After years of considering it, I finally switched from Windows to Linux and have been loving the experience. I installed Fedora with KDE Plasma, but Fedora has been difficult to get working properly on my Razer work laptop. I may dual-boot for a while using a separate second drive rather than partitioning the current one.
Am I understanding the terminology correctly: Fedora is the distribution, while KDE Plasma is the desktop environment? Can I safely install or try other desktop environments, such as GNOME or Cinnamon, without changing my applications and personal files? How easy is it to switch between them? I would also appreciate distro suggestions for a newer Razer laptop, especially if graphics drivers or other proprietary hardware support are involved.
4 Answers
For testing different setups, live-booting several distributions from USB is probably the least messy approach. You can also use an unused NUC to install and replace systems freely until you find a desktop and distro combination you like. Installing many desktops on one daily-use installation works, but it can introduce confusing duplicate apps or settings.
Some laptop-focused distributions make proprietary drivers and firmware easier to install out of the box. Lubuntu is one lightweight option, while other Ubuntu-based systems may also be simpler for NVIDIA hardware. Fedora can often be configured to work too, but it may require extra setup. The exact Razer model matters, so look for model-specific Linux compatibility notes, especially for graphics, Wi-Fi, keyboard controls, and power management.
Yes, Fedora is the distribution: it packages the Linux kernel, system libraries, applications, and management tools. KDE Plasma is the desktop environment, meaning the graphical workspace and the collection of tools that make up the desktop experience.
You can install multiple desktop environments on the same Fedora installation and usually choose one from a menu on the login screen. Your files and most applications remain available, although each desktop may have different default utilities—for example, KDE commonly uses Dolphin as its file manager. Multiple desktops can sometimes create small conflicts with themes, settings, or duplicate applications, so experimenting on a spare machine or with separate user accounts is a good idea.
The laptop problems may be hardware-specific rather than a problem with Plasma itself. Check which GPU the Razer has, particularly if it uses NVIDIA graphics, and verify that the appropriate driver is installed. NVIDIA support is much better than it used to be, but some laptop models still have issues involving hybrid graphics, external displays, suspend, or power management.
You do not need to uninstall Plasma first. Installing GNOME, Cinnamon, or another desktop alongside it lets you select which one to use each time you log in.