Please stop updating Plasma in the same Fedora version, especially if it gets EOL

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Hi this is my first thread here so fortunately this is the right place to ask this.

Please stop update KDE Plasma to major versions without waiting for the next Fedora version.

Today I updated my PC and all my plugins were broken. Then all dialogs had awful contrast and then parts of my theme were also completely broken. Don’t get me started on the millions of crash notifications I’m getting every hour.

I’m certain that the KDE team will fix all these issues in 6.6.1 but this guinea pig feeling is the reason I left Arch Linux for a more stable experience. I’m seriously considering moving to a distro that updates slower just for this, I’m sorry, I love Fedora KDE spin but I need a working computer that doesn’t break without my consent.

So please, stop updating to major KDE Plasma releases without waiting for the next Fedora version. That way we can actually wait in the current version while the next one gets ironed out.

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If this is becoming a routine issue, then it’s probably best to try a different distribution that offers a more stable release cadence like maybe openSUSE Leap. Fedora is pretty explicit about shipping the latest software updates when they become available and pass through Rawhide and testing branches.

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Mine presented me with a Black screen as SDDM didn’t like my selection of the Login GUI. That could be fixed temporary within just minutes and the permanent fix took a couple of hours to sort. I agree with that awful contrast. I got it mostly sorted. But from what I could tell, it wasn’t a forced update. I chose to update the Kernel and Plasma. I didn’t have to.

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No, very likely it’s not plasma. There’s something wrong with your install.
Have a look at your SSD health, what if it’s dying and some files get damaged?

I’m an active user of KDE widgets and use highly customized desktop layout, plus frequently connect 2 extra monitors. Everything works fine and survived several plasma upgdades already. KDE respects placement of widgets on external monitors too.

and as others say, we use Fedora precisely because it gets updated faster than other distros.

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Wouldn’t the next major version of plasma be 7?

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This strategy would, at some points, leave large time gaps where KDE Plasma in Fedora receives no updates at all - no security fixes and no bug fixes.

KDE Plasma’s release policy says:

Releases will each receive six (6) patch releases containing bug fixes, beginning with Plasma 6.3, while versions 6.0–6.2 only received five such updates.

Bugfix tags/releases for each release are published on subsequent Tuesdays at weekly intervals according to the Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8).

Now, for your proposal of postponing the Plasma 6.6 update until Fedora 44 releases, this would actually work out to be not too bad. Plasma 6.5.6 (the final 6.5.x release) is scheduled for 2026-03-10, and Fedora 44 will be released around 2026-04-14. That seems pretty OK.

But then think about the implications for the next release. In your proposal, Plasma 6.7 wouldn’t arrive in Fedora until Fedora 45 (expected in mid-October 2026).

But Plasma 6.6.6 will release on 2026-07-07, and there will be no more 6.6.x releases. That would mean over 3 months with no Plasma updates at all.

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Its not absolute bleeding edge as its still using the old Login Manager SDDM and not the latest one that was suppose to come with Plasma 6.6.0 which is PLM.
Its unfortunate that Fedora pushed out a new Kernel at the same time. I just had a total GUI freeze with no response whatsoever. Even trying to switch to another TTY didn’t work. Messages were GPU buffer full. They will have that sorted in the next few days/updates.

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For me it fixed a screen glitch issue that was introduced with the 6.18 kernels.
I’d not had enough time to figure out what was wrong in kde to trigger this problem.
But 6.6 fixed it, nothing else regressed for me.

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Zero issues with 6.6. Zero crashes too.

Just goes to show one mans poison is another mans Gnome-Shell.

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Excuse my ignorance, but then what’s exactly the point of Fedora version releases like 41,42,43… if the release model is rolling? I was under the impression that Fedora was a fast-updating stable distribution, as in it’s like debian but instead of years between releases it’s 6 months.

I doubt it. Checking out r/KDE shows similar issues. I’m used to that for every new KDE release until the first patch one but this time it was very infuriating.

That’s also the same reason I use it but literally rolling is not just “faster than other distros”. Did even 24 hour pass since 6.6 release before getting into the repos?

Sorry but no, KDE can’t claim to be following semver just because it’s 3 point versioned.

According to https://semver.org/

  1. MAJOR version when you make incompatible API changes
  2. MINOR version when you add functionality in a backward compatible manner

While I’m dealing with an API breakage of my plugins here. It’s QT_version.MAJOR.MINOR/PATCH

Sounds better than having your setup broken because you clicked update in Discover.

Thank you for your input, I’ll make sure to read my post again to find where I asked “anyone has issues with 6.6?”. My setup is broken after a restart, I don’t know what else am I supposed to add here. Congrats yours isn’t.

Exactly, that’s what I thought I was getting with KDE on Fedora. My wife uses the GNOME version and she has a tilling extension. When 43 came around, the extension hadn’t updated yet and {this might shock you} she stayed on 42 until it was ready. Her setup didn’t break at all.

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Thanks and Bye.

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Quick note. This is the general Fedora updates policy:

(We don’t push major updates to Fedora releases).

However, KDE has an exception, and its own policy:

Fedora is also not a rolling distribution—we just try to make upgrades between releases as painless as possible.

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The exemption for KDE is applied only to the current Fedora release:

When KDE releases the new 6.(x+1).y version this will follow the above Update Process. However this update will only be made available to users of the current Fedora release.

Users of previous Fedora releases need to understand that there will be no guarantee of further updates to KDE during the life of this Fedora release. Exceptions will be for bug and security fixes that the KDE-SIG is able to backport.

This means staying on Fedora “current minus one” will result in the KDE updates experience that OP is looking for.

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f42 has 6.6 - this needs checking with the Fedora KDE folks - @ngompa ?

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The policy applies to all Fedora releases, the text was not correctly updated to indicate that previous fedora releases are updated on a best-effort basis (I’ve fixed this). We have elected depending on the complexity or difficulty and timing with Fedora lifecycles to not update N-1 releases in the past, but usually spring and summer KDE releases get pushed to all active Fedora stable releases because the lifecycle gap is too wide otherwise.

If you want a slower pace, RHEL or AlmaLinux 10 would provide this, as Plasma version rebases only come with new minor versions of Enterprise Linux.

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Doesn’t this sound counterproductive to any of you? So there are two fedoras, the fedora that has a set of policies, a schedule and rules and another fedora that doesn’t follow any of these and it’s closer to an arch linux like rolling release that introduces breaking changes every 4 or so months :face_with_raised_eyebrow: I wish I knew of all of these before choosing fedora for its “stable but faster” promises.

Even the policy exception has exceptions based on the replies to your post.

“If you want the schedule fedora promised you, don’t use fedora” okay.

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We actually tracked and integrated every Plasma 6.6 development milestone in Rawhide ahead of this. There was extensive effort done by the Fedora KDE team to prepare for Plasma 6.6 before shipping it to users.

I’m sorry your experience hasn’t been great, all I can say is that we do our best and try to work with the KDE community to provide the best experience possible.

That said, it sounds like you use a fair number of third party plugins? Did any of those happen to be binary plugins (that is, they needed to be compiled against Plasma)?

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I do agree with the contrast. Since the update its been horrible. I still haven’t resolved it.

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:rofl:

You can say that again! I recently switched to KDE (since Fedora 41) from GNOME (since FC1, btw) and I couldn’t be happier so far. After fighting GNOME/gnome-shell for the last 3-4-5-6 years, I relented. I just couldn’t handle the point releases breaking/causing mayhem. So I gave up.

I am using Fedora 42 and the KDE 6.6.0 update was smooth as silk (butter?). No issues at all with the update. I even tried out plasma login manager (w/Xorg/nvidia).

+1,000,000 Thank Yous Fedora :fedora_classic: :fedora: KDE Team!

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Welcome to Fedora @koko927

Unfortunately you have thrown your selves into the lions’ den. Project discussion is reserved for members of this specific group you chosen. They normally should tell you friendly not using this Section, especially when you make your first request and need some guidance, to have a nice experience with Fedora.

It is normal that they do defend their “Baby they promote within Fedora”. However I do not agree with the way, how this happened. The Fedora community generally is a warm, welcoming and vibrant international community. In which you are save enough, to make a statement as you made.

An other point is that a fesco member did send you into to the “Corporate” Desert from which he also most-likely gets payed for the work he does. Mixing Business goals with the “Open Source Spirit” which Fedora is also know for, is really not a good thing.

The Beta release is so close, would this really make a difference for the old stable to let it in the testing branch, and offer the user to test when they like? The KDE Issue should not really be a Fedora issue … if they like users reporting upstream they should be able to fit into some of the schedules we do have. I am wrong with that?

What do the other Fesco members say? Is this comportment not already a bit out of the Fedora Standard?

17 	Beta Freeze (starts at 1400 UTC) 	Tue 2026-02-17 	Tue 2026-03-10 	21

18 	Beta Release (Early Target)
Fedora contributors plan on this
	Tue 2026-03-10 	Tue 2026-03-10 	0

Beside he gave you also half of the “Truth” about RHEL & Alma Linux 10. If you start to use that, you have to choose between Linux V2 and V3, what in other hands means, that you if you use older Hardware can prepare it for the land-fields. They have a V2 version but emphasize that in closer future this will have much less software you can select from.

Does this not slowly start to smell from forced W10 to W11 update of the other OS we all loved so much when we where kids :stuck_out_tongue:

To hear some words of the other Fesco & Council Members I will try to add their groups to the discussion.

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