Before adding another desktop to Linux Mint, it helps to know which package your enabled repositories offer. KDE Plasma is a desktop environment that provides your graphical workspace.
This guide shows how to check and install the minimal Plasma package, then choose Plasma or Cinnamon at sign-in.
What KDE Plasma does on Linux Mint
You can install KDE Plasma on Linux Mint from its configured Ubuntu-based package repositories without removing Cinnamon. Start with the minimal desktop package, keep your current login manager unless you have a reason to switch, then choose Plasma from the session menu at sign-in.
| Session | When to select it |
|---|---|
| Plasma | Use the KDE desktop after installing its session package |
| Cinnamon | Return to Mint’s existing desktop without removing Plasma |
How KDE Plasma fits into Linux Mint
KDE Plasma is a desktop environment, the graphical workspace that provides your panel, app launcher, settings and window behavior. Installing it adds another session to Mint, so you can keep using Cinnamon and choose between them at the login screen.
Linux Mint no longer publishes an official KDE edition. Its project said Linux Mint 18.3 would be the last release with one. KDE software remains installable through the distribution package system, using Mint’s repositories rather than a Mint-maintained KDE edition.
Linux Mint 22.3 Zena is based on Ubuntu 24.04 Noble. LMDE 7 uses Debian instead, so the package details below apply to Mint 22.x, not LMDE.
- Linux Mint 22.x uses Ubuntu Noble packages.
- LMDE 7 uses Debian, so check its repositories separately.
KDE’s Linux installation guidance points users to their distribution’s package manager. The Noble package catalogue describes the minimal Plasma package as Plasma with a small application set.
What to check before installing Plasma
Make a Timeshift snapshot or another backup first, then confirm that Mint uses the Ubuntu-based 22.x release rather than LMDE. A second desktop adds packages and settings. A restore point gives you a known way back if the result does not suit your setup.
Check the release with cat /etc/os-release, refresh the package index with sudo apt update, then inspect apt policy kde-plasma-desktop. Review the proposed disk use and package changes before confirming installation.
The package catalogue lists the kde-plasma-desktop package as the minimal desktop option. The kde-standard package adds a broader set of KDE applications, so choose it only if you want those apps installed together with Plasma.
| Package | What it adds | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|
| kde-plasma-desktop | Plasma with a minimal application set | You want the desktop and will choose apps separately |
| kde-standard | Plasma plus a standard KDE application set | You also want the bundled KDE utilities |
If APT shows no package version as its candidate, stop before installing. Confirm the Mint release and software sources instead of adding a third-party repository to make the package appear.
How to install KDE Plasma on Linux Mint step by step
These commands use Mint 22.x with Ubuntu Noble repositories to check and install the minimal Plasma desktop.
Step 1: Check the package candidate
APT checks package versions against enabled repositories when you request a candidate. Confirm availability before asking APT to install the package. The candidate and version table show which source supplies it.
sudo apt update
apt policy kde-plasma-desktop
Look for a version under Candidate and a Mint or Ubuntu Noble repository in the version table. If no version is listed, do not proceed until the software sources are corrected.
Step 2: Install the minimal Plasma desktop
The minimal meta-package asks APT to install Plasma and its dependencies. It installs desktop components through that dependency list.
sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop
Review the package list and disk-space estimate before confirming. If the proposed changes include removals you did not expect, answer no and inspect the package plan before trying again.
Step 3: Choose a display manager if prompted
A display manager shows the graphical login screen and starts the selected user session. If the installer offers LightDM and SDDM, keeping LightDM preserves Mint’s existing login manager. Ubuntu’s package metadata recommends SDDM, but Plasma does not require it.
Use the arrow keys to select the option and press Enter. If you are unsure, keep the current choice rather than changing the login manager as an extra step.
Step 4: Sign into the Plasma session
When installation finishes, log out to return to the login screen. Open its session menu, select Plasma, then enter your password. The exact menu icon depends on the display manager, so look for the session or desktop selector near the login controls.
To return to Cinnamon, log out again and select the Cinnamon session before signing in. Keeping both sessions installed lets you compare them without deleting your current desktop.
Step 5: Confirm which session is running
After signing in, inspect the desktop and confirm that Plasma’s panel and system settings are present. You can also check the session type from a terminal with this command.
echo "$XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP"
The output is supplied by the session environment. It can contain a desktop name such as KDE, though the exact value can vary by session and distribution.
Common issues when installing KDE Plasma
Check the selected login session before changing packages. A missing Plasma option can mean the login screen is still set to Cinnamon, while a package problem needs a different response.
| What you see | What to check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma is absent from the login menu | Confirm installation completed and open the session selector | Log out fully and check again before changing services |
| APT reports no package candidate | Mint release and enabled software sources | Do not add a Kubuntu PPA as a workaround |
| Installer proposes removing packages | Review the complete APT transaction | Decline if removals are unexpected, then investigate |
| You prefer Cinnamon | Session selector at the login screen | Select Cinnamon and leave Plasma installed until you decide what to remove |
Do not use a blanket purge command to remove KDE or Cinnamon. Desktop environments share libraries and applications, so broad package-name matches can remove software you still need. If you later uninstall Plasma, review APT’s proposed removals individually and keep a current backup.
Linux Mint 22.x uses Ubuntu Noble packages. The kde-plasma-desktop package depends on the Plasma 5.27 line. Do not assume the upstream KDE website’s current Plasma release is available from Mint’s default repositories.
LMDE uses a different base and needs its own package check.
Keep Cinnamon available while you try Plasma
Installing a second desktop does not require removing the first. Keep Cinnamon as a login-screen fallback, and change the display manager or remove packages only when you have a specific reason and have reviewed the effects.
For package details, see the Ubuntu Noble package listing for the minimal Plasma desktop and KDE’s Linux software installation guidance. To compare desktop choices, read our guide to KDE Plasma and Xfce. See also what to review when removing APT packages.
Before a later package change, list installed packages with APT and read the removal proposal before accepting it.
- Compare KDE Plasma with Xfce before changing your desktop session.
- Review APT package removals before uninstalling a desktop.
FAQ
These answers cover common questions about installing Plasma alongside Mint’s existing desktop.
Is there a KDE version of Linux Mint?
Linux Mint’s final official KDE edition was Linux Mint 18.3. Current Mint releases do not ship a KDE edition, but you can install KDE Plasma from the repositories when the package is available for your Mint base.
Can I install KDE Plasma on Linux Mint Cinnamon without removing Cinnamon?
Yes. Installing kde-plasma-desktop adds a Plasma session. Keep Cinnamon installed and choose Plasma or Cinnamon from the session menu at the login screen.
Does the default Linux Mint 22 repository install Plasma 6?
No. Linux Mint 22.x uses Ubuntu Noble packages, and its kde-plasma-desktop package depends on the Plasma 5.27 series. Check your own APT candidate before installing, and do not assume an upstream Plasma 6 release is in Mint’s default repositories.