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So I'm new to Ubuntu but not inexperienced with customizing open source software, and I recently learned about an application called KDE Connect -- http://larsemil.se/small-howto-on-kde-connect-and-ubuntu/ -- which I would love to install onto my vanilla 14.04LTS box... but I immediately know this won't be as simple as a little apt-get install action because I understand there is some difference between KDE and Gnome (which I understand is what vanilla is using).

It seems like, from a little poking around, that it is possible to run KDE apps under Gnome/Unity in vanilla Ubuntu, so I'm cautiously optimistic that I won't have to switch to Kubuntu just to use this one app... but when I decided to just give it a shot and install it from the Ubuntu Software Center, it appeared to install without errors but ultimately resulted in no new software showing up anywhere that I could see at a glance. So I went ahead and uninstalled from Ubuntu Desktop and my Android phone...

I suppose I need to either takes some extra steps to allow KDE apps to run on my system, or maybe I need to do a custom build of the KDE Connect source?

Has anyone successfully got this app working under Gnome/Unity without heavy customization? Or would I need to port the code from KDE to Gnome? Any generic guides out there on how I would modify a KDE app to work in Gnome?

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Yes. Any KDE app will work under Unity.

All apps use the same "core" backends, namely the Ubuntu main packages. However, KDE apps need their own dependencies (the KDE/QT libraries). When you install the app through the Software Center, it will download not only Connect but all of the required KDE libraries.

The actual KDE environment won't be installed unless it is necessary, and I'm not sure whether it is needed for Connect.

Kubuntu, Lubuntu, and *buntu are all just derivatives of Ubuntu and can all run any program built for Ubuntu, as long as its dependencies are set.

Just a warning though:

The KDE/QT UI clashing with the Unity/GTK UI can look pretty ugly. A good theme could sort this out though.


If you installed it and it didn't appear to work, you might have to manually run the command. Sometimes menu entries aren't updated.

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  • Thank you, this definitely helps. One thing -- the KDE Connect software says it integrates with the KDE Plasma desktop -- does this mean the notifications are Plasma-specific and the code would need to be modified to show up in my Unity desktop, or installing all those dependencies should work too, if just a bit ugly?
    – HeruRaHa
    Aug 29, 2014 at 16:24
  • It can really be both. I ran KDE a while ago, but I never used Connect. I think that the notifications are cross-compatible, as my Unity notifications worked in KDE. It will definitely be ugly if it works. QT and GTK are not really cross-compatible. (QT is nicer imo)
    – Kaz Wolfe
    Aug 29, 2014 at 18:06

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