KDE Plasma 6.7 to Enhance Printer Management and Wayland Experience

KDE Plasma 6.7, currently in development, is set to introduce several improvements, including a revamped print queue viewer and enhanced Wayland support. These updates aim to address common user pain points and further refine the desktop experience.

Improved Printer Management

A key feature of Plasma 6.7 will be a new, full-featured print queue viewer. As reported by Phoronix, this replaces the older print queue dialog, offering a more comprehensive interface for managing multiple printers, both local and networked. While still providing a streamlined experience for single-printer setups, the new viewer introduces enterprise-level features for environments with numerous printers. Mike Noe’s merge request (#280) details the changes.

The new print queue viewer in KDE Plasma 6.7.

Wayland Enhancements

Plasma 6.7 continues to build upon Wayland support, addressing known issues and adding new functionality. Specifically, the update will allow users to optionally synchronize stylus pointer movement with the mouse or touchpad pointer when using Wayland. This enhancement aims to improve the experience for users who switch between input methods.

Additional Updates in Plasma 6.7

Beyond printer management and Wayland improvements, Plasma 6.7 includes other notable changes:

• The ability to switch between virtual desktops by scrolling or using the Page Up/Page Down keys in the Overview effect.
• Restoration of the Air Plasma style, offering a lighter alternative to the Oxygen style.
• Fixes for a KWin issue causing screen blackouts during intensive Alt+Tab usage.
• Support for L2TP VPN options in network settings.
• A global keyboard shortcut for clearing the notification history.
• Improved previews for cursor themes.

Plasma 6.7 and the Future of X11 Support

Plasma 6.7 is notable as the last version to support the X11 session. According to the KDE Community Wiki, Plasma 6.8 will drop X11 session support entirely. Plasma 6.7 may receive a prolonged bugfix period to ensure a smooth transition for users. Yet, a decision on this has not yet been finalized.

Looking Ahead

With Plasma 6.7 on the horizon, KDE continues to refine and improve the Plasma desktop environment. The focus on Wayland compatibility and user-requested features demonstrates KDE’s commitment to providing a modern and user-friendly experience. The release of Plasma 6.7 is expected later in 2026, following the release of Plasma 6.6.