A Gorgeous KDE Plasma setup

In this post, I’ll walk you through how I have customized my KDE Plasma Desktop.











I have used ideas and inspirations from the Linux community, especially from some of the videos of @linuxscoop and our own Garuda Dragonized edition and of course, I have added my own ideas.


Installing packages/software required for this project:

  • If you are starting with the Garuda Dr460nized edition, you might want to explicitly install the useful packages that are packaged as dependencies with garuda-dr460nized package:
sudo pacman -D --asexplicit garuda-common-settings garuda-icons garuda-fish-config garuda-wallpapers ksysguard kvantum plasma5-applets-window-appmenu plasma5-applets-window-buttons plasma5-applets-window-title plasma5-applets-betterinlineclock-git plasma5-wallpapers-blurredwallpaper ttf-fira-sans ttf-firacode-nerd

Remove the garuda-dr460nized package, as you no longer need it.
(Keeping this package might overwrite your Plasma customisations whenever there is an update.)

  • For those of you starting with Garuda KDE Barebones, install the above packages (installed explicitly for garuda-dr460nized).
    You can have a look here (Garuda Dr460nized Packages-Desktop) for useful packages that come preinstalled with Garuda Dr460nized (like kde-servicemenus-rootactions).
    Kudos to the Garuda team for keeping detailed & well-organised iso-profiles!

  • Now, let’s install the software/packages that we are going to require for this customisation:

sudo pacman -S latte-dock kvantum lightly-qt plasma5-applets-window-appmenu plasma5-applets-window-buttons plasma5-applets-window-title plasma5-applets-betterinlineclock-git plasma5-wallpapers-blurredwallpaper ttf-fira-sans ttf-firacode-nerd

(No need to reinstall them again if you already have them)

  • Now we’ll install some dependencies for Panon (an audio spectrum analyzer for KDE panel):
sudo pacman -S qt5-websockets python-docopt python-numpy python-pyaudio python-cffi python-websockets 

You can install Panon from the Plasma Widgets Store.


Now that we have all the required packages/software installed, let’s start!

  1. Setting up latte-dock

Since we are going to use latte-dock now, you can remove the Plasma Panels on your desktop and then add latte-dock to your Auto-Start Apps list so that it starts on every new session and you have a dock!

  • Now download my custom latte-config from here (and save it wherever you want):

Before switching to the imported latte-layout, you will have to install some plasmoids used in the layout:
(You can install the plasmoids from the Plasma Widgets Store)

i. Kpple Menu
ii. Window Buttons (already installed earlier)
iii. Window Title Applet (by Psifidotos)
iv. Latte Separator
v. Latte Spacer
vi. Latte SideBar Button
vii. Better inline clock
viii. mcOS BS Inline Battery
ix. Netspeed Widget
x. mediacontroller_plus
xi. panon

(We have already installed some of these plasmoids as packages earlier)

That’s it for the latte-dock!

  1. Settings
  • Settings ---> Appearance:

Global theme: Breeze dark
Application style: Lightly
Plasma style: Win12OS-dark
Colours: GloriousDark (download it from here, Proton Drive and import it to the settings)
Window Decorations: Lightly
Icons: Fluent, Kora, Beautyine, Tela, Tela circle (my preferences)
Cursors: Breeze
Fonts:

  • Settings ---> Workspace Behaviour ---> Desktop Effects:

You can enable & tweak options like,

i. Blur
ii. Fall Apart
iii. Translucency
iv. Wobbly Windows
v. Magic Lamp
vi. Slide Back (slide windows)
vii. Slide (slide desktops)

  • Now, we will enable a Wallpaper Plugin (Active Blur) for blurred background when there’s an active window on top.
    (We have already installed the plugin earlier)

  • Screen Saver:

Settings ---> Workspace Behavior ---> Screen Locking ---> Configure

I have added short videos to play on the screen when the screen is locked. For this, you will first have to install Video LockScreen from Plasma Desktop Settings.

That’s it for the Plasma Settings
You can check out the plethora of options and tweak them as you like!

I couldn’t show every option in the settings in this post. You can check out the attached YT video below for more.


There we go, that’s how I customize my Plasma Desktop


The video has inspired me to a great extent. You can refer to this video for detailed steps,

I will be updating this post as I make changes to my desktop.

I have created this post so that everyone can have a glimpse of how customizable Linux Desktop is and inspire you to customize your own desktops.

15 Likes

There is one effect in KDE, that on login the screen comes closer to you and fits into the desktop, I think it was present in dragonized edition, I just wanted to add it into my KDE.

And one more thing, would it be objectionable if I share how I have set up my KDE Garuda as in my screenshots as #community:showcase ?

1 Like

?
How is it objectionable? You will just be helping the people who want to have a setup like yours.
Go ahead with it. :slightly_smiling_face:

4 Likes

I will do it, thanks

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Its been 34m, where is it?

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Beautiful setup! I have been using both mountain scenes and space scenes as wallpaper. Will def. take a look at your setup and most likely use some of your settings. I am always changing some aspect of my operating systems…again nice work!

1 Like

I see trolling for comments is still en vogue.
:wink:

3 Likes

What does that mean?
And what does too many question marks on my comment suggest?

:thinking:

Update

I have updated the Latte-dock and Settings sections!

Would be cool if you could give a couple pointers on how to make this more like dragonized KDE if that's what you've done at all? Like have you done anything with zram or ananicy or installed things like Garuda assistant or setup timeshift? I'd like your setup but with all the defaults of dragonized KDE. Would be good if possible

Actually, I am using Garuda barebones, which doesn't mean that you won't have ZRAM, BTRFS-timeshift snapshot, ananicy, but you will also have will have to install garuda assistant and other tools, which from the package-manager.
Garuda barebones means vanilla arch with Garuda concepts and installer and with unmodified KDE plasma.

How much are we realistically talking that needs installing then to make it a debloated Garuda? Just assistants and timeshift? Does it come with aliases like update? I'm intrigued to try it out but don't have loads of time to install and tweak every little thing haha

Either bootup Barebones or don't haha

3 Likes

You don’t have to install timeshift, that would be preinstalled and preconfigured, just the Assistant.

No that would be there it is actually part of the Garuda’s fish and zsh configs, which you would have to install and then transfer those configs from /etc/skel to /home/user.
or

Dragonized isn’t actually bloated, by the way, it just has necessary stuff (but not unnecessary) pre-installed, and a beautifully preconfigured desktop just like mine!

If you wonder how a vanilla KDE plasma would look:
image

Garuda tweaks, like anancy and auto-cpufreq can also be installed directly from Garuda Assistant.

2 Likes

Updated the latte dock link


Updated latte-config link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pKAuJfCWyvHgmBDRAT9rTc0CtxYONuGe/view?usp=sharing

I changed,
Window Decorations: Inverse-dark
Application style: kvantum-dark

Added a new Window Manager Script: Sticky Window Snapping

4 Likes

3 Likes

Once Again I have updated my latte config this week: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iJ55VeH6KYbRGqPPZNRLko6figPiSni5/view?usp=sharing
Changes:

  1. I removed the system monitor applet from the sidebar because I find KDE's System Monitor more elaborate and efficient and I never look at it in the sidebar
  2. I replaced Global menu from the top bar with Window AppMenu.
    So you will have to install plasma5-applets-window-appmenu as well



3 Likes

Update!
New latte config: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17xcuq0XB_WKrgHVeFkW4ggEkWffjojtI/view?usp=sharing


Changes:

Switched back to Global menu
Plasma style: Layan

1 Like