Kaloian's Tech BlogPlasma 6.5.0
KDE Plasma’s Big Step Forward: Introducing the Initial System Setup Wizard
This past week, KDE Plasma reached an exciting milestone with the release of Plasma 6.5.0, introducing a brand-new Initial System Setup wizard (nicknamed KISS)—a streamlined, production-ready solution for first-run configurations. Let’s dive into what’s new, why it matters, and what else comes along for the ride.
A Fresh First-Run Experience: Say Hello to KISS
Until now, KDE’s Welcome Center would greet users after their first login—but who creates that first user account? If the OS was pre-installed by someone else (like from the manufacturer or a previous owner), no accounts exist yet to log in with. That’s where the Initial System Setup wizard steps in, handling those vital first steps—like creating a user account, setting a keyboard layout, selecting a time zone, and more.
What began as an internal side project has been refined and merged into KDE’s OEM setup flow, debuting in Plasma 6.5.0.
UI Enhancements You’ll Actually Notice
With Plasma 6.5.0, KDE continues polishing the user interface with smoother, more responsive improvements:
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Scrollable Panels
When your panel fills up with icons—especially in Touch Mode—the icons first compact slightly, then switch to a scrollable layout for easy navigation. -
Better HDR Tone-mapping
HDR content now looks sharper and more vibrant thanks to an improved tone mapping curve in KWin. -
Streamlined System Settings
- The Drawing Tablet page is hidden by default unless a device is connected (though you can always opt to view it).
- Volume feedback sounds no longer appear briefly when adjusting audio—cleaner UI behavior.
- Accessibility enhancements on the Shortcuts page make navigation easier.
- The Game Controller settings now display more relevant info, especially when detected via SDL.
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Notification Cleanup
After exiting Do Not Disturb mode, the reminder “you missed some notifications” will no longer linger in your history—because you’re already there anyway.
Bug Fixes: Tidying Up the Desktop
In Plasma 6.4.5:
- Fixed issues with panel customization—such as dialogs that wouldn’t close using Escape, and widgets that stuck if Escape was pressed mid-drag.
- Cloning a panel now includes its System Tray widget settings.
- Addressed layout quirks in the Audio Volume widget where recording streams were visually misaligned.
In Plasma 6.5.0:
- Desktop icons behave more predictably—no more jumping around when switching layout modes.
- Improved reliability for the built-in RDP server: it can now be enabled manually across distributions and won’t auto-start unless specified.
- A standalone Audio Volume widget on a panel now occupies appropriate space.
Bug tracker update:
- 5 very high priority Plasma bugs (up from 4 last week)
- 27 “15-minute” Plasma bugs (down from 28 last week)—a strong sign of ongoing responsiveness.
Performance & Technical Upgrades
Plasma 6.4.5:
- Workarounds address challenging AMD GPU driver issues.
- Fixed a rare freeze that could occur when interacting with the clipboard after copying from a slow or inaccessible network source.
Plasma 6.5.0:
- A streamlined timer now powers KWin’s render loop, trimming resource usage across the board.
- Support added for version 2 of the global shortcuts portal.
KDE Frameworks 6.18:
- Thumbnail generation across KDE apps is now faster, thanks to moving cache operations off the main CPU thread.
Wrapping It Up
Plasma 6.5.0 brings forward-thinking usability improvements and technical polish. The Initial System Setup wizard (KISS) bridges a key gap for fresh installations, while UI refinements, bug fixes, and performance enhancements ensure a smoother, more reliable user experience. It’s a clear signal of KDE’s continued momentum toward polished perfection.