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Tumbleweed – Review of the week 2026/7
Dear Tumbleweed users and hackers,
Another week, another steady flow of updates for openSUSE Tumbleweed! During this seventh week of 2026, we successfully rolled out a total of five snapshots: 0205, 0206, 0207, 0209, and 0212.
If you keep a close eye on the factory mailing list, you might have noticed the missing announcement for snapshot 0209. Rest assured, the snapshot itself was built and published flawlessly. Unfortunately, a backend service fault in the diff generator prevented the notification from being sent out. Because the service couldn’t mark 0209’s announcement as “done,” it treated the snapshot as unpublished from a notification standpoint. As a result, the changelog for 0209 was simply rolled up and merged into the rather large announcement email for snapshot 0212.
With that minor administrative quirk out of the way, here are the most notable package updates that landed on your machines this week:
- gdk-pixbuf was reverted to 2.44.4, as 2.44.5 requires unreleased glycin for xpm support
- systemd 258.3
- Mesa 26.0.0 RC3
- KDE Gear 25.12.2
- git 2.53.0
- suse-module-tools 16.1.3: scheduler change, see separate announcement on the factory mailing list
- coreutils 9.10
- Samba 4.23.5
- Mozilla Firefox 147.0.3
- dracut 109+suse.37: Switch from https://github.com/dracutdevs/dracut to https://github.com/dracut-ng/dracut-ng
- gnutls 3.8.12
- GStreamer 1.28.0
- p11-kit 0.26.2
- SQLite 3.51.2
With those updates safely delivered and settling into the repositories, the focus shifts to what is coming next. The build service never sleeps, and contributors are already hard at work putting the next wave of package upgrades through their paces. Here is a glimpse into the staging projects and what the future holds for Tumbleweed in the coming days/weeks:
- libzypp adding support for UAPI-style configuration
- Mesa 26.0.0 (final
- KDE Plasma 6.6 (currently 6.5.91 in testing)
- glibc 2.43
- Linux kernel 6.19.0
The syslog-ng Insider 2026-02: stats-exporter; blank filter; Kafka source
The February syslog-ng newsletter is now on-line:
- The syslog-ng stats-exporter() now has all functionality of syslog-ng-ctl
- Using the blank() filter of syslog-ng
- How to test the syslog-ng Kafka source by building the package yourself?
It is available at https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/the-syslog-ng-insider-2026-02-stats-exporter-blank-filter-kafka-source
syslog-ng logo
Planet News Roundup
This is a roundup of articles from the openSUSE community listed on planet.opensuse.org.
The community blog feed aggregator lists the featured highlights below from Feb. 6 to 12.
Blogs this week highlight a reflective moment for the Linux ecosystem alongside practical tools for everyday use and a landmark Spanish Supreme Court ruling. Blogs also highlight the openSUSE Board members’ roles within the project and AudioTube emerging as a lightweight, privacy-conscious solution for streaming YouTube music directly on the Linux desktop. Other blogs focus on progress within the KDE ecosystem, which includes blogs about Plasma 6.6 and KDE’s immutable Linux distribution.
Here is a summary and links for each post:
openSUSE Board on Participation, Governance and Community – Interview with Board Members
A news.opensuse.org post features an interview with current openSUSE Board members Ish Sookun, Jeff Mahoney and Rachel Schrader about the Board’s role, responsibilities, and motivations as the 2026 elections approach. The interviews discuss what the Board does, challenges they face, and offers advice for those considering running for election.
Progress Summary for KDE Linux: The Operating System of the Future Is Now 62 Percent Complete
The KDE Blog reports that KDE’s official immutable operating system is under development by the KDE community and has reached approximately 62 percent completion. The distribution features an immutable base architecture with atomic A/B image updates powered by systemd, automatic Btrfs snapshots, and application delivery exclusively through Flatpak, Snap, or AppImages rather than traditional package management. It’s similar to openSUSE’s Kalpa Desktop.
The Big Problem of Linux – Video
The KDE Blog shares a thought-provoking video titled “The Big Problem of Linux”, which examines challenges facing the Linux ecosystem and reflects on the evolution of Free Software. The video encourages viewers to consider both the progress made by open source communities and the persistent hurdles that limit wider adoption. The video argues that the issue isn’t technical but lies in perception such as a “hacker” stigma and outdated narratives about usability, which can alienate adoption.
Episode 13 of Accessibility with Free Technologies – Returning in 2025 with 5 Sections and an Interview
The KDE Blog presents the thirteenth episode of the “Accessibility with Free Technologies” podcast series, which returns with an expanded format featuring five distinct segments and a special guest interview. The episode explores practical approaches to making free and open source software more accessible for users with diverse abilities and highlights tools and workflows within the KDE ecosystem and beyond.
Legal Precedent in Spain: Software Access as a Guarantee of Real Democracy
A blog by victorhck examines a landmark Spanish Supreme Court ruling establishing that the freedom to study source code is constitutionally necessary for democratic oversight of public administration algorithms. The precedent affirms citizens’ right to access and examine software used in government decision-making processes, reinforcing transparency as a fundamental democratic safeguard. This ruling strengthens the legal foundation for open-source software advocacy in Spain.
How to Listen to YouTube Music on Linux with AudioTube
The KDE Blog introduces AudioTube, a lightweight Qt-based application that lets users stream music directly from YouTube without opening a web browser. The app features a clean interface with search functionality, playlist support, and background playback capabilities while respecting YouTube’s terms of service. AudioTube is available in repositories and as a Flatpak. It offers a privacy-focused alternative to web-based YouTube music consumption on the Linux desktop.
Root and absolute power in GNU/Linux on Compilando Podcast
The KDE Blog shares a new episode of the Compilando podcast exploring the concept of root privileges and administrative power in GNU/Linux systems. The discussion covers essential security practices around root access, the responsibilities that come with elevated permissions, and why modern distributions encourage using sudo instead of direct root logins. It’s an educational episode that aims to help both newcomers and experienced users understand the balance between system control and security when managing Linux environments.
Improved plasmoid window list – This week in Plasma
The KDE Blog highlights improvements to the Window List plasmoid in Plasma 6.6, introduces new sorting capabilities and clearer window grouping to streamline multitasking workflows. These improvements are part of the ongoing refinements leading up to Plasma 6.7.0. The post also covers other UI polish and bug fixes throughout the Plasma desktop.
openSUSE Tumbleweed Weekly Review – Week 6 of 2026
Victorhck and dimstar summarize key new snapshots that reached the repositories. Notable package updates include Mesa 25.3.4, Firefox 147.0.2, the Linux kernel 6.18.8, GNOME 49.4 components, Qt 6.10.2, GRUB 2.14 and cryptsetup 2.8.4. The blogs also preview upcoming updates such as KDE Gear 25.12.2, systemd 258.3, and Plasma 6.6.
Second Update of KDE Gear 25.12
The KDE Blog announces the second maintenance release for KDE Gear 25.12. The update addresses issues discovered since the initial release and enhances the overall user experience for applications like Dolphin, Konsole, and other core KDE tools. Issues were addressed like input handling and file sharing bugs in core components.
View more blogs or learn to publish your own on planet.opensuse.org.
openSUSE Board on Participation, Governance and Community
With the 2026 openSUSE community Board elections coming up, Ish Sookun, Jeff Mahoney and Rachel Schrader are the board members elected last election and having another year in the role. We sat down with them and asked them some questions.
1. What does the Board do?
Jeff On paper, the Board leads the openSUSE project. That sounds like a grand responsibility but in practice, it’s much more focused and limited. The Board isn’t involved in any of the Project releases or in managing the infrastructure of the project. It’s the point of contact for external people needing to reach the project. It helps resolve conflicts. It handles potential legal issues around trademarks and such. It provides guidance when needed.
Rachel From my experience so far, the board only acts as a subset of the community of openSUSE as a whole. We handle a few things, such as final decisions of moderation actions, being a line of contact with SUSE, and, in many ways, provide guidance to other groups with the community.
2. What motivated you to step up and run for the Board?
Jeff The Board election in 2024 had few people step up to run for the open seats, so I figured I might as well volunteer. I’d been a part of the community for many years and had some ideas I wanted to propose. The project was in need of volunteers, so I stepped up.
Ish Yes, I stepped up after a second call. When Lubos reached out to me saying he would like to nominate me, it immediately struck to me as something to be honoured about. I am really grateful to him for the nomination and to Johannes Segitz for seconding the nomination.
Rachel During this last election there were not many people looking to volunteer for the board., I was encouraged by a few other active members from the project to join.
3. Tell us about a challenge the Board faced during your tenure.
Jeff There’s a fine line between promoting a healthy community that avoids toxic behavior and being overbearing and intrusive. Some of the issues that come before the board are simple to weigh. Others have context full of personal history, communication style differences, and nuance. Finding the right balance in those cases can be challenging.
Ish While I knew that Board members had to regularly meet (virtually) and discuss about the project, I didn’t realize how much of non-technical matters would be at the table. For example, issues relating to “moderation” is something that I consider challenging as it requires understanding the history of events, code of conduct, etc. It is one thing that I look up to other senior Board members to properly understand the context of events.
Rachel The most up-front and annoying challenge is trying to find a time and day for everyone to meet. We have members throughout the world, and some of us have to be up at 6:00 in the morning while others are joining at 23:00 at night. Either way, it is overall a good thing when we all make it and are productive.
4. What do you recommend to someone who is considering standing for election?
Jeff Do it because you’re interested in the health of the project and want to influence some positive change. Even if you’ve been a long-time contributor, you’ll need to tell people about yourself, your contributions, and your ideas. While the election isn’t a popularity contest, the folks voting need to know who you are. The time commitment isn’t huge and you’d be doing a service for the health of the project.
Rachel It’s important to have some level of online profile to show others where your skill sets lie, what your goals are, and anything else important to you. For the parts that are relevant to openSUSE itself, you can create a page on the wiki, which I think is important to have and share with others. I think keeping in contact with the community is needed. It’s one thing to be pushing out packages and commits on the back end, but to really make a connection to the community, you should be active and talking/helping people on our different platforms like Matrix or even Discord.
5. How can openSUSE members prepare for the upcoming elections, whether as voters or as potential candidates?
Jeff Read articles like this one. Find topics that are important to you. Ask questions. If you’re unsure about running for a Board seat, ask yourself, “why not me?”
6. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Jeff The Board isn’t the only, or even the best, way to contribute to openSUSE. Contributors, both technical and non-technical, are the beating heart of the project and the community. There are many ways to contribute without sitting on the Board, but the project needs committed people to sit on the Board to keep it healthy.
Rachel The board does not exist as gatekeepers or the ones that you must get approval from as a project member when wanting to make a positive change or create something new. It’s important for everyone to know that it’s everyday project members who have built openSUSE, and they are the ones building things up from the ground. Serving on the board itself can be a great way to help the project, but in reality, the most important people who make openSUSE what it is are everyday members.
openSUSE is built by people who genuinely care about the project, and the next election cycle needs members to participate in the governance and to assist election officials. If you are interested in being a candidate or helping election officials, please email board@opensuse.org.
Questions were prepared by Luboš Kocman and Douglas DeMaio. Post-processing and formatting were done by Gertjan Lettink.
Tumbleweed – Review of the week 2026/6
Dear Tumbleweed users and hackers,
It has been a productive and energetic week for our rolling release, bringing a solid set of four snapshots your way: 0131, 0202, 0203, and 0204. We faced a brief challenge early on that prevented snapshots 0129 and 0130 from passing our QA gates. A change on the OBS backend meant that FTP trees were not properly syncable with rsync; specifically, the modification times (mtime) of various files remained unchanged even when their contents changed, resulting in invalid checksums. However, with that issue identified and resolved, the Tumbleweed machinery is back in full swing!
The four snapshots aforementioned brought you these changes:
- Mesa 25.3.4
- Mozilla Firefox 147.0.2
- gpg 2.5.17
- mdadm 4.5
- Kiwi 10.2.38
- Grub 2.14 – BLS patchset upstreamed
- Linux kernel 6.18.8
- gdk-pixbuf 2.44.5, but causes issues for applications – like gkrellm – loading xpm icons. Will be reverted to 2.44.4 to address this until a solution is found (glycin 2.1, part of GNOME 50)
- Freerdp 3.22.0
- First GNOME 49.4 components are dropping (not a coordinated release date, not every component gets that version)
- Qt 6.10.2
- Shadow 4.19.3
- cryptsetup 2.8.4
The next week promises to be interesting, while we are working on integrating these changes:
- systemd 258.3: third time is a charm? Let’s see if we get it through QA this time
- KDE Gear 25.12.2
- Samba 2.23.5
- Mesa 26.0.0 rc3 (considered stable)
- git 2.53.0
- KDE Plasma 6.6 (currently 6.5.91 in testing)
- glibc 2.43
- libzypp adding support for UAPI-style configuration
Planet News Roundup
This is a roundup of articles from the openSUSE community listed on planet.opensuse.org.
The community blog feed aggregator lists the featured highlights below from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5.
Blogs this week highlight the release of GCompris 26.0, ongoing KDE coverage, Open Build Service details that cover both usability improvements and a transparent post-mortem of a recent service disruption. Cubiclenate praises the Logitech M720 Triathlon, the openSUSE community prepares for a governance proposal discussion and Firefox enthusiasts get a sneak peek at Nightly’s new tab notes and productivity widgets.
Here is a summary and links for each post:
Released GCompris 26, First Version with GCompris-Teachers
The KDE Blog announces a major new release of the free educational activity suite GCompris 26.0. The version includes brand-new “Drawing wheels” and “Multiple choice questions”. This update also introduces the first official GCompris-Teachers companion tool, which is designed to help educators create datasets and manage pupil work more effectively.
More Sorting Options, Counters and Help With the Search for Your Requests
The Open Build Service (OBS) team describes improvements to the request index page and makes it easier for developers to browse and organize their OBS requests. New features include sortable fields (such as comment count and age), counters for filters, and a searchable help guide to clarify query syntax.
Logitech M720: The Ultimate Bluetooth Productivity Mouse
Cubiclenate highlights Logitech M720 Triathlon as his best mouse ever. The mouse features four programmable side buttons, including a hidden thumb button he uses with a clipboard manager, and integrates well with KDE Plasma for button customization and battery monitoring. He praises its comfortable shape, bonus buttons, and reliable Bluetooth connection that suit Linux and other systems alike.
openSUSE Board to Discuss New Governance Proposal
Members of the project have announced a public community meeting on Feb. 18 to discuss a proposed update to the project’s governance model. The session aims to gather feedback and foster transparent dialogue about potential structural changes that could shape the future direction of the openSUSE project. All contributors and users are invited to join and can find the details on calendar.opensuse.org.
Add Notes to Tabs, List & Timer Widgets in Firefox Nightly
Victorhck describes experimental features in Firefox Nightly that let you attach text notes to open tabs for handy reminders and visual cues. The post also explores two productivity widgets (lists and a timer) that can appear on the browser’s new tab page once enabled through Firefox Labs.
How to Configure the KDE Plasma Task Manager to Show Only Icons
The KDE Blog revives its ““In depth…” section with a detailed look at customizing the Plasma task manager to use a minimal “only icons” style and explaines how this mode differs from the traditional taskbar. The tutorial walks users through accessing panel settings, adjusting task manager behavior, and fine-tuning spacing for an optimal compact layout.
Recap of the February 2026 Free Software Foundation Newsletter
Victorhck shares a roundup of news from the Free Software Foundation’s February 2026 newsletter and shares key updates, campaigns, and community initiatives. The post covers topics such as advocacy efforts, recent software freedom news, and resources aimed at helping users and developers stay informed.
Episode 12 of Accessibility with Free Technologies: ATL Turns One, Thanks and Happy Holidays
The KDE Blog celebrates the twelfth episode of the Accesibilidad con Tecnologías libres podcast and brings together diverse segments on improving accessibility in computing, covering accessibility news, tools, and discussions from various hosts and guests.
Tumbleweed Monthly Update – January 2026
The project’s official news channel recaps Tumbleweed updates for January 2026. The update highlights major version bumps for transactional-update 6.0.6 and Ruby 4.0, and provides updates on GNOME 49, Plasma 6.5.5, Frameworks 6.22.0, KDE Gear 25.12.1 and more.
Give More Style to Fastfetch with the Included Configurations
Victorhck explains how Fastfetch already includes a set of ready-made configuration presets that instantly change how system information is styled in the terminal. He shows how to list and try different presets, and even offers a simple script to demo each one interactively. Using Nerd Fonts is recommended for proper icon display in some configurations.
KDE Itinerary Continues Its Ongoing Improvement
The KDE Blog highlights continued progress with KDE’s digital travel assistant Itinerary. Recent work includes improving map rendering and better management of reservations and cancellations. The travel assistant also features improved mobile UI with bottom drawer dialogs and expanded public transport coverage.
Post-mortem: Service Disruption (29-01-2026)
The Open Build Service (OBS) team explains the cause and recovery of a significant service disruption on Jan. 29, which affected users for less than two hours due to a database lock timeout during a migration. The post-mortem shares a detailed timeline of detection, resolution, and planned improvements to prevent similar issues in the future.
freq-modern: I Wanted freq51 Back
The author revisits a classic spectrum analyzer tool from decades past and explains why they missed freq51/xfreq in modern Linux setups. Using available AI tools and a bit of experimentation, they rebuilt and modernized the program with added features like interactive FFT display and harmonic analysis. The package is available for openSUSE Tumbleweed through the developer’s OBS home project at home:azouhr, but users are advised that the openSUSE Project only recommends using “official release” packages and that using a developer’s home project carries risk.
Improvements in the New Bouncy Ball for Plasma 6
The KDE Blog highlights updates to the Bouncy Ball plasmoid for Plasma 6, featuring significant enhancements to its physics engine and interaction behavior. The refreshed applet brings more playful dynamics to the desktop while preserving the nostalgic desktop-toy charm from earlier KDE versions. Additional improvements include a dynamic container that hides when the ball rests, refined physics controls for speed and gravity, and optimized code for better performance in Plasma 6.
Preparing Plasma 6.6 for Its Release This Week
The KDE Blog previews ongoing work to polish and finalize Plasma 6.6 ahead of its stable release. The post encourages community involvement through testing beta releases, reporting bugs, and helping triage issues. It also includes an enhanced VPN configuration option.
Episode 66 of KDE Express: esLibre2026 Laura M. Castro – “Reverse Psychology” of Large Language Models
The KDE Blog shares the 66th episode of the KDE Express podcast with discussions on the societal impact and “reverse psychology” aspects of large language models. The podcast is part of a special esLibre 2026 series highlighting speakers from the upcoming conference in Melide.
openSUSE Tumbleweed Weekly Review – Week 5 of 2026
Victorhck and dimstar summarize the progress of the rolling-release progress and note it was a quiet week that still saw key fixes and four snapshots released. A regression in Kiwi that blocked unencrypted live image boots was caught and resolved thanks to openQA’s automated testing. Updates included Firefox 147.0.1, Linux kernel 6.18.7, GIMP 3.0.8, and cockpit 354.
My KDE Plasma Desktop in January 2026 #ViernesDeEscritorio
The KDE Blog showcases the Slimbook Kymera running KDE Neon with Plasma 6.5.5. It offers a personal look at custom wallpapers and window arrangements that reflect the contributor’s workflow and aesthetic preferences. View more blogs or learn to publish your own on planet.opensuse.org.
