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To use a Kvantum theme in KDE Plasma, install the Kvantum package that matches your distribution and the Qt version used by your apps, select Kvantum under System Settings → Application Style → Widget Style, then install and choose a theme in Kvantum Manager. Kvantum changes Qt application widgets; it does not by itself restyle Plasma panels, window decorations, or icons.
1. Install the Kvantum package for your system
Use your distribution’s package manager and follow the package instructions for that distribution. The Kvantum installation guide lists examples for Arch-based distributions, Ubuntu, Gentoo, and openSUSE. Package names and repository availability differ, so use the instructions that match your system rather than copying a command intended for another distribution.
For example, the project guide identifies kvantum as the package for Arch-based distributions. Its Ubuntu instructions use the Papirus PPA and install qt6-style-kvantum and qt6-style-kvantum-themes.
Check Qt 5 versus Qt 6
Kvantum is a Qt style plugin, and the version available to an application matters. The current project installation guide focuses on Qt 6 and says Qt 5 plugin compilation is also possible with -DENABLE_QT5=ON, using Qt 5 counterparts of the dependencies and an additional X11 extras development package. For normal package-manager installs, check which Qt versions your distribution’s packages support and which version the target applications use. Installing one plugin does not guarantee that every Qt application can use it.
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- Open System Settings → Application Style → Widget Style.
- Select Kvantum and apply the change.
- Open System Settings → Colors, select the Kvantum color scheme if it is available, and apply it.
The Kvantum guide includes both settings steps. The widget style controls the Qt application widgets rendered by the plugin; the color-scheme selection is a separate setting.
3. Install and select a Kvantum theme
- Open Kvantum Manager from the application menu.
- Use the Manager to install a downloaded theme, or select a theme already available there.
- Choose the installed theme as the active theme in Kvantum Manager.
- If Plasma does not detect the new theme, log out and back in so it can rediscover it.
A theme folder may contain an SVG, a .kvconfig file, and a .colors file. If the theme includes a KDE color scheme, Kvantum Manager installs that scheme too. The project guide notes that logging out and in can help Plasma see a newly installed theme.
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4. Understand what Kvantum changes—and what it does not
Kvantum styles Qt application widgets. It is not a Plasma shell theme and does not automatically replace the appearance of Plasma panels, widgets, window decorations, or icons. KDE describes Plasma Style as controlling Plasma components such as panels and widgets. A Global Theme can apply selected appearance components, including colors, application style, window decorations, icons, and Plasma Style.
If you want a coordinated desktop appearance, configure those Plasma components separately. Also expect variation between applications: the result depends on whether an app uses a compatible Qt toolkit and configuration.
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5. Install a theme manually when needed
Kvantum Manager is the ordinary installation route. For manual user-level placement, the project guide documents these locations:
~/.config/Kvantum/<THEME_NAME>/~/.themes/<THEME_NAME>/Kvantum/~/.local/share/themes/<THEME_NAME>/Kvantum/
When duplicate themes are present, the first location takes priority over the latter locations; a theme installed through Kvantum Manager takes priority over other installations. Avoid keeping competing copies unless you specifically need them, since the priority rules determine which version is used.
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6. Fix menu or tooltip shadow conflicts
If menu or tooltip shadows conflict with Kvantum under an X11 or Wayland compositor, the project guide recommends disabling the compositor’s shadows. If that option is unavailable, use the documented Kvantum workaround:
- Open Kvantum Manager.
- Choose Configure Active Theme.
- Open Compositing & General Look.
- Enable Shadowless menus and tooltips.
Using Kvantum outside KDE Plasma
On another desktop environment, use a Qt configuration utility when one is available. The Kvantum guide also documents launching an individual native Qt app with -style kvantum, or setting QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE=kvantum. These are alternate configuration routes; in Plasma, use the Widget Style setting described above.
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