If you are looking to replace or supplement the default GNOME environment, a kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04 gives you a feature-rich, highly customizable desktop experience powered by KDE Plasma. KDE Plasma is one of the most polished and versatile desktop environments available on Linux, offering deep customization, a modern look, and a comprehensive suite of applications. This guide walks you through the complete process of installing KDE Desktop on Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon, from prerequisites through first login.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- The difference between
kubuntu-desktopandkde-plasma-desktoppackages - How to install KDE Plasma on Ubuntu 26.04
- How to select SDDM as the display manager during installation
- How to switch between GNOME and KDE sessions at login
- How to verify the KDE Plasma version after installation
- How to cleanly remove KDE Desktop if needed
Software Requirements
| Category | Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used |
|---|---|
| System | Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon |
| Software | KDE Plasma 6.6.2, KDE Frameworks 6.23.0, Qt 6.10.2 (kubuntu-desktop or kde-plasma-desktop), SDDM display manager |
| Other | Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command. A working internet connection. Minimum 2 GB free disk space recommended. |
| Conventions | # – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command$ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user |
kubuntu-desktop package, select SDDM as the display manager when prompted, then reboot and choose the KDE Plasma session at the login screen.
| Step | Command/Action |
|---|---|
| 1. Update package lists | sudo apt update |
| 2. Install KDE desktop | sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop |
| 3. Select display manager | Choose sddm when prompted |
| 4. Reboot and select session | sudo reboot |
Understanding KDE Package Options
Before performing a kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04, it is worth understanding the two main package options available:
kubuntu-desktop: The full Kubuntu experience. This meta-package pulls in KDE Plasma along with the complete suite of KDE applications, including Dolphin file manager, Konsole terminal, Kate text editor, KDE Connect, Discover software center, and many more. It mirrors what you would get from a fresh Kubuntu installation.kde-plasma-desktop: A minimal KDE Plasma installation. This option installs only the core desktop shell with a smaller set of default applications, giving you more control over what is included. It is better suited for servers or users who prefer a lean installation.
For most users, kubuntu-desktop is the recommended choice. It ensures all KDE components work together correctly and provides the complete, polished experience that KDE Plasma is known for. Additionally, if you need to install a desktop environment on an Ubuntu server, KDE Plasma via this package is a solid option.
IMPORTANT
Both packages install KDE Plasma 6, the current major version of KDE. Plasma 6 introduced full Wayland support as the default session, which is the recommended session type on Ubuntu 26.04.
Installing KDE Desktop on Ubuntu 26.04
The following steps cover the complete kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04 using apt. The process requires an active internet connection and sufficient disk space.
- Update the package index: Before installing any new software, refresh the local package lists to ensure you are pulling the latest available versions:
$ sudo apt update
This ensures
apthas up-to-date information about all available packages from your configured repositories. - Install the kubuntu-desktop package: Install the full KDE desktop environment using the
kubuntu-desktopmeta-package:$ sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop
The package manager will resolve all dependencies and present a list of packages to be installed. Depending on your current installation, this may include several hundred packages. Type
Yand press Enter to confirm. - Wait for the download and installation to complete: The total download size is approximately 1,036 MB and requires around 2,883 MB of disk space. Installation time varies with your internet connection speed and system performance.
Selecting the Display Manager
During the installation of kubuntu-desktop, a debconf dialog will appear asking you to choose a default display manager. This is one of the most important steps in the kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04 process.
You will be presented with two options:
- gdm3: The GNOME Display Manager, already in use if you started from a standard Ubuntu 26.04 desktop installation.
- sddm: The Simple Desktop Display Manager, the native display manager for KDE Plasma.
IMPORTANT
Select sddm to use the KDE-native display manager. SDDM integrates more cleanly with KDE Plasma and supports Wayland sessions properly. If you retain gdm3, you can still log into KDE sessions but may experience minor visual inconsistencies.
If the dialog did not appear during installation, you can change the display manager manually at any time:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure sddm
Alternatively, to switch between display managers explicitly:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3
Both commands will re-trigger the display manager selection dialog, allowing you to make your choice interactively.
First Login and Initial Configuration
OPTIONAL X11 SESSION
While Ubuntu 26.04 defaults to Wayland for KDE Plasma, you can optionally install X11 session support if needed for specific applications or hardware compatibility. Install the X11 session with sudo apt install plasma-session-x11, then log out and select Plasma (X11) at the SDDM login screen. Note that KDE plans to remove X11 support completely in Plasma 6.8.
After installation completes, reboot the system to start the new display manager and access the KDE session:
$ sudo reboot
Once the system restarts and SDDM loads, follow these steps:
- Select the KDE Plasma session: At the SDDM login screen, look for a session selector (typically a drop-down or icon in the bottom-left or top-right corner of the screen). Click it and choose Plasma (Wayland) for the best experience on Ubuntu 26.04, or Plasma (X11) if you require X11 for specific applications.
By default, only the Plasma (Wayland) session is available — install plasma-session-x11 to add an X11 option - Log in with your credentials: Enter your username and password as normal. KDE Plasma will launch for the first time and may present a brief welcome screen or first-run wizard.
- Allow missing themes to install: On first login, KDE may automatically detect missing theme assets and trigger an additional download via the App Updates notifier in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A polkit authentication dialog titled Authentication Required will appear, asking for your password to install or update packages. Enter your password and click OK to allow this to complete. This is expected behavior — KDE pulls in supplementary theme components that are not bundled in the
kubuntu-desktopmeta-package itself. Wait for the installation to finish before proceeding. - Complete the KDE welcome wizard: The Plasma Welcome application may guide you through basic configuration options such as appearance theme, panel layout, and application defaults. You can configure these options now or dismiss the wizard and adjust settings later through System Settings.
IMPORTANT
Ubuntu 26.04 uses Wayland by default. The Plasma (Wayland) session is the recommended choice and is fully supported in KDE Plasma 6. Choose X11 only if a specific application you rely on does not yet support Wayland.
KDE Plasma offers extensive customization through the System Settings application. You can access it from the application launcher or by right-clicking the desktop. Key areas to configure initially include the appearance theme, font settings, display scaling for HiDPI screens, and default applications.
For reference, the official KDE Plasma documentation provides comprehensive guidance on configuring and customizing every aspect of the desktop environment.
Verifying the KDE Installation
Once logged into KDE Plasma, you can verify the kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04 was successful by checking the installed Plasma version.
- Check the Plasma version via System Settings: Open System Settings, scroll to the bottom of the left sidebar, and click About this System. This displays the KDE Plasma version, Qt version, and kernel information.
- Check the Plasma version from the terminal: Open Konsole or any terminal emulator and run:
$ plasmashell --version
The output will display the installed KDE Plasma version, for example:
plasmashell 6.6.2
- Verify SDDM is the active display manager: Confirm that SDDM is running as the system display manager:
$ systemctl status display-manager
The output should reference
sddm.serviceand show a status ofactive (running).
COMPLETED
If plasmashell --version returns a version number and systemctl status display-manager shows sddm active, your KDE Desktop installation is complete and working correctly.
Removing KDE Desktop
If you decide to remove KDE Desktop and return to a clean GNOME environment, the process involves removing the installed packages and switching back to gdm3.
- Remove the kubuntu-desktop meta-package and KDE applications: Run the following command to remove the core KDE packages:
$ sudo apt remove kubuntu-desktop kde-plasma-desktop plasma-desktop sddm
Then run autoremove to clean up orphaned dependencies:
$ sudo apt autoremove
- Switch back to gdm3: If you switched to SDDM during installation, restore gdm3 as the default display manager:
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3
Select gdm3 in the dialog that appears.
- Reboot: Restart the system to apply changes:
$ sudo reboot
IMPORTANT
The apt autoremove step removes orphaned packages but may not catch every KDE-related package. For a thorough cleanup, you can additionally run sudo apt purge $(dpkg -l | grep kde | awk '{print $2}') followed by sudo apt autoremove again — review the package list carefully before confirming.
Conclusion
A kubuntu desktop install on Ubuntu 26.04 is straightforward using the kubuntu-desktop meta-package. Once installed, KDE Plasma 6 provides a fully featured, highly customizable desktop environment that runs natively on Wayland. Whether you are replacing GNOME entirely or running both environments side by side, KDE Plasma integrates cleanly with Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon. You can also explore other graphical tools on the system, such as Docker Desktop, which runs well under the KDE desktop environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I have both GNOME and KDE installed at the same time on Ubuntu 26.04? Yes. Installing
kubuntu-desktopon a system that already has GNOME does not remove it. Both desktop environments coexist, and you can choose which session to launch from the SDDM or GDM login screen using the session selector. Your per-session settings are stored separately. - Which KDE session should I choose — Plasma (Wayland) or Plasma (X11)? On Ubuntu 26.04, Plasma (Wayland) is the recommended session. KDE Plasma 6 has mature Wayland support, and Ubuntu 26.04 is fully optimized for Wayland. Choose Plasma (X11) only if a specific application you depend on does not yet support Wayland, as X11 will not receive further active development.
- Why did no display manager selection dialog appear during installation? The dialog appears only if
sddmis not already installed and only one display manager is currently configured. If gdm3 was already active and sddm was not pulled in as a new package, the dialog may be skipped. You can manually trigger the selection at any time by runningsudo dpkg-reconfigure sddmorsudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3. - What is the difference between kubuntu-desktop and kde-plasma-desktop?
kubuntu-desktopinstalls the full Kubuntu application suite alongside KDE Plasma, including apps like Dolphin, Konsole, Kate, Discover, and KDE Connect.kde-plasma-desktopinstalls only the core Plasma shell with a minimal set of applications. Usekubuntu-desktopfor a complete out-of-the-box experience andkde-plasma-desktopfor a lean installation where you intend to add applications individually. - How much disk space does the KDE Desktop installation require on Ubuntu 26.04? The
kubuntu-desktoppackage and its dependencies require approximately 1,036 MB to download and 2,883 MB of disk space on Ubuntu 26.04. Thekde-plasma-desktopminimal option requires considerably less. Ensure you have at least 3 GB of free space before starting the installation.
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