Review of freshly installed Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop part 2 – System Settings

This is the part 2 of the Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop review – Review of freshly installed Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)
In part 2 only the System Settings of KDE Plasma is presented – the central place to configure and tweak the KDE Plasma – the graphical desktop environment with customizable layouts and panels, virtual desktops and sophisticated widgets. Some of the settings require an administrative account and whenever it is necessary the Plasma platform shows an authentication dialog to escalate privileges.
It worth mentioning the KDE Platform versions in Fedora 37:

  • KDE Plasma version: 5.26.4
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.100.0
  • QT version: 6.0.12

The System Settings reflects the above versions and the functionality they incorporate.
The main components are:

  • Appearance
  • Workspace
    • Workspace Behavior
    • Windows Management
    • Shortcuts
    • Startup and Shutdown
    • Search
  • Personalization
    • Notifications
    • Users
    • Reginal Settings
    • Accessibility
    • Applications
    • KDE Wallet
    • Online Accounts
    • User Feedback
  • Network
    • Connections
    • Settings
  • Hardware
    • Input Devices
    • Display and Monitor
    • Audio
    • Power Management
    • Bluetooth
    • Color Corrections
    • KDE Connect
    • Printers
    • Removable Storage
    • Thunderbolt
  • System Administration
    • About this System
    • software Update

System Settings may also be started from the console with

myuser@mydesktop ~ $ systemsettings

Here are the System Setting screenshots:

SCREENSHOT 1) Click on System Settings to launch the “System Settings” program.

View and edit KDE and some Linux system settings.

main menu
Main Menu – Favorites

Keep on reading!

Review of freshly installed Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

After the tutorial on how to install Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop this tutorial is mainly to see what to expect from a freshly installed Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop – the look and feel of the new KDE GUI (version 5.26.4 of KDE Plasma). The Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop is part of Fedora spins – https://spins.fedoraproject.org/kde/
Here the user can find how to Install Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI). Here it worth mentioning the included versions of KDE software for Fedora 36:

  • KDE Plasma version: 5.26.2
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.99.0, upgradable to 5.100.0
  • QT version: 5.15.6

The idea of this article is just to see what to expect from Fedora 37 KDE Plasma – the look and feel of the GUI, the default installed programs and their look and how to do some basic steps with them, it is included also screenshots of the KDE settings program. Here you’ll find more than 200 screenshots and not so many texts we do not want to turn this review of many texts and version information and 3 meaningless screenshots, which you could not see anything for the user interface because these days it is the primary goal of a Desktop system. You can expect more of this kind of review in the future.
This article is the first part of reviewing the Fedora 36 KDE Plasma. The second article contains KDE System Settings screenshots and it is coming soon.

Some of the interesting screenshots

  • Logging
  • KDE Plasma Overview with Panel Toolbox
  • Fedora KDE main menu
  • Plasma Widgets
  • Activities
  • Install/Update applications with Discover
  • Install applications with dnfdragora
  • review of multiple installed GUI applications and games.
  • Dolphin – the KDE File Manager
  • Kate – Advanced Text Editor
  • KWrite – Text Editor

Fedora 37 KDE Plasma screenshots

SCREENSHOT 1) Fedora (6.0.7-301.fc37.x86_64) 37 (KDE Plasma)

main menu
grub entry boot

Keep on reading!

Install Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

This article will show the simple steps of installing a modern Linux Distribution like Fedora 37 KDE Plasma with KDE for the user graphical interface. First, it is offered the basic steps for installing the Operating system and then there are some screenshots of the installed system and its look and feel of it. Here is another article available with more screenshots of the installed and working Fedora 37 KDE PlasmaReview of freshly installed Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI). If the user is interested in Gnome as a graphical interface there are two articles on how to install Fedora 37 Workstation Edition, which comes with GNOME and the look and feel of the GNOME – Install Fedora Workstation 37 (Gnome GUI) and Review of freshly installed Fedora 37 Workstation (Gnome GUI)
This is the simplest setup. One hard disk device in the system is installed, which is detected as sda and the entire disk will be used for the installation of Fedora 37 KDE Plasma. All disk information in sda disk device will be permanently deleted by the installation wizard!

The Fedora 37 KDE Plasma Desktop comes with

  • Xorg X server – 22.1.5 XWayland is used by default
  • linux kernel – 6.0.7
  • KDE Plasma version: 5.24.3
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.99.0
  • QT version: 5.15.6

For more packages and versions information the user may check out the Fedora 37 server articles – Software and technical details of Fedora Server 37 including cockpit screenshots though it is for GNOME installation.

We used the following ISO for the installation process:

https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/37/Spins/x86_64/iso/Fedora-KDE-Live-x86_64-37-1.7.iso

It is a LIVE image so you can try it before installing it. The easiest way is just to download the image and burn it to a DVD disk and then follow the installation below:

SCREENSHOT 1) Boot from the UEFI DVD-ROM device.

It is the same as the USB bootable removable drive. Choose the UEFI USB drive and boot the installation live drive.

main menu
UEFI BIOS DVD-ROM boot

Keep on reading!

Removing of kwayland-server and kwayland-server” is soft blocking kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2

A big change for Plasma KDE happened two months ago – a “Merge kwayland-server into kwin“.
So after KDE Plasma 5.25, there is no kwayland-server any more (respectively no kwayland-server with version 5.25 and no package in Gentoo) and it may block a Gentoo update with the following error:

mydesktop root # emerge -va --verbose-conflicts --verbose --backtrack=300 $(qlist -IC|grep -i kde)
......
......
[ebuild     U  ] dev-util/kdevelop-php-22.04.2:5::gentoo [21.12.3:5::gentoo] USE="handbook -debug -test" 1,057 KiB
[ebuild     U  ] kde-apps/umbrello-22.04.2:5::gentoo [21.12.3:5::gentoo] USE="handbook php -debug -test" 5,544 KiB
[ebuild     U  ] kde-apps/kross-interpreters-22.04.2:5::gentoo [21.12.3:5::gentoo] USE="-debug" 149 KiB
[blocks B      ] kde-plasma/kwayland-server ("kde-plasma/kwayland-server" is soft blocking kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2)

Total: 340 packages (329 upgrades, 5 new, 6 reinstalls), Size of downloads: 1,001,699 KiB
Conflict: 1 block (1 unsatisfied)

 * Error: The above package list contains packages which cannot be
 * installed at the same time on the same system.

  (kde-plasma/kwayland-server-5.24.5-r1:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) pulled in by
    kde-plasma/kwayland-server
    kde-plasma/kwayland-server:5::gentoo required by @selected 
    kde-plasma/kwayland-server required by @selected 

  (kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) pulled in by
    >=kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5 required by (kde-plasma/plasma-desktop-5.25.2:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) USE="handbook ibus kaccounts scim semantic-desktop -debug -emoji -telemetry -test" ABI_X86="(64)"
    >=kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5[lock] required by (kde-plasma/plasma-meta-5.25.2:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) USE="accessibility bluetooth browser-integration crash-handler crypt desktop-portal display-manager elogind gtk handbook kwallet legacy-systray networkmanager pulseaudio sddm smart wallpapers -colord -discover (-firewall) -grub -plymouth -sdk -systemd -thunderbolt" ABI_X86="(64)"
    >=kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5 required by (kde-plasma/libkworkspace-5.25.2:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) USE="-debug -test" ABI_X86="(64)"
    >=kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5 required by (kde-plasma/plasma-workspace-5.25.2:5/5::gentoo, ebuild scheduled for merge) USE="calendar fontconfig geolocation handbook policykit semantic-desktop -appstream -debug -gps -screencast -telemetry -test" ABI_X86="(64)"

emerge could not continue with the upgrade to KDE Platform 5.25.2.

main menu
emerge error

kwayland-server is pulled by selected, but the last version of the package is from 5.24 release, which should immediately signal that there is something wrong with it, because the emerge command shows the latest KDE Plasma version to be 5.25 (with the exact version 5.25.2).

Solution – deselect/remove kde-plasma/kwayland-server

The solution is simple, just deselect it from the world slot to be sure it won’t be pulled again in the future. Remove the package manually if the error still persists, but only deselecting should work. Of course, it should not be selected in the command-line with emerge, neither. In general, such package won’t be available any more.
Always keep eye on the pulled versions and the versions you are trying to install, most of the time the problem is obvious and from a single “wrong/bad” package, which may generate e great deal of erroneous and frightening dependencies output.

mydesktop root # emerge --deselect kwayland-server
>>> Removing kde-plasma/kwayland-server from "world" favorites file...
>>> Removing kde-plasma/kwayland-server:5::gentoo from "world" favorites file...

And now the emerge command is OK and no problem with the dependencies and blocks:

mydesktop root # emerge -va --verbose-conflicts --verbose --backtrack=300 $(qlist -IC|grep -i kde|grep -v kwayland-server)
......
......
[ebuild  N     ] kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2:5::gentoo  USE="accessibility (caps) handbook lock multimedia -debug -gles2-only -plasma -screencast -test" 6,468 KiB
[uninstall     ] kde-plasma/kwayland-server-5.24.3:5::gentoo  USE="-debug -doc -test" 
[blocks b      ] kde-plasma/kwayland-server ("kde-plasma/kwayland-server" is soft blocking kde-plasma/kwin-5.25.2)
[ebuild     U  ] kde-plasma/libkworkspace-5.25.2:5::gentoo [5.24.3:5::gentoo] USE="-debug -test" 0 KiB
......
......
[ebuild     U  ] kde-apps/akregator-22.04.2:5::gentoo [21.12.3:5::gentoo] USE="handbook -debug -speech -telemetry -test" 2,209 KiB

Total: 339 packages (328 upgrades, 5 new, 6 reinstalls, 1 uninstall), Size of downloads: 1,001,483 KiB
Conflict: 1 block (all satisfied)

More on Gentoo blocking – Gentoo update tips when updating packages with blocks and masked files

Review of freshly installed Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop part 2 – System Settings

This is the part 2 of the Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop review – Review of freshly installed Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)
In part 2 the only the System Settings of KDE Plasma are presented – the central place to configure and tweak the KDE Plasma – the graphical desktop environment with customizable layouts and panels, virtual desktops and sophisticated widgets. Some of the settings require administrative account and whenever it is required the Plasma platform shows a authentication dialog to escalate privileges.
It worth mentioning the KDE Platform versions in Fedora 36:

  • KDE Plasma version: 5.24.3
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.91.0
  • QT version: 5.15.3

The System Settings reflects the above versions and the functionality they incorporate.
The main components are:

  • Appearance
  • Workspace
    • Workspace Behavior
    • Windows Management
    • Shortcuts
    • Startup and Shutdown
    • Search
  • Personalization
    • Notifications
    • Users
    • Reginal Settings
    • Accessibility
    • Applications
    • KDE Wallet
    • Online Accounts
    • User Feedback
  • Network
    • Connections
    • Settings
  • Hardware
    • Input Devices
    • Display and Monitor
    • Audio
    • Power Management
    • Bluetooth
    • Color Corrections
    • KDE Connect
    • Printers
    • Removable Storage
    • Thunderbolt
  • System Administration
    • About this System
    • software Update

System Settings may alse be started from the console with

myuser@mydesktop ~ $ systemsettings

Here are the System Setting screenshots:

SCREENSHOT 1) Click on System Settings to launch the “System Settings” program. View and edit KDE and some Linux system settings.

main menu
Main Menu – Favorites

Keep on reading!

Review of freshly installed Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

After the tutorial of how to install Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop this tutorial is mainly to see what to expect from a freshly installed Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop – the look and feel of the new KDE GUI (version 5.24.3 of KDE Plasma). The Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop is part of Fedora spins – https://spins.fedoraproject.org/kde/
Here you can find how to Install Fedora 36 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI). Here it worth mentioning the included versions of KDE software for Fedora 36:

  • KDE Plasma version: 5.24.3
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.91.0
  • QT version: 5.15.3

The idea of this article is just to see what to expect from Fedora 36 KDE Plasma – the look and feel of the GUI, the default installed programs and their look and how to do some basic steps with them, it is included also screenshots of the KDE settings program. Here you’ll find more than 200 screenshots and not so many texts we do not want to turn this review of many texts and version information and 3 meaningless screenshots, which you could not see anything for the user interface because these days it is the primary goal of a Desktop system. You can expect more of this kind of review in the future.
This article is the first part of reviewing the Fedora 36 KDE Plasma. The second article contains KDE System Settings screenshots and it is coming soon.

Summary of the screenshots

  • Logging
  • KDE Plasma Overview with Panel Toolbox
  • Fedora KDE main menu
  • Plasma Widgets
  • Activities
  • Install/Update applications with Discover
  • Install applications with dnfdragora
  • review of multiple installed GUI applications and games.
  • Dolphin – the KDE File Manager

Fedora 36 KDE Plasma screenshots

SCREENSHOT 1) Fedora (5.17.5-300.fc36.x86_64) 36 (KDE Plasma)

main menu
grub entry boot

Keep on reading!

Change file association in KDE Plasma (5.24) – open PNG with different default application

Changing the default file association in modern KDE Plasma Desktop under any Linux Distribution is pretty easy. Here are couple of screenshots how easy is to change the default file association to open a PNG file with different application. Sometimes the default application to open a file may not be convenient for the user or just the Linux Distribution did not change it when installing a new application.
For example, in the sample workstation, the PNG file is meant to be open with the KDE KolourPaint, which is good for simple image manipulation, but not to view multiple images in a series.

SCREENSHOT 1) Launch KDE Plasma System Settings

main menu
Application Launcher Settings System Settings

Keep on reading!

xdg and autostart in Linux X server regardless the desktop environment

There is a tool xdg, which manages application integration with the different GUI Desktops in the Linux world. One of the features it offers is to autostart an application when the X window system starts and it is perfectly normal to have a bunch of running programs that cannot be found in the Windowing manager settings like KDE System Settings -> Autostart, GNOME Tweak tool and Autostart and so on.

xdg offers autostart of Linux appilcations mainly Desktop when the GUI windowing system starts

There two main paths to look for entries to autostart:

  1. /etc/xdg/autostart – called system-wide and most of the application will place files when they are installed.
  2. [user’s home]/.config/autostart – user’s applications to start when the user logs in .

With xdg autostart feature the user can explain himself why the Windowing systems like KDE or GNOME start tens of applications (not exactly related to the base GUI windowing system).

There is a security problem here, which is sometimes installing a package will place an autostart file there because the maintainer decided it is important but the package might be just a dependency and the next time the user logs in unwanted program might execute and open ports!

For example, Rygel is an open-source UPnP/DLNA MediaServer and it might be installed as a dependency but it places an autostart file, which starts a UPnP/DLNA server and exports the /home/[user’s directory]/Videos, /home/[user’s directory]/Pictures and more to the local network. Another example is with the GNOME index system tracker and the tracker-store, which may easily eat the RAM, disk, CPU, battery on a system without GNOME but with a different GUI!

Here is what a typical Ubuntu 18.04 system might autostart

Keep on reading!

Review of freshly installed Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

After the tutorial of Install Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop this tutorial is mainly to see what to expect from a freshly installed Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop – the look and feel of the new KDE GUI (version 5.13.5 of KDE Plasma).
Here you can find how to Install Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI). Here it worth mentioning the included versions of KDE software for Fedora 31:
The Fedora 29 KDE Plasma Desktop comes with

  • KDE Plasma version: 5.16.5
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.61.0
  • QT version: 5.12.5

The idea of this tutorial is just to see what to expect from Fedora 31 KDE Plasma – the look and feel of the GUI, the default installed programs and their look and how to do some basic steps with them, it is included also screenshots of the KDE settings program. Here you’ll find more than 200 screenshots and not so many texts we do not want to turn this review of many texts and version information and 3 meaningless screenshots, which you could not see anything for the user interface because these days it is the primary goal of a Desktop system. You can expect more of this kind of review in the future.
It may be interesting to compare with the Fedora 29 review – Review of freshly installed Fedora 29 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

SCREENSHOT 1) Fedora (5.3.7-301.fc31.x86_64) 31 (Thirty One)

main menu
grub entry boot

Keep on reading!

Install Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI)

This tutorial will show you the simple steps of installing a modern Linux Distribution Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop with KDE for the user graphical interface. First, we present the basic steps for installing the Operating system in addition to your present operating systems (here we have two: Windows 10) and then you can see some screenshots of the installed system and the look and feel of it. We have another tutorial showing more screenshots of the installed and working Fedora 31 (Gnome and KDE plasma) – so you can decide which of them to try first – coming soon.

The Fedora 31 KDE Plasma Desktop comes with

  • Xorg X server – 1.20.5 XWayland is used by default
  • linux kernel – 5.3.7
  • KDE Plasma version: 5.16.5
  • KDE Frameworks version: 5.61.0
  • QT version: 5.12.5

The installation process is very similar to the old Install Fedora 27 KDE Plasma Desktop and Install Fedora 29 KDE Plasma Desktop (KDE GUI). Our system is relatively new – Asus X399 with AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and NVIDIA 1080 TI and the setup loaded successfully and there were no problems till the end.

We used the following ISO for the installation process:

https://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/releases/31/Spins/x86_64/iso/Fedora-KDE-Live-x86_64-31-1.9.iso

It is a LIVE image so you can try it before installing it. The easiest way is just to download the image and burn it to a DVD disk and then follow the installation below:

SCREENSHOT 1) Here is our “UEFI BIOS->Boot->Boot Override” and in most modern motherboard you can choose to override the default boot devices.

Choose the “UEFI: HL-DT-STDVDRAM…” to boot and install Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop 31 with UEFI support. You should do this, because most of the new hardware like video cards would not work properly without beeing in UEFI mode.

main menu
Boot from DVD/USB Installation

Keep on reading!