I’ve been testing many Linux distributions over the past two months, and Garuda Dr460nized Gaming Edition has been by far my favorite. Even though I don’t have deep Linux experience, the pre-configured setup and user-friendly design helped me get started very smoothly. I even managed to play a AAA game on Linux for the first time—something I never imagined possible after 30 years of Windows use.
That said, I’d like to share a personal thought. KDE is my favorite desktop environment, but Dr460nized feels more like GNOME than KDE. If we are using KDE, why not embrace its native style and features? Why are we shaping KDE to behave more like GNOME? This may confuse users like me who prefer KDE’s classic and customizable nature.
I explored other Garuda editions, but since they lack the gaming-specific tweaks, they weren’t ideal for my needs.
That’s why I’d love to see a true KDE edition of Garuda Linux—not one that feels like a GNOME remix.
Huge thanks to everyone working on Garuda. It’s an amazing project, and this is just a small piece of feedback from a grateful user.
It is intended for those who want a more vanilla KDE experience out of the box. You can install the KDE Lite edition and build it up the way you want things, or you can install the Dragonized version and strip it down to your liking.
Either way involves a lot of work. You can’t really expect any distro to be 100% configured to your liking OOTB. That’s just not realistic as every user has their own preferences, and you can’t please everyone all the time.
The reason I’m insisting on using the Dr460nized edition is that it comes pre-configured with all the necessary gaming software and tweaks out of the box.
In comparison, KDE Lite and Mokka versions don’t seem to have these pre-set gaming optimizations.
So here’s my question:
Is it possible to easily install the same gaming-related software and settings on KDE Lite or Mokka editions, similar to how it is in Dr460nized?
Can I achieve the same gaming experience and convenience on those versions?
Put the default gnome and kde side by side and see which one looks more similar to each other. I think it looks more like gnome. I couldn’t share it because I don’t have permission to upload an image.
Thank you for your message I’m now starting the installation of Garuda KDE Lite. I hope I can continue my gaming experience smoothly on this version.
By the way, I have a question:
If needed, how can I install the Dr460nized configurations (themes, gaming-related software, etc.) on top of KDE Lite?
Is this something I have to do manually, or is there a more convenient way to achieve it?
Please remove the checkmark from post #5. I was just kidding.
I know how pretty and functional Gnome is, but behind the golden curtain, I only see an endless desert.
In comparison, KDE seems like a pure tropical paradise to me.
Yes it will have to be done manually.
“Uptheming” a KDE Lite to Dr460nized will require multiple manual steps. It’s more than just installing 1 package.
The Gaming packages also need to be installed on KDE Lite, maybe the app Rani (installed by default) can help on that, I’m not familiar with KDE Lite…
IIRC now, KDE lite is for advanced users with no support from the Garuda team, it’s just KDE by Garuda for people who claim Garuda DE’s are bloated, whatever that means
I can only agree with what has been written so far. I also use the KDE Light Edition. Garuda-Rani should install everything relevant for gaming. When I did it, RANI didn’t exist yet and I used Garuda-Gamer instead.
100%
I got most of my help here in the forum by using the search function and simply reading all the new posts.
I think you are conflating “look” with “feel”. While the Dr460nized edition may look like GNOME if you consider the top panel, the application menu in the top left corner, and the list of apps on the bottom, it feels and functions nothing like it. On GNOME, pressing the button on the top left will only show the overview. In Dr460nized you have an application launcher and the appmenu next to it. You can get the KDE overview by hovering the top left corner, but that overview does not function like the GNOME one. The list of apps on the bottom in Dr460nized is an open window switcher with favorites pinned, while in GNOME it is pinned favorites and the actual application menu. Clicking one of those apps in GNOME won’t minimize the window. And the list goes on and on…
The more times I’ve come back to it, the more I realized Dr460nized actually is that stripped down version of KDE I was looking for. Sure, it comes with a few extra tools compared to most distributions, in addition to all the Garuda tools and customizations. But in terms of what it does to KDE it comes down mostly to layout and theming, both of which are meant to be easily changeable in Plasma (it might not be the most intuitive where the settings are, but the point is all of them are there, without an extension induced existential crisis).
I do not recall the exact reasons the basic “Garuda KDE” edition was dropped. But I believe part of it was that Dr460nized made Garuda stand out and really justify its existence over other Arch based distros. Most people didn’t see or understand how much was going on under the hood, so the polished look made people actually try it and realize how powerful the whole Garuda ecosystem was. I know that was what lured me into the Dragon’s Lair, at least!
Hope you managed to get the set up you were looking for.
In my case I downloaded the Dragonized non-gaming version. I gave the Dragonized theme a shot and it wasn’t for me. I preferred something a lot closer to stock KDE, which is funny coz I was a Gnome person until KDE 6 (and Gnome is the best at being Gnome IHMO). Anyway I digress… You can get a pretty stock KDE set up fairly easily by simply deleting the panels and bars and simply adding the ‘default’ KDE ones. And of course you can tweak them to your liking. You may need Kvantum to alter themes or that other one they use now who’s name I forget. So I recommend choosing the version for what it contains not the theme.
I’m now starting the installation of Garuda KDE Lite. I hope I can continue my gaming experience smoothly on this version.
