Arch Linux

danxxcruz

Member

Registered: 2022-06-24

Posts: 5

How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

Hi, I've been using Arch for some weeks and I love it. I started using KDE but the way things work there I don't like it so much so I want to give GNOME a try and maybe stick with it.

What would be the procedure to do that well and don't mess things up?

WorMzy

Forum Moderator

From: Scotland

Registered: 2010-06-16

Posts: 11,903

Website

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

Remove the packages you installed for KDE, install the packages you need for GNOME.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/KDE#Installation
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GNOME#Installation

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danxxcruz

Member

Registered: 2022-06-24

Posts: 5

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

I'll try later and update topic

Bradley

Member

Registered: 2022-06-25

Posts: 20

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

I used to use gnome with sddm, it was fine for the most part, but you might want to use gdm if you plan on using gnome by itself.

Iron Squid

Member

From: earth

Registered: 2022-07-18

Posts: 19

Website

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

In my experience I was able to get KDE and GNOME to play nice with each other after some initial config file screwups caused by having them both installed at the same time.

The order you install them in seems to matter, I'd installed GNOME and then KDE, with KDE overwriting some of Gnome's GTK/Qt settings.

I really wish the two teams (plus others) would just create their own separate config folder already, like xfce4, so we can finally switch between all of them freely without worrying about breaking some random configuration and rendering everything unreadable.

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"An idiot admires complexity, a genius admires simplicity."

-Terry A. Davis

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 19,804

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

They can be be installed side by side.  One can start Gnome from sddm, or Plasma from gdm.   One can also have gdm and sddm side by side and enable one or the other.
Either can be removed at any time.

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twelveeighty

Member

From: Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2011-09-04

Posts: 1,096

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

...KDE overwriting some of Gnome's GTK/Qt settings.[...] switch between all of them freely without worrying about breaking some random configuration and rendering everything unreadable.

Common misconception is that the G in GTK stands for GNOME. It doesn't. Both Qt and GTK are just toolkits that are 'above' (or 'below') the DE. So, logically, there is only 'one' configuration for GTK and Qt. KDE and GNOME mess with the config to make GTK and Qt applications look somewhat identical and 'fit' in the DE theme/look and feel. My recommendation would be to have two separate users for KDE and GNOME if you want to compare the DEs for usefulness / look and feel, since that will create two separate $HOME directories for each DE to mess around in and you get to see each DE's 'default' configuration.

JaydenDev

Member

Registered: 2022-07-11

Posts: 172

Re: How to switch from KDE to GNOME?

sudo pacman -Rnsc plasma
sudo pacman -S gnome

Removes any and all KDE packages and installs all the GNOME ones.

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Software Specifications:
Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma Window Manager: KWin Operating System: Arch Linux (btw)