I'm using Linux Mint and want to install both KDE Plasma and the Hyprland window manager. Once they're installed, how do I choose which desktop or window manager starts, and are there any compatibility issues or limitations I should know about?
3 Answers
After installing the desktop environments or window managers, choose the session from the login screen before entering your password. Look for a session menu, gear icon, or similar button—Linux Mint’s LightDM login screen supports this. The selected session will be used for that login, and you can switch again next time.
KDE Plasma can generally be installed through Mint’s package manager, for example with `sudo apt install kde-plasma-desktop` or the more complete `kde-full` package. However, the Plasma version available in Mint’s repositories may be older than the current upstream release, so check the package details before installing.
Hyprland is more complicated on Linux Mint. It may not be officially supported by the distribution, and getting it working can require installing or building several components manually. Before trying third-party installation scripts, verify that they support your Mint and Ubuntu base versions, read the script carefully, and make a backup or test it in a virtual machine. Also expect possible conflicts between desktop settings, themes, portals, and login sessions.
That’s the basic process: install the software, select its session from the login screen, and then sign in. Make sure you’re changing the session at boot, not the screen that appears when unlocking the computer.