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Better Blur DX is available for multiple Linux distributions through various package managers and can also be built manually from source.

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Quick Start

Choose your distribution to get started:

Arch Linux

Install from AUR packages

Gentoo

Install from xarblu-overlay

Fedora

Install from COPR repository

NixOS

Install using flakes

Debian/Ubuntu

Install on KDE Neon, Kubuntu, Ubuntu

openSUSE

Install on openSUSE

Manual Build

Build from source

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Important Notes

Rebuild Required After System UpgradesIf the effect stops working after a system upgrade, you will need to rebuild it or reinstall the package. The effect only works for the exact KWin version it was built for.Additionally, KWin needs to be restarted (e.g., via logout + login) to load an updated version of the effect. The initial install doesn’t require this.

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Wayland vs X11

Better Blur DX is primarily developed for Wayland, which is the recommended display server:
  • Wayland: Fully supported and tested on Plasma 6.5 and 6.6
  • X11: Supported but requires explicit build option (-DBETTERBLUR_X11=ON) and is not actively tested
X11 is more or less deprecated and doesn’t see API changes since Plasma 6.5. The Wayland and X11 versions will continue to drift apart in future releases.

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Supported Plasma Versions

Better Blur DX should always work on the current stable version of Plasma. Older versions aren’t tested much and may or may not work. Currently supported versions: Plasma 6.5, 6.6

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Next Steps

After installation:
  1. Open System Settings > Desktop Effects
  2. Disable any existing blur effects (including the default KWin blur)
  3. Enable Better Blur DX
  4. Configure the effect settings to your preference
For detailed usage instructions, see the Configuration section.

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