From the Gnome Desktop

Note: This only works with an internet connection, as packages must be downloaded from the internet. If you're viewing this page, you probably already have a connection. Of course, the greater the speed, the faster the packages will download.

Installation

To do this we are going to install the kubuntu-desktop meta package. A meta package is simply a "dummy" package which depends on a bunch of others. It makes it easy to install a group of packages all at once.

1. Navigate to System > Administration > Synaptic Package Manager

2. Enter your password

3. Click on the Search icon. And enter kubuntu-desktop

4. Select the "kubuntu-desktop" package. It will ask you if you want to install a bunch of packages, click Ok.

5. Then, take a deep breath, and click on Apply It will ask you if you are sure and then start installing.

6. When it is done (it will take a while, there are a lot of packages to download) it will tell you. To use Kubuntu after installation you have to change your session.

Changing sessions

Logout.

Click the link Options in the bottom left corner of the login screen.

1. Select Session from the menu. A window pops up with radio buttons.
2. Select the KDE desktop option for your session. Hit OK.
3. It may ask you if you want to set KDE as your default session, that is your choice. You may want to audit this environment before changing it to default, but as is stated, the choice is yours.

Now login as usual, and KDE should start.

To Remove Kubuntu-Desktop

If you have found that the Kubuntu environment is not for you, you may want to remove it.

To begin with, if your original installation was Kubuntu, or if you removed Ubuntu when you switched, you will want to install the ubuntu-desktop and gdm packages first!

Once you have installed KDE using the kubuntu-desktop meta package, you unfortunately cannot just remove that and be done with it. The meta package installed all of the other packages that make up the Kubuntu Desktop and they are not removed when you remove the meta package. Still, it can be done. The easiest way is via the command line. To access the command line Navigate to Applications > Accessories > Terminal

Copy and paste this command to remove all the packages kubuntu-desktop installed (yes there are a lot):

sudo apt-get remove adept adept-batch adept-common adept-installer adept-manager adept-notifier adept-updater akregator amarok amarok-xine apport-qt ark arts bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common debtags digikam enscript fftw3 gtk-qt-engine gwenview hwdb-client-kde k3b kaddressbook kaffeine kaffeine-xine kamera karm katapult kate kbstate kcontrol kcron kde-guidance kde-guidance-powermanager kde-icons-mono kde-style-polyester kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-kio-plugins kdebluetooth kdegraphics-kfile-plugins kdelibs-data kdelibs4c2a kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-kio-plugins kdepim-kresources kdepim-wizards kdeprint kdesktop kdm kdnssd keep kexi kfind kghostview khelpcenter kicker kio-apt kio-locate kipi-plugins klipper kmag kmail kmailcvt kmenuedit kmilo kmix kmousetool kmplayer-base kmplayer-konq-plugins knetworkconf knetworkmanager knotes koffice-data koffice-libs konq-plugins konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole kontact konversation kooka kopete korganizer kpdf kpf kppp krdc krfb kscreensaver ksmserver ksnapshot ksplash ksplash-engine-moodin ksvg ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktorrent kubuntu-artwork-usplash kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kwalletmanager kwin kwin-style-crystal language-selector-qt libakode2 libarts1-akode libarts1c2a libavahi-compat-libdnssd1 libavahi-qt3-1 libdbus-qt-1-1c2 libexiv2-0.12 libflac++5c2 libgmp3c2 libgpgme11 libgsl0 libifp4 libimlib2 libjasper-runtime libk3b2 libkcal2b libkcddb1 libkdepim1a libkexiv2-0 libkipi0 libkleopatra1 libkmime2 libkonq4 libkpimexchange1 libkpimidentities1 libkscan1 libksieve0 libktnef1 liblockdev1 libmeanwhile1 libmimelib1c2a libmodplug0c2 libmtp5 libmysqlclient15off libnjb5 libofa0 libopenexr2c2a libopenobex1 libpcre3 libpoppler1-qt libpq5 libpythonize0 libqt-perl libqt4-core libqt4-gui libqt4-qt3support libqt4-sql librsync1 libruby1.8 libsamplerate0 libskim0 libsmokeqt1 libsqlite0 libtdb1 libtunepimp5 libxine1 mysql-common networkstatus openoffice.org-kde openoffice.org-style-crystal perl-suid pmount poster psutils pykdeextensions python-kde3 python-qt3 python-qt4 python-sip4 qca-tls qobex rdiff-backup ruby ruby1.8 scim-qtimm skim software-properties-kde speedcrunch

If you want to completely remove the packages and any configuration files they created, simply add the "--purge" option to the command, so the input will be as follows:

sudo apt-get remove --purge adept adept-batch adept-common adept-installer adept-manager adept-notifier adept-updater akregator amarok amarok-xine apport-qt ark arts bogofilter bogofilter-bdb bogofilter-common debtags digikam enscript fftw3 gtk-qt-engine gwenview hwdb-client-kde k3b kaddressbook kaffeine kaffeine-xine kamera karm katapult kate kbstate kcontrol kcron kde-guidance kde-guidance-powermanager kde-icons-mono kde-style-polyester kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdebase-bin kdebase-data kdebase-kio-plugins kdebluetooth kdegraphics-kfile-plugins kdelibs-data kdelibs4c2a kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdemultimedia-kio-plugins kdenetwork-filesharing kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepasswd kdepim-kio-plugins kdepim-kresources kdepim-wizards kdeprint kdesktop kdm kdnssd keep kexi kfind kghostview khelpcenter kicker kio-apt kio-locate kipi-plugins klipper kmag kmail kmailcvt kmenuedit kmilo kmix kmousetool kmplayer-base kmplayer-konq-plugins knetworkconf knetworkmanager knotes koffice-data koffice-libs konq-plugins konqueror konqueror-nsplugins konsole kontact konversation kooka kopete korganizer kpdf kpf kppp krdc krfb kscreensaver ksmserver ksnapshot ksplash ksplash-engine-moodin ksvg ksysguard ksysguardd ksystemlog ktorrent kubuntu-artwork-usplash kubuntu-default-settings kubuntu-desktop kubuntu-docs kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts kwalletmanager kwin kwin-style-crystal language-selector-qt libakode2 libarts1-akode libarts1c2a libavahi-compat-libdnssd1 libavahi-qt3-1 libdbus-qt-1-1c2 libexiv2-0.12 libflac++5c2 libgmp3c2 libgpgme11 libgsl0 libifp4 libimlib2 libjasper-runtime libk3b2 libkcal2b libkcddb1 libkdepim1a libkexiv2-0 libkipi0 libkleopatra1 libkmime2 libkonq4 libkpimexchange1 libkpimidentities1 libkscan1 libksieve0 libktnef1 liblockdev1 libmeanwhile1 libmimelib1c2a libmodplug0c2 libmtp5 libmysqlclient15off libnjb5 libofa0 libopenexr2c2a libopenobex1 libpcre3 libpoppler1-qt libpq5 libpythonize0 libqt-perl libqt4-core libqt4-gui libqt4-qt3support libqt4-sql librsync1 libruby1.8 libsamplerate0 libskim0 libsmokeqt1 libsqlite0 libtdb1 libtunepimp5 libxine1 mysql-common networkstatus openoffice.org-kde openoffice.org-style-crystal perl-suid pmount poster psutils pykdeextensions python-kde3 python-qt3 python-qt4 python-sip4 qca-tls qobex rdiff-backup ruby ruby1.8 scim-qtimm skim software-properties-kde speedcrunch

After restarting your session as GNOME in place of KDE, you are back to a clean Ubuntu (Gnome) desktop with no KDE programs.

To Remove Ubuntu Desktop

As with Kubuntu Desktop, Ubuntu desktop cannot be deleted by simply removing the meta package. Innstead, you will need to follow the instructions on this page. I will not bother rewriting the instructions here as the author of this other page did a wonderful job.

Notes

Note this can also be done to switch between any environments (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc.) by following the same instructions, but substituting the name of the desktop in the meta package.

Comments on this Page

• emm --> shouldn't the user use 'aptitude remove' and 'aptitude purge' instead of using the lower-level apt-get command?

  • It shouldn't make a difference in this case. Plus, it keeps consistency with other how-tos that use apt-get. greg-g
• Could someone who knows his stuff add instructions on how to fully remove gnome? I once did this, and it took more than 2 hours. fhd
• I'm trying to switch from Kubuntu to Ubuntu, immediately after ubgrading to Koala, and the command does not work as given. Several packages abort the command with, e.g., "E: Couldn't find package kdeadmin-kfile-plugins" (as opposed to "Package kde-icons-mono is not installed, so not removed". Also, perhaps you should also have instructions for going to/from Xubuntu? This is my kludged list of the Kubuntu packages which abort the command:

adept-batch amarok-xine arts hwdb-client-kde katapult kbstate kde-guidance kde-systemsettings kdeadmin-kfile-plugins kdegraphics-kfile-plugin
kdemultimedia-kfile-plugins kdenetwork-kfile-plugins kdepim-kio-plugins kdnssd kio-apt kmilo kmplayer-konq-plugins knetworkconf knetworkmanager kooka kpf
ksplash ksplash-engine-moodin libakode2 libarts1-akode libarts1c2a libexiv2-0.12 libflac++5c2 libkcal2b libkcddb1 libkdepim1a libkexiv2-0 libkleopatra1
libkmime2 libkonq4 libkpimexchange1 libkpimidentities1 libkscan1 libksieve0 libktnef1 libmtp5 libopenexr2c2a libpoppler1-qt libpythonize0 networkstatus
pykdeextensions python-kde3 qobex 

Obviously, I have no idea if there are other packages which should be removed, but are not listed in your command.

And another addition: the command given also removed a variety of non-KDE programs, notably (s)mplayer and firefox!