Install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9 – Best Steps

This guide aims to walk you through the process of installing KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9, RHEL 9, Rocky Linux 9, and CentOS 9. KDE Plasma is a versatile, free, and open-source desktop environment known for its extensive customization options and relatively lightweight footprint. It provides a user-friendly graphical interface (GUI) that appeals to a wide range of users.

Key features of the KDE Plasma desktop environment include:

• Customization: KDE Plasma is highly customizable, allowing users to tailor the look and feel to their preferences. From themes and widgets to panel layouts and desktop effects, the possibilities are nearly endless.
• Lightweight Design: Despite its rich feature set, KDE Plasma is designed to be resource-efficient, making it suitable for both modern and older hardware.
• Integrated Applications: KDE Plasma comes with a suite of integrated applications for various tasks, such as file management (Dolphin), text editing (Kate), and system configuration (System Settings).
• Active Community: A large and active community supports KDE Plasma, providing documentation, themes, widgets, and assistance to users.
• Wayland Support: KDE Plasma has excellent support for the Wayland display server protocol, offering improved performance and security compared to the traditional X11 protocol.
• Global Themes: Offers the ability to change the entire look and feel of the desktop with a single click.
• Widgets: Allows users to add small applications and information displays to their desktop.

To install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9, follow the step-by-step instructions provided below. These steps are compatible with AlmaLinux 9, RHEL 9, Rocky Linux 9, and CentOS 9. This guide comes to you from the Orcacore team.

Step-by-Step Install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9 / Rocky Linux 9 / Centos 9

Before you begin, ensure that you are logged into your server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. If you haven’t already set up a user with sudo access, refer to a guide like the Initial Server Setup with AlmaLinux 9 for instructions.

Now, let’s dive into the installation process to install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9.

Step 1 – Enable Required Repositories For Installing KDE Plasma

First, you need to enable the necessary repositories to access the KDE Plasma packages. The EPEL (Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux) repository is a crucial component.

Install the EPEL repository using the following command:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y

Next, enable the CodeReady Builder (CRB) repository on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9:

#AlmaLinux9-Centos9-RockyLinux9
sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled crb

#RHEL9
subscription-manager repos --enable codeready-builder-for-rhel-9-$(arch)-rpms

Step 2 – Installing KDE Plasma Desktop Environment

With the repositories enabled, you can now proceed with installing the KDE Plasma desktop environment.

Run the following commands to update the system and install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9:

# sudo dnf update -y
# sudo dnf groupinstall "KDE Plasma Workspaces" "base-x" -y

The dnf update -y command ensures that your system is up-to-date with the latest packages. The dnf groupinstall "KDE Plasma Workspaces" "base-x" -y command installs the core KDE Plasma desktop environment and the necessary X Window System components.

Step 3 – Set KDE as the Default Desktop Environment

To make KDE Plasma the default desktop environment upon system startup, use the following command:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Note: If your system boots into text mode after the installation, you can manually start the graphical interface using the command:

sudo systemctl start graphical.target

If you desire additional KDE applications, you can install them with the following command:

sudo dnf groupinstall "KDE Applications" -y

After the installation is complete, reboot your system to log into the KDE Plasma environment:

sudo reboot

Step 4 – Uninstall and Remove KDE Plasma From AlmaLinux 9

If you decide to remove KDE Plasma from your system, ensure that you have another desktop environment installed, such as GNOME. Refer to the Gnome Installation Guide on AlmaLinux 9 if needed.

If KDE is currently the default desktop environment, switch the system to boot into multi-user mode:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

Remove KDE Plasma using the following command:

sudo dnf groupremove "KDE Plasma Workspaces" -y

You can also remove KDE applications using the command below:

# sudo dnf remove @kde-applications -y
# sudo dnf autoremove -y

Note: If you have another desktop environment installed (like GNOME) and want your system to boot into the graphical environment again, set the default back to graphical mode:

sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Finally, reboot the system to apply the changes:

sudo reboot

For additional information, visit the Official KDE Plasma page.

Conclusion

You have successfully learned how to install KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9 / CentOS 9 / Rocky Linux 9. By following these steps, you can easily install KDE Plasma, make it your default desktop, and uninstall it if necessary. You now have KDE Plasma installed on AlmaLinux 9.

Enjoy your new desktop environment! You might also find these articles interesting:

Change Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop to Cinnamon

Xfce Desktop Environment Debian 12 Setup Tutorial

Install XFCE Desktop Environment on AlmaLinux 9 and RHEL 9

WSL install Almalinux command line

FAQs

Alternative Methods for Installing KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9

While the above method using dnf groupinstall is the standard approach, here are two alternative methods for installing KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9:

Method 1: Using Tasksel (If Available)

Tasksel is a Debian-based tool that simplifies the installation of multiple related packages as a single "task". While not native to RHEL-based systems, it can sometimes be installed and used. Note that availability and functionality may vary.

Explanation:

Tasksel provides a menu-driven interface, making the selection of desktop environments and related components easier, especially for users less familiar with the command line. However, be aware that it may not always work perfectly on RHEL-based systems, and package dependencies might not be resolved as smoothly as with dnf.

Steps:

1. Install Tasksel (If Not Already Installed):

   sudo dnf install tasksel -y

   If tasksel is not found, it may not be available in your repositories. Proceed to the next method if this fails.

2. Run Tasksel:

   sudo tasksel

3. Select KDE Plasma:

   In the Tasksel interface, navigate to the "KDE Plasma desktop environment" option and select it using the space bar.

4. Install:

   Press Enter to begin the installation. Tasksel will then download and install the necessary packages.

5. Set as Default (Optional):

   Follow Step 3 from the original guide to set KDE Plasma as the default desktop environment.

Caveats:

• Tasksel might not be readily available in all RHEL-based repositories.
• Dependency resolution may not be as robust as with dnf.
• The Tasksel interface may vary depending on the version.

Method 2: Installing Individual Packages

This method offers finer-grained control over which KDE Plasma components are installed. Instead of using groupinstall, you install the essential packages one by one.

Explanation:

This method is useful if you want to minimize the number of installed packages or if you encounter issues with the groupinstall method. It requires more manual intervention but allows you to choose exactly what you want to install.

Steps:

1. Identify Essential Packages:

   Determine the core KDE Plasma packages required for a minimal installation. This typically includes packages like plasma-desktop, plasma-workspace, kde-settings-plasma, kwin, and the Breeze theme. You can use dnf search plasma to find relevant packages.

2. Install Individual Packages:

   Install the packages one by one using dnf install:

   sudo dnf install plasma-desktop plasma-workspace kde-settings-plasma kwin breeze -y

   You may need to install additional dependencies as prompted by dnf.

3. Install sddm (KDE Display Manager):

   sudo dnf install sddm -y

4. Enable and Start sddm:

   sudo systemctl enable sddm
   sudo systemctl start sddm

5. Set as Default (Optional):

   Follow Step 3 from the original guide to set KDE Plasma as the default desktop environment.

Example of a Package List:

sudo dnf install plasma-desktop plasma-workspace kde-settings-plasma kwin breeze sddm konsole dolphin kate kwrite systemsettings -y

This example includes:

• plasma-desktop: The core Plasma Desktop environment.
• plasma-workspace: The Plasma workspace components.
• kde-settings-plasma: KDE Plasma settings.
• kwin: The KDE window manager.
• breeze: The default KDE theme.
• sddm: The Simple Desktop Display Manager (login screen).
• konsole: The KDE terminal emulator.
• dolphin: The KDE file manager.
• kate: The KDE text editor.
• kwrite: Another KDE text editor.
• systemsettings: The KDE system settings application.

Caveats:

• Requires more manual effort to identify and install packages.
• You need to handle dependency resolution manually.
• It might be challenging to determine the complete list of packages needed for a fully functional KDE Plasma environment.

These alternative methods offer different approaches to installing KDE Plasma on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9, providing flexibility depending on your preferences and system configuration.