From a Windows perspective - I see a Linux Desktop Environment as an analogue to a Windows Shell; But is a DE more than a shell?
I have Zorin Core installed on the original (old) SSD which came with the Lenovo laptop. This installation will be used as a sandbox for experimentation, and mayhem, without affecting my working Zorin system.
Now I've decided to install KDE (plasma, or another version),
I presume KDE must be installed first, then Gnome uninstalled (?)
or is it possible to switch between the two?
My recommendation is that you start from scratch with your install and when prompted to make a user with admin rights during the process, make it a throwaway account. Finish the install, change desktop environments completely, make the admin account you intend to actually USE, switch, and then delete the original.
This is not necessary, but it will save you a lot of GNOME dotfiles crapping the place up on your kept account.
Plasma can be installed with sudo apt install plasma-desktop. GNOME removal is trickier as you're going to want its libraries to run GTK applications almost certainly, so I'll defer to someone else there. I left GNOME in place when I tried this, and ultimately ended up reinstalling (and going back to GNOME) because I wanted Plasma 6 for HDR support, and Zorin can't run Plasma 6.
Plasma 6 got released after Zorin OS 17 and are not available in the repositories. If you want the latest you're looking for a rolling distro, like Arch, Solus etc.
How ever KDE Neon is based on Ubuntu if you're not looking for rolling distros and Plasma 6
I've got nothing to do with audio engineering. Plasma 6 can't run on Zorin even if you jump through lots of hoops, because Zorin's glibc is too old, being based on Ubuntu 22.04. Some other Ubuntu based distributions can and do use it. Storm mentioned KDE Neon above. It's my recollection that Tuxedo OS also includes Plasma 6, as they rebased on Ubuntu 24.04. Zorin will be quite a while before it's capable, as they don't move to new versions of Ubuntu when Ubuntu releases them, but on Zorin's own release schedule. Zorin 18 currently has no date, but I wouldn't expect it soon.
I considered trying KaOS during my last round of distribution hopping. I ended up excluding it. I recommend looking at KaOS' home page and reading about their intentions for the OS. They're extremely clear that they're not trying to cater to everyone or make sure it has a particularly large variety of software available. The way they presented it came off as "If you don't want to use the software we want you to use, this isn't for you."
It's not about date; it's about dependencies. If the OS has the libraries in versions that the DE needs, it can likely be made to run, even if the OS came out first. If it does not, then you're pretty out of luck.
You can uninstall it but You don't have to. If You only want test KDE Plasma, I would recommend to use KDE Neon. That is a Distro from KDE, the Developer of the Plasma Desktop. It is based on Ubuntun 24.04 LTS and KDE set on this their up-to-date Plasma Desktop.
As Ponce-De-Leon said above, HDR often (perhaps most often, given how many people buy fancy TVs compared to microphones) refers to the color depth visible on displays. Traditional displays work in 8 bit color for the usual 16,777,216 colors. HDR uses 10 bit color. (Merely being 10 bit is not the entirety of HDR, as contrast elements also apply. I'm not an expert on display tech, but here's some background: How Many Colors Is 10 Bit? Unveiling The Truth | WordSCR)
I'm one of those few who DO buy and use microphones.
I see what you mean.
but 8 bit has only 256 states, you actually need 24 bit for 16777216 states.
and 10 bit is only 4x 8 bit -- 1024 states.
256....................8 bit
65536...............16 bit
16777216.........24 bit
4294967296...32 bit
The names are a bit misleading. To express color on these displays, you need red, green, and blue. Each is in 8 bit, for 24 bits total, to get to 16,777,216.
Gnome no longer is as modular as general GnuLinux Desktop Environments generally are. It is more integrated than it used to be, partly due to the push toward Wayland.
So, I would not recommend removing Gnome from Zorin OS Core due to these integrated dependencies. It won't free up enough space to make it worth the headache and backstepping and troubleshooting.
I removed Zorin Desktop on a previous install after replacing with Plasma (5.24) and Enlightenment DEs. No issues apart from Enlightenment advising a newer version available but not accessible via Zorin repo's or Synaptic. I am sure someone on here installed Plasma 6 by using Jammy Backports, which I think is what kde neonuser uses. The downside to neonuser is it's heavy utilisation of snap and flatpak.
Wayland is an alternative Display Protocol. The current standard is Xorg/X11
Wayland is being pushed rather heavily by corporate interests; Big Companies want GnuLinux to adopt Wayland instead.
Most developers ignored IBM's demands, but Gnome went full tilt for them, on bent knee.
Add in some P.R. with the internet vowing that "Wayland's better", before long the initially resistant developers across D.E.'s began begrudgingly working on providing Wayland Compatibility, including KDE.
Most D.E.'s are highly modular as that is kind of a thing in Linux in general. Do one thing; Do it well.
Integration (As seen in Microsoft) bears benefits to develops by standardizing things, unifying them and allowing them greater control.
Think about it and it makes sense. If you control the integration; it is harder for End Users to replace the components you include that they dislike; Replacing them with a competitors Brand instead of Your Brand.
Clearly, I am highly critical of this behavior; I also am fighting a losing battle.
Where Wayland gets involved with Integration:
Many modular applications are not compatible with Wayland. For example; Gnome ScreenShot tool. But integrating the application into the already compatible Gnome Shell offered a simple solution: Which embedded the Screenshot tool as part of the shell, and not as a modular application.
This is true of many applications; and would allow Gnome to continue to assert its Dominance in the GnuLinux world by integrating more and more applications as part of the entirety of the Desktop, limiting user ability to pick and choose for themselves or resigning them to accepting BloatWare in order to configure their desktop to work as they want it to.
I think @swarfendor437 didn't said that right. Yes, KDE Neon has Snap and Flatpak integrated - like on Zorin by default, too. But when You don't like it - for whatever Reason - You can uninstall it. So, I wouldn't call this ''heavy utilisation''. Now, Snap and Flatpak have it good and bad Points fur sure. But they are useful, too. You can simply test what You like and what suits You. I use .deb and Flatpak
and don't like Snap. But that is an individual Thing and every User should decide that by themself.
KDE Neon has changed to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Base a while ago.
When You would install DE Plasma here on Zorin 17, You would get an older Plasma Version where the older X11/Xorg Display Protocol is used. With the newer Plasma Version, KDE have developed the Wayland Implementation way more. So, there You have with an up-to-date Plasma Desktop a way better Wayland Experience that here on Zorin 17 because the Zorin Desktop is based on an older Gnome Version (Gnome 43). On an up-to-date Gnome Desktop it is of course better now, too.
Surely it will be possible to continue using Xorg/X11 indefinately, regardless of how dominant Wayland becomes in future.
The best thing about Linux is it's open development, where anyone can modify and assemble their own Linux infrastructure, according to their personal needs.
Unlike Windows and iOS -- where Microsoft and Apple control every aspect of their proprietary operating systems. Still.. no one is forced to use the latest OS release. Here we are in 2025 -- and me still using XP after a quarter century.
This goes to show that Microsoft and Apple actually have no direct control at all.
Everyone are as free as their own minds.
Exactly. Anyone can 'not use' anything they dislike.
I will install KDE Neon this weekend - when I have some free time.
I can post a review of the OS/DE when I've had time to work with it.