The advice against installing KDE on Mint is valid — Mint's Cinnamon is deeply integrated, and mixing desktop environments can create:
- Conflicting system services
- Duplicate apps everywhere
- Theming inconsistencies
- Potential login issues
Better options:
1. **KDE Neon** — Ubuntu base + latest KDE (what you'd get from Mint)
2. **Kubuntu LTS** — Same Ubuntu repos, official KDE spin
3. **Fedora KDE** — Rock solid, more up-to-date than Ubuntu base
If you love Mint's philosophy, Kubuntu LTS is the closest match. Same release model, same de-snapping mindset in the community (though not official).
Don't install KDE *alongside* Cinnamon — pick a KDE-native distro.