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Topic

Linux desktop environments

Desktop environments, compositors and core applications for Linux and other Unix-like systems, including GNOME, KDE Plasma and the toolkits they are built on.

Current stories

buildConfirmed3 publishers

KDE Plasma 6.8 removes Plasma X11 sessions and leaves X11 apps to XWayland

KDE Plasma 6.8 shipped on the KDE project's 30th anniversary, according to both LWN and Phoronix. LWN reports the release removes Plasma X11 sessions, so X11 applications now depend on XWayland.

Perspective Coverage

3 publishers
Builder
Builder 41%
Operator
Operator 51%
Investor
Investor 8%

Reality

Evidence66
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap+8
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence74
buildConfirmed2 publishers

Linux Mint 27 'Adrien' starts a new codename series with men's names

Linux Mint 27 "Adrien" is due around Christmas 2026 on an Ubuntu 26.04 LTS base, after the project's first full-year development cycle. Version numbers will follow the release year, and founder Clement Lefebvre says the longer cycle allows bigger changes.

Publishers:dev.to phoronix.com

Reality

Evidence55
Adoption
Not scored
Hype gap
Not scored
Incentives
Not scored
Confidence60
securityOne report1 publisher

GDM accepts passkeys and smart cards at the login screen in GNOME 51

The same release deletes the two NVIDIA-specific code paths Mutter carried for Wayland, so GeForce 700-series cards drop back to the open-source Nouveau driver. Fedora 45 and Ubuntu 26.10 both ship it.

Reality

Evidence70
Adoption55
Hype gap−10
Incentives35
Confidence65