KDE Frameworks 6.28.0 Released with Android Calendar Plugin, New Barcode Support, and KIO Improvements.
KDE has released Frameworks 6.28.0, the latest monthly update to its set of over 80 libraries that form the foundation of Plasma and most KDE applications.
This release brings several useful new features along with the usual round of bug fixes and code quality improvements, without introducing any breaking changes.
Table of Contents
KDE Frameworks 6.28.0: Key New Features
- KCalendarCore gained a new Android platform calendar plugin. The plugin was refactored from code originally developed for the Itinerary project and uses Qt’s type-safe JNI. It currently supports events only.
Commit: https://commits.kde.org/kcalendarcore/f73477f2bc33ef910afb236b26e770b1bb576489 - KUnitConversion added support for watt-hour (Wh) energy conversions, which improves results in KRunner and other applications dealing with energy or battery-related queries.
Commit: https://commits.kde.org/kunitconversion/6a904fabb406de6ff0a4a7075196395dabd5f788 - Prison added rendering support for ITF and Codabar barcodes. These formats are especially relevant for Apple Wallet pass compatibility.
Commit: https://commits.kde.org/prison/b592e80879b799f0ad2313f06614178e65edc1ec - KTextEditor received Vi-mode improvements, including read-only registers, along with new color theme preview icons.
- Oxygen Icons added a new “add to favorites” icon and updated several existing icons.
Major Improvements
KIO received the most extensive updates, including refactoring of KNewFileMenu, better drop indicator handling, memory and threading fixes, and UI improvements in file dialogs.
Commit: https://commits.kde.org/kio/2303dc296c1f492747c770d130aec64a6e8a9dcd
Kirigami saw several UI fixes, such as resolving binding loops in forms, hover behavior improvements, and fixes for custom header handling in application windows.
Commits:
https://commits.kde.org/kirigami/3a9364faa85fe7d9496eb2cc3de094d6e660072a
https://commits.kde.org/kirigami/c10b88f295f307152ff9365e2111f90f4fcbbde9
How to Get KDE Frameworks 6.28.0
Availability of the new Frameworks version depends heavily on your distribution’s release model:
| Distribution | Expected Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| KDE neon (User Edition) | Usually within 1–3 days | One of the fastest ways to get the latest Frameworks on an Ubuntu base |
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | Usually within 1–2 days | Rolling release, very quick updates |
| Arch Linux & derivatives (Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda, etc.) | Usually within 1–3 days | Rolling release, packages land quickly |
| Fedora KDE Spin | Typically within a few days to a week | Gets updates between point releases |
| Kubuntu / Ubuntu | Several weeks or more | Usually waits for the next Ubuntu release or backports |
| Debian | Several months | Ships much older versions of Frameworks |
| Linux Mint | Several weeks to months | Based on Ubuntu LTS, slower updates |
How to check your current version:
- Open Info Center → About this System (in Plasma)
- Or run the following command in the terminal:
kf6-config --versionUsers on rolling-release distributions (especially KDE neon, openSUSE Tumbleweed, and Arch) will likely see the update in the next day or two. Those on Kubuntu or Ubuntu-based systems will need to wait longer unless they switch to KDE neon.
Wrapping up
KDE Frameworks 6.28.0 is a solid maintenance release that adds practical features (particularly the Android calendar plugin and barcode support) while continuing important work on KIO and Kirigami.
For the full list of changes with links to individual commits, see the official announcement:
