KDE Plasma Login Manager Won't Support systemd-Free Linux or BSD Systems

KDE’s shiny new Plasma Login Manager will only work with systemd (the service manager that decides how your computer starts apps and handles logins), and that set the comment threads ablaze. Some shrugged: “Can KDE function without it, using LightDM? Not a big deal,” said nine_k, while nailer waved it off as “just a dependency.” Others brought the tissues: JohnFen lamented that KDE leaning into systemd is “a real loss,” sounding like a long-time fan watching their favorite band change genres. Then came the fact-checkers: jeroenhd and hnlmorg hammered home that Plasma itself still works on BSD and non-systemd Linux—just keep using SDDM or LightDM like before. No apocalypse, just a new door with a specific key.

Drama escalated with side quests: KDE dropping old-school X11 soon and lingering Wayland hiccups (think “crashy but feature-rich” vs “stable but missing stuff”). One veteran ranted about a “monitor lottery” and even joked KDE hasn’t jumped on the “AI enshitification” hype train yet. A KDE dev basically said: we don’t want to leave BSD folks behind, but we’re optimizing for the majority. Cue memes of BSD users shivering outside the systemd nightclub, while pragmatists sip tea inside, saying, “Use what you’ve got.” It’s a classic open-source family fight—and everyone brought receipts.