How to install KDE on Debian

This page describes how to install KDE 3.5.10 in Debian 5.0 "Lenny" (old stable)

There are several ways to get Debian with KDE:

Use the KDE version of the Debian Installer CD

This is the easiest way to get Debian with KDE if you are installing a new system. It installs KDE by default.
Download KDE CD for Debian 5.0.8 "Lenny" i386
Download KDE CD for Debian 5.0.8 "Lenny" AMD64

Using the Debian Lenny installer

If you are installing a new system and you have the Debian Lenny installer (old stable), you can install KDE by typing at the boot prompt:

install tasks="kde-desktop, standard"

or, if you prefer to use the Debian Lenny graphical installer: 

installgui tasks="kde-desktop, standard"

Install KDE on your existing Debian system

If you already have Debian Lenny installed and you want a complete KDE desktop, install the "kde-desktop" task: 

aptitude install kde-desktop

To install only a basic KDE desktop, install the "kde-core" and "kdm" packages: 

aptitude install kde-core kdm

Additional packages

To have KDE in your language, install the appropriate kde-i18n-?? package, where ?? is the ISO code for your language.

Enjoy the KDE desktop experience!