11 session will be available until early 2027, giving users ample time to adapt. The exact timeline for the final version of Plasma 6.8 is still under consideration, as KDE may issue additional bug-fix releases for Plasma 6.7 before the transition.
For those who depend on X11, KDE has outlined a couple of viable alternatives. Users can opt for long-term support (LTS) distributions like AlmaLinux 9, which will continue X11 support until 2032. Additionally, the Xwayland compatibility layer is available, providing a bridge for most X11 applications. KDE assures users that Xwayland has shown promising performance and that improvements are expected in the coming months.
This move marks a significant moment in the Linux community, especially for those who have been loyal to X11. As KDE prepares for this transition, it aims to ensure that users have enough time and resources to make necessary adjustments.
With KDE’s proactive approach, users can plan for the future of their desktop environments without disruption. As the transition unfolds, watch for updates from KDE regarding the exact release dates and any additional features that may enhance compatibility for X11 applications in a Wayland environment.
Stay tuned for more developments as KDE moves forward with this significant change in its desktop environment strategy.
