Linux Mint KDE Still Possible

If you’re the Linux Mint and KDE lover, then you know that starting from Linux Mint 19 “Tara”, your beloved Linux distro has stopped shipping with KDE. So Linux Mint KDE has died a brutal death. But we can revive the combination of the two best software, i.e. Linux Mint on KDE.

In this article, I will show you how you can install KDE on Linux Mint 19 or possibly any other distro gets released after Linux Mint 19 “Tara”. I personally love the combination of two software. Linux Mint is the best Linux distro not only for Linux beginners but in almost all aspects of computing, Linux mint fits very well. On the other hand, KDE is one of the most customizable Linux desktop environments that we’ve ever had.​Although, KDE might not be the best for ancient PCs or laptops. It prefers looks and the ability to customize the system a little more than performance. So if you have a decent computer, one bought in the current decade, you can try out KDE.

Linux Mint KDE System Requirements

  • 2GB RAM
  • 10GB disk space (20GB recommended)
  • 1024×768 display resolution

​BTW, Linux Mint KDE system requirements don’t seem a big deal.

For modern computers, you can use and customize KDE the way you want, like the butter on a toast. No problems at all!

So let’s install KDE on Linux Mint 19.

Install KDE on Linux Mint 19

​First of all, install Linux Mint Cinnamon or Mate. We’re going to install KDE on top of our Linux Mint Cinnamon or Mate installation etc.

Download Linux Mint

​Download Linux Mint 19 or any latest version from the official website.

[penci_button link=”https://linuxmint.com/download.php” icon=”fa fa-address-book” icon_position=”left”]Download Linux Mint[/penci_button]

Make Linux Mint bootable USB and install it using the USB. Follow this tutorial if you want to know how to make a bootable USB. After installation is done, boot into your Linux mint, open terminal and type the following commands –

Update system repositories –

$ sudo apt update

​Install KDE on Linux Mint

$ sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop kde-plasma-desktop kscreen
After running the above commands, just wait. It’ll download and install KDE desktop on your current Linux Mint installation.

linux mint kde

Once the installation is completed, reboot your system. At the system login screen, there is an option to select the desktop environment, click it. You should now have an option to boot with the KDE desktop environment.

kde for linux mint

 Select Plasma, type your password and hit enter. Voila!

Linux Mint kde boot

The KDE logo now appears and you see a nice, clean and more modern looking Linux Mint KDE. Now enjoy one of the best Linux distros, Linux Mint and Linux desktop environments, KDE.

kde on linux mint tara

​Finally, thanks for reading. If you like the article, share it on social pages and let me know what you think about this article in the comment section below this article.

Some screenshots of KDE running on Linux Mint 19

start menu linux mint

dolphin file manager

kde plasma dark theme

konsole in plasma

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11 Comments Text
  • $ sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop kde-plasma-desktop kscreen, cannot be installed due to unmet dependencies; software-properties-kde, which also cannot be installed due to unment dependencies of; pyhton3-software-properties. Upon installing python3, software-properties-kde will not install.

  • [SOLVED]
    sudo apt-get install aptitude
    sudo aptitude update
    sudo aptitude install kde-full
    When finished, log out. Before logging back in, click on the environment button to the right of password box and choose Plasma. Log in and enjoy KDE.

  • Really not the way to go, still had compiz installed, cannot find system-settings. I do not recommend this procedure. Mint has abandoned KDE (their mistake!) so I don’t think trying to bypass their decision is prudent.

  • I wish to install KDE on my Linux mint as Cinnamon seems to be freezing and consumes quite amount of RAM.
    So my question is, if I install KDE will I still be able to access my softwares on Cinnamon or I have to do a separate installations of softwares for KDE.
    Thanks

  • I used to use Linux Mint KDE, but since they dropped the KDE version, I have moved on. I now use SolydK. I like it much better, as it is based on Debian instead Ubuntu. Linux Mint KDE was good, but SolydK is better!

  • The approach of using such a crucial unmaintained desktop environment on top of a distribution (Mint) that doesn’t follow KDE seem to be very risky!
    And since this site is about “Linux and Ubuntu”, two alternative approaches would be either using a standard KDE + Ubuntu from Canonical (Kubuntu), or for a more up-to-date version of KDE+Plasme : KDE Neon which is based on Ubuntu LTS (18.04) with the latest version of plasma
    https://kubuntu.org/
    https://neon.kde.org/
    My preference goes to the latter.

    • @Cyril

      The K Desktop Environment is not “unmaintained”. It’s provided by the Ubuntu repositories just like Kubuntu is. Just because Mint doesn’t provide a KDE spin, doesn’t mean that it’s not being maintained.

      In fact, greater than 99% of the packages that are in the default Linux Mint install comes from Ubuntu. Mint only provides 474 out of more than 64,000 packages. Ubuntu supplies the rest.

  • I think it should be said as ” I run Fedora Linux on the GNome Desktop”….or “I run Ubuntu Linux on the Unity Desktop”…not running the DESKTOP on the OPERATING SYSTEM…(as in “I run KDE on Linux Mint”….I’m just sayin’…LoL!)

    • @Eddie

      Except the OS is required to run the DE, not the other way around. You can delete Gnome from your installation and not run any desktop, but still have an OS. You cannot remove fedora and still have KDE, etc.

      It is correct to say you run desktop on OS. Just like it’s correct to say the train runs on the tracks, and not the tracks run on the train.

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