Switching from Gnome to KDE

English Applications
#1

Hey Everyone,

Sorry if this question has already been covered, did a quick search of the forum and couldn’t find anything. Anyways, I’m completely new to linux. Just got rid of Windows and have played around with a few distros and decided to stick with openSUSE 12.2. I installed openSUSE 12.2 with the Gnome desktop but I want to switch to KDE. Is there a simple way to do this without downloading the whole OS again and doing a fresh install?

#2

Go to YaST > Software Management. Click on the view button and select Patterns. Then click on KDE4 Desktop Environment and KDE4 Base System. Finally click accept.

Once everything is complete, log out and choose KDE plasma for the session

#3

You should also note that this will install all of KDE’s programs along side Gnome’s. So, you’ll have both Amarok and Banshee, Dolphin and Nautilus. For a more ‘genuine’ KDE experience you could try running the KDE live CD (just running, not installing) but keep in mind that it will be slightly slower if you don’t install, so don’t be quick about getting frustrated with the responsiveness of your system.

#4

On 09/24/12 14:06, streetpredator pecked at the keyboard and wrote:
> Hey Everyone,
>
> Sorry if this question has already been covered, did a quick search of
> the forum and couldn’t find anything. Anyways, I’m completely new to
> linux. Just got rid of Windows and have played around with a few distros
> and decided to stick with openSUSE 12.2. I installed openSUSE 12.2 with
> the Gnome desktop but I want to switch to KDE. Is there a simple way to
> do this without downloading the whole OS again and doing a fresh
> install?
>
>
Absolutely, and welcome to the wonderful world of linux.

Open up YaST and select Software Management. From there select Patterns
and select both KDE selections. You will then need to logout and at the
login screen select KDE as your choice of desktop. You can then learn
all of nitty gritty of the KDE desktop (I’ve been using it for over
eight years).

#5

Thanks for the help! So then if I decide I just want kde4 as my only desktop environment is it as easy as unchecking the 2 gnome selections and clicking apply?

#6

On 2012-09-24 21:06, streetpredator wrote:
>
> Thanks for the help! So then if I decide I just want kde4 as my only
> desktop environment is it as easy as unchecking the 2 gnome selections
> and clicking apply?

Notice that the advices given here are for downloading and installing kde without deleting
gnome. Typically in Linux you can have as many desktops installed as you like. Uninstalling one
is not that simple, though.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

#7

In other words if you want just kde it would be better to reinstall perhaps from the live kde cd which is a smaller download than the full version. This will mean you have a leaner system without gnome apps you don’t need; although you can still install the ones you like (perhaps Gimp). Also you don’t have to format your home partition so, for example, your firefox settings and files will be still available. But remember to backup before doing this… just in case :slight_smile:

#8

Unless you are really tight on disk space, just leave gnome there. It does no harm. When running KDE, you will be running KDE. The worst that will happen, is that maybe tracker will still run in the background, and you will have a few additional choices on your menus.

Oh, yes, you are probably seeing a login to the GDM screen. Once you have installed KDE, you can easily switch that to the KDM login screen. Ask here when you are ready, or use Yast, “/etc/sysconfig” settings and follow your nose.

#9

On 2012-09-25 01:46, Penguinclaw wrote:
>
> In other words if you want just kde it would be better to reinstall
> perhaps from the live kde cd which is a smaller download than the full
> version. This will mean you have a leaner system without gnome apps you
> don’t need; although you can still install the ones you like (perhaps
> Gimp). Also you don’t have to format your home partition so, for
> example, your firefox settings and files will be still available. But
> remember to backup before doing this… just in case :slight_smile:

Gimp is not a gnome app (the “g” stands for “gnu”) :slight_smile:

Having only gnome or kde doesn’t make for a faster system: it just uses less disk space.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)

#10

Yes you’re right, momentry lapse of concentration there… Thanks for pointing that out :slight_smile:

#11

I need to switch a remote system to KDE. Just wonder with package need to download and what the steps to KDE?

thanks

james

#12

I just explored this on a machine… Removing alternate Desktops…

First, I didn’t explore removing the primary (first installed) Desktop which <might> throw an additional wrinkle since some of that Desktop seems to appear in other Desktops (I’ve been experimenting with LXDE, MATE and Enlightenment). Maybe removing the first Desktop makes a diff, maybe not (needs testing).

The following steps require a reliable Internet connection

  1. Open YAST > Software Management > Options Tab > Patterns
  2. Click on the Desktop you wish to remove
  3. Copy somewhere the list of all files listed
  4. Either use YAST (or my preference is zypper) to remove the packages in the list. Use a little bit of sense to omit files which are obviously shared with remaining Desktop(s) but if you don’t reboot until the very end, it shouldn’t be a major issue if you accidentally specify something important
zypper rm* package1 package2 package3*
  1. Now, the following is very important to restore anything that was removed that is actually important. Run a “distribution upgrade” as follows
zypper dup
  1. <Now> you can reboot.

HTH,
TSU