The KDE guys are back, after a few days of vacation the Plasma developers, They have shared the progress and improvements which they have been working on for the past few weeks.
And is that in the new report of KDE, it is mentioned that it has improved development in areas such as the configuration of graphic tablets and tools designed to improve accessibility people with disabilities. Among the most notable new features is the introduction of Kiot, a background process that enables integration with the Home Assistant home automation platform using the MQTT protocol.
Kiot is currently in alpha phase, and its configuration can only be done through a text file, since the graphical interface is not yet available. This system It is designed to communicate information relevant about user activity to Home Assistant, which allows for the automation of various actions based on context. Data that Kiot can transmit includes screen lock status, sleep mode, camera activation, night mode or do not disturb, and certain button presses.
For instance, Kiot is able to send information about camera activation, which could be used in Home Assistant to turn on bright lights automatically, thus improving the interaction between the system and the physical environment.
In the development branch KDE Plasma 6.3, has introduced A completely redesigned interface for configuring graphics tablets. Related content is now organized into three tabs, making it easier to access available options.
Furthermore, The calibration matrix display has been improved, allowing you to highlight and manage changes made, which can now be saved or reverted as needed. Detailed information on pen tilt and pressure during test runs is also included.
Another feature introduced is the ability to map the graphics tablet surface to the entire screen and to configure the pen pressure range, which allows you to ignore touches that are too light or too intense, better adapting to the needs of each user. In addition, an option has been added to automatically deactivate the touchpad when connecting a mouse, improving ergonomics.
In other respects, search fields based KRunner now allows conversions between length units, expanding its functionality. On the other hand, the application manager «Discover» adjusts its layout to two columns on large screens and highlights permission changes in new app versions, making it easier to review updates.
With regard to the When editing files with the extension ".desktop", the default behavior has been changed to open directly in the KMenuEdit tool, instead of the properties dialog. Additionally, when applications with input or screenshot permissions are launched, a notification is displayed with instructions on how to disable such captures and regain control.
Navigation improvements have been implemented via keyboard and memory consumption has been optimized when handling extensive clipboard histories, ensuring more efficient performance in the work environment.
Of the other changes that stand out:
- Fixed a bug that caused the system tray battery icon to always be visible when the power-profiles-daemon package was not installed.
- When you set the wallpaper by dragging an image to the desktop
- Fixed a bug that unexpectedly required you to copy items twice to put them on the clipboard, but only while the clipboard is set to not store history and also prevent it from being emptied.
- Improved keyboard navigation functionality related to accessibility of several Kirigami-based UI components.
Finally, if you are interested in knowing more about it, you can consult the details in the following link