How to speed up the KDE Plasma 5 Desktop
KDE Plasma 5 is a beautiful desktop environment. It has a lot of graphical effects that make it stand out, and for this reason, many users agree that it is one of the best-looking desktops on all of Linux. However, that beauty takes a considerable toll on system resources, and as a result, many users aren’t able to enjoy the desktop to its potential.
If you’re frustrated with how KDE runs on your Linux PC, we can help! Follow along as we show you how to speed up the KDE Plasma 5 desktop!
Update KDE Plasma 5
With each release, KDE Plasma 5 gets performance improvements. So, if you’ve run into issues with the KDE desktop environment running poorly, the first thing you should do is check for updates. It’s very likely that your Linux operating system has a fresh new release of KDE ready for you with fixes, performance improvements, and more!
Not sure how to update your operating system on KDE Plasma? Here’s how!
Step 1: Press the windows key on your keyboard and type “Discover” in the search box. Then, launch the app with the blue shopping-bag icon.
Step 2: In the Discover application, look to the bottom-left of the window for “Updates” and click on it to get to the system upgrade area for KDE.
Step 3: Upgrade your KDE Plasma 5 desktop (and Linux OS as a whole) by locating the “Update All” button.
Using a Linux distribution that doesn’t regularly get updates? Ditch the KDE-based Linux distribution you are currently using for KDE Neon. It’s a Linux-system based on Ubuntu that delivers fresh updates to the KDE Plasma desktop on a stable LTS base. It always gets the latest stuff, so you’ll always see performance updates from the KDE team! To learn more about Neon, click here.
Tweak desktop effects
One of the most common reasons that KDE Plasma 5 slows down on low-resource computers is the graphical effects. They take a significant toll on system resources (mainly your GPU). So, a quick way to speed up the KDE Plasma 5 desktop is to drastically reduce or turn off fancy graphical effects off on the desktop.
To disable graphical effects in KDE Plasma, press the Windows key on the keyboard and type in “Effects.” Launch the application that has the label “Desktop Effects.”
Once in the desktop effects area, you’ll be able to see a lot of the graphical effects that the KDE Plasma 5 system uses. Scroll through and uncheck the boxes next to all of the enabled effects and you should see a slight increase in speed and performance.
Disable compositing
Composite effects are stunning on KDE. They add shadow and depth to your applications. These effects also add a beautiful translucent effect on open windows (when you drag them) and other attractive effects.
It should go without saying but these composite effects play a big part in making KDE Plasma slow, especially on low-end computers. Thankfully, the KDE developers make it very easy to disable compositing!
To disable composite effects, press the Windows key and search for “Composite.” An app icon labeled “Compositor” should appear. Click on it, and you’ll be brought to the Plasma desktop’s composite settings.
Inside the Compositor window, uncheck the box next to “Enable compositor on startup.” Then, click the “Apply” button, close the window and reboot your PC. When you log back in, compositing effects will be disabled, speeding things up.
Uninstall Akonadi
KDE has a central database system known as Akonadi. It’s a robust service, and it helps many applications access information on the Plasma desktop. While you won’t notice Akonadi running in the background on KDE if you have decent computer specs, those with low-end machines may notice it is slowing down their KDE session at times.
Uninstalling Akonadi and disabling the database system is very easy, but differs depending on what Linux distribution you are using. To disable the service, open up a terminal window and follow the command instructions that correspond with the OS you’re using.
Note: uninstalling Akonadi will also uninstall KDE programs that are dependent on it.
Ubuntu
sudo apt remove akonadi --purge
Debian
sudo apt-get remove akonadi --purge
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -Rsc akonadi
Fedora
sudo dnf remove akonadi
OpenSUSE
sudo zypper remove akonadi
Swap window managers (optional)
The Window Manager plays a huge role in how heavy a desktop environment is. On KDE, the window manager isn’t bloated per-say. However, replacing it will make a big difference in memory, GPU, and CPU usage so it’s a good idea to swap it out for something leaner if you need to.
Openbox is an ideal replacement window manager to combine with KDE Plasma. Best of all, the developers of Openbox provide a KDE/Openbox session, so there’s no configuration required! To get your lean KDE/Openbox session, open up a terminal window and follow the instructions next to the Linux OS you run Plasma on.
Note: swapping out the KDE window manager for Openbox should only be done if you’ve gone through this list and still find yourself with a slow KDE session.
Ubuntu
sudo apt install openbox openbox-kde-session
Debian
sudo apt-get install openbox openbox-kde-session
Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S openbox
Fedora
sudo dnf install openbox-kde
OpenSUSE
sudo zypper install openbox-kde
Log into KDE/Openbox
To log into your new KDE/Openbox session, click on the KDE application menu and then click the button to log out. Once your session has closed, you’ll see the login screen. On the login screen, locate “session” and click the drop-down menu next to it to reveal the desktop sessions that are available, then, select “KDE/Openbox”.
After selecting the “KDE/Openbox” option, click on your user and enter your password to log in. When you finish logging in, you’ll see the KDE Plasma 5 desktop, but with Openbox, a much lighter window manager.
Hello, I have read the above mentioned tips how to speed up a computer with KDE. Thing is when you do these things you no longer are using KDE, but a vague shadow of what KDE really is. Yes, it will run faster, I’m sure (didn’t try it cause I don’t need to) but why installing KDE when you throw all these things out of the window? Then it’s better to install a different DE.
I don’t know how old this page is but in recent years KDE made a tremendous leap in reducing memory use and speeding up the system. Question is how much more do you need to do in getting a decent running machine?
The best tip you can give people with low specs hardware is to let go of KDE and use another DE. Cruel? Maybe. But what is a KDE system without KDE?
excellente thanks