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Sorry if you find the question to be repited, I have searched previous ones but refered to other specific packages and I don't really have the basic concepts clear, so I can't get to a conclusion.

I am new and I was testing different distros on VMs, trying to learn and get concepts. I have been trying to understad de difference between a distro, a desktop enviroment and a window manager (and even a display manager, "for the login").

I am now in the point were I have been trying to test different D.E. to see how they apply without needing new complete installations, and try to decide between them.

Following different guides I have seen that in order to get KDE Plasma as my D.E., I could run:

sudo apt install kde-standard

So I have run apt search kde-standard to see what it shows, but I don't fully understand:

What does the "Depends" part actually mean? that all those packages will be installed? and the "Recomends"? Are those just suggestions to install afterwards?

I have that doubt because I also found that I could do

sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop

and it seams that this command would add MORE "features", right?

What would be the difference for me to try kde-standard or kubuntu-desktop from Ubuntu 20.04 or installing kubuntu 20.04 from scratch?

And

Sorry if all of this sounds dumb!

PolGZ
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  • very similar questions [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/1170470/what-is-the-difference-between-kubuntu-desktop-plasma-desktop-and-kde-plasma-de), [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/243877/kubuntu-or-ubuntu-with-kde-whats-the-difference) and [here](https://askubuntu.com/questions/141015/install-desktop-environments-or-use-different-distributions). – pLumo Apr 28 '20 at 15:23
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    Does this answer your question? [What is the difference between kubuntu-desktop, plasma-desktop and kde-plasma-desktop packages?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/1170470/what-is-the-difference-between-kubuntu-desktop-plasma-desktop-and-kde-plasma-de) – pLumo Apr 28 '20 at 15:25
  • I read all but one of those. I guess this are concepts that I would eventually understand better. Thanks. Also this was useful [What's the difference between KDE packages?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/135267/whats-the-difference-between-kde-packages?rq=1). Just one last question, what do the lines "Depends" and "Recomends" exactly mean? – PolGZ Apr 28 '20 at 21:25

1 Answers1

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*ubuntu-desktop and other similar packages allows to switch distro entirely. that's it, from Lubuntu or Ubuntu, you can turn your distro to Kubuntu by doing sudo apt install kubuntu-desktop the equivalent reverse operations also works.

plasma-desktop is another meta package, which would allow someone on Ubuntu, Xubuntu or Lubuntu to install the full plasma-desktop

plasma-workspace is more minimal, its only the basic packages to run the desktop without the KDE family applications. kwin+plasma+krunner are the 3 main process running

so if you have installed Ubuntu/Xubuntu and you want to try Kubuntu without reinstalling. You can ! didn't I just made your day?

have fun

Mathieu J.
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