TL;DR
KDE Plasma is set to eliminate X11 support in its upcoming 6.8 release, moving entirely to Wayland. This change aims to improve performance and simplify development but may impact some users still on X11.
KDE Plasma will officially remove support for the X11 window system in its upcoming 6.8 release, which is scheduled to launch in about five months. This marks the first time the environment will be available solely through Wayland, signaling a significant shift in KDE’s development focus and platform strategy.
According to KDE developers, the X11 session will be entirely absent from the login screen in Plasma 6.8, and all X11-specific code paths in Plasma Shell, System Settings, and device configuration will be eliminated. Support for XWayland will remain, allowing users to run X11 applications within the Wayland session. The transition is driven by internal metrics indicating that over 95% of Plasma 6.6 users have adopted Wayland, with nearly 76% of all users on Plasma 6.8 or later using Wayland, while the remaining still on older versions or X11.
Plasma 6.7, set to release shortly, will be the last version to include an X11 session. KDE acknowledges that Wayland may still have some compatibility issues, especially with specialized workflows, scripts, or tools, and encourages users to report problems. The move aims to streamline development, improve performance, and enable new features that are more challenging to implement across dual code paths.
Why It Matters
This transition is significant because it consolidates KDE Plasma’s development around Wayland, which offers better performance, security, and future-proofing. Removing X11 support reduces code complexity, potentially leading to more stable and innovative features. However, it also poses challenges for users reliant on X11-specific workflows or legacy applications, who may need to adapt or seek workarounds during the transition period.
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Background
For years, KDE has been gradually shifting toward Wayland, with initial support introduced over a decade ago. Despite early challenges, recent releases have seen increasing stability and adoption. KDE’s internal metrics and crash reports confirm that the majority of users now prefer Wayland, prompting the developers to accelerate the deprecation of X11. Historically, KDE has maintained X11 support to ensure compatibility and user choice, but the focus has now shifted entirely to Wayland, with Plasma 6.8 marking the definitive end of X11 support.
“In Plasma 6.8, there will be no X11 session in the login screen, and all X11-specific code will be removed. Support for XWayland remains, so X11 applications will still work within Wayland.”
— KDE developer team
“Moving forward with a single code path through Wayland will allow us to bring new performance improvements, memory optimizations, and exciting features.”
— Dawid Edmundson, KDE developer
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What Remains Unclear
It is still unclear how smoothly all users will adapt to the switch, especially those with specialized workflows or legacy systems. KDE acknowledges that some issues may arise during the transition, and support efforts are ongoing to address them, but full compatibility and feature parity may take time to achieve.
KDE Plasma X11 to Wayland transition guide
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What’s Next
Following the release of Plasma 6.8, KDE will focus on addressing any remaining issues reported by users during the transition. Users are encouraged to test the latest development releases and provide feedback. The KDE team will continue to monitor adoption and stability, with future updates aimed at refining Wayland support and ensuring a seamless user experience.
XWayland Linux compatibility
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Key Questions
Will I still be able to run X11 applications after Plasma 6.8?
Yes, support for XWayland will continue, allowing X11 applications to run within the Wayland session.
What if I encounter issues with Wayland after the update?
Users are encouraged to report issues through KDE support channels. KDE plans to address reported problems, but some workflows may require adjustments during the transition period.
Will KDE support X11 in future releases?
No, KDE Plasma 6.8 will be the last version to include X11 support. The environment will be fully reliant on Wayland moving forward.
How will this affect users on older Plasma versions?
Users on Plasma 5.27 or earlier will not be affected until they upgrade to Plasma 6.8 or later, at which point X11 support will be discontinued.
Source: Hacker News
