Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- KDE Plasma 6.6 will include a new workspaces feature.
- The new feature goes a long way to improve multi-monitor setups.
- The release should arrive in early 2026.
The KDE team has decided to finally bring to life a feature that has been long requested. This feature (which was first floated nearly 20 years ago) is geared specifically toward multi-monitor setups and will change the way the desktop works for the better.
This new feature is planned for KDE Plasma 6.6 and is all about workspaces. With workspaces, you essentially get multiple desktops that you can switch between to create an efficient environment. You can have one desktop dedicated to productivity, one for creativity, one for social media, etc.
Currently, with KDE Plasma and multi-monitor setups, when you switch workspaces, all monitors switch to the same workspace, and you can’t dedicate one monitor to one configuration and the other to another. This has been due, in part, to the limitations of X11. However, with the widespread adoption of Wayland, a desktop can do more, and the KDE developers are taking full advantage of that.
Also: 8 things you can do with Linux that you can’t do with MacOS or Windows
With the upcoming release, there will be a new option that will make multi-monitor users very happy. Essentially, the new feature allows you to switch desktops only on your primary monitor, while the secondary monitor remains on the original.
This lets you work on two different workspaces simultaneously. As a multi-monitor user, this feature seriously appeals to me because it gives me a much more flexible working environment. I can set the secondary monitor up with collaboration apps, and then the primary display with multiple workspaces and switch between them only on the primary monitor, while the secondary monitor remains stationary.
Keep in mind that with this setup, the secondary monitor will not have the workspaces feature available, so you’ll have a primary monitor with workspaces and a secondary monitor without.
More updates
Other new additions include:
- The ability to connect to a network with a QR code within the NetworkManager
- The DrKonqi crash reporter will be aware when non-KDE applications crash and allow you to send reports
- A new all-screens trigger for hot-corner effects, lower memory usage
- The removal of tiled wallpapers (although there is a plugin to add the feature back)
KDE Plasma is one of the most beautiful and flexible desktop environments on the market. Not only is it a work of art, but it’s also a desktop that anyone can get up to speed with quickly because it follows the traditional desktop metaphor. There’s a panel, a start menu, desktop icons, and a system tray — everything you need.
And soon you’ll have the ability to do more with less.
