this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2025
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Where did the "Plasma" in KDE Plasma come from, and why do many people say that with or instead of just KDE? (feddit.online)
submitted 14 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) by 97xBang@feddit.online to c/linux@lemmy.ml
25 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

It's always been just KDE to me. In the past year or so, I've noticed people calling Plasma KDE or even just Plasma. What happened? Why do people insist on making the name longer? Why the word Plasma? What is Plasma referring to? And, are they trying to move away from the KDE name to just Plasma?

Answer: Plasma is the desktop environment. KDE is the community that makes Plasma and many other related software.

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[–] Thorned_Rose@sh.itjust.works 3 points 46 minutes ago

Everyone here sorta answers the questions but not entirely. So KDE started back in the 1990s as K Desktop Environment as a play on the Common Desktop Environment. The K was originally suggested as standing for Kool buy I guess others in project didn't think that was very kool and it was left officially as just K.

As to why Plasma - when KDE 4 was released, "Plasma" replaced Kdesktop shell and whatnot and was named Plasma because plasma evokes dynamic fluidity like plasma or some such lol. Unfortunately I can't find anything easily on the interwebs that shows how it got it's name :/

References:

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 26 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

It's super confusing because "KDE" is literally the acronym for "K Desktop Environment".

[–] m4m4m4m4@lemmy.world 29 points 11 hours ago (3 children)

Wait until you learn what "GNU" stands for.

[–] EffortlessEffluvium@lemm.ee 3 points 1 hour ago

All I know is it’s not Unix.

[–] half@lemy.lol 5 points 6 hours ago

I have an irrational fear of this acronym. I think I'm worried I might accidentally recurse forever, and that will become the only thing I do for the rest of my existence.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 21 points 10 hours ago

WINE would like to join the party

[–] Feyter@programming.dev 8 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I thought it stood for "Kool Desktop Environment"

[–] NoXPhasma@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

Yes, that was the original name, back in the 90's.

[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 61 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

KDE is a community of developers.

KDE Plasma is the desktop environment made by the KDE community.

This has been the correct terminology since 2009, much longer than "the past year or so", but a lot of people do still call KDE Plasma just "KDE" colloquially, so maybe you have just been noticing people using the correct terminology more recently.

[–] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 7 hours ago

Kids these days and their "Plasma". BACK IN MY DAY it was just KDE!

I'm not sure why this feels new to me. Perhaps it's because I spent a lot of time on other DEs after 2009.

But also, from that link:

We will use "KDE" exclusively in two meanings:

  • KDE, the community, which creates free software for end users
  • As an umbrella brand for the technology created by the KDE community

So I don't feel like it's wrong to just call it KDE, just imprecise.

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 22 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Well KDE used to stand for K Desktop Environment as a rif off of CDE Common Desktop Environment. They named kde 4 plasma when kde was overhauled during that release. Since kde does much more than just the DE they moved to just be KDE stands for KDE like how KFC no longer stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

[–] refurbishedrefurbisher@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

The "K" stood for "Kool"

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago

Yeah I think that was dropped to just K before the release of 1.0.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (2 children)

Was it 4? I thought it came around for the 5 release. I think I switched DEs for almost the entire 4 debacle then switched back at 5 when it stopped sucking.

Edit: NM, I see I just missed it by skipping 4: https://dot.kde.org/2009/11/24/repositioning-kde-brand/

[–] BlueSquid0741@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 8 hours ago

Ha, yes, I remember pretty much the entire Linux community dropped KDE 4. What a time for a rebranding.

[–] lordnikon@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Ah KDE netbook when the world thought that was going to be an ongoing thing. It's a shame MS killed the concept. Linux powered Netbooks like the OLPC and the Eeepc were great for on the go when you just need more than your phone. I'm still glad OLPC is still around.

[–] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.ml 18 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Plasma is currently the name of the Desktop Environment made by KDE.

KDE refers to the umbrella project that houses all the software made for Plasma, like KDE Connect and Kdenlive. The name used to refer to the desktop environment; but now they develop more stuff than the desktop environment.

[–] Strit@lemmy.linuxuserspace.show 7 points 13 hours ago

Quote from https://www.reddit.com/

KDE is officially a community dedicated to developing FOSS software. It's legally represented by the KDE e.V. and the KDE Free Qt Foundation. The latter is to ensure that the dual-licensed Qt software used by KDE stays open source.

KDE Plasma is the desktop environment made by KDE. It's sometimes called just KDE because, duh, it shorter. The apps included in Plasma are also made by the KDE (also see KDE Gear).

There's the KDE Frameworks, built on top of Qt.

Plasma mobile is a distribution for mobile devices.

KDE Neon is a "distribution" showcasing the lastest KDE software.

[–] turbowafflz@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

Since sometime around Plasma 4, KDE has been the name of the organization and Plasma had been the name of the desktop.

[–] hm_@lemmy.wtf 6 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I think it was the name of the new desktop concept introduced with KDE 4 and then got synonymous with the whole DE

[–] deadcream@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 hours ago

Not just synonymous, it the official name of DE itself.

[–] giacomo@lemm.ee 5 points 14 hours ago

i think plasma is just the shell that KDE develops. KDE also develops the other programs that are included in the desktop environment, like dolphin and konsole.

[–] MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml 4 points 13 hours ago

KDE is the name of the overall community. They produce Plasma which is the desktop, frameworks and applications.

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I have no idea about the history behind this but I assume it has to do with the abbreviation DE being inside KDE. I could see how that makes people think that KDE is the DE, and not the community that develops Plasma.

[–] zod000@lemmy.ml 1 points 6 hours ago

The issue is that it was the DE originally, some people (myself included) just didn't fully get the memo when it changed like 15 or so years ago. I haven't used the KDE DE since before that change, so I get how it could be missed. Rebranding is hard, even years later. I am sure many people think KFC still stands for Kentucky Fried Chicken too.