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KDE Plasma Installation Summary

Installation Status: ✅ COMPLETE

Date: 2026-01-09
Device: Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (8GB RAM)
Previous Desktop: LXDE with Openbox
New Desktop: KDE Plasma (X11)

What Was Installed

Core Packages

  • ✅ kde-plasma-desktop - KDE Plasma desktop environment
  • ✅ maliit-keyboard - On-screen keyboard for touchscreen
  • ✅ Additional KDE components and dependencies

Available Sessions

  • ✅ Plasma (X11) - /usr/share/xsessions/plasmax11.desktop
  • ✅ LXDE/Openbox - Still available for revert
  • ✅ RPD-X - Original Raspberry Pi desktop

Current System State

Session Manager Status

  • Current Default: /usr/bin/startx-rpd (LXDE - unchanged)
  • KDE Available: /usr/bin/startplasma-x11 (priority 40)
  • LXDE Available: /usr/bin/lxsession (priority 49)

Backup Created

  • ✅ Desktop configuration backed up to: ~/desktop-backup/
  • ✅ Session manager configuration saved

How to Use KDE Plasma

First Time Setup

  1. Log out of current session

    # Or simply reboot
sudo reboot

  2. At login screen:

    • Look for session/desktop selector (usually top-right corner)
    • Click and select "Plasma (X11)" or "plasmax11"
    • Enter credentials and log in

  3. First boot into KDE:

    • KDE will initialize (may take 30-60 seconds first time)
    • You may see a welcome screen - you can skip it
    • Desktop will appear with KDE panel

  4. Configure for Touchscreen:

    • System Settings > Input Devices > Virtual Keyboard
      • Enable "Show on-screen keyboard when needed"
    • System Settings > Display and Monitor
      • Set scale to 125% or 150% for better touch targets
    • System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects
      • Disable heavy effects for better performance

Chromium Autostart

Your existing Chromium autostart configuration will work with KDE:

  • ✅ File: ~/.config/autostart/chromium-kiosk.desktop
  • ✅ Script: ~/start-chromium.sh

Chromium will start automatically when KDE desktop loads.

Reverting to LXDE

Quick Method (Recommended)

  1. Log out
  2. At login screen, select "Openbox" or "RPD-X" session
  3. Log in

Using Revert Script

# Copy revert-to-lxde.sh to device
scp revert-to-lxde.sh pi@10.130.60.253:~/
ssh pi@10.130.60.253 "chmod +x ~/revert-to-lxde.sh && ~/revert-to-lxde.sh"

Manual Revert

sudo update-alternatives --config x-session-manager
# Select: /usr/bin/startx-rpd or /usr/bin/lxsession

Performance Expectations

RAM Usage

  • LXDE: ~200-300MB
  • KDE Plasma: ~400-800MB
  • Available: ~6.7GB (plenty of headroom)

CPU Usage

  • Idle: Low (< 5%)
  • Active: Moderate (10-30%)
  • Heavy tasks: May see some lag on Cortex-A72

Boot Time

  • LXDE: ~20-30 seconds
  • KDE Plasma: ~30-45 seconds (first boot may be longer)

Troubleshooting

KDE Won't Start

# Check if installed
dpkg -l | grep kde-plasma

# Check available sessions
ls /usr/share/xsessions/

# Try manual start (if logged in via SSH)
DISPLAY=:0 startplasma-x11

Performance Issues

  • Disable desktop effects: System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects
  • Reduce animations: System Settings > Workspace Behavior > General Behavior
  • Use X11 (already configured) instead of Wayland

Touchscreen Issues

# Check touchscreen device
xinput list

# Calibrate if needed
sudo apt-get install xinput-calibrator
xinput_calibrator

Chromium Not Starting

  • Check autostart file: cat ~/.config/autostart/chromium-kiosk.desktop
  • Check script: cat ~/start-chromium.sh
  • Manual test: DISPLAY=:0 ~/start-chromium.sh

Files and Locations

Configuration Files

  • KDE config: ~/.config/plasma*
  • KDE panel: ~/.config/plasma-org.kde.plasma.desktop-appletsrc
  • Window manager: ~/.config/kwinrc
  • Session: /usr/share/xsessions/plasmax11.desktop

Backup Location

  • ~/desktop-backup/ - Original LXDE configuration

Documentation

  • KDE-INSTALLATION-GUIDE.md - Full installation and revert guide
  • revert-to-lxde.sh - Automated revert script
  • TOUCHSCREEN-DESKTOP-OPTIONS.md - Desktop environment comparison

Next Steps

  1. ✅ Reboot the device

    ssh pi@10.130.60.253 "sudo reboot"

  2. ✅ Select KDE at login

    • Choose "Plasma (X11)" from session selector

  3. ✅ Configure touchscreen settings

    • Enable on-screen keyboard
    • Adjust UI scaling
    • Disable heavy effects

  4. ✅ Test Chromium autostart

    • Verify Chromium starts in fullscreen
    • Check if it properly fills the screen

Support

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check logs: journalctl -xe
  2. Check X session: ~/.xsession-errors
  3. Verify packages: dpkg -l | grep kde
  4. Review documentation: KDE-INSTALLATION-GUIDE.md

Notes

  • KDE Plasma is installed but not set as default - you choose at login
  • LXDE is still available and can be selected at any time
  • All original configurations are backed up
  • Chromium autostart will work with both desktops
  • Performance should be acceptable on Pi 4 with 8GB RAM