KDE Pre-Installation Configuration

If you're using the Bash Startup Files then run the commands below. Otherwise make sure that the values you want are properly set.

Installing KDE into /usr

Non-Multilib or Multilib

Create an addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh

export KDE_PREFIX=/usr

export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/kde/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Installing KDE into /opt

Create a link from kde-3.5.4 to kde to make upgrades and changes in the future easier:

install -dv -m755 /opt/kde-3.5.4 &&
ln -sf kde-3.5.4 /opt/kde

Even though the env variables are refering to /opt/kde, KDE_PREFIX should still be set to /opt/kde-3.5.4 as that's where KDE is going to be installed to.

Non-Multilib

Create an addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh

export KDE_PREFIX=/opt/kde-3.5.4

export PATH="${PATH}:/opt/kde/bin"

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH+:}/opt/kde/lib/pkgconfig"

export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${XDG_DATA_DIRS}${XDG_DATA_DIRS+:}/opt/kde/share"
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/kde/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Add a new entry to /etc/ld.so.conf for the libraries that KDE is going to install:

cat >> /etc/ld.so.conf << "EOF"
# Begin KDE addition to /etc/ld.so.conf

/opt/kde/lib

# End KDE addition
EOF

Multilib

Create an addition to the Bash Startup Files:

cat > /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh << "EOF"
# Begin /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh

export KDE_PREFIX=/opt/kde-3.5.4

export PATH="${PATH}:/opt/kde/bin"

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH32="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH32}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH32+:}/opt/kde/lib/pkgconfig"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32="${PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32}${PKG_CONFIG_PATHN32+:}/opt/kde/lib/pkgconfig"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH64="${PKG_CONFIG_PATH64}${PKG_CONFIG_PATH64+:}/opt/kde/lib/pkgconfig" 

export XDG_DATA_DIRS="${XDG_DATA_DIRS}${XDG_DATA_DIRS+:}/opt/kde/share"
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS="${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS}${XDG_CONFIG_DIRS+:}/etc/kde/xdg"

# End /etc/profile.d/30-kde.sh
EOF
source /etc/profile

Add a new entry to /etc/ld.so.conf for the libraries that KDE is going to install:

cat >> /etc/ld.so.conf << "EOF"
# Begin KDE addition to /etc/ld.so.conf

/opt/kde/lib
/opt/kde/lib32
/opt/kde/lib64

# End KDE addition
EOF