14 DAY TRIAL // The following tutorial will teach Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet) users how to install the brand-new and awesomeness KDE Plasma 5.3 desktop environment on their existing and healthy operating systems.
KDE had the great pleasure of announcing the release of KDE Plasma 5.3 on April 28. Being one of the project's biggest updates in years, the KDE Plasma 5.3 desktop environment brings breathtaking features.
As expected, the Kubuntu developers were quick to offer pre-built packages for the release of KDE's Plasma 5.3 desktop environment in their Kubuntu Backports PPA, available for Kubuntu 15.04.
The fact of the matter is that Ubuntu 15.04 users can also use the respective Kubuntu Backports PPA repository to install the KDE Plasma 5.3 desktop suite on top of their existing Ubuntu installations.
Adding the Kubuntu Backports PPA repository
To add the Kubuntu Backports PPA repository, open the Unity Dash and search for Terminal. Open the Terminal app, and then copy and paste the following command in the console window:
We forgot to mention that Kubuntu 15.04 users can also use the current tutorial to update their KDE Plasma 5.2 desktop environments, which ships by default in the Vivid Vervet edition of Kubuntu Linux.
Installing KDE Plasma 5.3 in Ubuntu 15.04 or Kubuntu 15.04
After adding the Kubuntu Backports PPA, you need to refresh the software repositories and install existing updates. Considering the fact that you didn't close the Terminal app, copy and paste the following line of code. Don't forget to hit the Enter key after that!
Please note that you will be asked to configure the sddm login manager at some point during the installation. Click OK and choose the 'lightdm' entry to keep the default login manager of your Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet) distribution.
When the installation/update process is over, restart your computer. After reboot, at the login screen, click the small circle next to your username and select the 'Plasma' session. Enter your password and enjoy the brand-new KDE Plasma 5.3 desktop environment.
Uninstalling KDE Plasma 5.3 from Ubuntu 15.04
If for some reason you don't want to have the KDE Plasma 5.3 desktop environment installed on your Ubuntu 15.04 machine, you can uninstall it by running the following commands in a Terminal window, one by one, hitting Enter after each one.
sudo ppa-purge ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports
sudo apt-get purge kubuntu-desktop sddm
sudo apt-get autoremove
