SteamOS 3.9.0 Preview: Major Upgrades to Desktop Mode, Linux Kernel, WiFi, and More! 

Hot on the heels of the SteamOS 3.8.26 Beta, Valve has now released the SteamOS 3.9.0 Preview with significant updates to the system. This latest release marks a noteworthy progression, highlighting major version changes in several underlying software components.

One of the notable updates is the upgrade of the Linux kernel to version 7.2, which enhances hardware support and includes significant improvements for the desktop mode powered by KDE Plasma 6.7.3.

Users can select this new version by going to Settings > System > System Update Channel.

Key Features

General Updates

• The Arch Linux base has been updated.
• The Desktop Mode has been upgraded from Plasma 6.4.3 to Plasma 6.7.3, which brings various enhancements. For more details, see the KDE release announcements:
  • KDE Plasma 6.7.0
  • KDE Plasma 6.6.0
  • KDE Plasma 6.5.0

Miscellaneous Improvements

• Bootloader updates have improved compatibility with certain motherboards.
• The Desktop Mode lockscreen can now be explicitly enabled through settings, although it remains disabled by default.

For Developers

• The WiFi backend has switched to wpa_supplicant by default for new installations, enhancing compatibility across various WiFi networks.
• Enhancements now allow for faster reconnects after resuming from sleep, previously only available in the iwd backend.
• Existing installations will continue with iwd until manually changed in Developer Settings.
• Preliminary support for hibernation has been added, though it isn’t yet available in the Game Mode UI.
• The Linux kernel has been revamped to support better hibernation handling and to address various driver issues.

Developers need to note that several scripts and packages have been renamed from steamos- to holo-, with the old names retained as aliases for ease of transition. There’s also improved support for running SteamOS as a virtual machine guest with enhanced graphics acceleration (virtio-gpu, venus).

Users experiencing any issues can report bugs directly on the official GitHub.

External Links

• SteamOS News
• GitHub Issues for SteamOS

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