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Planet News Roundup

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Key points

openSUSE News has published its weekly roundup of posts from planet.opensuse.org, covering Oct. 9 to 15. The week was shaped by KDE's 30th anniversary and the Plasma 6.8 release. It also covered five Tumbleweed snapshots, a Tumbleweed ARM report, new Open Build Service features and an openQA performance write-up.

Tumbleweed

  • Dominique Leuenberger and Victorhck reviewed week 2026/41, which brought snapshots 1001, 1002, 1003, 1005 and 1007.
  • The main updates were systemd 261.3, Mesa 26.2.4, NetworkManager 1.58.1, LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, Linux Kernel 7.2.9 and Samba 4.25.0.
  • A change in cups-filters2 was reverted, which brought back printing of PDF and image files.
  • Packages in staging include Plasma 6.8 Beta 2, libvirt 12.8.0 and fmt 12.2.0.

Tumbleweed ARM

  • The ARM report covers mid-September to mid-October.
  • The kernel went from 7.2.6 to 7.2.9 and carries many security fixes for single-board computers and AArch64.
  • binutils 2.47 adds support for Armv9.6 and Armv9.7 instructions.
  • QEMU 11.1.2 brings fixes to virtualization.
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth firmware was updated for Raspberry Pi, Qualcomm and MediaTek boards.

Open Build Service

  • Content Moderation is now open to all users.
  • Anyone can report comments, users, projects, packages and requests for spam, abuse or other misconduct, using a set of predefined categories.
  • The end-of-week packager update for 2026-10-09 lists several fixes:
  • copying of special collectbuildenv packages
  • wrong dates on the Blame page
  • retriggering of scmsync package syncs
  • The same update lists improvements to osc request listings, to the arguments of osc fork and to how git-obs handles its configuration.

openQA testing

  • Zoltán Balogh analysed a slow support-server test module.
  • Delays in its setup cost about three times their length, because the parallel nodes sit idle while the master finishes.
  • Through small, measured changes he cut setup for the SLE 15 SP7 SAP HANA scenario from 7m 37s to about 5m 10s, and he describes the patterns and lessons he took from it.

KDE 30th anniversary and Plasma 6.8

  • KDE turned 30 on Oct. 14. The project began with Matthias Ettrich's 1996 announcement, and a KDE documentary premiered for the occasion.
  • Plasma 6.8 is billed as the 30th Anniversary Edition. Its changes include:
  • a new default wallpaper called Hanabi
  • support for the Nepali calendar
  • fixes for GTK4 window decorations
  • a redesigned Discover with AppStream previews
  • a reworked Flatpak permissions panel
  • The KDE Blog translated Nate Graham's "This Week in Plasma" covering final polish before 6.8. It lists:
  • interface changes to the weather applet, KRunner and Spectacle
  • bug fixes across Plasma 6.6.7 through 6.9 and Frameworks 6.32
  • Personal retrospectives came from three contributors:
  • Victorhck, an openSUSE user of KDE since 2011, who asks readers to donate (30€ for 30 years)
  • Sebastian Kügler, interviewed in the documentary as a former release manager, Plasma developer and KDE e.V. board member, who says he plans two new apps
  • Cornelius Schumacher, who joined KDE in 1999 and points to its reach through the Steam Deck and funding from the Sovereign Tech Fund
  • Barcelona Free Software holds a talk on 30 years of KDE on Oct. 21 at Akasha Hub, with Albert Astals Cid. KDE España provides pizza and drinks afterwards.

Other KDE posts

  • KDE Frameworks 6 got its 31st update on Oct. 9. The accompanying post explains how the KDBusAddons library makes D-Bus work easier in Qt and KDE applications, and lists all Frameworks tiers.
  • Plasmoid number 41 in the KDE Blog series is Advanced Weather Widget by pnedyalkov. It offers:
  • several weather providers with automatic failover
  • detailed current conditions and radar maps
  • configurable KDE notifications
  • translations in 18 languages

GNOME and podcasts

  • Jakub Steiner previewed an updated Pixels wallpaper for GNOME, made from app icons redrawn as pixel art.
  • It comes in nine color variants.
  • He wants feedback on contrast, backgrounds and grain before release.
  • Episode 7 of "La era de las distros" tells the story of Madrid's MAX educational distribution with its original developers Ismail Ali-Gago, Carlos Salamanca and Mario Izquierdo.
  • Linux Saloon 223, hosted by Nathan Wolf, focused on Omarchy. Its news segment covered:
  • Discord age verification, Thunderbird for iOS and Ubuntu's wiki overhaul
  • a falling Linux share among Steam users and Reddit dropping RSS feeds

Summary by DistroNews, based on the original post.

This is a roundup of articles from the openSUSE community listed on planet.opensuse.org. This community blog feed aggregator lists the featured highlights below from Oct. 9 - 15.

This week highlights KDE’s 30th anniversary and the premiere of the KDE documentary, the launch of Plasma 6.8 as the 30th Anniversary Edition, five Tumbleweed snapshots headlined by Linux Kernel 7.2.9, Samba 4.25.0 and LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, a mid-October Tumbleweed ARM update, the 31st KDE Frameworks 6 update, Open Build Service’s new Content Moderation feature, the Advanced Weather Widget plasmoid, episode 7 of the “La era de las distros” podcast on Madrid’s MAX distribution, Linux Saloon 223 on Omarchy, an openQA slow-test deep dive, GNOME’s refreshed Pixels wallpaper and more.

Here is a summary and links for each post:

30 Years and 1 Day: KDE Keeps Giving Me Freedom and Functionality with the Best Design

Victorhck shares a personal user’s tribute to KDE the day after the project’s 30th anniversary, reflecting on 15 years of using KDE with openSUSE since 2011. He expresses gratitude for the freedom, flexibility and polish of Plasma and KDE applications, praises the global community behind the project, and encourages readers to support KDE with donations, including a nod to celebrating 30 years with 30€.

KDE Documentary

Sebastian Kügler reflects on KDE’s 30th anniversary and the premiere of the KDE documentary, in which he was interviewed as a former release manager, Plasma core developer and KDE e.V. board member. He also hints at a return to Free Software development with two new apps tied to his hobbies.

Plasma 6.8 Released, 30th Anniversary Edition

The KDE Blog celebrates KDE’s 30th anniversary with the release of Plasma 6.8, highlighting dozens of improvements across the desktop experience. Key changes include the new Hanabi default wallpaper, Nepali calendar support, GTK4 window decoration fixes, a redesigned Discover with AppStream previews and a modernized Flatpak permissions panel.

Pixels Wallpaper Update

Jakub Steiner shares an early look at the updated Pixels wallpaper for GNOME, built from app icons redrawn as chunky pixel art. This time the wallpaper ships in nine color variants, and he asks the community for feedback on contrast, backgrounds and grain before the release.

KDE’s 30th Anniversary – Congratulations to the Whole Community!

The KDE Blog marks KDE’s 30th anniversary on Oct. 14, tracing the project from Matthias Ettrich’s original 1996 announcement to today’s worldwide community. Baltasar Ortega reflects on the people and values of KDE and previews the Plasma 6.8 launch arriving the next day.

Thirty Years of KDE

Cornelius Schumacher looks back on 30 years of KDE, from joining in 1999 to the project’s current strength with the Steam Deck reach and Sovereign Tech Fund investment. He reflects on how KDE’s commitment to freedom shaped his career and life, and notes the KDE documentary premiering for the anniversary.

Tumbleweed ARM Update by mid-October

openSUSE News details Tumbleweed ARM updates from mid-September through mid-October, covering the kernel’s move from 7.2.6 to 7.2.9 with a long list of SBC and AArch64 security fixes. Highlights include binutils 2.47 with Armv9.6 and Armv9.7 instructions, QEMU 11.1.2 virtualization fixes and refreshed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth firmware for Raspberry Pi, Qualcomm and MediaTek boards.

Advanced Weather Display with Advanced Weather Widget – Plasmoids for Plasma 6 (41)

The KDE Blog presents Advanced Weather Widget, the 41st entry in its Plasma 6 plasmoids series, a feature-rich weather applet by pnedyalkov. It supports multiple providers with automatic failover, detailed current conditions, radar maps, configurable KDE notifications and translations in 18 languages.

The Golden Age of LINUX in Spain. How MAX Was Created (with Its Original Developers) – Episode 7 of the Podcast “La era de las distros”

The KDE Blog promotes episode 7 of the podcast “La era de las distros,” which tells the story of Madrid’s MAX educational distribution through its original developers Ismail Ali-Gago, Carlos Salamanca and Mario Izquierdo. The episode covers the project’s humble technical beginnings and its role in digital sovereignty for Madrid’s classrooms.

The Content Moderation Feature Is Out For Everyone

The Open Build Service announces that its Content Moderation feature is now available to all users, giving the community tools to report, review and act on spam, abuse and other misconduct. Any user can report comments, users, projects, packages and requests using predefined categories.

31st KDE Frameworks 6 Update and the KDBusAddons Library

The KDE Blog covers the 31st update of KDE Frameworks 6, released Oct. 9, and continues its library deep-dive series with KDBusAddons. The post explains how KDBusAddons simplifies D-Bus work in Qt and KDE applications and provides a full listing of the Frameworks library tiers.

Linux Saloon 223 | Omarchy

Nathan Wolf hosts Linux Saloon 223 focused on Omarchy, with news including Discord’s age verification, Thunderbird for iOS and Ubuntu’s wiki overhaul. The episode also notes the shrinking Linux share among Steam users, Reddit dropping RSS feeds and upcoming show topics.

Anatomy of a slow test module

Zoltán Balogh dissects a slow support-server test module, explaining why wasted seconds in setup cost roughly three times as much since parallel nodes wait on the master. Through small, measured iterations he cut the SLE 15 SP7 SAP HANA scenario setup from 7m 37s to about 5m 10s and shares the patterns and lessons learned.

Final Touches for 6.8 – This Week in Plasma

The KDE Blog translates Nate Graham’s latest “This Week in Plasma,” covering the final polish on Plasma 6.8 ahead of its Oct. 14 release. The roundup lists interface tweaks for the weather applet, KRunner and Spectacle, plus bug fixes spanning Plasma 6.6.7 through 6.9 and Frameworks 6.32.

Tumbleweed – Review of the Week 2026/41

Dominique Leuenberger and Victorhck review five Tumbleweed snapshots (1001, 1002, 1003, 1005 and 1007), headlined by systemd 261.3, Mesa 26.2.4, NetworkManager 1.58.1, LibreOffice 26.8.1.1, Linux Kernel 7.2.9 and Samba 4.25.0. The roundup also notes a cups-filters2 revert that restored PDF and image printing, and previews staging updates including Plasma 6.8 Beta 2, libvirt 12.8.0 and fmt 12.2.0.

Barcelona Free Software: 30 Years of KDE

The KDE Blog announces a Barcelona Free Software talk on Oct. 21 celebrating KDE’s 30th anniversary, featuring KDE e.V. member and former KDE España president Albert Astals Cid. The event at Akasha Hub will share history, anecdotes and reflections on 30 years of KDE, followed by pizza and drinks courtesy of KDE España.

Tiny Wins for Packagers: End-of-Week Update (2026-10-09)

The Open Build Service posts its end-of-week roundup for packagers, highlighting fixes like copying special collectbuildenv packages, correcting dates on the Blame page and retriggering scmsync package syncs. The update also lists improvements to osc request listings, “osc fork” arguments and git-obs configuration handling.

View more blogs or learn to publish your own on planet.opensuse.org.

By [email protected] (Douglas DeMaio), from openSUSE News, reproduced under CC BY-SA 3.0. Formatting is simplified and images in the text are omitted.

Read the original at news.opensuse.org