KDE Plasma gives us freedom to customize, but raw customization often leads to visual clutter. The End-4 KDE dots from ladybug-me bring strict aesthetic discipline to the ecosystem, transforming KDE Plasma's traditional layout into a next-generation interface that feels like a custom-engineered operating system.
Hello there, welcome back to MusaBase! I used End 4 dotfiles as my main Hyprland dots for almost 4 months. Before that, I had been using Caelestia dots as my main Hyprland dots for I don't know how long. But things have been changing drastically. The new thing that struck me was watching my favorite dotfiles coming to a traditional desktop environment like KDE Plasma. A developer named ladybug-me is doing amazing work porting these dotfiles and their aesthetic to traditional desktop environments, currently specifically to KDE Plasma. Now I have installed and tried Caelestia-KDE and it was really a unique experience. Then I searched more about his development and found out that ladybug-me has also ported End-4 dotfiles to KDE Plasma, named end-4dots-KDE. So, I booted my PC and quickly jumped right into End 4 KDE installation to test and experience it, 'cause I'm all in for experiences. And in today's guide, I will show you exactly how to apply End 4's Quickshell-based launcher, anime "weeb" aesthetics with its AI integration utilizing the Ollama models on your KDE Plasma desktop environment too.
Also, all credit for the original End 4 dotfiles design and shell goes to end-4 (Minh), the creator of the End 4 dotfiles. The end-4dots-KDE is a KDE Plasma port built on top of that work.
In this guide, we will cover how to:
- Prepare the Arch Linux system for End-4dots-KDE
- Run the End-4dots-KDE install command
- Select the core End 4 KDE components
- Install the actual End 4 KDE on Arch Linux
- Finally, log into the installed End-4dots-KDE on Arch Linux
By the end of this guide, we will have a completely functional End 4 KDE running on our Arch Linux system.
⚡ TL;DR: Install End 4 KDE Dots on Arch Linux
A quick reference for installing End-4dots-KDE on Arch Linux with KDE Plasma 6, including prepping the system, adding custom DNS, running the installer, choosing Polonium tiling, and logging in from your usual SDDM login screen.
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Prep Arch Linux and KDE Plasma:
Make sure you have Arch Linux and KDE Plasma 6 already installed. Then update your system and install git, curl, and wget:
(See the "Prerequisites" and "Prepare Arch Linux" sections for details.)sudo pacman -Syyu git curl wget -
Add custom DNS if GitHub is blocked:
(See the "Add Custom DNS" section for details.)sudo echo "nameserver 1.1.1.1" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf -
Clone and run the End-4dots-KDE installer:
(See the "Clone and Launch End-4dots-KDE Installer" section for the full walkthrough.)git clone https://github.com/ladybug-me/end-4dots-KDE ~/end-4dots-KDE cd ~/end-4dots-KDE bash ./setup.sh - Configure inside the installer: Enter your sudo or root password when prompted. Choose whether to install Polonium tiling for KDE Plasma. Then decide on automatic package installation and cache removal options. Press Y or ENTER as needed. Each prompt waits only 15 seconds and then uses its default: Polonium off, automatic confirmation on, cache kept. (See section 2.2 for details.)
- Review and install: The installer downloads packages, installs an AUR helper like yay, and compiles components from source, mainly quickshell. Expect around 1 hour depending on your hardware and internet. On my PC it took nearly 55 minutes. (See the "Install End 4 KDE on Arch Linux" section for details.)
- Log out and log back into End 4 KDE: After installation completes, type Y and press ENTER to log out. At the SDDM login screen, enter your password to enter the End-4dots-KDE session. (See the "Log into End 4 KDE" section for details.)
💡 If you encounter "Could not resolve host" errors while cloning repos or downloading packages, add custom nameservers (1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8) to /etc/resolv.conf as a temporary fix. For a permanent solution, see the Fixing Slow Pacman Downloads on Arch Linux guide. End-4dots-KDE requires KDE Plasma 6.0 or newer. The installer is still in early release, so if it gets stuck at any line, just press ENTER. It may also ask for your password more than once.
Prerequisites
I won't cover the installation of Arch Linux and KDE Plasma in this guide. So I assume you already have Arch Linux installed with KDE Plasma set as your desktop environment. We do need KDE Plasma because the end-4dots-KDE installer expects KDE Plasma's libraries and system files to apply its configuration on top of them. If you don't have Arch Linux and KDE Plasma installed yet, and you want a straightforward and smooth installation, then I have covered both:
- For Arch Linux installation, follow my How To Install Arch Linux: A Comfy 100% Arch Installation Guide. In this guide, I covered all the steps necessary for building an Arch system.
- For installing KDE Plasma on Arch Linux, follow my Arch Linux KDE Plasma: Complete Setup & Optimization Guide to set up KDE Plasma as your desktop environment.
First complete the Arch Linux and KDE Plasma installations, then come back to this guide and continue.
System Requirements for End 4 KDE on Arch Linux
- Processor: Any x86-64 compatible processor
- RAM: Minimum 4GB, but more RAM is better
- Storage: Minimum 30GB for Arch Linux system files and End 4 KDE files. You will need more storage space for additional packages and files
- GPU: Any 2015 or newer GPU
- OS: Minimal or base Arch Linux
- Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma 6
- Stable internet connection
Step 1: Make Arch Linux and KDE Plasma Ready for End 4 KDE Dots
In this step, we will prep our Arch Linux system first, which includes updating the system and adding a custom DNS, so the errors I faced during the end-4dots-KDE installation won't happen to you.
1.1: Update Arch Linux and Install Required Packages
- Run:
sudo pacman -Syyu git curl wget # OR yay -Syyu git curl wget - If a new kernel update comes in, remember to reboot your PC so the new kernel patches can be applied.
1.2: Add Custom DNS
- Run:
sudo echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf # If you prefer Google's # OR sudo echo "nameserver 1.1.1.1" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf # If you prefer Cloudflare's
Adding custom nameservers or DNS is my personal preference. Mostly because the default ISP provided DNS blocks me from downloading GitHub repos. Maybe this issue is related to my region only, and it may not happen on your side. But if you face the couldn't resolve host error while cloning git repos or installing packages, then add custom nameservers to your /etc/resolv.conf.
But treat this as a temporary fix. For a complete solution, I have documented a full dedicated article in my Fixing Slow Pacman Downloads on Arch Linux guide. If you face the same issue, you can also try installing the packages while connected to a VPN.
Step 2: Install End 4 KDE On Arch Linux
With every prerequisite completed and the basic hurdle tackled, in this step, we will install the end-4dots-KDE on our KDE Plasma. This step will include cloning the End 4 KDE repo, cd into it, and running the End 4 KDE install script.
2.1: Clone and Launch End-4dots-KDE Installer
- Run the following commands consecutively:
git clone https://github.com/ladybug-me/end-4dots-KDE ~/end-4dots-KDE cd ~/end-4dots-KDE bash ./setup.sh
- After running the end-4dots-KDE installer, it will launch and ask for your sudo or root password, type your password and press ENTER.
2.2: Polonium Tiling for KDE Plasma and Install End-4Dots-KDE
- After the root password, the end-4dots-KDE will prompt you to either install or skip the Polonium tiling on the End 4 KDE environment. If you want the tiling feature on your KDE Plasma then type y and press ENTER.
- Next, the end-4dots-KDE installer will ask: "Would you like package installation to proceed automatically without confirmation? [Y/n]:". To save time type Y and press ENTER.
- On the final prompt the end-4dots-KDE installer will ask: " remove the downloaded packages and build files after a successful installation? [y/N]:?". If you are low on space then type y and press ENTER. If space is not an issue then simply press ENTER to continue.
Each prompt waits only 15 seconds. If you don't answer in time, it uses its default: Polonium off, automatic confirmation on, cache kept.
So What is Polonium Tiling?
Polonium is an optional KDE tiling plugin, a KWin script, that adds automatic window tiling to Plasma. It plays a similar role to Hyprland's tiling, but it is built for KWin.
- After choosing the Polonium tiling, --noconfirm, and cache options, the End 4 KDE installation will start.
- First, the End 4 KDE installer will install an AUR helper, usually yay, because a lot of packages and dependencies that end-4dots-KDE depends on are available on AUR.
- After yay, the end-4dots-KDE installer will start downloading and installing all packages that the End 4 KDE depends on, such as quickshell, cmake, and Kvantum, to name a few.
- After downloading packages, the end-4dots-KDE will also build some packages from source, and quickshell is one of them. So a little compiling and building is expected.
- The end-4dots-KDE will also install illogical-impulse components that End 4 uses alongside quickshell.
- When the installation of packages is completed, the end-4dots-KDE will copy its configs into place, just like End 4.
- On my PC, the total time of end-4dots-KDE installation took nearly 1 hour, well 55 minutes to be precise.
- When the end-4dots-KDE installation completes, the End 4 KDE installer will prompt you to logout. Here either log out of the current session to log back into the freshly installed End-4dots-KDE, or do a system reboot for a cleaner boot.
Step 3: Log into End 4 KDE
After logging out or rebooting the session, we get to the login screen. I have SDDM installed, so I will log in from here:
Enter your password.
And, we are in!
Fin!!!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions: Installing End 4 KDE Dots on Arch Linux
What are the requirements for End-4dots-KDE on Arch Linux?
You need an Arch-based distribution with KDE Plasma 6 installed. The project has been tested on CachyOS, Manjaro KDE, and Fedora 44 KDE Edition. Make sure your system is fully updated before starting, and that you have a working internet connection since the installer clones GitHub repositories and compiles some packages from source.
Why does the End-4dots-KDE installation take so long?
The installer compiles and builds some components from source, mainly quickshell. On my PC, the complete installation took nearly 55 minutes. Depending on your CPU, internet speed, and whether you choose to remove the build cache, it could take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. The installer also installs an AUR helper and many dependencies before the actual setup begins.
Can I use End-4dots-KDE without a tiling compositor like Hyprland?
Yes, that is exactly the point of this project. End-4dots-KDE is the KDE Plasma port of the original End 4 dotfiles, which were built for Hyprland. It brings End 4's Quickshell widgets and look to KWin and Plasma instead of Hyprland. You get a Quickshell-based launcher, Material Design 3 theming, anime weeb aesthetics, and AI integration for Gemini, Ollama, and other backends, all on top of a traditional KDE Plasma desktop. You do not need to install Hyprland yourself.
What is Polonium tiling, and should I choose it?
Polonium is an optional KDE tiling plugin, a KWin script, that adds automatic window tiling to Plasma. It plays a similar role to Hyprland's tiling, but it is built for KWin. If you want tiling, type y and press ENTER when the installer asks. You only get 15 seconds to answer, and the default is no. If you prefer the traditional floating window experience, skip it.
What does the package installation without confirmation option do?
It adds --noconfirm to the package installs, so the installer does not ask you to confirm every pacman or yay transaction. It is the default, and it is also what you get if you wait longer than 15 seconds to answer. Type Y and press ENTER to keep it on, or type n if you want to confirm each transaction yourself. It saves a lot of time because End-4dots-KDE depends on many packages, including AUR packages that have to be downloaded and built.
What does the remove downloaded packages and build files after a successful installation option do?
It deletes the installer's download and build cache, ~/.cache/end4-kde, once the installation succeeds. That saves disk space, but you cannot reuse the cached builds if you reinstall later. The default is to keep the cache, and that is also what happens if you wait longer than 15 seconds. If you are low on space, type y and press ENTER.
What should I do if the installer gets stuck at any line?
If the installation gets stuck at any line, just press ENTER. For example, my installation got stuck at the yay installing section while it got to Go. I think the prompt was stuck at confirming whether to install Go or not, but the confirmation was hidden. Even though the end-4dots-KDE installer handles all of the installation, it is still in early release version so this can happen.
The project's README also warns that the installer may ask for your password or other input more than once, and if a step fails, the installer offers to retry it, ignore the error, or exit.
What does the End-4dots-KDE installer change on my system?
It changes more than the shell. According to its own scripts, it:
- backs up and then replaces many ~/.config items, including fish, kitty, hypr, quickshell, matugen, kdeglobals, dolphinrc, konsolerc and starship.toml, plus icons and konsole in ~/.local/share
- sets the Plasma style, window decoration and colors to Darkly, the Kvantum theme to MaterialAdw, and the cursor theme to Bibata-Modern-Ice
- enables a KWin script that bridges Quickshell to KDE, sets up 10 virtual desktops on Meta+1 to Meta+0, and turns off KDE's volume and brightness pop-ups
- adds autostart entries for Quickshell and kde-material-you-colors, and enables the qs-kwin-bridge and ydotoold user services
- creates a udev rule at /etc/udev/rules.d/80-uinput.rules and adds your user to the input group for ydotool
Back up first, and see the uninstall question for how to undo it.
How do I uninstall End-4dots-KDE if I want to go back to stock KDE Plasma?
The installer has no uninstall option, so you undo it by hand. Do not delete the cloned ~/end-4dots-KDE folder first, because the installer keeps its automatic backups inside it, in ~/end-4dots-KDE/backups/<timestamp>/.
1. Stop what it started:
systemctl --user disable --now qs-kwin-bridge.service ydotoold.service
rm ~/.config/autostart/quickshell.desktop ~/.config/autostart/kde-material-you-colors.desktop2. Restore your old configs. The installer deletes each folder it replaces after backing it up. A new backup folder is created on every run, so if you ran the installer more than once, use the oldest one. Restore each folder you want back, for example:
rm -rf ~/.config/fish
cp -r ~/end-4dots-KDE/backups/<timestamp>/config/fish ~/.config/
cp ~/end-4dots-KDE/backups/<timestamp>/kwinrc ~/end-4dots-KDE/backups/<timestamp>/kglobalshortcutsrc ~/.config/Folders that did not exist before the install are not in the backup, so delete those, such as ~/.config/illogical-impulse. The Plasma style and cursor theme are not backed up, so set them back in System Settings.
3. Undo the system changes:
sudo rm /etc/udev/rules.d/80-uinput.rules
sudo gpasswd -d $USER inputInstalled packages stay until you remove them. List them with pacman -Qq | grep illogical-impulse, review what sudo pacman -Rns offers to remove, then log out and back in.
What should I do if widgets are not appearing or colors are not applying after login?
For missing widgets, log out and back in. If Quickshell is not running, start it with qs -c ii, the same command the installer's autostart entry uses. For colors not applying, check that the Darkly theme and Kvantum are properly installed. If the install failed mid-way, re-run bash ./setup.sh from the cloned directory. It is safe to run more than once, but it replaces its config folders again, so see the update question. Check the official repo's issues page for known bugs and fixes. Since end-4dots-KDE is still in early release, some manual fixes may be needed.
Can I update End-4dots-KDE after installation?
Yes, but updating re-runs the installer, and the installer replaces its config folders each time. It backs them up into a new ~/end-4dots-KDE/backups/<timestamp>/ folder first, then deletes and re-copies them, so changes you made in places like ~/.config/quickshell or ~/.config/fish are not preserved. To update:
cd ~/end-4dots-KDE
git pull
bash ./setup.shAfterwards, copy your own changes back from the newest backup folder, and read the repo's README for breaking changes before updating.
Do I need to disable KDE Plasma's own desktop effects or window manager?
No. End-4dots-KDE runs on top of KWin, KDE Plasma's existing window manager. You do not disable KWin or Plasma. The installer applies its theming, shell, and configurations on top of your existing KDE Plasma setup. Your Plasma panels, widgets, and settings remain accessible, though End-4dots-KDE replaces the default shell experience with its own bar, launcher, and Quickshell widgets.
What is Quickshell, and why does it matter for End-4dots-KDE?
Quickshell is a flexible and modular widget system used by End 4 and End-4dots-KDE to render the shell components, bars, launchers, and widgets. It is one of the core dependencies, and the installer builds it from source. Quickshell is what gives End-4dots-KDE its distinctive look and feel, including the bar, launcher, and widgets, along with the Material Design 3 theming.
What is illogical-impulse, and do I need it?
illogical-impulse is a set of components and configurations that End 4 uses alongside Quickshell. The end-4dots-KDE installer installs these components automatically. You do not need to install them separately. They are part of what makes the End 4 experience complete on KDE Plasma.
🚀 End 4 KDE on Arch Linux: Fully Set Up!
We now have End 4's anime-inspired aesthetic running on top of KDE Plasma's rock-solid foundation. Between the Quickshell launcher and widgets, the Material Design 3 theming, and the AI integration, your KDE Plasma desktop has been transformed into something that feels like a custom-engineered operating system while keeping the stability you rely on. No compositor swap required, no Hyprland installation, just End 4 on the desktop environment you already trust.
If this brought a fresh look to your KDE Plasma desktop, stick around. MusaBase has plenty more Linux, BSD, and virtualization guides where this came from.
101 out, I'll see you in the next one! 🚀