Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop Edition 44: A Refined Experience with Plasma 6.6 and Streamlined Setup

Introduction

Fedora has officially launched version 44 of its KDE Plasma Desktop Edition, combining the trusted Fedora Linux foundation with the latest KDE Plasma environment. This edition caters to a wide range of users, offering simplicity by default while remaining powerful when needed. For a quick overview, jump to Plasma 6.6 features, Fedora-specific updates, or general Fedora changes.

KDE Plasma 6.6: What’s New

At the heart of this release is KDE Plasma 6.6.4, which builds on the robust Plasma 6 platform to deliver a seamless and familiar experience. Key improvements include:

• Custom global themes – Save your current theme setup as a new global theme.
• Window accent colors – Tint intensity for window frames offers more personalization.
• Wi-Fi QR code scanning – Connect to networks by scanning QR codes.
• Per-application volume – Adjust audio levels directly from the task manager.
• Grayscale filter – A new accessibility option for colorblindness correction.
• Screen magnifier – Tracks the mouse pointer for enhanced visibility.
• Slow keys and reduced motion – Additional settings for motor control and visual comfort.
• Spectacle OCR – Capture text from images using optical character recognition.
• Per-window screencast filter – Filter recorded content by window from the title bar menu.

For complete details, refer to the official Plasma 6.6 release announcement.

Fedora KDE 44 Specific Enhancements

Beyond the Plasma updates, Fedora KDE 44 introduces several major changes specific to the edition:

New Plasma Setup and Login Manager

Fresh installations now utilize the brand-new Plasma Setup and Plasma Login Manager (SDDM). These tools provide a more cohesive experience from the moment you power on your computer. The installation process has been streamlined, making it easier to set up a Fedora KDE system for friends or family.

Revamped On-Screen Keyboard

Fedora KDE 44 replaces the legacy on-screen keyboard with the modern Plasma Keyboard, offering a future-ready input method.

Fedora Linux 44 General Updates

Several broader changes in Fedora Linux 44 also affect the KDE edition:

• PackageKit uses DNF5 backend – Version 5 of the DNF package manager improves performance and reliability.
• Qualcomm laptop support – Select devices with Qualcomm processors are now supported.
• Certificate file removal – The /etc/pki/tls/cert.pem file is no longer present by default. Applications that relied on it should instead use the system’s cryptographic libraries for CA certificates.

Fedora Ready Program and Hardware Partnerships

Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 44 is fully supported under the Fedora Ready initiative, which engages hardware vendors to optimize their devices for Fedora KDE. Notably, Star Labs now offers Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop pre-installed on their laptops. Star Labs embraces open-source principles, including Coreboot firmware, aligning closely with Fedora’s mission. This partnership ensures that users can get a polished out-of-the-box experience on carefully selected hardware.