<p><a href="https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.8.0/">Version 6.8</a> of
the <a href="https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/">KDE Plasma desktop</a> has been
released. The The KDE project has timed the release to coincide with the 30th
anniversary of Matthias Ettrich's <a
href="https://kde.org/announcements/announcement/">email announcing</a> the
project:</p>

<blockquote class="bq">
Unix popularity grows thanks to the free variants, mostly Linux. But still a
consistent, nice looking free desktop-environment is missing. There are several
nice either free or low-priced applications available, so that Linux/X11 would
almost fit everybody needs if we could offer a real GUI.
</blockquote>

<p>Notable changes include accessibility improvements, inclusion
of the <a href="https://github.com/KDE/kup#kup-backup-system">Kup</a> backup
tool as part of Plasma, as well as the ability to include system audio and
microphone input in <a href="https://apps.kde.org/spectacle/">Spectacle</a>
screen recordings. Plasma 6.8 also drops support for Plasma X11 sessions, as was <a
href="https://blogs.kde.org/2025/11/26/going-all-in-on-a-wayland-future/">announced</a>
in November 2025. X11 applications are still supported via XWayland, and KDE
applications will continue to support X11 "<q>for the foreseeable
future</q>".</p>

<p>See the <a
href="https://community.kde.org/Plasma/Plasma_6#Plasma_6.8">KDE wiki</a> for a
list of major user-facing changes, and the <a
href="https://kde.org/announcements/changelogs/plasma/6/6.7.5-6.8.0/">changelog</a>
for all changes since Plasma&#160;6.7.5.</p>

<p></p>