I’m relatively new to the linux space, I was introduced by the steam deck which uses kde, and it’s pretty similar to windows in terms of how it works so that’s the DE i’d be leaning towards when I eventually switch. I’ve never used gnome so i’m not sure if it’d be worth using I guess?
So I’m just looking for some input from the community, do you use Gnome or Plasma, why do you use it, and what’s kind of like a pros and cons kinda thing between the two?
Both KDE and GNOME are good DEs (and there are many other great ones, and you don’t even need to use a DE; a mismash of applications with your compositor of choice works just aswell - but I digress), you can’t really go wrong with either.
For someone new to Linux, I would likely recommend GNOME, because it is more opinionated. While KDE is a lot more configurable, that also has a huge downside: configuration fatigue. GNOME is more restrictive, yes, but that has the advantage of not overwhelming you right out of the box.
If you like and wish to tinker, though, go with KDE. If you want to gently ease into Linux, go with GNOME first, and once you’re comfortable, you can still experiment with KDE. You can install both, and switch between them simply by logging out of one and into the other.
Doesn’t really matter for 90% of cases, best bet is to go for what feels good for you. Each distro is similar to each version of windows, they are a little different from one version to the next, but for the most part it just changes how you interact with it.
The nice thing is, you can pretty easily run both and switch around. Just get a distro with one, and then it’s usually just 1 or 2 commands to get the other as a choice on the login screen. KDE and Gnome apps are also largely compatible, regardless of desktop environment.
I’ve been using KDE mostly, it’s just nice being able to customize it so easily without too much technical knowledge of the environment or hoping someone already made an extension for it like on Gnome. Then again, some may like the simplicity of shopping around for extensions and calling it a day, or later even editing the extensions.
Recently, for my tiny laptop I switched to gnome, it’s also just pretty :)
gnome since 2.x, consistent, simple and customizable
very interested in cosmic
I don’t really like Gnome as I like to tinker with everything, so I use KDE. I also have a laptop with Cinnamon, which is also pretty good.
I prefer GNOME on my Microsoft Surface because I fine it much better than KDE for touchscreens. And GNOME’s dynamic workspaces are amazing to use for my screen.
I prefer KDE on my desktop and laptop. Highly customizable and works great. I wish it natively had dynamic workspaces though
I use and love both. KDE (Bazzite) on my desktop gaming PC, and Gnome (Bluefin) on my laptop for casual stuff, mostly YouTube.
KDE is a bit better for gaming since it has HDR and VRR and is the standard DE on the Steam Deck. I tried Gnome too just a few days ago, but it felt inferior in regards of gaming and content creation.
Gnome on the other hand has a place reserved on my laptop aswell as in my heart. Especially the ultra smooth and well thought out touch gestures and minimalist UI makes it perfect for laptop usage.
For me personally, I prefer Gnome over KDE. KDE is a bit more capable, but it overwhelms me sometimes. Gnome has a better concept and workflow for me. You either love or hate it, I do the first.
I use KDE Plasma on my desktop and GNOME on my laptop — though, by my experience, GNOME has been mildly annoying. I just find it too “restrictive” when compared with KDE. I’m also not super fond of how some apps seem to integrate rather poorly with GNOME. I do think that GNOME’s interface works well with a laptop, but the UX hasn’t been the best for me. I have few, if any, complaints regarding KDE.
I’m using Cinnamon, I find it better when using a customized Cinnamenu applet (instead of the default app launcher).
KDE Plasma. It makes sense to me and everything functions more or less how I prefer it to. If I need something, it’s usually easy enough to find. Plasma being flexible is a plus, but I rarely need to do any modifications.
I loathe GNOME. Any time I use it it’s like pulling teeth. On a touch surface I can maybe get it, but on desktop I honestly think it has some serious usability problems cooked in. And since GNOME extensions can break at any time, trying to “fix” GNOME is a losing battle. If I had to use GNOME, I’d install GNOME Classic which is ok. Or better yet, use XFCE or MATE. GNOME is highly opinionated and that’s fair enough, they can do their thing and people seem to like what they offer, but boy is it not for me.
GNOME on desktop is built for keyboard-centric workflows, it really shines when you don’t need to use the mouse. I’ll also say that the official extensions do not break, that’s why they’re official. Third party extensions can and do break and have weird wonky behavior, because they’re not up to the same standards.
It’s certainly not for everyone, but a big part of the reason some people have such negative views of it is because they install a bunch of third party extensions to change it into something it was never designed for, and then inevitably there are bugs or conflicts or updates break some of them. A vanilla GNOME environment with maybe a couple judiciously picked third party extensions is a very comfy experience.
XFCE
Plasma on the desktop with the 40" 4K screen with lotsa windows and desktops. Gnome on the laptop, each app full-screen and swipe left-right to switch between them.
Are you gaming on that screen, video editing, or something else? Just curious about the use case for the 40 incher. I feel like I’d be in a neck brace w/ all that real estate.
it’s way less neck strain than the usual dual 24" side-by-side. this is like having 4x 20" 1080p screens in a grid but without the annoying bezels, and that’s how I’m mostly using it. plus you have the option to expand a window in any direction when you need it, which you can’t do in a multi-monitor setup. I arrange the windows in a 2x2 grid, or go smaller, usually 3x2 with keyboard shortcuts, by way of Better Quick Tiles for Plasma 6 (Kwin extension). tried the auto-tilers, hated 'em.
when I’m done with work, jellyfin-media-player in Fullscreen TV mode with a $5 bluetooth remote from the couch for movies and shows.
gaming sure, I run the games in 1080p and the desktop in 4k, so older games allow me to turn on FSR. had problems with Gnome Shell crashing regularly, zero crashes since I switched to Plasma.
That is cool, thanks for describing your setup. I currently have a single 1440p monitor and love having more real estate than a single 1080p screen, but have often longed for a second screen, even a 1080p screen in portrait mode perhaps, idk.
So your computer desk is in your living room and you just move the chair out of the way when you want to watch TV from the couch?
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Dope. What game are we looking at in that photo?
Far Cry 5, running in 1080p on a 2160p desktop (alt-tabbing doesn’t switch resolutions, so jumping back and forth is seamless)
I like Plasma. It feels very modern and has an easy interface with lots of customization if wanted. It also supports Wayland and lots of HDR features. Overall it’s a cutting edge DE
I haven’t been following the HDR news on Wayland lately, does this work across all Wayland compositors or just Plasma?
I don’t know the details but my understanding is Plasma has a more developed HDR system than other DEs
I used KDE for about 10 years, but switched to GNOME when 3 came out and haven’t looked back. It’s a little unusual if you’re coming from Windows, but I’ve found that once I let go of old paradigms like a start bar and icons and embraced multiple workspaces, that GNOME is pretty damned amazing.
I use KDE as I can set it up just how I like it. I never got on with Gnome at all. The truth of it is that the only way to know if you prefer Gnome to KDE is to give it a good try out. Don’t forget Cinnamon, Xfce, and Mate also!
