KDE Plasma 6.0 Beta 2 is available for testing

I am not using the betas as I use my gaming machine also for work, so I don't want to cause weird glitches when working, but I'm excited for the full release this winter!

I can't wait for this to be pushed to the Steam Deck!

I hope they fixed the ridiculous way the user is expected to edit the panels -- changing width -- scaling height -- dragging and moving items around -- they should not reinvent the wheel and stick to typical user-expectations. The panel is one of the biggest complaints about KDE. It's embarrassing when switching somebody to KDE and having to explain why the Panel is a mess to edit (I had this happen).

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All in all, I am most excited to see how v6 iteration improves Plasma Mobile and how it stacks up against Phosh and Gnome Mobile in the near future.

I will probably be using it once it comes out fully, along with switching to a different Linux-distro altogether that has Plasma by default. - So far I've only tried Ubuntu and Pop, which both simply use Gnome, but it's too simplistic and limited, as well as it has some kind of weird issue with the gnomeshell (in that it starts creeping up the CPU-usage over time for some reason and makes the whole system lag, which has been a thing with no fix for years as far as I know).
One of the main things I can't wait for is to have a more detailed and capable file-explorer. Though, I suppose that's not part of Plasma but Dolphin?... Anyway, I can't get Dolphin working properly either, so I'll be leaving Pop and move to something like Manjaro, if not Zorin or Mint, as soon as their respective new versions are out probably, and I bet their developers are waiting for Plasma as well.

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaR...move to something like Manjaro, if not Zorin or Mint, as soon as their respective new versions are out probably, and I bet their developers are waiting for Plasma as well.

Neither Mint nor Zorin officially support KDE Plasma, I doubt they're waiting for it. Manjaro might be a better bet with their official KDE Plasma edition.

But if it's just Gnome's file manager that you don't like, maybe give one of the other GTK-based options a try first? I'm personally very happy with Xfce's Thunar file manager. Should be available from Pop's default repositories.


Last edited by tuubi on 24 December 2023 at 10:39 pm UTC

Quoting: tuubi

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaR...move to something like Manjaro, if not Zorin or Mint, as soon as their respective new versions are out probably, and I bet their developers are waiting for Plasma as well.

Neither Mint nor Zorin officially support KDE Plasma, I doubt they're waiting for it. Manjaro might be a better bet with their official KDE Plasma edition.

Well, I did not mean to imply that those have/support Plasma (or maybe I thought so, considering that last line, or I worded it wrong). I merely stated them as options I'm considering moving to. - Zorin in particular is a good one because it also lets you switch between environments (or at least styles) out-of-the-box, and I mentioned it regardless of the environment (which I believe is Gnome and Xfce).

QuoteBut if it's just Gnome's file manager that you don't like, maybe give one of the other GTK-based options a try first? I'm personally very happy with Xfce's Thunar file manager. Should be available from Pop's default repositories.

I have tried a bunch installed to Pop, but they just don't cut it. - I don't understand why they feel like I'm back in the early-2000s again. - I mean, for example, why don't these file-explorers have per-folder settings? Such as, thumbnails for one, list-view for another. - It doesn't make sense to have text-files as thumbnails for example, but they WILL be thumbnails if I've chosen that while in a folder with pictures, but then navigate to a folder with images to thumbnails, cause the setting applies "globally" to the current viewport, not to the folder you're currently in. - (But I suppose that's due to the nature of the different file-systems Windows and Linux use.)

I also often can't add filters (as in, through the columns) that I need, such as picture-dimensions. Just because I can't add a filter/column for dimensions, I can't sort them to that, and I have to click each one to figure it out? - That's asinine.
And then there's the weirdness with sorting in general, which just seems so random and inconsistent that it seems broken.

Also small stuff like being able to double-click on a column-divider to resize it to the largest content below, or even drag the columns into the order I want quickly. - Details like that go a long way in productivity and just moving things along in general.

Even more basic stuff, such as why don't most of these file-explorers have "bars" for their drive-space or any indication at all?? - It's a thing you (at least I) check regularly, but I have to open up something like Disk Usage Analyzer separately to see that.


Again, it's not all the same with each file-explorer, I'm mentioning a bunch of things I found over this year of trying Linux. But file-exploring/organizing, which you do a LOT on a desktop computer, has felt very limited, clunky and basic. - I've tried a few popular ones, but they all seem like they're outdated and lack features. - That's one thing that Windows Explorer was an 8 or 9 out of 10 with (at least in Windows 7 and 10). - Though, I think Manjaro comes very close to having a fleshed-out enough interface in general that I don't feel left out of information or functionality, probably with the help of Plasma and Dolphin. - At least, last time I quickly tried Manjaro for just a few minutes, it was as if a blindfold came off, if you know what I mean. - It was just like: "Oh, I can finally see this and that, move and change this and that immediately. That's what I'm talking about and it seems I'm moving soon."

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaRI mean, for example, why don't these file-explorers have per-folder settings? Such as, thumbnails for one, list-view for another.

Thunar has this if you enable it in the settings. I think it's right at the top of the first tab of the settings dialog. I prefer to manually switch between views, but I mostly stay in detailed list view.

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaR(But I suppose that's due to the nature of the different file-systems Windows and Linux use.)

Folder specific file manager settings do not require anything special from the file system.

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaRAnd then there's the weirdness with sorting in general, which just seems so random and inconsistent that it seems broken.

Maybe a problem with your locale or something? Sorting by any column seems perfectly logical and consistent here.

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaRAlso small stuff like being able to double-click on a column-divider to resize it to the largest content below, or even drag the columns into the order I want quickly.

Double clicking the column header divider to resize works fine in Thunar, but sorting happens in the same dialog where you select visible columns. You can also set Thunar to always expand columns to fit the content if that's what you want.

Quoting: MicHaeL_MonStaREven more basic stuff, such as why don't most of these file-explorers have "bars" for their drive-space or any indication at all?? - It's a thing you (at least I) check regularly, but I have to open up something like Disk Usage Analyzer separately to see that.

Thunar shows space used by files in the current folder and space available on the current drive in the bottom bar. Unless you've selected some files, in which case it shows information about them.


But all that aside: If you prefer KDE and Dolphin, switching does seem like a good idea. I mentioned Thunar because it fits my workflow very well, but your mileage may and quite apparently does vary. KDE never really clicked with me, but isn't it nice that Linux has something for everyone? :)

Oh wow... I remember when Compiz first came out with the special effects. I don't bother with them anymore and I run MATE on my Linux machine with no compositing. Probably doesn't make a difference with a dedicated video card, but compositing is nasty on Intel graphics mixed with games.