
Ubuntu users may think that their favorite GNOME applications will not run under Kubuntu; this is not the case. Much work has been done to ensure compatibility between GNOME and KDE. All GNOME applications will run under KDE and vice versa.
While the KDE desktop is different from GNOME, all GNOME applications will be integrated into the KDE menu system.
Users wanting to try Kubuntu may be concerned that KDE will become their only desktop once it is installed. This is not so. While there are good reasons for KDE to be the desktop of choice, both desktop session types can be run after installing Kubuntu. Furthermore, during the installation, there is a choice between using the GNOME Display Manager (GDM) or the KDE Display Manager (KDM) as the login manager. Either display manager will work equally well.
After installation, either GNOME or KDE session types can be run, so users are free to try either, switching based on personal preference. The only noticeable difference is the artwork displayed before login.
To install Kubuntu's Plasma Desktop, the kubuntu-desktop package must be installed. To install Ubuntu's GNOME desktop, the ubuntu-desktop package is required.