How to Experience Plasma Big Screen on Plasma 6.7 Beta – A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

KDE Plasma 6.7 beta brings a revived Plasma Big Screen – a TV‑optimized interface that transforms your desktop into a cozy living‑room experience. Early testing shows it runs smoothly and is nearly ready for its official debut in next month’s stable release. If you’re curious about this big‑screen revival, follow this guide to set it up and explore it yourself.

What You Need

• A computer running a recent Linux distribution (e.g., Fedora, openSUSE, Arch, or Debian‑based) with a GPU that supports OpenGL 2.1 or newer.
• Access to a user account with sudo privileges.
• Sufficient disk space (at least 5 GB free) to install the beta packages.
• Patience to test a beta release – some minor instability is expected.
• Optionally, a large screen (e.g., a TV) connected via HDMI or DisplayPort to appreciate the TV‑sized UI.

Step‑by‑Step Guide

1. Step 1: Add the Plasma 6.7 Beta Repository
   Open a terminal and add the repository for your distribution. For example, on openSUSE Tumbleweed, use:
   sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/KDE:/Plasma67/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/ KDE_Plasma67
   On Arch Linux, enable the kde‑unstable repository in /etc/pacman.conf. For Fedora, use the Rawhide or a COPR repository hosting the beta. Check the KDE Community wiki for distribution‑specific instructions.
2. Step 2: Update Package Lists and Install Plasma 6.7 Beta
   Run sudo zypper refresh (openSUSE), sudo pacman -Sy (Arch), or sudo dnf update --refresh (Fedora). Then install the plasma‑meta package:
   sudo zypper install -t pattern plasma
   or sudo pacman -S plasma
   or sudo dnf install @kde-plasma. Wait for the download and installation to complete. This will replace your current Plasma version with the 6.7 beta.
3. Step 3: Log Out and Choose the New Plasma Session
   After installation, log out of your current session. At the login screen (SDDM or your DM), click the session menu and select "Plasma (X11)" or "Plasma (Wayland)" (Wayland is recommended for modern hardware). Log in to start the new Plasma 6.7 beta desktop.
4. Step 4: Enable Plasma Big Screen
   Once the desktop loads, open System Settings → Display and Monitor → Plasma Big Screen. Toggle the switch to Enable Plasma Big Screen. You can also launch it directly by running plasma-bigscreen in a terminal. The interface will switch to a large, TV‑friendly layout with oversized fonts and buttons.
5. Step 5: Configure for TV Use
   If you’re using an actual TV, go to System Settings → Display Configuration and set the resolution to match your TV’s native resolution (typically 1920 × 1080 or 3840 × 2160). Enable HDR if supported. Adjust font scaling to at least 1.5× for better readability at a distance.
6. Step 6: Test and Explore
   Use the on‑screen remote or a wireless keyboard/mouse to navigate. Plasma Big Screen features a simplified app launcher, a media player view, and a weather widget. Try launching applications, playing videos, and browsing the web. The experience should be smooth and responsive, as noted in early testing.

Tips & Conclusion

• Stay on the beta branch – The stable Plasma 6.7 release is only about a month away (expected April 2025). You can switch back to the stable repositories after the release.
• Use Wayland if possible – The beta version of Plasma Big Screen performs better on Wayland, especially regarding smoothness and screen‑tearing reduction.
• Back up your current Plasma configuration – Before upgrading, back up ~/.config/ Plasma‑specific files (e.g., kdeglobals, plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc). You can restore them if you downgrade.
• Report bugs – Since this is a beta, you may encounter glitches. Report them on bugs.kde.org with the product plasmashell and the version 6.7.
• Optimize for TV – Disable screen blanking in power settings and set the display to mirror or extend to the TV as needed. A wireless keyboard with a touchpad works best for couch interaction.

Plasma Big Screen in the 6.7 beta proves that a desktop OS can feel right at home on a large TV. With a stable release around the corner, this revival is shaping up to be a smooth, polished experience. Follow the steps above, and enjoy your living‑room Plasma session!