I've been using Fedora with the Cinnamon desktop environment for a while, but I'm considering moving to KDE Plasma. Can I install KDE without booting from a USB or reinstalling Fedora? I'd like to keep my existing applications, files, and SSD setup intact. I know desktop environments can be installed from the terminal, but I've heard that switching this way can sometimes cause problems, including Wi‑Fi issues. What's the safest and easiest approach, and should I make a backup first?
3 Answers
A clean KDE installation is another option if you strongly prefer avoiding a mixed desktop setup. Fedora’s installer can preserve an existing home partition, but you should still make a complete backup and carefully verify the partition choices. Since reliable internet access is important during installation, installing Plasma alongside Cinnamon first is usually the less disruptive approach.
You don’t need to reinstall Fedora. You can install KDE Plasma alongside Cinnamon using DNF, for example with `sudo dnf group install "KDE Plasma Workspaces"` or the appropriate Fedora KDE package group. After installing it, choose Plasma from the desktop-session menu on the login screen. Keeping both environments installed is generally fine, although it’s a good idea to back up your important files first because the installation changes a lot of desktop-related packages.
It’s also possible to install multiple desktop environments at the same time. Cinnamon, KDE Plasma, and GNOME can coexist, and you select which one to use before logging in. This avoids reinstalling the operating system and should leave your personal files and installed applications available, though some applications may bring in extra dependencies or duplicate utilities.
I’m especially concerned about losing Wi‑Fi access, since I can’t use Ethernet. I may test the KDE session first while keeping Cinnamon available as a fallback.