How do I replace Plasma Desktop with KDE Precise Desktop?

[Guest]

Hello Everyone,

I am new here and I am unable to find help via google. I have installed Kubuntu 14.04 today. I personally find the default Plasma desktop confusing to me, and would prefer to have it replaced by the KDE Precise desktop.

Please advise how I can get this done.

To complicate things, the computer kubuntu is installed on does not have an internet connection. Is it possible to download all packages necessary to apply this change on another computer, then transfer them to the kubuntu computer to have them installed? Lack of internet connectivity on the kubuntu computer has left me unable to check it in more detail myself. If anyone cares to know, the reason for lack of internet is because I am currently not a home for 2 months. That computer (kubuntu) has a completely dysfunctional battery, and no public wifi spots in my current area, have a plug available, making it impossible to use the computer outside of my current apartment (which has no internet).

It would be great if I could have the Precise Desktop installed via downloaded packages, and transferred to target computer. If this is not possible, please advise on installing it the normal way, and I will just have it done in 2 months when I return home to my own internet connection and power supply.

As I do not have internet access where I currently live, I will need some time before checking back this post (15 hours+).

Looking forward to your replies.

[bweinel]

I am new here and I am unable to find help via google. I have installed Kubuntu 14.04 today. I personally find the default Plasma desktop confusing to me, and would prefer to have it replaced by the KDE Precise desktop.

Greetings,

Ok, I'm not sure I know exactly what you asked... so let me ask a question to clarify. Are you referring to reinstalling KDE 4.6 desktop used in Kubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin on Ubuntu 14.04?
If so.. read on...

The Kubuntu development team spends many hours testing and tailoring the current version of KDE desktop to the Kubuntu operating system to make sure that the software functions correctly when a user installs it. Since the developers don't have unlimited time or resources, they usually develop and test a limited number of combinations of desktop software and O/S software. This amounts to releasing the current desktop system configuration and a few 'backports' of the current desktop with the still supported operating systems. Consequently, often the latest version of KDE is backported to the still supported previous versions of Kubuntu. However this doesn't work the other way as the older versions of the KDE desktop are not ported or checked against the latest O/S version.

While you may very well be able to download and build the earlier desktop release on the current O/S, I would suspect there would be many interoperability problems due to library changes which would have to be solved in order to make it a viable system.

...if I missed the boat on your question, please explain in more detail and I'll take another whack at it.

cheers,
bill

[claydoh]

Yes, a little confusion here

12.04 is the version release of Kubuntu itself, with a code-name of Precise
Plasma Desktop is what KDE calls its desktop.
In Kubuntu 12.04, you have KDE Plasma Desktop 4.8.x

When you upgraded to Kubuntu 14.04 (Code-named Trusty), you upgraded to the latest KDE Plasma Desktop, version 4.13.x

Unfortunately, the only way to get back to KDE 4.8.x is to start over and reinstall 12.04 Precise from scratch using the install disk or flash drive.




as a side note to those who might nit pick on the KDE versioning and naming scheme(s) involving the SC, Plasma, etc, etc,......bite me!

[bweinel]

Thanks for the correction Claydoh. I'll get my numbers right one day..

[Guest]

Hello Again Everyone,

Thank you all for replying! To clarify everything my dekstop now looks like this http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/...-Tablets-2.jpg

AND I want it to be like this instead. http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/...-large_005.jpg

Claydoh seems to understand what I asked, but describes this as a difficult and possibly unwanted, alteration. Could anyone clarify?

If this really is difficult to do, then I will be better off installing the regular ubuntu with unity desktop, until I am back home with my own internet
to install something more suitable.

Please advise.

Once again, I will need some time before checking back this post due to internet connectivity problems.

[Snowhog]

System Settings > Workspace Behavior > Workspace > Workspace Type and select Desktop and click on Apply.

[claydoh]

To follow up on Snowhog's post above:
A picture is worth a million word

What happened is that for some reason, your system was detected as a netbook, so it set things up with what you see in your fist screenshot. This is simply a special sort of Desktop Activity and can easily be changed to a normal one following his instructions.

Very easy and nothing to download or install or anything like that.