How to Install KDE Plasma on Ubuntu 24.04

If you’re running Ubuntu 24.04 and want a more customizable and visually polished desktop experience, KDE Plasma is a great choice. It’s lightweight, fast, and packed with features that give you full control over how your system looks and behaves.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to install KDE Plasma on Ubuntu 24.04 safely and cleanly.

Why KDE Plasma?

Ubuntu ships with the GNOME desktop by default, which is great for many users. But KDE Plasma offers:

• A slick, modern look with endless customization options
• Better performance on older or lower-powered hardware
• A suite of powerful built-in apps (like Dolphin, Konsole, and KDE Connect)

Step-by-Step: Installing KDE Plasma

You can install KDE Plasma in a few ways depending on how much of the KDE ecosystem you want.

Option 1: Install the Full KDE Desktop Environment

This will install KDE Plasma along with all the default KDE apps.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kde-full

This package includes everything: KDE Plasma, KDE Frameworks, and all core apps like Kontact, Dolphin, Konsole, and more.

Note: This is the heaviest option, and it may bring in a lot of KDE software you might not use.

Option 2: Install the KDE Standard Package

This gives you a more streamlined version of KDE without all the extra apps.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kde-standard

It’s a good balance—clean and functional without bloat.

Option 3: Install Only the KDE Plasma Desktop

If you want just the core desktop environment and prefer to choose your own apps:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop

This is the lightest and most minimal KDE experience you can get on Ubuntu.

During Installation

At some point, you’ll be asked to choose a display manager. You’ll likely see two options:

• gdm3 – GNOME’s default display manager (what Ubuntu uses)
• sddm – KDE’s recommended display manager

If you’re switching fully to KDE, go with sddm. If you plan to switch between GNOME and KDE, gdm3 can still work—but sddm fits better with KDE’s look and feel.

You can always change this later if needed.

Reboot and Log Into KDE

Once installation is done:

sudo reboot

At the login screen, look for a gear icon or session menu. Choose Plasma or KDE Plasma Workspace, then log in.

Optional: Clean Up Unused GNOME Packages

If you’re done with GNOME and want to remove it:

sudo apt remove gnome-shell
sudo apt autoremove

Caution: Be careful here—removing too much can break things. Make sure you’re comfortable working with package management before stripping out GNOME.

Final Thoughts

KDE Plasma on Ubuntu 24.04 gives you a fast, elegant desktop with tons of customization power. Whether you’re a longtime Linux user or just want to experiment with different desktop environments, KDE is worth a try.

If you have questions or run into issues, feel free to drop a comment below or check out the KDE and Ubuntu forums.