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.