This Week in TUXEDO OS #01-2025 - TUXEDO Computers

Hello TUXEDO Fans and Open-Source Enthusiasts!

At TUXEDO, we’re using the week between the years to recharge and prepare for a successful 2025—packed with exciting new devices, promotions, partnerships, and events. Amarok, our KDE Application of the Week, has also regained its energy and is returning to the spotlight with renewed vigor. If you prefer managing your local music collection over streaming from the internet, Amarok is definitely worth a try.

Enjoy reading,
The TUXEDO OS Team

TUXEDO OS: Plasma and Framework Updates

The latest versions of Plasma 6.2.5 and Frameworks 6.9 are currently undergoing internal testing and will soon be available through the TUXEDO OS repositories. Plasma 6.2.5 introduces bug fixes and improvements in areas like Discover, KWin, and the Plasma Desktop. Frameworks 6.9 includes updates in various modules, such as Baloo, Breeze Icons, and KArchive.

KDE App of the Week: Media Player Amarok

Amarok, the jukebox-style media player, was a flagship application of the KDE project in the early 2000s. Available for Linux and Windows, Amarok played audio files, podcasts, and internet radio streams. It offered a wealth of additional information about the currently playing track, including smart playlists, cover management, song lyrics, and Wikipedia entries for bands or tracks. It also provided music recommendations and concert information through services like Last.fm. Amarok was extendable through scripts.

The release of Amarok 2.0 alongside KDE Plasma 4 marked the beginning of the application’s decline, as several features were not yet implemented at launch. The redesigned interface also drew criticism. Clementine, a fork of Amarok 1.4, gained significant traction, pushing Amarok into obscurity.

Recently, Amarok has experienced a resurgence with version 3, which was recently adapted to Plasma 6 with the release of version 3.2. In 2025, the developers plan to release Amarok 4, which will reintroduce features like Last.fm support that are still missing in version 3. Amarok is ideal for users who maintain a local music collection and want to explore it comprehensively.

For more KDE apps updated recently, check out the column This Week in KDE Apps. This week’s edition was skipped due to the Chaos Communication Congress #38C3.

KDE Tips and Tricks: Launching Apps and Games on the GPU

Notebooks with hybrid graphics combine a power-efficient integrated GPU (iGPU, typically Intel) with a powerful dedicated GPU (dGPU, often from NVIDIA). For most applications, such as browsers or LibreOffice, the iGPU’s performance is sufficient. As a result, all programs start on the iGPU by default.

However, certain applications like video and image editing software, 3D rendering tools like Blender, machine learning and AI programs, and, of course, games, benefit from the dGPU or require it to function. Using the KDE Plasma Launcher, you can easily run an application on the dGPU via the context menu by selecting Run with discrete GPU—no terminal commands required.

To permanently run an app on the dGPU, you have two options: either create an additional launcher for the application using the Create “Run with discrete GPU” entry option or edit the existing menu entry directly. The first method is useful if you want to run the app on the iGPU sometimes and the dGPU at other times. To always launch the app on the dGPU, edit the existing entry.

Right-click on the application, select Edit Application…, navigate to the Program tab, and click on Advanced Settings. Enable the option Run on a specific GPU. From then on, the app or game will always load on the powerful dGPU.

With KDE Plasma’s handy tools, you have full control over the hybrid graphics in your TUXEDO device. Use the NVIDIA GPU only when necessary, and enjoy extended battery life and an optimized workflow.