I love KDE and what they're doing, but why?
this post was submitted on 05 Oct 2025
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I think anyone is allowed to develop a KDE app. You have to go through a process to get accepted for the branding I think. But it not like they spent paid employee time on this afaik.
This is an independent project for fun.
KRetro’s development started in 2023 with a desire to help build more apps for Plasma Mobile (shout out to Devin for the idea and help along the way). I worked on it for a while, but unfortunately got busy with school and other things. In addition, the Qt 6 transition came and went, which left KRetro effectively abandoned.
Thankfully, in 2024, Dexter Reed came through with an MR to port the KRetro codebase to Qt6. And finally, in 2025 with more time on my hands, I finally picked the project back up, bringing us to today!
The name? The K-prefix naming has mostly been phased out these days in KDE for new apps… you could say it is a retro naming scheme 😉
Because the developer wants to, most importantly. And because choice is always a good thing.
So many of these developers are in it out of passion and aren't really being paid. And if part of that passion is working on the other projects that fall within their passions in their spare time. So be it. If they were paid developers and not meeting their goals, that's a whole different story.
Honestly, I would like to see KDE touch and plasma mobile advanced and refined more. But that only means that if I have the skills to help myself I should. Or provide the funds so someone can focus on it. Most of these developers don't owe us anything to us, it's the other way around.
I wish they'd create an easy to setup version of KDE touch/plasma mobile to be run on Android in a proot container (either like termux or in termux).
I think that would be really cool if you could use a decent touch-first/mobile UI to run Linux apps in Android.
I hear you, but if there's someone who likes KDE and emulation and wants to do this who are you/ we to stop them?
I like that it has touchscreen controls, great for GNU/Linux mobile 🎮📱🐧🐂
This was developed mainly for Plasma Mobile
They should copy the touch controls setup uf Magic Dosbox. Infact, every emulator with touch controls should do that.
Nice! This looks really slick (dang, I sound old). I’m going to have to download and try it out. Keep up the good work!