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KDE Plasma 5.25 is out now, here's some of what's new

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Ready to get the latest and greatest from the KDE team? The awesome Plasma 5.25 release is officially out now. This is the desktop environment used on the Steam Deck when in Desktop Mode! Hopefully Valve will update it at some point.

One of the big new additions is the extension of what you can customize. Accent colours for example, can be automatically picked based on your background making everything fit nicely together. It's optional of course, you can set the colouring however you like. You can also now have floating panels, that will gracefully stop floating when you maximise a window and it looks pretty slick.

Switching between windows and workspaces is now a breeze, thanks to the new Overview affect that's shipped. This gives you a good look at everything you have open, allowing you to also search through apps, documents, and browser tabs with KRunner and the Application Launcher.

There's also masses of upgrades and new additions to touchscreen input and gestures on a touchpad. Oh, and the Discover Software app had the application pages redesigned to give you access to more and better info on what you're downloading and plenty of upgrades to their Flatpak handling.

See their flashy release trailer below:

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There's also absolutely loads (hundreds!) of improvements and fixes for Wayland support too.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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Purple Library Guy Jun 22, 2022
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.
const Jun 22, 2022
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.

Then we disagree. SteamOS and gameUI are connected in a lot of ways. GameUI so far is developed for the Deck on SteamOS, they are pretty much developed in sync. You actually upgrade the OS through gameUI and gameUI lets you even load up the DE inside. Both make the experience on Deck and if you put SteamOS on other devices, the experience will be pretty much the same.
Put SteamOS on an Aya handheld and map the Steam and burger buttons and you get a much better experience then with Windows. Put SteamOS on a couch PC and it will feel like a console. If Valve manages to make other hardware producers integrate SteamOS well, things might finally start cascading.


Last edited by const on 22 June 2022 at 5:29 pm UTC
slaapliedje Jun 22, 2022
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.

Then we disagree. SteamOS and gameUI are connected in a lot of ways. GameUI so far is developed for the Deck on SteamOS, they are pretty much developed in sync. You actually upgrade the OS through gameUI and gameUI lets you even load up the DE inside. Both make the experience on Deck and if you put SteamOS on other devices, the experience will be pretty much the same.
Put SteamOS on an Aya handheld and map the Steam and burger buttons and you get a much better experience then with Windows. Put SteamOS on a couch PC and it will feel like a console. If Valve manages to make other hardware producers integrate SteamOS well, things might finally start cascading.

Personally I think what they need to do now is sell a small box version of the Deck that you hook up to a TV with Steam Controller 2, which would be exactly like the Deck's controller layout. I'd buy one for sure.
const Jun 22, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: const
Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: constdo something important like further improving SteamOS (which is their most important product for us, by far).
I would have said least important. It's just another distro, of which we have plenty.

Did you actually try it? In it's core, yes, it's mainly just Linux, but Valve added a lot to the experience.
I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm not against distros in general either. Lots of them add stuff, and then other distros and desktop environments step up their own game. GamerOS adds stuff, too, as I understand it. So, sure, I'm absolutely willing to believe SteamOS adds a nice bit of user experience and is a good fit for the role they adapted it for. Although I put SteamOS as such in a separate category from the UI stuff that applies specifically to the deck--I see SteamOS as what you get when you go into "desktop mode". And really, that could be any decent distro, wouldn't matter much.

That nice SteamOS (as such) experience is not strategically important. The Deck itself is strategically important. Proton is strategically important. Even the Steam Runtime Environment has some importance. I would even say that the Steam Deck's gaming side UI, which is independent of the distro you run it on, is more important than SteamOS itself. SteamOS, particularly in the context of "something we want Valve to spend lots more of their energy developing", because it's an important product "for us"--no, SteamoS isn't important, and it's certainly not important for any "us" who doesn't own a Steam Deck.

Then we disagree. SteamOS and gameUI are connected in a lot of ways. GameUI so far is developed for the Deck on SteamOS, they are pretty much developed in sync. You actually upgrade the OS through gameUI and gameUI lets you even load up the DE inside. Both make the experience on Deck and if you put SteamOS on other devices, the experience will be pretty much the same.
Put SteamOS on an Aya handheld and map the Steam and burger buttons and you get a much better experience then with Windows. Put SteamOS on a couch PC and it will feel like a console. If Valve manages to make other hardware producers integrate SteamOS well, things might finally start cascading.

Personally I think what they need to do now is sell a small box version of the Deck that you hook up to a TV with Steam Controller 2, which would be exactly like the Deck's controller layout. I'd buy one for sure.
Guess that strengthens my point ^^
Also can't wait for SC2.
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