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KDE releases Plasma 6.8 for 30th anniversary, dropping X11 sessions

10/16/2026

KDE has released Plasma 6.8 to mark the software developer's 30th anniversary. In doing so, it officially retired support for starting new X11 sessions in its desktop environment.

The update, dubbed the "30th Anniversary Edition" by KDE, signals a complete shift toward the Wayland display protocol. Plasma will no longer allow users to start new X11 sessions.

However, legacy X11 applications will continue to function through the XWayland compatibility layer. KDE stated that its own applications will also maintain X11 support when running under other desktop environments.

Users who choose to remain on the previous version, Plasma 6.7, will keep their existing sessions for the time being. The move follows a broader industry trend. GNOME dropped X11 sessions by default in 2025.

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