This is a roundup of articles from the openSUSE community listed on planet.opensuse.org.

The below featured highlights listed on the community’s blog feed aggregator are from September 13 to 19. The week’s Planet highlights Plasma 6.5 beta, OBS’s revamped workflow with diff comments, SecureHome testing, syslog-ng nightlies, Tumbleweed updates, the Open Developers Summit CFP, and more.

Here is a summary and links for each post:

Cursor Eyes Widget – Visual Plasmoids for Plasma 6.21

KDE Blog introduces a playful widget for Plasma 6.21 that tracks your cursor with animated eyes. This small but fun addition adds another layer of desktop personalization for Plasma users.

SecureHome Packages for openSUSE Tumbleweed

A new security solution called SecureHome, currently in development, aims to better protect home directories using FUSE. Packages are available for openSUSE Tumbleweed, but users are warned of major stability issues and advised to test only in virtual machines.

Nightly syslog-ng RPM Packages for RHEL & Co

Users of RHEL and related distributions can now access nightly builds of syslog-ng directly from the syslog-ng team, replacing the author’s previous weekly snapshots. These packages are intended for testing purposes.

The New Request Workflow in Detail

The Open Build Service (OBS) has rolled out its redesigned request workflow interface to all users. The update organizes information into distinct tabs (Conversation, Build Results, Changes, Mentioned Issues) to improve collaboration and navigation when working on software requests.

A Better Way to Discuss Code: Diff Comments

Building on the new OBS interface, the Changes tab now supports adding comments directly on specific lines of code diffs. This feature streamlines code reviews by keeping discussions tied to the relevant code sections.

HDR Wallpapers

GNOME 49 introduces a refreshed set of default wallpapers, taking advantage of HDR capabilities with wider color gamuts and higher precision. The update focuses on providing subtle, calm visuals rather than high-contrast spectacle.

Check if Your Password Has Been Compromised

CubicleNate highlights tools like HaveIBeenPwned to check if your email or password has appeared in data breaches, and PasswordMonster to estimate how long it would take to crack a password. The article emphasizes the importance of strong, unique passwords and password managers.

Submit a Talk for Open Developers Summit in Prague

The openSUSE community will host an Open Developers Summit on April 23, 2026, in Prague, coinciding with SUSECON. The event is calling for 15-minute or 30-minute talk proposals focused on open-source software and technologies until February 14, 2026.

Play Videos or Music Using SSH

Victorhck demonstrates how to use command-line tools like mpv and ffplay with SSH/SFTP URLs to stream and play multimedia files stored on a remote machine within your local network, eliminating the need to copy files locally.

Plasma 6.5 Beta Released

The first beta for KDE Plasma 6.5 is available for testing. Key improvements include a new KISS initial setup assistant, scrollable desktop panels, HDR tone mapping enhancements, visual refinements, automatic theme switching, and various performance and accessibility updates.

Slimbook News September 2025

Slimbook announces updates to three popular laptop models: the EVO now features the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, the Manjaro III gets refreshed, and the ELEMENTAL upgrades to the Intel Core 5 120U CPU, aiming to offer powerful and compatible Linux hardware.

Software Freedom Day 2025 in Barcelona

Caliu organizes the Software Freedom Day event in Barcelona on September 20, 2025, at Espai Jove La Fontana. The event will feature talks on KDE, secure messaging with Delta Chat, and the current state of free software.

openSUSE Tumbleweed Review of the Week 2025/38

This week’s Tumbleweed snapshots brought significant updates, particularly for KDE (Gear 25.08.1, Plasma 6.4.5, Frameworks 6.18.0), along with updates to fwupd, the Linux kernel, polkit, systemd, pipewire, and more. GNOME 49 updates are expected soon.

Software libre para la vuelta al cole: charla y taller – nuevo evento organizado por GNU/Linux València

GNU/Linux València invites the community to a talk and workshop on September 26 at 18:30 focused on free software tools for the educational environment, helping users start the school year more freely and productively.

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

Dear Tumbleweed users and hackers,

When reviewing the content of the six snapshots (0911, 0912, 0914, 0915, 0916, and 0917) released during week 38, it becomes apparent that this was ‘the week of the KDE desktop’. But don’t fear, GNOME Friends, you shall be served soon, too.

The most relevant changes published during the last week were:

• KDE Gear 25.08.1
• KDE Plasma 6.4.5
• KDE Frameworks 6.18.0
• fwupd 2.0.15 & 2.0.16
• Linux kernel 6.16.6 & 6.16.7
• polkit 126
• systemd 257.9
• SETools 4.6.0
• pipewire 1.4.8
• sudo 1.9.17p2
• GStreamer 1.26.6
• LLVM21 is now used by default
• qemu 10.1.0
• Java 25 openJDK

The testing area is filled with these changes, hopefully reaching you soon:

• openSSL 3.5.3
• Mozilla Firefox 143.0
• Boost 1.89 requires some more help, see tracking bug https://bugzilla.opensuse.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1249599
• GNOME 49: working out some build cycle, but submissions should be piled up and be ready soon

The openSUSE community will have an Open Developers Summit on April 23, 2026, in Prague, Czech Republic.

The summit will be on the last day of SUSECON, which is April 21 - 23, 2026. Members of the project invite partners of SUSE, openSUSE contributors, open-source community projects and enthusiasts to take part.

Organizers are calling for proposals from those interested in presenting at the one-day event.

The call for papers is open until Feb. 14, 2026.

Two talks formats will be available:

• Short Talk: 15 minutes
• Standard Talk: 30 minutes

Accepted talks will highlight open-source software, operating systems, new technologies, cloud, infrastructure, edge, IoT, AI, data, toolchains, security, DevOps, hardware, performance and more.

Those who are interested in sponsoring the event can email Douglas DeMaio at ddemaio@opensuse.org. A prospectus for the event is available for companies who would like to help sponsor the open-source community.

The program schedule is expected to be released in March 2026. More details are available at events.opensuse.org.

By now, many OBS users have noticed that the Changes tab has its own place, and for good reason. The new layout separates code diffs, build results, and conversations into focused tabs. In the old interface, if you wanted to discuss proposed changes in the diff, you had to switch back and forth between the diff and the comment section. With the new Changes tab, discussions about specific changes can stay right where they belong,...

I have been providing syslog-ng users with weekly git snapshot RPM packages for almost a decade. From now on, RHEL & Co users can use nightly packages provided by the syslog-ng team, and from a lot less obscure location. As usual, these packages are for testing, not for production.

Read more at https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/nightly-syslog-ng-rpm-packages-for-rhel-co

GNOME 49 brought another round of changes to the default wallpaper set — some new additions, and a few removals too. Not just to keep the old GNOME Design loves to delete things trope alive, but to make room for fresh work and reduce stylistic overlap.

Our goal has always been to provide a varied collection of abstract wallpapers. (Light/dark photographic sets are still on the wish list — we’ll get there, promise! 😉). When we introduce new designs, some of the older ones naturally have to step aside.

We’ve actually been shipping wallpapers in high bit depth formats for quite a while, even back when the GNOME display pipeline (based on gdk-pixbuf) was limited to 8-bit output. That changed in GNOME 49. Thanks to Sophie’s Glycin, we now have a color-managed pipeline that makes full use of modern hardware — even if you’re still on an SDR display.

So what does that mean for wallpapers? Well, with HDR displays (using OLED or Mini-LED panels), you can push brightness and contrast to extremes — bright enough to feel like a flashlight in your face. That’s great for games and movies, but it’s not something you want staring back at you from the desktop all day. With wallpapers, subtlety matters.

The new set takes advantage of wider color gamuts (Display P3 instead of sRGB) and higher precision (16-bit per channel instead of 8-bit). That translates to smoother gradients, richer tones, and more depth — without the blinding highlights. Think of it as HDR done tastefully: more range to play with, but in service of calm, everyday visuals rather than spectacle.

Personally, I still think HDR makes the most sense today in games, videos, and fullscreen photography, where those deep contrasts and bright highlights can really shine. On the desktop, apps and creative tools still need to catch up. Blender, for instance, already shows it’s colormanaged HDR preview pipeline on macOS, and HDR display support is expected to land for Wayland in Blender 5.0.

I am a Framework Computers enthusiast. My Laptop 13 is my daily driver has become a road-hardened, traveling partner, reliably working from home, at the office, in the airport and sits perfectly on the tray in the airplane when I am trying to hammer out some documentation, or queuing up a bunch of emails. It’s […]

After a couple of months of beta testing, the new request workflow user interface is enabled for everyone now. Let’s take a closer look at the key improvements and the reasons we have introduced them. Working together on software in an OBS request involves a lot of information. A conversation between people/tools about the changes proposed, the changes to the sources (the patch!) and, as OBS is about building binary packages from sources, the builds...

Communities, governments and businesses face a choice that carries real economic weight as Microsoft winds down support for its Windows 10 operating system.

This choice relates to centuries-old economic realities.

The 18th-century economist Richard Cantillon noted that when new money enters the economy, it benefits those closest to the source first while others face rising costs. Today, purchases of proprietary software echo this theory in a similar way. Vendors and shareholders profit early, while taxpayers and communities shoulder the burden of recurring fees, upgrade costs, and discarded hardware.

Switching to Linux distributions like openSUSE reverses this imbalance. Instead of sending public money to distant corporations, funds stay local and support IT jobs for regional developers and entrepreneurs. The use of open-source Linux distributions also extends the life of existing hardware and reduces e-waste, which proprietary models can exploit for unnecessary spending.

Free Software Foundation Europe’s Public Money, Public Code campaign makes the case clearly; open code ensures transparency, prevents lock-in, and strengthens digital sovereignty. Switzerland has already enshrined this principle in law through its Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfilment of Governmental Tasks (EMBAG), which reflects its federalist tradition of governance. Other countries are pursuing similar measures and it signals a clear shift toward legally ensuring openness and local control in publicly funded software.

The approaching end of Windows 10 is a clear chance for people and administrations to make smarter choices for their communities. For individuals, that means installing a Linux distribution instead of enriching distant shareholders. For governments, it means avoiding dependence on foreign corporations and preserving digital sovereignty by keeping control of critical infrastructure. Digital sovereignty increasingly depends on open-source software, yet open hardware will soon play a role in securing digital independence. The Endof10 movement backed by several Linux communities has events for those willing to install open-source distributions like openSUSE and others. The great migration is upon us and switching to Linux it’s an economic and cultural decision that will keep money, skills, and control within communities rather than flowing to global software monopolies.

This is part of a series on End of 10 articles where we offer reasons to transition from Windows to Linux.

SecureHome

I add two movies about SecureHome on Youtube.com. I also prepared packages for OpenSUSE Tumbleweed.

Currently, there is many major problems with SecureHome. If it crash or closed without normal exit procedure, you end up with broken system or without protection. Use at your own risk and on VM only – currently not on production system.

If you can – watch, install on VM, test and fill bugs on sourceforge.net. Thanks!

Why this solution? Because home directory is not well protected and stored important configuration, like .profile, compositor configuration, etc. Maybe there is other security solution, which could been used, but in some cases, user may need to omit restrictions, like editing ~/.profile in one of text editor and some text editor could been scripted, so there is no way to understand if some action is malicious. Also, user could protect browser cookies (there were attack based on cookie stealing), but in some cases may read cookie.

I select FUSE, because write solution based on FUSE looks easiest way.