linuxDue to the nature of free software, it is an amorphous operating system that has many different implementations and has several different solutions for each section. For end users, the desktop environment stands out the most, so we’ll take this opportunity to give you Plasma KDEthe most powerful and flexible Linux solution in the segment.

KDE Plasma, still called KDE by many, is one of the oldest Linux desktop environments, if not the oldest. Its origins and birth in 1996 were controversial because it was built with Qt, a framework for building graphical applications that was proprietary at the time. The fact that Qt was proprietary meant that KDE was rejected by the Free Software Foundation’s official line, and GTK and GNOME were born in response. After many moves and pushes, the Qt source code ended up being published first under its own license and then under the GPL and some of its variants, though always under a dual model with proprietary and free aspects.

When the problem around Qt was solved, KDE Plasma stands out as a powerful and flexible desktop environment, so for some it embodies the principles of free software better than GNOME, although that really depends on the license and not how the software is developed, used or implemented. Another important detail that many appreciate its default layout, which is very similar to Windows and is therefore more familiar to Microsoft users than GNOME.

KDE neon, a Linux system that implements the latest from KDE based on Ubuntu LTS.

Using KDE Plasma as the name for the desktop is to give this environment an entity ahead of the KDE project, which includes a large number of applications and other initiatives. The video editor Kdenlive and the drawing application Krita have become popular and recognized outside of Linux. Within an open source operating system, the main sector in which KDE leads GNOME is multimedia, although its catalog includes solutions and applications of all kinds, including office suites and games for children.

As we have already said, KDE Plasma excels in its flexibility, a feature that in this case translates into high customizability. The level of customization KDE Plasma achieves is such that it can be customized to mimic the layout and behavior of any other desktop available for Linux. The sheer number of options it makes available in each section also stands out, but this point sometimes ends up being a contradiction.

After briefly revealing the origins and what KDE Plasma is, we will briefly develop some of its main strengths and recommend distributions that offer a good implementation of this powerful desktop.

Windows-like layout

It is important to note that this does not apply to all Linux distributions. Although there are exceptions such as Nitrux, KDE Plasma is usually served in the vast majority of cases in the default layout or very similar with some aesthetic changes that are not radical compared to Brisa/Breeze, the official KDE theme and link.

Having almost all the main elements of the desktop in the same places as in Windows paves the way for the transition from this system to Linux.. This factor is probably one of the reasons why Steam Deck and its SteamOS 3 operating system use KDE Plasma as their desktop interface. In addition, if the user wishes, he can change the behavior of the taskbar to mimic that of Windows XP, an operating system that is still widely used many years after its death and that remains very current in the collective imagination.

In short, Windows users will find KDE Plasma intuitive and easy to use to run their usual applications.

Almost endless customization options

Another outstanding feature of KDE Plasma is the almost endless customization options that they allow the user to touch virtually any aspectfrom the behavior and decoration of the windows to the layout of the surface itself, going through things like the behavior of the corners.

This means that if there is something that a user of KDE Plasma does not like, it is very likely that they can disable it or change its behavior, and they will also be able to modify all or almost all of this through the GUI. A large number of options and options increase the chances that the problem can be solved graphically. instead of using the dreaded console.

However, the great possibilities of KDE Plasma do not always work in its favor, because in some cases the configuration of certain aspects can be chaotic, since the audio output can be highlighted here when different interfaces are used in the same session (for example, after switching between HDMI and a typical Realtek chip used by compatible computers).

“System Preferences” or KDE Plasma settings.

Low resource utilization

Surprised? It’s true that in the past KDE was a heavy desktop, but that has changed a lot since the launch and especially the consolidation of Plasma 5, which will be replaced in the not-too-distant future by Plasma 6 built with Qt 6.

The optimization work done by the KDE Plasma developers in recent years has been really impressive, so much so that Currently, your choice against Xfce, a desktop with a reputation for being lightweight, depends more on graphics than CPU and RAM. When it comes to graphics, the model isn’t the deciding factor so much as the controller, because any graphics card that works with an AMDGPU driver or integrated from Intel from the eighth generation Intel Core is more than enough to run KDE Plasma. Unfortunately, Linux didn’t have good graphics drivers in its standard stack until the middle of the last decade.

For years, it is not necessary to have a powerful computer to enjoy the advantages of the desktop that concerns us in this post, but one that is supported by quality drivers. Within Linux, the manufacturer that traditionally provides the best support is Intel, so the more Intel components a computer has, the more compatibility it should have with Linux, although there are still components that escape the known kernel. On the graphics level, AMD Radeon is also a good choice thanks to the fact that it relies on the system’s standard graphics stack.

KDEConnect

KDE Connect is one of the crown jewels of the project. It is an application for KDE Plasma and mobiles that allows you to perform a large number of tasks remotely. The user can control the playback of multimedia content from his mobile, synchronize the clipboard, send predefined commands to the computer, synchronize notifications and make available a virtual touchpad and keyboard that work remotely..

To use KDE Connect, both your computer and mobile (Android or iOS) must be connected to the same network (via Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth). It uses TLS encryption protocol for connection, SFTP for file transfer and it is important to have port 1764 open in both UDP and TCP to use it.

KDE Connect extends to cross-platform development with support for Windows and can run on top of GNOME via the GSConnect extension. There is also an early stage application for macOS.

openSUSE, one of the classics when it comes to using KDE Plasma.

respect your privacy

Privacy is another of the values ​​that the KDE project stands for. Although Plasma desktop has implemented telemetry, which provides developers with information about the platform used and some settings, this mechanism is used transparently and, of course, is completely voluntary. Another point that plays in her favor is the fact that to be based in Germany and not the United States, so for some it may represent an opportunity to support European-origin technology over American-origin.

And again we come across the fact that KDE does free software and always or almost always uses GPL licenses, which guarantees transparency and that anyone can audit the source code freely, independently and without compromise. Admittedly, this model is not a panacea, but it is better than the draconian confidentiality terms that corporations like Microsoft impose when it comes to auditing their software.

Recommended distributions for using KDE Plasma in a “pre-cooked” way

• Neon WHERE: It’s not an official distro, but it has everything it needs to be a distro without official consideration. It is based on Ubuntu LTS and is a product of the KDE project, so it can be considered its official operating system. It’s an interesting combination that updates the entire KDE stack in addition to the relatively solid base of Ubuntu LTS.
• openSUSE: The chameleon distribution has traditionally been one of the best options for using KDE Plasma, although over the years it has lost ground to the pressure of Manjaro and others such as Kubuntu, which has gone from a major plague to a more than respectable option. The user has two changeable systems available, Leap, with waterproof software, and Tumbleweed, an extreme rolling release that is always up to date. Among the rest, YaST stands out the most, a powerful administrator-level panel that allows you to graphically configure many parts of the system.
• Manjaro: A derivative of Arch Linux that has become very popular compared to its parent distribution, Ubuntu represents Debian. Manjaro is a system that serves everything pre-cooked and has a small admin-level control panel to access the driver wizard and kernel management, all graphically.
• fedora: Just like Kubuntu, another plague that has been picking up numbers over the years. Fedora is a distribution that has a close relationship with GNOME, but its rotation with KDE Plasma has improved a lot in recent years and gained quite a few fans. For the rest, it’s a heavily automation-oriented distribution that ships the latest software and is the one that runs most of the new technologies that come to Linux, such as PipeWire, to name a recent case.

Conclusion

As we can see, KDE Plasma is a well-known, powerful and flexible way to get into Linux, an operating system that still has a reputation for being difficult, but in fact has greatly improved its use in a home environment (not for nothing with the use of Steam Deck).

However, while its advantages and great capabilities are obvious, it is no less true that KDE Plasma runs the risk of ending up underpowered, especially by those users who limit themselves to using what is served to them by default without they hardly asked or tried to adjust. anything (which is the case with this server, a closeted GNOME user who turned his back on Linux customization years ago).