What is Reddit's opinion of
KDE Plasma?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
41 reviews of this app found across Reddit:
The K Desktop Environment for Unix-like operating systems.
Their website: https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
They also make a bunch of programs for Linux. Like Web Browsers, MS Paint-like editors, Kitra (a full drawing suite), media players, chat clients, etc. They make a ton of stuff.
Here's a list: https://apps.kde.org
It has a full fledged linux desktop ready to go. Look into KDE plasma. You might be surprised what you can already do with just the linux desktop. If you really need Windows then there are several options, remember, this is just a PC.
You can just flat out wipe and just have windows. You can dual-boot, basically installing 2 OS's and choosing which one when u turn on the device. Or you can run a virtual machine inside steamOS. (etc). Last two allow you to switch back and forth.
I recommend sticking with SteamOS until you notice you really really need windows.
> Prebuilt computers come with multifunction operating systems out of the box, this thing does not.
Erm, it comes with Arch Linux with a KDE Plasma desktop. It's right there on the specs page.
It seems like your argument is based on a fundamental misconception.
I was under the impression it was KDE Plasma based on the videos.
+1 on the Manjaro recommendation!
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Edit: Here's an article going into detail on my claim
Plasma is the name of the current KDE Desktop Manager. Manjaro is a linux distribution based loosely on Arch Linux. The Manjaro KDE Plasma edition is called Manjaro KDE 21.0
If you scroll down their list, you'll note that each version of Manjaro is simply named after which DM it comes pre-installed with.
You can manually install KDE Plasma on any distribution of your choosing.
KDE makes their own Distribution to showcase Plasma called KDE Neon.
They are not the same thing.
I would start by looking at KDE Plasma showcase / presentation website:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
Besides the Windows-like default look and being lightweight and fast, I like a lot its core programs like:
- Dolphin, my favorite file manager because it can connect to remote servers on various protocols (FISH, SFTP, WebDAV) like they were local, it can show thumbnails for .AppImage and .exe files and for folderf from their content. I can also easily drag and drop folders to the left panel for quick access.
- Okular document reader opens PDF and ebook files without any problem. It also has annotation feature for PDF files
- Konsole, the terminal emulator has the ability to listen for some action like long running script and inform you when it's over and it can display emojis too (I edited once the prompt to show me the success / failure result of a command as an emoji).
- Krunner, some kind of Swiss-knife tool to open programs, settings do calculations. I used it just a bit so I don't know more.
KDE Plasma also has web browser integrations for Firefox and Chrome (with an extension) which allows you to see the downloads from the browsers as a notification, open the downloaded file from there, control media playback, etc.
And also has phone integration, at least for Android devices with a dedicated app called KDE Connect, that can be installed from F-droid.
A Wayland session is also available for you to switch into, which will help with screen tearing, security and video hardware acceleration.
For hardware acceleration you have to enable it manually in firefox to make it work.
I'm using Kubuntu 21.10 with KDE Plasma 5.23 and couldn't be happier !
It's fast and video hardware acceleration works in Firefox.
That's sad !
Ubuntu, unfortunately comes with the worst interface available for Linux, called Gnome 3, which is pure garbage in my opinion.
If you ever try Linux again, I recommend you to try a Linux distro that comes with an interface like KDE Plasma, which is very Windows-like, fast and customizable, have a look:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
I recommend Kubuntu, which comes with this interface by default.
Have a look on Youtube.
You're welcome ! 😄 (BTW, this emoji comes directly from KDE Plasma's Emoji Selector).
If you want to know more, the KDE Plasma presentation website is here: https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
And if you want to look at the latest improvements of KDE Plasma:
This is the blog of one of the developers similar to how Linux Mint had when I was using it years ago, I don't remember if still has it or puts everything on the main website.
I'm not your OP, but I switched to Pop OS and really quite like it. It's been plenty user friendly, it's simple and quick to install and has needed minimal little nudges here and there. As for replacing Gnome, you can simply install KDE Plasma as a desktop replacer which can make it as windows-like as you want. You could even make it look like MacOS.
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
There's a Reddit community with plenty of desktop ideas: /r/KDE
Then just google for whatever you want to change. You can sub the start menu icon for a Windows or apple icon, for example, just like you can with Windows (for example the Windows Classic Shell skin).
It is KDE. It's running plasma:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
I'm not a fan of KDE, because it just reminds me of windows, but I can totally see why valve decided to use it (because it just looks like windows).
This is entirely possible on all distros of Linux. It hinges less of the distribution of Linux and more on the environment you’re running on top of your Linux distro.
IMO, Plasma KDE is surely one of the most customizable environment of them all. It even comes built-in with Plasma KDE’s Software Center - Discover, where you can choose from a plethora of customization add-ons/options.
Also, you can test various Linux distros online to see what you like/dislike about them. You can do this at: DistroTest
Hope this helps :)
You can drop to a KDE Plasma desktop which uses Dolphin (not that one) as a file manager by default. It allows access to Samba/Windows network file shares, USB drives etc.
Have you given Linux a try recently?
I've been duel booting Linux and Windows since last year September ish.
Plasma straight up beats Window's UI imo. Everything is consistent, powerful and customisable. I love being able to put my whole system stats as a widget on my desktop.
Proton has improved leaps and bounds. The only major hurdle is anti cheat support now which is something the game developers need to enable. I get around the same fps under Proton as I do under Windows. Almost every game that doesn't have a anti cheat works under Proton.
For me, my last holdout is Halo Infinite which is the only game that I play that doesn't work under Proton due to anti cheat.
The normal mode will look like Steam and act like a console.
The desktop mode will probably look mostly similar to Windows. I think they will be using KDE Plasma, which has its own website with sample pictures:
>https://kde.org/plasma-desktop
The most important difference to Windows will be the software manager/update launcher. The default manager for Manjaro (also using KDE Plasma an recommended by Valve for testing games with Proton) is "Discover":
>https://discover.manjaro.org/
The list of application does not seem to be up-to-date on the website. At least I cannot find some of the flatpaks I know should be there.
Kubuntu because it's Ubuntu + KDE Plasma!
Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, offers the best hardware and software compatibility
KDE Plasma desktop environment (graphical interface and core programs) is the most Windows-like, lightweight, fast and customizable desktop environment available for Linux.
Have a look at some of its features on its presentation website:
This is the desktop environment on SteamOS (KDE Plasma). Look at the bottom left corner, this is the KDE Logo (https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/) not the windows logo.
I would choose Kubuntu because it comes with KDE Plasma desktop environment (graphical interface and core programs):
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
It's more Windows-like than Linux Mint's Cinnamon and it has support for Wayland, which is good for a tear-free experience and web browsers hardware decoding.
Yes!
I recommend Kubuntu because it's Ubuntu + KDE Plasma desktop environment (graphical interface and core programs).
KDE Plasma is very Windows-like (Windows 11 copied styles from it), lightweight, fast and really customizable.
If you use an AMD or Intel GPU than you can also activate and use its Wayland session which will improve your web browsing and gaming experience.
To have an idea how it looks like and some of its features have a look at its presentation website:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
Hint: The tabs are clickable to see more pictures
Ubuntu (which it's based on Debian) gives the best hardware and software compatibility.
Good luck!
Have a look at Kubuntu !
It comes with KDE Plasma interface, which is very Windows-like, fast and customizable
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
I think it's very easy to use for someone coming from Windows with very little to learn, maybe how to install programs, but even that it's very easy from the built-in software center (app store).
I think you should choose a desktop environment (graphical interface) first that you like.
I suggest KDE Plasma
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
It's pretty Windows like in layout and behavior.
It's also lightweight and fast
And it has a Wayland session, which is pretty important not to have tearing and it also has web browser integration and mobile phone integration so you can control your desktop with your phone, if you want to.
Then choose a distro that comes by default with it and has good integration for it.
If you choose this desktop environment, I suggest one of the following distros:
Kubuntu, OpenSUSE, Solus KDE
Kubuntu, because it uses KDE Plasma desktop environment, which is lightweight, fast and it even has game specific optimizations like:
>in the Plasma Wayland session, KWin now does direct scan-out for fullscreen views (e.g. games), which should improve performance and reduce latency (Xaver Hugl, Plasma 5.22)
IMHO, KDE Plasma is also the best looking desktop environment for Linux.
Tip: Search for it on Youtube to see how it looks like or look at its showcase website:
We have seen what Steam OS 3.0 looks like in the Linus video he referenced.
It's pretty much the default KDE Plasma environment with the KDE logo replaced with the Steam deck logo.
No exactly like Manjaros KDE. Not visually anyway.
Maybe that will change when it releases. Maybe they will just change the desktop background to a steam or deck logo.
If you don't like how they look you can always customise it yourself to look how you want it if you know what you're doing.
[username@hostname ~]$ pacman -Qi plasma-desktop
Name : plasma-desktop
Version : 5.22.5-1 Description : KDE Plasma Desktop Architecture : x86_64 URL : https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/ Licenses : LGPL Groups : plasma Provides : None Depends On : gawk kdelibs4support polkit-kde-agent libxkbfile kmenuedit systemsettings baloo accountsservice xdg-user-dirs Optional Deps : plasma-nm: Network manager applet [installed] powerdevil: power management, suspend and hibernate support [installed] kscreen: screen management [installed] ibus: kimpanel IBUS support scim: kimpanel SCIM support kaccounts-integration: OpenDesktop integration plugin [installed] packagekit-qt5: to install new krunner plugins Required By : plasma-meta Optional For : kdenlive Conflicts With : None Replaces : user-manager knetattach Installed Size : 31.83 MiB Packager : Antonio Rojas [email protected] Build Date : Tue 31 Aug 2021 04:15:11 PM EEST Install Date : Wed 01 Sep 2021 02:35:52 AM EEST Install Reason : Installed as a dependency for another package Install Script : No Validated By : Signature
It will run Plasma.
You can see it in action at around the 23 minute mark in this video. Or better yet - download a linux distro and try it out for yourself.
You currently use Gnome desktop on Ubuntu, but something like KDE Plasma is more familiar, customizable, feature-rich. Here you can take a look at it from this link:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/
Moreover, KDE community is behind many great software such as Krita and Kdenlive.
First of all "KDE" is a community, i.e. a bunch of people, so you can't run KDE on your computer. If you are thinking of the desktop the KDE Community produces, that would be Plasma.
Secondly, Plasma (if it is that what you are referring to) and most of its predecessors are distributed under GNU-approved license and has been for nearly 20 years, so no different from GNOME.
> I have absolutely no fun learning anything software related
That's totally fair. I just like making "magic" happen by writing a couple lines or issuing a command. That's not everyone's thing though.
> If there is a Linux distro that is close to the win10 user experience, I might try installing and testing it out on my Thinkpad.
You're already half way there my friend. Thinkpads are a bit of a meme in the Linux community because of their reliability and excellent hardware support. 10 year old Thinkpads are still a hot commodity on Ebay.
If you're interested, there's a few distros that try to give you that "out of the box" experience, to the point that the actual interaction is practically indistinguishable from Windows.
- PopOS
- Any OS with plasma
- Linux Mint
- plug r/unixporn for design inspiration
Could you clarify what you mean? I assume that you are referring to the close/maximize/minimize buttons; that's the default KDE Plasma theme, and it's controlled by my desktop, not Firefox. You might be able to simulate it using CSS, but I don't know how. If you want help you should post your own question on this subreddit; I'm sure someone more knowledgeable would be happy to help.
I just want to add something concerning the gui. There are a couple of major linux distros that most distros are based off of. Arch-based, Debian-based, Void, Gentoo-bases, etc (I know I left some out).
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Some of the main differences include the package manager.
Other than those few, there are basically no differences. That means that you can install almost any window manager or desktop environment on almost every distro. You may like kde plasma, cinnamon and more.
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i personally use artix(arch-based) and the <em>qtile window manager</em>
Hi, thanks for the kind words.
If you want to have get a really nice looking setup really quickly and easily then I recommend KDE Plasma, as it comes with a GUI settings editor and everything you need for a full desktop is included. Installing it should be very simple, as you can simply look up how to install it using the package manager on your distribution.
To install exactly like this you will need the following components to have a functional desktop (these are what I consider essential, but your opinion may differ).
A window manger: Here I am using the openbox window manager with a custom theme.
A tool to set wallpaper: Here I use feh, but nitrogen is easier to use.
A panel: I use tint2, the panel is by far what I spent the most time on as I had to write lots of shell scripts for the different panel items (I'm happy to upload these somewhere if you want). Tint2 also comes with a GUI settings editor. I've heard good things about polybar, but haven't tried it.
A compositor: This handles the transparency, and window fade in/out. I use this one, but you'll likely have to compile it from source, however this is an extremely useful skill (IMO) on linux.
Notifications: The only one I know about is dunst, and it works for me but there may be equally good or better ones for you to try out.
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Setting up all of this may sound intimidating, but in the end it's worth it when you have your own unique lightweight desktop, and after the first time it gets easier as you can re-use different elements to save time, and you know what you're doing. Hope this helped you :D
Okay, we first need to get you logged in again.
Hold CTRL + ALT while pressing the F2 button. This will give a text only login screen.
Note that from now on I achieved some graphical glitches.
On this login screen you enter the username of your account and the password. Note that the password field doesn't show any feedback for the characters entered, this is normal. Then you need to type the following command (I hope this works): sudo service gdm3 restart
Now you need to enter your sudo password, which ones again doesn't give any feedback.
Now you can log back in by holding CTRL+ ALT while pressing F1. This gives the login screen, but this time it should work.
If you are logged in you should disable auto login from the settings.
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Note that this is NOT a normal use experience and I don't know why this isn't patched yet. I went a bit more radical later and installed the kde plasma desktop enviroment.
Whatever marketroid made the video here needs a good kicking. Meaningless self-congratulatory cliches about how awesome KDE Plasma is? "Show... ... ... ... ... them... ... ... ... ... reeeeeeeeal... ... ... ... ... slooooooooooooooooow..." Actual useful demonstration of the desktop GUI in action? 2xspeed 'k bye.
There are so many wrong parts in this comment, I don't know where to start.
The laptop in the first section is just a generic laptop design made in SVG. I don't really understand that this has to do with curved corners.
KPart is a plugin framework to allow reusable components across applications. For example, we have the KTextEditorPart that is used in Kate, KWrite, KDevelop, RKward, and other applications.
KDE Partition manager is probably the app you are looking for and I don't see that you find unintuitive in it.
I didn't include all the features about Plasma Desktop, because there is already a page for it https://kde.org/plasma-desktop. KDE is a community not a desktop environment anymore. KDE develops not only Plasma and more than 200 applications but also Plasma Mobile, WikiToLearn, Plasma, KDE Neon, Plasma BigScreen and more.
I was afraid that this one was changed:
https://kde.org/plasma-desktop
But it was not and that's great, since I really like that there are tabs for each section to see different parts and this is the one that I show to people when I recommend them to give a try to KDE Plasma.
OpenPGP is a standard to encrypt emails. It isn't used very much since it is quite complicated to use and need some special setup. But it is still useful to send sensitive emails encrypted with it. GPG is an open-source implementation and the most used implementation. All of these programs are command-line utilities, that aren't very user-friendly.
Gpg4KDE and Gpg4win are user interfaces for using this standard so that these encryption mechanisms, can be used by more peoples (not just a few nerds using command-lines utilities). The German government is now using these tools for the communication of classified information.
KDE is an international community of software developers, designers, translators and other contributors creating an open-source user interface for Linux (https://kde.org/plasma-desktop). And I'm one of the volunteer part of this community.
Sorry for not explaining this before.
I really believe this kind of messaging is harmful to GNU/Linux.
We all know that Windows and Linux work very differently. But if you tell a Windows 7 user (who, in 2020, is almost by definition going to be averse to change), that they should switch to Linux instead of Windows 10, they are going to be endlessly frustrated. None of the software they are used to is going to be available, their home printer will almost definitely stop working in some manner (no scanning, maybe no printing without arcane fiddling, maybe no printing ever), and- let's be honest- there's going to be a lack of polish that most of us just don't even notice anymore, but will be obvious to a new user.
Also, this particular post is pretty dishonest:
>Folks who reject Microsoft’s forced updates are already opting to regain control over their systems by switching to the friendly and full-featured Plasma desktop, built on a design philosophy which centers freedom and respect for its users.
So, this would seem to imply that switching to Linux will not involve forced updates, but yes it does. If you use any of the remotely popular desktop distros, you sure as hell are going to be forced to update. Some of them will force you to update every 6 months-ish...
The only people we should be trying to evangelize to, in my opinion, are developers and idealists who like the idea of not leasing their computer from a spyware company like Microsoft. Both of them will feel and/or understand the advantage(s) of using Linux as their desktop OS.
Και να ξέρεις οτι μπορείς να το κάνεις ότι θες:
https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/
Εγώ τρέχω εδώ και χρόνια ντέμπιαν σε όλα μου τα pc, προχτές δοκίμασα πρώτη φορά το plasma το οποίο προς το παρόν γαμεί.
Anyway, keep it in mind σαν επιλογή... αν έχεις κάννα παλιό λαπτοπ window θα μπορούσες και να το δοκιμάσεις εκεί να δεις πως είναι. Μπορείς μάλιστα να κάνεις live-usb όπου τρέχεις το λειτουργικό από το usb χωρίς να το εγκαταστήσεις το σκληρό
>Is it simple to set these things up nowadays?
Depends on what things you mean.
>What DEs and packages (or potentially other distros) should I be looking at for these things?
What do you for your work on your computer? Do you prefer UI similar to Windows or OSX?
>Wifi GUI (Would be nice if it came with the DE).
I use KDE plasma as my DE, and use networkmanager, and plasma-nm for a handy applet to get the networking icon in my toolbar, and GUI for it.
>Screenshots + Annotation directly to the clipboard would be nice. Any suggested packages for that?
Spectacle supports fullscreen screenshots, as well as only a window, and then cropping screenshot. It has a button that says "copy to clipboard" after you have taken a screenshot.
>Unfortunately, people still send me xlsx files. Looks like LibreOffice will do the job?
I've had compability problems with office files on libreoffice. It might work or not, depending on your luck. You might want to install Windows in a virtualbox, and install office on that. That's how I do my work for school.
GNU/Linux operating system and KDE Plasma desktop. And they are also free as in freedom, which is much more important than zero-cost free.