Hi,
After installing tumbleweed on my new laptop, I am having a bunch of different graphical oddities with the plasma desktop. The first one being that I can’t apply my plasma settings to SDDM. It runs without any errors, but no actual changes happen after a logout.
Trying the breeeze SDDM theme results in a completely white screen, with the login controls being barely visible.
I don’t know if these are driver issues or not, never faced these on fedora plasma edition.
Share your graphical hardware and environment details to start with:
inxi -GSaz
Maybe also the journal logging for SDDM:
sudo journalctl -u sddm -b
Here it is:
inxi -GSaz:
System:
Kernel: 6.18.2-1-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 15.2.1
clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=(hd0,gpt1)/opensuse-tumbleweed/6.18.2-1-default/linux-17aa742ebbe34d76bee9df1adf8e7f49d838c330
splash=silent resume=/dev/system/swap mitigations=auto quiet
security=selinux selinux=1 root=UUID=blank
rootflags=subvol=@/.snapshots/1/snapshot
systemd.machine_id=blank
Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.5.4 tk: Qt v: N/A info: frameworks v: 6.21.0
wm: kwin_wayland tools: avail: xscreensaver vt: 4 dm: SDDM Distro: openSUSE
Tumbleweed 20251222
Graphics:
Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] Barcelo vendor: Lenovo
driver: amdgpu v: kernel arch: GCN-5 code: Vega process: GF 14nm
built: 2017-20 pcie: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 ports: active: eDP-1
empty: DP-1,DP-2,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:15e7
class-ID: 0300 temp: 48.0 C
Device-2: Bison Integrated Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-3:2 chip-ID: 5986:2160
class-ID: 0e02
Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.21 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.8
compositor: kwin_wayland driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: vesa
alternate: fbdev dri: radeonsi gpu: amdgpu display-ID: 0
Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: Lenovo 0x403d built: 2021 res: mode: 1920x1200
hz: 60 scale: 150% (1.5) to: 1280x800 dpi: 161 gamma: 1.2
size: 302x189mm (11.89x7.44") diag: 356mm (14") ratio: 16:10 modes:
max: 1920x1200 min: 640x480
API: EGL v: 1.5 hw: drv: amd radeonsi platforms: device: 0 drv: radeonsi
device: 1 drv: swrast gbm: drv: kms_swrast surfaceless: drv: radeonsi
wayland: drv: radeonsi x11: drv: radeonsi
API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: amd mesa v: 25.3.1 glx-v: 1.4
direct-render: yes renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics (radeonsi renoir ACO DRM
3.64 6.18.2-1-default) device-ID: 1002:15e7 memory: 1.95 GiB unified: no
display-ID: :1.0
API: Vulkan v: 1.4.335 layers: 1 device: 0 type: integrated-gpu name: AMD
Radeon Graphics (RADV RENOIR) driver: mesa radv v: 25.3.1
device-ID: 1002:15e7 surfaces: N/A device: 1 type: cpu name: llvmpipe
(LLVM 21.1.7 256 bits) driver: mesa llvmpipe v: 25.3.1 (LLVM 21.1.7)
device-ID: 10005:0000 surfaces: N/A
Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor gpu: amdgpu_top wl: wayland-info
x11: xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
sudo journalctl -u sddm -b:
-- No entries --
This might happen if still using display-manager-legacy.service. I have that disabled and using the sddm.service instead (with SDDM configured to launch as a Wayland client itself).
I have plasma6-sddm-theme-openSUSE installed and that works ok, as does the regular Breeze theme. Anyway, let’s see what others recommend here.
Show this:
twfde:~ # journalctl -b -u display-manager-legacy.service -p6
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde systemd[1]: Starting X Display Manager...
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde display-manager[2076]: /etc/vconsole.conf available
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde display-manager[2076]: XKBLAYOUT: de
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde display-manager[2076]: XKBLAYOUT is already set. Better don't touch X11 keyboard configuration.
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde sddm-helper[2138]: pam_unix(sddm-autologin:session): session opened for user karl(uid=1000) by karl(uid=0)
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde sddm-helper[2138]: pam_kwallet5(sddm-autologin:session): pam_kwallet5: open_session called without kwallet5_key
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde sddm[2107]: Authentication information: SDDM::Auth::INFO_UNKNOWN "Last login: Mi Dez 24 09:02:45 CET 2025"
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde sddm-helper[2138]: Starting Wayland user session: "/usr/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session" "/usr/libexec/plasma-dbus-run-session-if-needed /usr/bin/startplasma-wayland"
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde sddm-helper[2138]: Failed to write utmpx: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
Dez 24 09:07:28 twfde systemd[1]: Started X Display Manager.
twfde:~ #
Still nothing?
Output of journalctl -b -u display-manager-legacy.service -p6:
Hint: You are currently not seeing messages from other users and the system.
Users in the 'systemd-journal' group can see all messages. Pass -q to
turn off this notice.
-- No entries --
Run as root or add your current user to the systemd-journal group.
Dec 24 15:53:02 localhost.localdomain systemd[1]: Starting X Display Manager...
Dec 24 15:53:02 localhost.localdomain display-manager[2902]: /etc/vconsole.conf available
Dec 24 15:53:02 localhost.localdomain display-manager[2902]: XKBLAYOUT: us
Dec 24 15:53:02 localhost.localdomain display-manager[2902]: XKBLAYOUT is already set. Better don't touch X11 keyboard configuration.
Dec 24 15:53:03 localhost.localdomain systemd[1]: Started X Display Manager.
Dec 24 15:53:03 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3071]: pam_unix(sddm-greeter:session): session opened for user sddm(uid=462) by sddm(uid=0)
Dec 24 15:53:03 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3071]: pam_kwallet5(sddm-greeter:session): pam_kwallet5: open_session called without kwallet5_key
Dec 24 15:53:03 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3071]: Starting X11 session: "" "/usr/bin/sddm-greeter-qt6 --socket /tmp/sddm-:0-yJmRkl --theme /usr/share/sddm/themes/breeze"
Dec 24 15:53:11 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3153]: pam_kwallet5(sddm:auth): pam_kwallet5: Couldn't get password (it is empty)
Dec 24 15:53:12 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3153]: pam_unix(sddm:session): session opened for user username(uid=1000) by username(uid=0)
Dec 24 15:53:12 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3153]: Starting Wayland user session: "/usr/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session" "/usr/libexec/plasma-dbus-run-session-if-needed>
Dec 24 15:53:12 localhost.localdomain sddm-helper[3153]: Failed to write utmpx: No such file or directory
A file change is not being completed it seems.
Does applying plasma settings to an SDDM theme (specifically the default ones) works for others?
Here on a machine yes it does, (Using SDDM Breeze for openSUSE theme here).
This may interest and help some. The talk of display manager rework and wayland :< KDE Plasma - Going all-in on a Wayland future - #3 by deano_ferrari
This is the openSUSE:Display Manager Rework Wiki page :< openSUSE:DisplayManagerRework - openSUSE Wiki
I’m starting to believe that my install is messed up in some way. Going to do a reinstall now using the Net installer on a new usb, instead of the offline installer.
You may switch from display-manager-legacy.service to sddm.service:
5700g:~ # systemctl list-unit-files sddm.service display-manager-legacy.service
UNIT FILE STATE PRESET
display-manager-legacy.service disabled enabled
sddm.service enabled disabled
2 unit files listed.
5700g:~ #
5700g:~ # journalctl -b -u sddm.service -p6
Dec 26 07:13:20 5700g systemd[1]: Started Simple Desktop Display Manager.
Dec 26 07:13:20 5700g sddm-helper[1213]: pam_unix(sddm-greeter:session): session opened for user sddm(uid=477) by sddm(uid=0)
Dec 26 07:13:29 5700g sddm-helper[1527]: pam_unix(sddm:session): session opened for user karl(uid=1000) by karl(uid=0)
Dec 26 07:13:29 5700g sddm-helper[1527]: Starting Wayland user session: "/usr/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session" "/usr/libexec/plasma-dbus-run-session-if-needed /usr/bin/startplasma-wayland"
Dec 26 07:13:29 5700g sddm-helper[1527]: Failed to write utmpx: No such file or directory
5700g:~ #
I enabled the sddm service, after disabling the legacy one. Trying to apply the sddm settings still does not work.
UNIT FILE STATE PRESET
display-manager-legacy.service disabled enabled
sddm.service enabled disabled
2 unit files listed.
I got fractional scaling to work by adding:
[General]
GreeterEnvironment=QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS=1.50
to /etc/sddm.conf.d/kde_settings.conf
The cursor size is still very tiny, even though I have set it as 24 (the same as the one in Plasma):
[Theme]
Current=breeze
CursorSize=24
CursorTheme=breeze_cursors
Font=Noto Sans,10,-1,0,400,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1
setting XCURSOR_SIZE=24 in /etc/environment doesn’t seem to do anything either
n150:~ # journalctl -b -u sddm -p6
Dec 26 15:08:56 n150 systemd[1]: Started Simple Desktop Display Manager.
Dec 26 15:08:57 n150 sddm-helper[968]: pam_unix(sddm-greeter:session): session opened for user sddm(uid=463) by sddm(uid=0)
Dec 26 15:09:14 n150 sddm-helper[1265]: pam_unix(sddm:session): session opened for user karl(uid=1001) by karl(uid=0)
Dec 26 15:09:14 n150 sddm-helper[1265]: Starting Wayland user session: "/usr/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session" "/usr/libexec/plasma-dbus-run-session-if-needed /usr/bin/startplasma-waylan>
Dec 26 15:09:14 n150 sddm-helper[1265]: Failed to write utmpx: No such file or directory
n150:~ #
n150:~ # cat /etc/sddm.conf.d/10-wayland.conf
[General]
DisplayServer=wayland
GreeterEnvironment=QT_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTORS=2,QT_FONT_DPI=192
n150:~ #
n150:~ # cat /etc/sddm.conf.d/kde_settings.conf
[Autologin]
Relogin=false
Session=default.desktop
User=
[General]
HaltCommand=
RebootCommand=
[Theme]
Current=breeze-openSUSE
[Users]
MaximumUid=60000
MinimumUid=1000
n150:~ #
Thank you very much, this configuration layout worked perfectly for me (after tweaking it for my display)
The same here! 
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