Plasma Desktop Will Soon Ask for Donations
The next iteration of Plasma has reached the soft feature freeze for the 6.2 version and includes a feature that could be divisive.
Plasma desktop is one of the more popular Linux desktops on the market. Like most Linux desktops, Plasma is free, which means the development team relies on donations. The problem with that has been the challenge of knowing where to donate.
The Plasma development team has a solution in the form of a yearly pop-up reminder to encourage users to donate. This new feature doesn't mean you have to donate to the cause; it just means it'll be easier to do so.
According to Plasma developer, Nate Graham, the team asks for donations to cover things like web and server hosting, organizing and hosting larger Akademy events, funding more frequent and larger sprints, and paying people to work on things not focused on by the volunteer community.
Nate states, "If you’re plugged into KDE social media, you probably see a lot of requests for donations. I end every one of my 'This Week in KDE' posts with one, and many others do for their own blog posts as well. KDE’s official social media channels blast it out constantly, and we also do yearly fundraisers that are widely promoted online. If you’re reading this, you may get the impression that we’re always begging for cash!"
The problem is that not all Plasma users are plugged into those communications channels, which inspired the idea for the yearly pop-up.
Other new features for 6.2 include the ability to block apps from inhibiting sleep mode, a new "fill" mode for wallpaper, an overhauled System Settings Accessibility page, and the usual slew of bug fixes.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
First Release Candidate for Linux Kernel 6.14 Now Available
Linus Torvalds has officially released the first release candidate for kernel 6.14 and it includes over 500,000 lines of modified code, making for a small release.
-
System76 Refreshes Meerkat Mini PC
If you're looking for a small form factor PC powered by Linux, System76 has exactly what you need in the Meerkat mini PC.
-
Gnome 48 Alpha Ready for Testing
The latest Gnome desktop alpha is now available with plenty of new features and improvements.
-
Wine 10 Includes Plenty to Excite Users
With its latest release, Wine has the usual crop of bug fixes and improvements, along with some exciting new features.
-
Linux Kernel 6.13 Offers Improvements for AMD/Apple Users
The latest Linux kernel is now available, and it includes plenty of improvements, especially for those who use AMD or Apple-based systems.
-
Gnome 48 Debuts New Audio Player
To date, the audio player found within the Gnome desktop has been meh at best, but with the upcoming release that all changes.
-
Plasma 6.3 Ready for Public Beta Testing
Plasma 6.3 will ship with KDE Gear 24.12.1 and KDE Frameworks 6.10, along with some new and exciting features.
-
Budgie 10.10 Scheduled for Q1 2025 with a Surprising Desktop Update
If Budgie is your desktop environment of choice, 2025 is going to be a great year for you.
-
Firefox 134 Offers Improvements for Linux Version
Fans of Linux and Firefox rejoice, as there's a new version available that includes some handy updates.
-
Serpent OS Arrives with a New Alpha Release
After months of silence, Ikey Doherty has released a new alpha for his Serpent OS.