Installing KDE Desktop - what's the best way?

[jodef]

I downloaded the Fedora Gnome livecd and did a successful install now I would like to install the KDE desktop.

I also have the Fedora KDE live cd can I install KDE from that or is there a meta package that I can d/l via yum that will d/l the necessary files.

Thanks.

[stefan1975]

i did an FTP install so i got the latest packages and the latest KDE4.2 environment without upgrading but you need the DVD to do an alternative install.

To install KDE from the gnome live cd you can either just install the gnome cd and then do a


$ su -c "yum groupinstall "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"


but then you have gnome+KDE installed on your system and you start GDM by default instead of KDM and might want to switch to afterwards.

Plus with the livecd you cannot install on EXT4 if that is something you might want. On the other hand using the KDE live cd will give you KDE4.1.3 which will `yum update` to KDE4.2 afterwards.

stefan

[JohnVV]

i like to use KDM to start gnome or kde
make this file ad the system will use kdm ( just rename it to desktop.off and gdm will be back)

su -
gedit /etc/sysconfig/desktop

and copy/paste this into it and save.

DESKTOP="GNOME"
DISPLAYMANAGER="KDE"

[stefan1975]

i like to use KDM to start gnome or kde
make this file ad the system will use kdm ( just rename it to desktop.off and gdm will be back)

su -
gedit /etc/sysconfig/desktop

and copy/paste this into it and save.

DESKTOP="GNOME"
DISPLAYMANAGER="KDE"


why not do it the easy way and just do a:


$ su -c "yum install system-switch-displaymanager"
$ su -c "system-switch-displaymanager kdm"


stefan

[jodef]

i did an FTP install so i got the latest packages and the latest KDE4.2 environment without upgrading but you need the DVD to do an alternative install.

To install KDE from the gnome live cd you can either just install the gnome cd and then do a


$ su -c "yum groupinstall "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"


but then you have gnome+KDE installed on your system and you start GDM by default instead of KDM and might want to switch to afterwards.

Plus with the livecd you cannot install on EXT4 if that is something you might want. On the other hand using the KDE live cd will give you KDE4.1.3 which will `yum update` to KDE4.2 afterwards.

stefan

I got a syntax error but finally realised needed a closing quote:

$ su -c 'yum groupinstall "KDE (K Desktop Environment)"'


Thanks for the assist what's even nicer about this method is the size of the updates are given unlike within the GUI. So I'll probably have to stay with the console for installing / updating software.

The info on KDM and GDM useful as well hadn't even thought about it. Thanks Stefan and John for the quick responses as well.:)