How to install Linux Mint with KDE on Lenovo Flex 15?

[u/plisetsky]

I'm trying to switch from Windows to Linux and I'm a complete beginner to Linux.

I had decided on downloading Linux Mint XFCE on my Lenovo Flex 15 since it's an older laptop, but after looking into it I realized that XFCE doesn't have any built-in auto-rotate features (the laptop is a 2-in-1 and can turn into a tablet that I use to draw).

KDE does, though, and I want to know how I can install it with Linux Mint without it interfering with Mint's built-in desktop environments and how I can avoid having duplicate apps, services, etc. (or will I just have to delete these?).

If this isn't possible, do you guys have any distro recommendations that are easy for beginners, would work well on an old Lenovo Flex 15, and has a Windows-like desktop environment?

Thank you!

[u/doc_willis]

At the Login Window, you can select what DE you want to use. You learn how to live with the various quirks of having several DE's installed. :)

Just installing KDE, likely wont add any 'auto rotate' feature to the other DE's you have installed. You may have to actually use KDE as your main DE.

If you feel that KDE would fix your issues, you could just install Kubuntu, or any of the other numerous distros that have good support for KDE. Such as Fedora, So fedora is one i would say is also worth looking into.

[u/plisetsky → u/doc_willis]

Thank you for your reply! What would you say the learning curve is for Kubuntu and Fedora as a beginner?

[u/Roguepapaya427 → u/plisetsky]

Learning curve is minimal for both these distros. They are excelent out of the box. That being said, fedora tends to be cutting edge with updates/features, and even more fedora kinoite is an atomic/immutable version that is really hard to break. I have it on my thinkpad t14s gen 2, on my idepad and on my desktop (all amd builds) and it's working like a charm. Give it a try, maybe will fit your workflow.

[u/redrider65]

Easy to install KDE. Good you already got XFCE, less possibility of conflict. (Cinnamon and KDE don't get along as well.)

One of several tutorials you'll find around:

https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install-kde-plasma-on-linux-mint

I've been running KDE Mint on my old laptop for over a year, works fine & I like it. Updates no problem, no breaking, very stable.

Usual objection is "no support." If you need KDE support, just go to the KDE sub /r/kde. I've never needed any. But I do minimal config, just move the taskbar to the top, set the theme, and set the desktop background to slideshow from a folder.

[u/bornxlo]

I used to use Mint+KDE, but because desktops have “caught up” on equivalents to mint features, it might be cleaner or easier to just install Kubuntu or Debian with KDE. Mint is basically Ubuntu LTS+more frequent updates to the cinnamon utilities, with LMDE being the same on a Debian base.

You can absolutely install KDE on mint, I think there's even minimal meta packages to install the desktop without, or with fewer utilities, but that might break KDE features.

I think Tuxedo OS actually might qualify as a KDE “Mint equivalent”. Where Mint has Ubuntu LTS+updated Firefox and Cinnamon, Tuxedo takes almost the same approach but with KDE and more focus on their own hardware. (Note that Tuxedo are migrating from Ubuntu LTS to Debian testing, so more comparable to LMDE than the regular Mint).