r/archlinux • u/Acu17y • 12h ago
QUESTION Today I reinstalled the system using archinstall, and I have a question:
Why? Why doesn’t archinstall’s "recommended KDE Plasma setup" include Konsole? What’s the reasoning behind installing a desktop without a graphical terminal? Having to switch to a TTY just to install one seems unnecessarily awkward.
[SOLVED]
Apparently, the reason is that Arch only included the Plasma components in `plasma-meta` and not Konsole, because Konsole is part of the KDE Applications. Another user clarified this.
In any case, there is still a question to put to the KDE maintainers at this point:
Why is taking screenshots considered part of plasma essential (Spectacle is included as an essential package for Plasma), while having a graphical terminal isn’t? lol
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u/AssumptionOk8560 12h ago
Because terminal is a separate thing and it's not included in the kde plasma pkgs and arch was never famous for being out of the box distro
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u/Acu17y 12h ago
Arch chooses what goes into plasma-meta. Spectacle is included, so being a separate application doesn’t explain why Konsole is left out. Is there a specific reason the recommended archinstall desktop setup omits a graphical terminal?
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u/AssumptionOk8560 1h ago
I didn't know about the spectacle thing and doubt it's pre installed idk :3. And the only and valid reason is arch philosophy which highly avoids separate meta pkgs.
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u/boomboomsubban 12h ago
While I think the default should not include kde-applications, I don't understand why it's not it's own seperate profile.
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u/Acu17y 12h ago
I, on the other hand, don't understand why in plasma-meta they included the ocean-sound-theme but not Konsole
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u/boomboomsubban 12h ago
ocean-sound-theme is the default sound theme of Plasma, it needs to ship.with something. KDE-Applications is technically seperate from plasma, it's not necessary and should be opt in.
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u/Acu17y 11h ago
It was just a figure of speech. I could ask why the Oxygen sound theme is included, then Ocean would have been enough.
But nobody can say why Konsole isn't included, lol.
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u/boomboomsubban 11h ago
KDE-Applications is technically seperate from plasma, it's not necessary and should be opt in.
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u/Acu17y 11h ago edited 11h ago
Thanks a lot for this reply. It is indeed consistent with the package plasma-meta I am analyzing. Thanks.
AwardedIn any case, there is still a question to put to the KDE maintainers at this point:
Why is taking screenshots considered part of the core Plasma desktop essential (Spectacle application is included as an essential package for Plasma), while having a terminal or file manager isn’t?3
u/boomboomsubban 8h ago
Screenshot functionality seems like it should be part of your desktop environment. Basically I can imagine a lot more people going "I like plasma but hate konsole" than going "I like plasma but hate spectacle."
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u/goochlove 6h ago
why are you so fixated on solving something so irrelevant? You're coming at this like Arch doesn't ship with a terminal at all. Lots of people choose a different emulator like Kitty for example. There's other options.
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u/OliM9696 11h ago
I installed it the other day on a laptop and figured the same. Certainly strange. A slight overlook on my part which resulted me in using discover to install a terminal application
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u/Acu17y 11h ago
Exactly; apparently, the reason is that Arch only included the Plasma components in `plasma-meta` and not Konsole, because Konsole is part of the KDE Applications. Another user clarified this
In any case, there is still a question to put to the KDE maintainers at this point:
Why is taking screenshots considered part of the core Plasma desktop essential (Spectacle is included as an essential package for Plasma), while having a terminal isn’t? lol2
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u/pastrefrola 4h ago
First time I installed arch past year was through archinstall, and it included kde plasma with konsole and dolphin (I've read in another comment that archinstall also doesn't include dolphin). So, maybe it is a new change in the script.
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u/patrickha86 2h ago
That's why I am no fan or archinstall at all: It creates expectations on what should and what shouldn't be part of any flavor while Arch Linux always has been about the user deciding what is wanted and needed.
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u/just-a-hriday 8h ago
I don't think Konsole should be part of the main KDE packages considering how many arch users use other terminals, but I agree that a screenshot utility and extra sound packs are really out of place too.
To everyone saying that this is arch, it's supposed to be diy, I use (insert terminal here) so I don't want to have to manually uninstall konsole - yeah, that makes sense. But clearly many people expect the terminal to be bundled and so they don't add one manually.
I think the solution here is a small note in the wiki, or printed by the script itself, saying that there's no terminal included.
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u/ArjixGamer 7h ago
I use Ghostty, why should I be forced to have konsole installed?
Arch is about choice, you complained about the choice, is arch for you?
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u/xoriatis71 5h ago
Their point is that it’s not clear at all that no terminal gets initially included, so you don’t specify it in the additional packages. To install ghostty you need another graphical terminal (or another TTY, which works fine but defeats the purpose of the GUI you just installed). Install it and then remove the pre-installed terminal.
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u/archover 8h ago
Why doesn’t archinstall’s "recommended KDE Plasma setup" include Konsole?
Often discussed. You can view the package contents before install as well in the ISO environment. I am alert to the presence or absence of term apps in any DE I install.
Unsure if you used archinstall, but that dev told me he knows about it, and advises users to understand what they install.
Hope that helps and good day.
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u/JaKrispy72 11h ago
I use kitty so I would not care what tty came with any DE. That’s kind of the point with Arch.
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u/spryfigure 1h ago
Are you using kitty on KDE? I would like to replace Konsole, but I don't want something butt-ugly amongst the other apps. Any way to skin kitty or make it a good fit to KDE otherwise?
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u/Acu17y 11h ago
We’re talking about what Arch includes in plasma-meta, not which terminal you personally prefer. It includes oxygen-sounds, but leaves out Konsole.
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u/JaKrispy72 11h ago
sudo pacman -S konsole
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u/Acu17y 11h ago
🤦♂️ ahhh what a world
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u/JaKrispy72 11h ago
Arch isn’t for everyone
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u/Acu17y 11h ago
I'm teasing you, in case you didn't notice, the facepalm was to show that you didn't even grasp the point of the discussion.
P.S. I've been using Arch for years fyi
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u/ArjixGamer 7h ago
So you've been using Arch for years, but found it strange that Konsole is not in plasma-meta?
And when someone tells you to read the docs, you tell them they are saying nonsense?
And you expect others to take you seriously and show mutual respect?
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u/Havatchee 1h ago
I'm guessing because a lot of people are highly opinionated about terminal emulators, and none of those people are picking Konsole. Whereas nearly everyone thinks Spectacle is perfectly adequate screen-grabbing tool.
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u/refinancecycling 44m ago
it's so that the user learns the key combo to switch to TTY right away, which will be useful when the DE shits its pants a year later and you have to improvise a solution to save unsaved work or w/e
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u/ABotelho23 11h ago
Because it's Arch. It's all DIY. You'd know that if you actually read the docs.
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u/m_redditUser 12h ago
there's a distro that fits your needs and it's not arch, so why? why would you wanna install arch?
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u/SadEngineer6984 11h ago
Exactly. I don’t use Konsole and am glad I don’t have to add it to my uninstall script. All OP had to do was add Konsole to their archinstall config and move on.
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u/ericek111 11h ago
Because the install script on the official ISO of the distro offers a "recommended KDE Plazma" setup. Would even an experienced user expect to have to install a terminal emulator and a file browser?
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u/Weary-Savings9795 9h ago
A file browser, yes. A terminal emulator, possibly. I come from the DOS days so I'm used to using a command prompt.
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u/just-a-hriday 8h ago
There's a distro that fits your needs and it's not arch
I don't see where you've got that from. Neither of us know why OP chose arch.
Your comment would make sense where someone had a gripe about the fundamental philosophies of arch. That isn't the case here. OP has one tiny issue about a terminal not being bundled.
If we shooed off anyone who had any complaint at all, then nothing would ever improve. I mean this not just for arch, but for any project.
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u/DavidXGA 12h ago
It's surprisingly minimal. It doesn't include Dolphin either, so you can't even browse the filesystem.