Then it happened.
After Fedora primarily relied on GNOME as its desktop interface for a long time, KDE Plasma has now also become an official edition. Previously, it was merely a “spin”—one could call it a kind of promotion.
For someone who fundamentally appreciates GNOME, this isn’t surprising. The GNOME creators are developing a modern interface that focuses primarily on desktop use—similar to GNOME 2 with its stronger desktop focus. However, they continue to consistently refuse (out of stubbornness or other reasons) to implement basic desktop functions and features.
Minimize and maximize buttons? No. A permanently displayed Dash (quick launch bar) at the bottom, left, or right? Also no. Background programs? Only half-heartedly—at least something.
So you’re still dependent on extensions—something that beginners rarely implement themselves, and something that distributions like Ubuntu regularly have to do for themselves. Even the Steam Deck, which would have been perfectly suited for GNOME, relies on KDE Plasma instead. Despite its good design and clean technical implementation, GNOME is in a way to blame for alienating large parts of its original target audience.
KDE, on the other hand, has undergone a real evolution with Plasma.
It has remained true to its philosophy and its users and today offers a modern, reliable, and flexible desktop system that is impressive.
How impressive? We’ll see.
Another reason to take a closer look at Fedora KDE Plasma is “EU OS” – a newly launched project by the European Union. The goal is to develop a free Linux system that can be used in all EU government agencies (and perhaps even beyond). It is intended to reduce dependence on US software companies while simultaneously increasing data security. The basis: Fedora KDE Plasma.
This could also be of interest to other users, as the project relies heavily on standardization. The goal is a common foundation for all governments: secure, up-to-date, low-maintenance, and without licensing costs. Previous Linux projects in government agencies have often failed – partly because the offerings were too confusing. Standards are intended to remedy this.
Under the motto “Public Money, Public Code,” the rest of the Linux world could also benefit. Thus, if time or money is invested in certain projects and standards, many other distributions could benefit in the long run.
Even though Fedora is traditionally considered a US project, the choice of this foundation was probably no coincidence. Perhaps the core of the system can even be independently maintained or replaced if necessary. Time will tell.
For this article, Fedora 41 with KDE Plasma was installed and then updated to Fedora 42 Beta. This version has gradually received updates that correspond to the final release. Any improvements or changes will be added on an ongoing basis.
Due to the relevance of the EU OS project as well as the official equality of KDE Plasma with GNOME within Fedora, this test is somewhat more detailed and thematically focused.
Installation
As always, the installation is more for experienced users – but if you have some prior knowledge, you will usually get there quickly. Fedora offers a solid installation tool, but as with most Linux distributions, a little technical knowledge does not hurt.
As usual, encryption is recommended for mobile devices – Fedora also offers this option. Unfortunately, however, it remains with the well-known implementation: an additional password entry directly at startup. Functional, but not particularly elegant.
When will “systemd-homed” finally be used across the board?
The idea: Only the personal home folder is encrypted – and simply with the normal user password. No double entry, no complicated setup. Above all: without a terminal, integrated directly into the graphical user interface. This would not only be a step forward for private users, but also essential for projects such as EU OS, where security and data protection at the highest level are required – but also user-friendly, please.
Start
After an already quite stylish login screen, you land directly on the desktop – and a lot feels familiar here. Anyone familiar with Windows 10 will find their way around straight away: In many ways, KDE Plasma is reminiscent of an alternative version of Windows, with a classic taskbar, start menu and window management.
At least on the surface, the system looks very familiar – a big plus point for new users.
The welcome app opens immediately after starting. You should definitely activate the “Third party repositories” option there – if you want to use Google Chrome, proprietary drivers or additional codecs, you can hardly avoid it.
Design
Design is always a personal matter – or simply a question of habit.
To be honest, KDE Plasma has been following a very classic path for many years. Around 28 years ago, the basic principles were already similar: a taskbar, a start menu, windows with title bars – all very clearly based on Windows 95. And even today, Windows still seems to serve as a model, at least until version 10. It was only with Windows 11 that Microsoft moved a little further away from traditional Windows.
KDE Plasma therefore almost looks like a modern continuation of the classic Windows desktop – which is sure to please many users. Personally, I find the design “okay”: it looks solid and functional, but not particularly innovative or modern. But this impression is deceptive. Because under the surface, you quickly realize that people are actively developing, thinking and trying things out here. It’s not just about what you already know or what you absolutely need – but also about what could be exciting in the future. And that distinguishes Plasma from a purely retro approach.
That may be a bit of an exaggeration, because it’s a very classic approach, but further development is also possible within this framework.
If you look at the bigger picture, it is striking: Compared to GNOME, Windows 11, macOS or even minimalist systems such as Linux Mint or elementary OS, Plasma appears less pared down. The trend towards minimalism has only arrived here discreetly so far.
However, many things are quite good: The start menu, login screen and basic design language are quite consistent, clear and pleasantly familiar. The start menu is strongly based on Windows, but also goes its own way – with a clear structure and sensible layout.
What I personally like less is the general design of apps and programs. Many applications appear somewhat overloaded or complex. This is partly due to the professional orientation, but mainly because of the extreme customization options. And yes, you can change almost everything – but very few normal users actually use this, it has to be said.
In short:
The design fits what KDE Plasma wants to be – classic, customizable, stable. No design revolution, no experiments, but a constant further development on a familiar foundation. And that is exactly what should appeal to many users.
Apps
As is often the case in the Linux world, KDE Plasma on Fedora comes with a lot pre-installed. Mail, calendar, contacts, video player – basically everything you need for everyday life. Sounds good – but the implementation has its pitfalls.
Among other things: Almost everything has specific names, often creative but not very self-explanatory.
“Kontact” for contacts, “KOrganizer” for the calendar, “Dragon Player” for videos. The file explorer is called “Dolphin,” the music player “Elisa,” the screen reader “Orca” – and then there are KCalc, KMail, and many other tools that either begin with “K” or are initially confusing with their unusual names.
I never liked that – and I still don’t find it helpful for those switching to Linux. Beginners or Windows users in particular have a hard time finding their way around right away because the terms don’t suggest a clear function. This makes getting started unnecessarily difficult – and often leads to people preferring to install well-known alternatives like Thunderbird, VLC, or Firefox. First impressions count – and this is where KDE loses a few points.
Even among the pre-installed applications, some seem immature:
KMail, for example, is a powerful but complex email program that’s rather daunting to use. Thunderbird is definitely the more pleasant choice for most people. And, by the way, I still don’t know how to pronounce KCalc correctly.
In general, many things don’t seem as seamlessly integrated into the system as they are with GNOME. The KDE apps feel more like individual components than parts of a well-thought-out whole. To be fair, Windows isn’t much better in this regard.
A good example is KOrganizer, the calendar app:
When you open it for the first time, you see… nothing. No hours, no appointments, no overview. You first have to activate the calendar in the bottom left to display anything at all. After that, you can create appointments – but until then, you have to dig through the options. Does anyone use it and notice? Probably not. The interface seems illogical and unintuitive at times. You switch between the calendar, scheduler, and journal without it being clear how these areas are connected. Added to that is a button bar that almost overwhelms you because there’s no clear hierarchy or dynamic reduction by function.
And yet: You sense the potential here.
The features are there, the idea is good, and a lot of it is definitely usable. But the UX and UI… unfortunately, sometimes they just hurt.
The Dolphin file explorer is fundamentally solid. Clear, fast, and easy to use – actually a great tool. What surprises me, though, is why the typical folders like “Pictures,” “Documents,” and “Downloads” aren’t found in the sidebar by default? After all, we use those all the time. Instead, you have to add them yourself – an unnecessary extra step for me. I don’t want to have to click through my personal folder every time.
Dolphin also integrates with Plasma’s notification system. If you copy files, for example, a small overlay appears in the bottom right – above all windows. It works, but it takes some getting used to. In my world, this doesn’t belong in the notification area, but somewhere closer to the actual action. A matter of taste – but it somehow feels “out of place.” Windows, with its own small window, isn’t exactly a master in this regard either.
Then there’s Discover, essentially the app store of Fedora/KDE. Functional – yes. Visually? So-so. It feels like a cross between a package manager and a software hub. If you like lists, you’ll love Discover. Everyone else might wish for a bit more clarity and design. Compared to GNOME Software, the Windows Store, or the macOS App Store, Discover just doesn’t seem particularly inviting.
System Preferences? Just another list. A long list with many sublists.
Yes, you can really configure everything here – from themes to touchpad gestures to system services. The problem is more that you get overwhelmed.
It feels like a huge list that’s searchable, but still easy to get lost in. The structure isn’t always intuitive. Why not have an approach somewhere between “Advanced” and a kind of “Basic” view for newbies with only the essentials? And unimportant things categorized into subcategories.
Because the fact is: You can break a lot here – or at least ruin things visually. And that puts many people off, especially those who just want to “use their system.” Other desktops do this much better. And I often don’t feel like searching for individual things these days. Luckily, you don’t need that often here, and luckily there’s a search function.
Overall, many KDE apps and tools seem okay, but often with a certain aftertaste: “By nerds for nerds.” Or “historically evolved.”
The user interfaces are rarely truly friendly, and the UX and UI are repeatedly a stumbling block. Not because the basic concept is bad — but because they look or are implemented unnecessarily complicated.
Many programs seem off-putting to newbies; even experienced users often have to look twice to understand the logic. And yes—you suddenly long for GNOME. Sorry, KDE.
Work
It works.
As always, Chrome, Nextcloud, Thunderbird, and Steam were installed after installation. LibreOffice was already preinstalled – and even a fairly recent version. A good start.
What’s really impressive is the window management: Simply drag windows to the edge, and they “snap” into place – just like in Windows. Enlarging, halving, docking – it works intuitively and smoothly. macOS still hasn’t fully grasped this principle, but KDE has mastered it almost perfectly.
Otherwise, the system runs quite nimbly, seems stable, and versatile. Background programs are located, as usual, in the bottom right of the panel, visible and accessible – as you know and expect.
What I don’t like is the way file copies are handled: If you abort a copy process, the partially copied file simply remains – taking up unnecessary storage space. Huh?
The display of copying something is again handled via the system notifications, which I’ve already criticized – and I’m still not sure if that makes sense. It works – but somehow doesn’t feel logical integrated.
The taskbar, on the other hand, is nice: a modern mix of Windows 7, 10, and a bit of XP. Everything is where you’d expect it to be, the start menu works well, and you can find and launch programs quickly.
At least there’s a file search, but it only works in standard folders like “Documents,” “Music,” etc. My Nextcloud is ignored – you have to do that manually: In the system settings under “File Search,” you can add custom paths. It’s okay, but you have to know that.
The “Plasma Search” offers many additional modules and options – which is great in theory, but hardly explained in practice. Apart from the ability to enter simple calculations directly, I didn’t find much useful. Even the little “i” symbol next to the modules doesn’t provide any examples or help. If you really want to use it, you’ll have to read up on it.
And then… the calendar in the taskbar.
For someone used to GNOME, it seems almost ridiculous. Click – huge monthly view. Click through, search for the date – done. No system integration, no appointments, no connection to KOrganizer. We’ve already mentioned that… and it’s not entirely convincing either. For a system with professional standards and a focus on office work, there’s too little organization within the system itself. Everything runs through additional apps instead of being meaningfully integrated into Plasma.
The Nextcloud client was active immediately after installation – without any additional intervention. It ran in the background, ready to synchronize. Very good, exactly what you want in a modern system.
Less pleasing: DaVinci Resolve won’t start. Does it take some black magic to finally get this working? (And yes, Blackmagic…)
Seriously: Is it really that difficult to build a functioning Flatpak for this? The community has been asking this question for years.
Another small stumbling block: Inappropriate icons in the taskbar when installing new programs. For example, generic Wayland or Xorg icons initially appear instead of the actual program logo. The icons only appear correctly after a restart – sometimes even immediately. Inconsistent and confusing for beginners.
The “newer” overview of open windows and desktops also takes some getting used to. This is a standard feature in GNOME, so it’s well and intuitively integrated.
In KDE, this is achieved with a four-finger swipe on the touchpad, or by moving the mouse to the top left corner. In short, the overview is there, but you’re not always sure why. It seems a bit far-fetched for such a traditional system – or maybe you want to implement something that works in other systems. But does it fit with the rest of the system?
You also have to figure out the keyboard shortcut Super (Windows key) + W first. So, again, it’s just okay to integrate it. It just seems a bit unsuitable for the system.
Personally, I find the default energy saving settings a bit excessive: 5 minutes and the monitor goes dark, which can easily interrupt your thoughts, or if you’re reading something and doing something else. You just annoy people again, and they then set it to an hour or whatever. So does it make sense to limit it so drastically?
My personal highlight among the power-saving options: What happens when you press the power button? You can configure this separately for AC power, battery power, and low battery. Sounds good, but it’s confusing at first.
You’d actually expect the system to respond uniformly, but KDE thinks modularly. On the one hand, it’s irritating, but on the other hand, it’s another good example of extreme configurability. Not necessary for everyone. It shuts down on battery power; when the battery is low, it goes to the “logout screen.” But: On the other hand, it’s otherwise quite nice that you can adjust various settings and adapt them to your own needs. Even if it’s not really necessary. Power users, after all.
Multimedia
The behavior with videos was a bit odd: Although small previews were displayed in the file explorer, not every video could be played with the included player. Why? No idea. The sound was there, but the picture remained black.
As is often the case in such cases, you simply reach for the tried-and-true VLC Player – and lo and behold: everything works smoothly. VLC simply plays (almost) everything, even over the network.
The latter is a particular weakness of the included Dragon Player: If you try to use the timeline while streaming over the network, the player freezes for about 30 seconds before anything happens. With VLC? One click, one second, and it continues.
The timeline at the top of the window also seems impractical – you usually look from top to bottom on monitors, and so it unnecessarily takes up more “important” screen space. The main thing is that different isn’t always better.
The Elisa music player also has its quirks:
Playing from the network? No. At least playing from the local hard drive works. If the songs are in the Music folder, Elisa recognizes them automatically – a simple, useful music manager.
If you search for a song via the Start menu and click on it, the player opens – but nothing happens. Very helpful.
Elisa also had problems with larger music collections on the SSD: First, the app crashes, then eventually comes back. Large amounts of data don’t seem to be its strong suit. At least: the songs playing are displayed on the lock screen – a small detail that stands out positively.
Images? Not a big problem.
The image viewer “Gwenview” can even perform simple editing – ideal for normal use. And: It works well. GNOME is currently still catching up here, but KDE is ahead in this area.
As already mentioned: DaVinci Resolve refuses to start this time either.
Other video editors that can be installed via Discover work without any problems – but they’re not the software that many professionals would actually rely on.
Overall, though, it’s questionable whether this is good enough for a system aimed at “multimedia enthusiasts” and “content creators.” Just because you can install such programs? That’s a big question mark.
Laptop
Especially on a laptop, it’s important that the basic functions and special keys work as expected. Of course, this can’t be applied across the board to all models – but on my newer Lenovo Yoga, most things work without problems: keyboard backlight, display brightness, calculator, volume, mute, and the screenshot key.
The battery indicator is reliable, and you can change power modes directly in the quick settings – practical and well-thought-out.
Scaling is also important, especially with high-resolution displays on small devices. Here, the default setting was 125% – that worked well and shows that modern requirements have been considered.
In practice, the device only loses 1-2% of battery power overnight – that’s perfectly fine.
The on-screen keyboard in tablet mode, however, was less satisfactory. If you fold the Yoga over, Plasma recognizes this correctly: the taskbar switches to tablet mode, and buttons become larger and more finger-friendly. So far, so good.
But when typing – for example, in the Chrome address bar – no on-screen keyboard opens. The keyboard only actually appears when you open the Start menu or other apps and use the search function, etc. However, in Chrome (more precisely, in Flatpak), the system is unresponsive, which significantly limits its use in couch tablet mode.
At least here, the error probably lies with Chrome’s Flatpak; other applications may behave differently – but I haven’t tested this extensively. However, the virtual keyboard occasionally appeared on the login screen even though the keyboard was enabled. Another bug, but it was also present in the pre-release.
The touchpad also works well in general, but once again, a classic feature is missing: Two-finger zoom in the browser.
This only works on the touchscreen, not the touchpad – a shame.
Desktop
Fedora with KDE Plasma is very well suited for classic desktop use. The system is strongly oriented towards Windows – accordingly, there are few hurdles, especially for new users or people who simply want to “work” without having to spend hours familiarizing themselves first.
I would even go so far as to say that KDE Plasma feels right at home on larger monitors and classic workstations.
The sometimes old-fashioned layout makes more sense there – because you have more space, the structure is clear and the system feels like a familiar work tool. That’s exactly what it’s made for.
The situation is different on high-resolution displays, especially at 4K: the long mouse paths are noticeable here – for example, when you constantly have to go to the start menu at the bottom left. Sure, you can also use the keyboard – but the average user doesn’t usually do that. GNOME or macOS solve such things in a much more modern way, and Windows has also provided a remedy with the centered taskbar.
So I absolutely understand why many people like KDE Plasma as a replacement for Windows – as a desktop system it is strong.
What I still don’t understand, however, is the use of KDE Plasma on the Steam Deck. Why is that? The touchscreen operation in Plasma is nothing to really enjoy – quite the opposite.
And if you use a system on a device with a focus on touch and gamepad, the UI should also be designed for this. But it is not. So perhaps the idea that you can use a typical desktop outside the game-apps.
Multi-Monitor
Using multiple monitors also works surprisingly well under KDE Plasma. Using the quick settings – accessible with the familiar key combination Windows key + P (just like in Windows) – you can not only select the display modes, but also specify which monitor should be on the left and which on the right.
This saves time and reduces the otherwise often necessary fiddling in the system settings – particularly practical if the laptop is sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right of the main monitor. A very nice solution!
What is less nice:
Once you have opened the quick setting, it remains open if you don’t press any of the buttons in it.
So either click or ESC – otherwise the window remains stubbornly in the way. A small UX faux pas in an otherwise very well-designed feature.
Windows-Apps
If you want to run Windows programs under Fedora KDE, there is of course no getting around Wine. However: Wine alone is not enough if you simply want to start an .exe by double-clicking.
I also had to install the “Wine Windows Program Launcher” – then I was able to open my test EXE without any problems.
Of course, it would be nice if this worked directly out-of-the-box – but it doesn’t.
As always, I was still surprised at how well it works. Even hardware-related applications, which should actually fail under many conditions, started without any problems. Wine has simply come a long way in this respect.
And if things do get more complex or special setups are needed: Bottles is a great alternative – with better management and many presets. For most use cases, however, Wine is completely sufficient.
Games
As is so often the case: install Steam, start – and get started. Precisely because most gamers are at home here, this is usually my first test. And it works.
I mainly play older titles, and they all ran smoothly after I activated “Compatibility for all titles” in the Steam settings (keyword: Proton).
One small outlier was a game that started to flicker in “Exclusive Fullscreen Mode”.
What was the reason? Wayland? KDE? The game is a year or two old and Steam Deck compliant. No idea – but I was able to fix it with an alternate display mode (borderless mode).
Also, Ubisoft Connect installed itself as usual when starting Anno History Edition – and the game ran smoothly as well. A nice bonus when you see that even such services simply run in the background.
A nice detail on the side – but definitely worth mentioning: Fedora is known for always offering very up-to-date software – this is a core principle of the distribution. And so the Linux kernel 6.14 was already installed on my system – officially released on March 24, 2025.
What does this mean for gamers?
Kernel 6.14 includes a new driver called NTSYNC. This ensures better performance in emulated games – e.g. Windows games that run via Steam/Proton.
This ranges from a few more frames to clearly noticeable improvements (some speak of several hundred percent).
Conclusio
In short: The system is easy to use, even in everyday life – if not quite as easy to use as some other desktop environments.
And here’s the long version:
KDE Plasma in Fedora 42 is, at its core, a modern version of a classic concept – and it’s clearly inspired by Windows, especially Windows 10 and earlier. Whether KDE or Windows came up with which ideas first is something that can be debated endlessly – but the point is: Many users find their way around immediately. That’s a clear advantage.
What has also been carried over – and is even more prevalent – are the configuration options. You can actually use the system as it is, without much customization. But: Anyone who wants to delve even a little deeper will quickly be confronted with what feels like 5,000 options. And many apps and programs seem more like tools for advanced users – or at least for people who already know KDE.
Is that a bad thing? Not exactly.
But it does show why the system often feels more complicated than it needs to be:
The design, the user interface, the alignment, and precisely these extensive configuration options.
In an age where minimalism and clear user guidance dominate, and where customization is often limited to light/dark mode, accent colors, and wallpapers, KDE Plasma’s level of detail sometimes seems a bit “nerdy” or outdated. Or, to put it another way: For many, it simply looks familiar — and that’s part of its charm.
It’s not easy to place KDE Plasma in Fedora 42.
On the one hand, the system seems to be seamless in many areas, but on the other hand, it often feels like the user is being given all the freedom in the world – at the expense of design, clarity, and ease of use.
A good example: The file explorer lacks essential features like shortcuts to “Documents,” “Downloads,” and the like – you have to create those yourself. Something that has been standard for 20 years.
The picture remains mixed even with KDE’s own programs and apps. The names seem unnecessarily confusing, the features are often less powerful than alternatives, and in some cases even buggy – and you ask yourself: Why bother when there are better tools?
Yes, decent apps for standard functions are needed. They are offered, but for me, they stop at the email program. Thunderbird is much better. VLC at least works with all videos. KolourPaint is quite nice, but the drawing quality is again strangely poor. KOrganizer is complicated, Kontact is like a hybrid or a program launcher for calendars and emails, and even has a built-in newsreader… I don’t know. Is it a contacts app or what? Too much and too little at the same time.
The bottom line: KDE Plasma is a powerful, fast, stable, and generally suitable for everyday use – but the apps, the integration, and especially the UI/UX are the major weaknesses. A lot of things seem thrown together or like endless lists. Again, similar to the Windows model.
Who is the system intended for? While it looks familiar to those switching to Linux, it’s often complicated and overwhelming. For newbies, it’s all too much and complex anyway, unless you’ve already set up your own apps and programs. Then it works well and quickly. But beware if you have to go into the system settings. So, is it probably for long-time users of the system who are familiar with it and want to configure a lot, but only want slow or no changes at all? Or for those who want to replace Windows with Linux and want something as similar as possible? Yes, we’re more at home there.
In the end, I’m left with the strange feeling that KDE Plasma’s strengths lie primarily in GNOME’s weaknesses. GNOME doesn’t look like Windows, doesn’t operate like it, and lacks basic desktop features.
If the GNOME developers were to “humble” themselves to improve some areas, there would be little reason for me to rely on other systems. But GNOME acts as if the desktop is still just a “by-product,” whatever the main product is supposed to be. But I don’t know what’s so difficult about different device classes with different display modes: desktop, notebook, tablet, and mobile.
Therefore, Fedora KDE Plasma isn’t necessarily a better system than Fedora with GNOME, but it is more usable on the traditional desktop. Thus, GNOME squanders its otherwise great advantages through a few decisions: simplicity, consistent design, usability, useful apps, as well as beginner-friendliness and good, modern technical foundations. So, “victory by disqualification”?
And that’s exactly why I can understand why Fedora KDE Plasma is being discussed as the basis for the upcoming “EU OS”: Because it superficially looks like Windows 10, is ready for productive use, and requires less tweaking to be suitable for mass adoption. GNOME needs extensions and workarounds for that – KDE doesn’t.
Other candidates like Linux Mint with Cinnamon would also be suitable – but based on Ubuntu, which in turn is based on Debian. You could just use Debian – but that would often be too slow when it comes to releases. Ubuntu is too heavily influenced by Canonical.
Fedora is more up-to-date, more open, closer to the standard – and a bit bolder.
I quite like KDE Plasma in some areas, especially for traditional office work, older computers, or as a direct Windows 10 replacement.
But only if I set up my own apps and programs – which is fortunately quite possible thanks to Flatpak. And most of my work is online these days anyway.
The price: A less consistent system, especially compared to GNOME, macOS, or mobile platforms like Android or iOS.
You won’t find any real innovations here, either. If you like things simple and stripped down, this is the wrong place anyway.