Better Blur DX can be manually built on Debian-based distributions including KDE Neon, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu. There are no pre-built packages available, so you’ll need to compile from source.
Supported Distributions This guide covers:
KDE Neon
Kubuntu
Ubuntu with KDE Plasma
Other Debian-based distributions with Plasma 6
Installation
Install Dependencies
Install the required development packages: Wayland (Recommended)
X11
sudo apt install -y git cmake g++ extra-cmake-modules qt6-tools-dev \ kwin-dev libkf6configwidgets-dev gettext libkf6crash-dev \ libkf6globalaccel-dev libkf6kio-dev libkf6service-dev \ libkf6notifications-dev libkf6kcmutils-dev libkdecorations3-dev \ libxcb-composite0-dev libxcb-randr0-dev libxcb-shm0-dev
sudo apt install -y git cmake g++ extra-cmake-modules qt6-tools-dev \ kwin-x11-dev libkf6configwidgets-dev gettext libkf6crash-dev \ libkf6globalaccel-dev libkf6kio-dev libkf6service-dev \ libkf6notifications-dev libkf6kcmutils-dev libkdecorations3-dev \ libxcb-composite0-dev libxcb-randr0-dev libxcb-shm0-dev
X11 support is deprecated and not actively tested. Wayland is recommended.
This installs CMake, compiler tools, KWin development files, and all required KDE Frameworks 6 libraries.
Clone the Repository
Clone the Better Blur DX source code: git clone https://github.com/xarblu/kwin-effects-better-blur-dx cd kwin-effects-better-blur-dx
Build the Effect
Compile the effect: mkdir build cd build cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr make -j$( nproc ) sudo make install
mkdir build cd build cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr -DBETTERBLUR_X11=ON make -j$( nproc ) sudo make install
The -DBETTERBLUR_X11=ON flag is required to build for X11.
Enable the Effect
After installation:
Open System Settings > Desktop Effects
Disable any existing blur effects
Enable Better Blur DX
System Upgrades Important : After upgrading Plasma or KWin, you must rebuild the effect.The effect is compiled against a specific KWin version. After system upgrades: cd kwin-effects-better-blur-dx rm -rf build # Remove old build directory mkdir build cd build cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr make -j$( nproc ) sudo make install
Then restart KWin by logging out and back in. Always remove the build directory when rebuilding the effect to avoid cache issues.
Updating to Latest Version To update to the latest development version:
cd kwin-effects-better-blur-dx git pull rm -rf build mkdir build cd build cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr make -j$( nproc ) sudo make install
Restart KWin after updating.
Build Options Customize the build with these CMake options:
X11 Support
Debug Build
Custom Install Prefix
cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr -DBETTERBLUR_X11=ON
Uninstalling To remove Better Blur DX:
cd kwin-effects-better-blur-dx/build sudo make uninstall
If you no longer have the build directory, reinstall to the same location and then uninstall.
Troubleshooting Missing Dependencies If CMake reports missing packages:
# Update package list sudo apt update # Search for missing package apt search < package-nam e >
Build Errors If compilation fails:
Clean build : Remove the build directory and try againrm -rf build mkdir build cd build
Check KWin version : Ensure you have Plasma 6.5 or 6.6
Verify dependencies : Make sure all development packages are installeddpkg -l | grep -E "kwin-dev|kf6"
Effect Not Loading If the effect doesn’t appear:
Check installation :ls /usr/lib/ * /qt6/plugins/kwin/effects/plugins/libbetterblur.so
View logs :journalctl --user -u plasma-kwin_wayland.service -f
Restart KWin : Log out and back in
Compiler Issues If you get compiler errors:
# Ensure g++ is installed and up to date sudo apt install --reinstall build-essential g++ g++ --version # Should be at least g++ 11
Next Steps Learn how to configure Better Blur DX in the Configuration section.