Linux 7.3 is out with faster ext4, better performance on AMD GPUs with low VRAM and a new cgroup scheduling mode. 2026 Steam Controller driver debuts.
You’re reading Linux 7.3 is out, speeds up ext4 and low-VRAM AMD GPUs, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
A new version of the Tiling Shell GNOME extension is out, adding support for GNOME 51 and a faster way to tile app windows using nothing but your mouse. Tiling Shell v18.0 lets you use your right mouse button for tiling system activation. It’s feature fans of Tiling Shell had requested, many accustomed to it from Windows’ PowerToys’ FancyZones. You click your left button to grab and drag the window then, with it held, hold the right mouse button to trigger the on-screen tiling layout. Release the left button over a zone and the window snaps to it – no […]
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December’s Linux Mint 27 release will include a brand new system monitor tool preinstalled. The app is called Superlight (well, that’s the project and package name; the user-facing label is just System Monitor). It shows hardware, app and process usage, relays battery stats and has an interactive storage page to find out what files and folders are using the most space. It’s still under active development, but I took it for a spin to see how it fares and what it offers. Keep in mind that more features may be added or changed between now and when it gets its […]
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Now Playing Card is an extension for GNOME Shell that can show playback info and media controls from multiple sources at the same time.
You’re reading Now Playing Card shows media info for multiple apps at a time, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
The KDE Project has officially released KDE Plasma 6.8, introducing a substantial collection of desktop improvements while celebrating three decades of open-source software development. Released on October 14, 2026, exactly 30 years after Matthias Ettrich announced the original KDE project, this anniversary edition brings significant changes to display management, accessibility, graphics performance, remote desktop functionality, system monitoring, and application theming.
Perhaps the most consequential development is KDE’s decision to retire native X11 desktop sessions in Plasma 6.8, completing its transition toward Wayland as the primary display architecture. The release also introduces NVIDIA triple buffering by default, improved HDR support, a more capable remote desktop server, CPU affinity controls in System Monitor, and expanded capabilities for the experimental Union theming engine. These improvements reflect KDE’s effort to modernize the Linux desktop while maintaining the customization and flexibility that have defined Plasma for years.
Plasma 6.8 is therefore more than a commemorative release. It represents an important architectural transition for one of Linux’s most widely used desktop environments, with changes that affect both everyday users and developers building applications for the next generation of Linux desktops.
KDE’s history began on October 14, 1996, when Matthias Ettrich proposed creating a consistent graphical desktop environment for Unix-like operating systems. At the time, Linux was becoming increasingly capable as a free operating system, but its graphical experience remained fragmented. Users could choose from several window managers and applications, yet there was no universally integrated desktop environment comparable to the commercial graphical systems available elsewhere.
The original KDE initiative sought to address that limitation by building a cohesive desktop around the Qt application framework. Over the following decades, the project evolved through several major generations, introducing increasingly sophisticated desktop technologies while expanding into applications, development frameworks, mobile interfaces, and other open-source projects.
Plasma 6.8 arrives as KDE marks its 30th anniversary, but its development priorities are focused primarily on the future. Rather than introducing a purely cosmetic anniversary edition, KDE has concentrated on modernizing underlying desktop infrastructure while improving accessibility, usability, and performance. The result is a release that combines immediately visible enhancements with architectural changes intended to support future development.
Microsoft Defender is now available for Linux desktops. Shocked? In 2026, you shouldn’t be. Microsoft’s down with the penguins these days: there’s a Linux kernel in Windows, it owns GitHub and makes Edge for Linux (not that too many people use it). Why not some rootin’-tootin’, threat-detectin’ n’ virus-protectin’ software on top, eh? Name: Microsoft Defender for Linux. Age: Public preview, so, pass? Appearance: A line item on an E5 invoice. What is it? Microsoft’s security suite, now available for Linux desktops (albeit in a public preview). Microsoft’s security suite. On Linux…. Where have you been? Defender has been available for Linux servers […]
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