According to Phoronix, the KDE project has laid out a clear roadmap for its Plasma desktop environment, with two major releases on the horizon. The imminent Plasma 6.6, expected in October 2024, will finally add support for ambient light sensors for automatic display brightness and includes fixes to improve HDR gaming, specifically for Windows games running under compatibility layers. The bigger news, however, is for Plasma 6.8, scheduled for February 2025. That release will drop the legacy X11 session entirely, making the Wayland session the one and only option for users. This marks the project’s definitive move away from the decades-old X11 display server protocol.
The Wayland Point of No Return
This is a huge deal. For years, the Linux desktop world has been in a transitional state, with most major environments offering both X11 and Wayland sessions. It’s been a safety net. But safety nets can also slow progress. By committing to a Wayland-exclusive future with Plasma 6.8, the KDE developers are forcing the issue. They’re betting that, by early 2025, the ecosystem—drivers, applications, screen-sharing tools—will be ready. It’s a bold move that will undoubtedly accelerate Wayland’s maturity. But here’s the thing: it’s also a move that will leave some users behind, at least temporarily.
The Inevitable Pain and Pushback
And there will be pushback. You can already hear it. What about that one niche app that only works perfectly under X11? What about NVIDIA users who may still encounter quirks? The complaints about screen recording or remote desktop? They’re valid. The transition from X11 has been a long, bumpy road precisely because X11 is deeply entrenched and full of weird, ancient features that applications accidentally depend on. KDE is basically saying the band-aid needs to be ripped off. I think it’s the right long-term call for a modern, secure, and performant desktop, but the short-term pain is real. It’s a calculated risk that will test the project’s resolve when the bug reports from disgruntled users start flooding in.
More Than Just a Protocol Swap
Look, the focus on the 6.6 features shows this isn’t just about ideology. Ambient light sensor support and proper HDR handling are exactly the kinds of modern, hardware-integrated features that X11 struggles with or completely lacks. Wayland isn’t just a newer protocol; it’s a prerequisite for a desktop that can compete with Windows and macOS on polish and functionality for high-end hardware. The move to Wayland-exclusive isn’t just about killing old code. It’s about clearing the deck to build the features users actually want today. So, is the community ready? We’re about to find out.
