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Disabling bloatware
(sh.itjust.works)
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this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2026
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Linux
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How exactly is it bloatware though? Not a KDE user myself, just had a look at the wiki. Seems it's just a convenience utility to allow you to not have to enter the same things into multiple applications?
This is VERY different from pre-installed apps in your start menu that collect and sell info about you...
Yeah, thinking more about it, I don't think the term "bloatware" (as it is commonly used) applies here at all.
To answer your question:
sudo systemctl mask <servicename>.serviceThe much more common
disablejust disables autostart; masking will point the service file at/dev/null, which makes it impossible to load or start the service, even when other services or apps (like the clock widget someone mentioned in the comments) request it.I may appear paranoic, but it's collecting metadata from contacts and email. Even though it does not sell anything, that's not the thing I'd like to have running on my PC. And since I don't even use most of the apps Akonadi is designed for, it is just wasting my CPU time and RAM space. That's why I call it bloatware. And it's shipped preinstalled on Fedora. Another reason is that there's no way to manage it with KDE system settings. Why on earth I can't manage a KDE utility with the settings of KDE? Why hiding it so deep I can't find a bare notice of it without looking into htop or config files? It isn't that crucial for the system to be hidden so deep.
You can't just make up your own meanings of already established words and terms. That's simply not how the world works.
And if you don't use it, why did you choose to install it in the first place?
My definition matches the definition given in the Collins Dictionary. If you don't consider this a serious source, just accept I may not be always aware of a precise meaning of a certain term.
I did not choose to install Akonadi. It was preinstalled in Fedora KDE. I chose KDE for its extensive customization. Maybe I'm too old /j, but by choosing a DE I'm choosing just a DE. I couldn't even think about how extensive an ecosystem around a DE could be. There are useful tools, like KDE Connect, which are meaningful to me and can be configured straightforwardly, but Akonadi is neither something I missed, nor it has an accessible configuration.
I looked it up and found this:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bloatware
Is there another dictionary named Collins that you read?
It looks like you choose a Linux based operating system that seems to includes a fairly complete stack of the KDE suit.
(I don't know much about Fedora)
I bet that Fedora have a minimal version without a graphical stack, which would let you to only install the Plasma desktop environment and the parts of the KDE suit you find relevant for you.
And I'm sure that it's possible to strip down a current setup with Fedora and the KDE suit as well.
That's the issue here, you didn't choose just a desktop environment (Plasma Desktop) you choose a, more or less, complete suit of software (KDE). :)
I think you mean "suite" instead of "suit."
Thanks!
It is just something needed for synching calendar and contact information between KDE services, if you have no application that does this, akonadi is not started in the first place... The calendar events in the default panel clock is one of these and can be disabled in its settings as another commenter mentioned
It's just a helper. It's a way for your calendar to ask "uhhh... Should I already know of any calendars...?" and the service going "oh actually yeah, the user configured their email account, hold on, here's the corresponding calendar".
That's just basic functionality. Maybe what's tripping you up is that it's a separate service? Because I assume you have nothing against inputting your email into a mail client and a calendar separately.
If so, then for one, it's not really a difference if the mail app stores this into or the service does; and second, it's a good thing to have this standardized into a single purpose built service, rather than having each app reimplement this stuff.
CPU and RAM usage is so negligible it's laughable.
IDK.
It seems like you read something about personal data in the service description and just jumped to the conclusion that this is something nefarious.
I know what it is, that's why I'm so sure I don't need it for my tasks. The disturbing thing is of course not the data storage itself, but its movement accross my system. I'm okay with having social media accounts, but I'm not okay with shit like TikTok (don't use it though, just an example) knowing each of my contacts from Signal or whatever, or the browser knowing what I've planned for August 16 at 04:40 PM in my calendar. I want user apps to minimally interchange any kind of data. Why would I ever use Linux if not to have control over this?
The CPU and RAM usage might be negligible, but only until there's only one or two services like this. And I don't think that a service, that I don't use at all in any way, should occupy any amount of my RAM.