Easy and right way to make minimal or full KDE Plasma install on Debian with Nvidia GPU on desktop PC work correctly together with Intel IGPU
Download and install latest Debian 13 netinstaller, proceed your standard installing procedure until selection of additional software and desktop environment. Uncheck all DEs with space, select only standard system utilities and optional SSH server
After boot into fresh installed linux at terminal stage login into root and install sudo if password for root was set during installation:
apt install sudo
If non-root user was not created during Debian installation process create new one before installing desktop environment:
adduser newuser
Add created or new user into sudo group:
usermod -aG sudo newuser
Reboot with
reboot
According Debian Wiki:
If you have SecureBoot enabled, you need to enroll your machine owner's key (MOK) to use DKMS modules. Detailed instructions are available here. It's recommended to do this before installing nvidia-driver so that you do not have to rebuild the kernel modules.
Login into your non-root account and install linux headers for proprietary nvidia driver:
sudo apt install linux-headers-generic
Add "contrib", "non-free" and "non-free-firmware" components to /etc/apt/sources.list:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list
clear or comment everything in this file and paste:
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security/ trixie-security contrib non-free main non-free-firmware
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ trixie-updates non-free-firmware non-free contrib main
Save and exit, update repos:
Install x86 support for x86 applications (Steam, Wine, Games, Davinci Resolve, etc.)
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
Install Nvidia dirver:
For GPU and it's recommended/supported driver detection use nvidia-detect:
sudo apt install nvidia-detect
sudo nvidia-detect
sudo apt install nvidia-kernel-dkms nvidia-driver
After standard message about nouveau driver conflict and successful installation of proprietary driver reboot system:
You can verify dkms with:
sudo dkms status | grep nvidia
Login into your non-root user, install kde-desktop, SDDM, GTK applications theme fixes and SSH if SSH server was installed during Debian installation
Make decision about your KDE installation: wiki.debian.org/KDE#Installation (!) Watch out for recommended packages (that is, optional package dependencies)! They are installed by default, but you might not want them. apt option --no-install-recommends and aptitude option --without-recommends can help with this.
Replace kde-plasma-desktop with kde-standard, kde-full or task-kde-desktop:
sudo apt install plasma-workspace-wayland kde-plasma-desktop sddm breeze-gtk-theme kde-config-gtk-style kde-config-gtk-style-preview kde-config-screenlocker plymouth plymouth-themes plymouth-theme-breeze kde-config-plymouth colord-kde
After installation edit your grub file:
sudo nano /etc/default/grub
Within the quotes on the line that starts with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT, add the option:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nvidia-drm.modeset=1"
Search for #GRUB_GFXMODE, uncomment it and set your screen resolution like
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080
You can also write the color depth:
GRUB_GFXMODE=1920x1080x32
Save and exit, update grub config:
sudo update-grub2
Comment your interfaces in /etc/network/interfaces to allow NetworkManager in Plasma control your network connections:
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
Turn everything in this file like:
auto wlan0
iface wlan0 inet dhcp
...
# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug enp7s0
iface enp7s0 inet dhcp
Into:
#auto wlan0
#iface wlan0 inet dhcp
#...
# The primary network interface
#allow-hotplug enp7s0
#iface enp7s0 inet dhcp
Reboot system to apply all changes:
sudo reboot
Baloo file indexer is disabled by default in Debian. To enable it go to Search > File Search in system settings or use command
sudo balooctl enable
You can install standard or full package of KDE after smallest kde-plasma-desktop install:
sudo apt install kde-standard
or
sudo apt install kde-full
//Delete? On login screen search desktop session button and select Plasma(X11) instead of Plasma(Wayland)
//Delete? After login into fresh installed desktop you need to install standard sound server on your choice: PulseAudio:
sudo apt install pulseaudio pavucontrol pamixer
or PipeWire: https://wiki.debian.org/PipeWire
sudo apt install steam-installer mesa-vulkan-drivers libglx-mesa0:i386 mesa-vulkan-drivers:i386 libgl1-mesa-dri:i386
Open "Application Launcher", search for Steam Installer and proceed installation as usual
Create or open kwin profile:
sudo nano /etc/profile.d/kwin.sh
Add there line and save file:
export KWIN_TRIPLE_BUFFER=1
Open nvidia-settings:
nvidia-settings
Navigate to OpenGL Settings and disable "Sync to VBlank"
KAccounts app for google/nextcloud/etc. accounts section in system settings
apt install kaccounts-integration kio-gdrive
Kate plugins for preview:
Install only if going to use Kate https://apps.kde.org/markdownpart/
Apps:
!OPTIONAL!
https://apps.kde.org/kdenlive/
https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers
https://wiki.debian.org/Wayland
https://wiki.debian.org/plymouth
Delete? https://wiki.debian.org/PulseAudio https://wiki.debian.org/PipeWire