Developer Nate Graham has recently published a report on the latest developments in the KDE project. This report highlights the work being done to address issues in the code base for KDE Plasma 6.2.5. One of the main focuses has been on preventing the entire shell from crashing in the event of failures in individual widgets. By limiting error output in problematic widgets, the KDE Plasma shell has been made more stable. Additionally, efforts are underway to improve the processing of incorrectly designed files with the extension “.Desktop” to enhance reliability.
Specifically in the composite manager Kwin, steps have been taken to ensure stability and prevent crashes caused by applications sending incorrect metadata hdr. Furthermore, corrections have been implemented to address various errors in Plasma, such as the shell crashing when there are deviations in network state notifications and Kwin crashing on systems with non-Intel GPU drivers due to exhausted file descriptors. The configurator issue that occurred when opening mouse settings has also been resolved.
Among the improvements planned for KDE 6.3.0 and KDE Frameworks 6.9 this week include the ability to temporarily disable rules in the Kwin settings configurator, enhanced pop-up hints in the Task Manager widget for open windows, accurate notifications for low battery wireless headphones in the Power and Battery widget, and adjustments to the duration and behavior of the “leaving windows” effect in Kwin.
- In the Kwin settings configurator, users can now temporarily disable rules for window attributes, providing more flexibility in managing applications. Previously, these rules could only be removed entirely.
- The Task Manager widget now displays textual pop-up hints when the contents of a window are disconnected in settings, improving user experience and clarity.
- The Power and Battery widget now provides accurate notifications for low battery wireless headphones, ensuring users are informed about their battery status.
- The “leaving windows” effect in Kwin has been adjusted to align with other effects and animations, with improved predictability when setting non-standard animation speeds.