The guide walks readers through adding the official Ubuntu Kylin repository to a vanilla 20.04 or 22.04 install so they can switch from GNOME to a polished Chinese‑styled KDE desktop in minutes. It begins by stressing the need for a current system—`sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y`—and a reliable internet connection, and it warns that a bad driver update could freeze the new shell if you skip a full upgrade. Next, it shows how to pull the meta package with `sudo apt install ubuntu-kylin-desktop -y`, or just the KDE flavor using `ubuntu-kylin-desktop-kde`, and offers optional purging of GNOME to free memory while keeping core Ubuntu tools intact. Finally, after a reboot you can choose “Ubuntu Kylin” at login, adjust default sessions in Settings, install extra utilities like `kylin-pc-tools`, or fix hiccups with a reinstall command—all without losing the underlying security updates from the base system.

How to Install Ubuntu Kylin on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

If you’re already on a vanilla Ubuntu installation and want that polished Chinese‑styled desktop, this guide will get you to the Kylin shell in minutes—no double‑boot wizard required.

Quick overview

You’ll add the official Kylin repository (or simply pull the meta package) and let APT handle the rest. The result is a KDE‑based interface with the same core Ubuntu back end, so your snaps and Flatpaks keep working like normal.

Prerequisites: Make sure you’re ready to swap desktop stacks

• You’re running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS (or any newer 22.x release that still uses the same package names).
• A reliable internet connection—Kylin’s meta package pulls in several hundred megabytes.
• A backup of your data, just in case you want to roll back.

I’ve seen this happen after a bad driver update on a fresh 20.04 install: the GNOME shell would freeze during the first log‑in after installing Kylin. That’s why I always run sudo apt full-upgrade before adding any new meta packages.

Step 1: Update your system

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y

A clean, up‑to‑date base reduces the chance of conflicting libraries when you pull in Kylin’s KDE stack.

Step 2: Install the Kylin meta package

The simplest way to get the whole desktop is:

sudo apt install ubuntu-kylin-desktop -y

If you only want the KDE flavor (and not the GNOME‑based one that ships by default), use:

sudo apt install ubuntu-kylin-desktop-kde -y

What if I just want a single app? Kylin ships individual packages like kylin-pc-tools or kylin-repository. Installing the meta pulls everything, but you can cherry‑pick later.

Step 3: Handle potential desktop conflicts

If GNOME is your current session and you don’t plan to switch back:

sudo apt purge gnome-shell

This frees up RAM and avoids duplicate menu entries. You’ll still keep core Ubuntu utilities, though.

Step 4: Reboot into Kylin

sudo reboot

At the login screen you’ll see “Ubuntu Kylin” as a session choice. Pick it, log in, and you’re greeted with a fresh KDE‑based desktop complete with the familiar Kylin icon theme.

Step 5: Optional tweaks

• Change the default session: Open Settings => Session & Startup => Default Session and pick “Ubuntu Kylin.”
• Install extra Kylin utilities: sudo apt install kylin-pc-tools adds handy power‑saving tools.
• Remove unwanted packages: If you’re a minimalist, run apt autoremove after the installation to clean up any leftovers.

That’s all there is to it. Kylin runs on top of your existing Ubuntu stack, so you get the same security updates and package management without giving up the polished UI you love.

Feel free to experiment—switch back to GNOME whenever you like by selecting “Ubuntu” at login. And remember: if something feels off, sudo apt install --reinstall ubuntu-kylin-desktop can fix most hiccups.