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Arch Linux KDE Plasma Guide

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Mattscreative edited this page Dec 5, 2025 · 3 revisions

Arch Linux KDE Plasma Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to KDE Plasma on Arch Linux, including installation, configuration, customization, and KDE-specific features.

Table of Contents

  1. Installing KDE Plasma
  2. KDE Configuration
  3. KDE Customization
  4. KDE Applications
  5. Troubleshooting

Installing KDE Plasma

Install KDE

Install Plasma:

# Full KDE
sudo pacman -S plasma kde-applications

# Minimal
sudo pacman -S plasma-meta

Enable KDE

Start KDE:

# Install SDDM
sudo pacman -S sddm

# Enable and start SDDM (recommended method)
sudo systemctl enable --now sddm

# Alternative method (for learning):
# sudo systemctl enable sddm
# sudo systemctl start sddm

KDE Configuration

System Settings

Configure KDE:

# Open Settings
systemsettings5

# Or from menu
# System Settings

Plasma Configuration

Configure Plasma:

# Edit config
vim ~/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc

KDE Customization

Themes

Install themes:

# Install themes
yay -S sweet-kde-theme-git
yay -S materia-kde

Icons

Install icons:

# Install icon themes
sudo pacman -S papirus-icon-theme
yay -S tela-icon-theme

Widgets

Install widgets:

# Browse widgets
# Right-click desktop > Add Widgets
# Get more: https://store.kde.org/

KDE Applications

KDE Apps

Install applications:

# Core apps (included)
# Dolphin, Konsole, Kate, etc.

# Additional apps
sudo pacman -S kate konsole dolphin ark

Troubleshooting

Plasma Crashes

Restart Plasma:

# Restart Plasma
killall plasmashell
kstart plasmashell

Performance Issues

Optimize:

# Disable effects
# System Settings > Desktop Effects
# Disable animations

Summary

This guide covered KDE Plasma installation, configuration, customization, and troubleshooting.

Next Steps

This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki.

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