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PolishLinux KDE 4.1 Preview (Rev 802150)

polishlinux.org — Our favorite Polish (p)reviewer (p)reviews. In this (p)review, Plasma has gone under major API changes and is still a bit wonky, Dolphin gets tabs (hell yeah!), Phonon gets a Gstreamer backend, KWin gets wobbly windows (hell yeah!), and KInfoCenter and K3b get KDE4 ports. KDE 4.1 will be sure to blow your mind.

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  • ptFoe, on 05/01/2008, -1/+46Damn this guy once again teaches EnglishLinux how do to a review.
    • sockpuppets, on 05/01/2008, -6/+16How many people does it take to install it?
      • TomFrost, on 05/01/2008, -3/+9For what it's worth, I got the joke and laughed pretty hard. *Think* about it, down-diggers ;-)
      • ubuwalker31, on 05/01/2008, -0/+5LOL, I always think that PolishLinux is a name of a distro too...but its just a linux advocacy site.
  • schestowitz, on 05/01/2008, -10/+18Hopefully they sort out stability before July (yes, it's a development build, I know). Stability is more important than: "KWin with Wobbly Windows

    Kwin features a new visual effect known to most of you from Compiz: the Wobbly Windows. Only a few days ago the settings panel for this effect had tons of detailed options. Most of these options have been disabled now, the only thing that can be configured is the window deformation level while in motion. This seems more appropriate for a common user since the number of configurable settings was overwhelming before. One minor flaw that I noticed in KWin Wobble Windows is that the window shadow is not properly deformed (it does not adjust to the current shape of the window)."
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -1/+20Note that the people who usually work on compositing features aren't usually the heavy lifters in Plasma stability. (Which is where I'm assuming you are saying needs more stabiltiy, everything else seems quite stable last time I checked) I seem to recall one instance where Aaron made some minor improvements to the Coverswitch effect, but the work put into this was minor compared to his usual Plasma work.

      Also, all the other Plasma developers have been hacking crazily since the Milano sprint to get Plasma back in working order, and have made many improvements to overall stability since the tagging of KDE 4.1 alpha 1 one week ago.

      I don't think we'll have to worry about awesome functionality for KWin getting in the way of Plasma stability. :)
  • geoken, on 05/01/2008, -1/+36I wish I could auto-digg any submission from Polish Linux. The site provides welcomed relief from the sea of blog spam.
  • geoken, on 05/01/2008, -1/+33Awesome, tabs for Dolphin. It's almost getting embarassing how far behind Nautilus is lagging.
    • michuk, on 05/01/2008, -1/+9FYI:: Nautilus is getting tabs in the next stabile release
    • Fixion, on 05/01/2008, -8/+3Why is it embarassing? I like gnome and nautilus the way they are, KDE has always seemed too cluttered for me. To each his own I guess.

      I run Gnome / Compiz / AWN. Yes, I still use terminals frequently.
      • superstoned, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2well, if you're a poweruser and are comfortable with terminals and gconf, that's OK. Normal users probably prefer something like KDE I guess ;-)
    • shawnanigans, on 05/01/2008, -0/+13What's worse is that Dolphin has been out for less than a year. I really think that in time the improved framework behind KDE will help it move far ahead of GNOME because it made it easier for programmers. This will both bring in new programmers and make them more productive.
  • Sammi84, on 05/01/2008, -1/+14I both like and am content with the current state of Gnome, but this still makes my mouth water!
  • mtjohnson, on 05/01/2008, -4/+16You forgot Poland!
  • Dongvid, on 05/01/2008, -0/+17I switched entirely to KDE4.0 for just over a week and I switched back to KDE3.5.9 when hardy came out. I think KDE4's interface is more intuititve but the lack of qt4 software (like adept, or knetworkmanager) makes it not worth the switch for kubuntu users like myself. I really miss the CTRL+F8/F9/F10 commands. I hope the performance increases are significant, because KDE4 was still rather laggy when I used 4.0.3. This seems like a load of welcome changes and it's wetting my palette to taste KDE4.1 when a beta or final release comes out.
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+6It looks like Intrepid Ibex will be the (K)Ubuntu release you're looking for. It'll be pure KDE4, with no KDE3 apps to fill in the spaces.
  • Roger, on 05/01/2008, -10/+5http://polishlinux.org/reviews/kde-4-rev-802150/a3 ...

    Damn, the default KDE4 theme looks pretty ugly.

    I remember a similar theme back in KDE2, looks like they spruced it up.
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -5/+11The screenshot is crappy in quality, yes, but Oxygen is sexy.
  • ileftfark, on 05/01/2008, -2/+10Is anyone still not sold on Dolphin? It's the first thing I remove when I install or do a re-install. For whatever reason, I still find Konqueror versatile, quick, and easy. I hate that you can't copy the directory in the url bar by default. Maybe I'm just getting old...
    • UKsHaDoW, on 05/01/2008, -0/+12Konqueror is still a file manager in kde 4, just for you old guys...
    • thecheatah, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2Whats the advantage of having it in a seperate program anyways?
      • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1You can get the web browsing GUI elements out of the way and focus more on file managing. Konqueror, while very powerful, always felt a bit stifling witt all of its web browsing functionality getting in the way of file managing. I've always used Firefox, so I didn't need Konqueror's web browsing features anyway.
      • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1You can add awesome features to it that would look ugly or feel out of place in a web browser. The reality is web browsing and file managing just don't have that much in common, besides a back button on the toolbar.
  • killbert24, on 05/01/2008, -18/+2KDE 4.1 is ugly. Once you install PolishLinux I immediately suggest changing your operating environment so it isn't so black, thick, and Vista- wannabe. http://www.kde-look.org/
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -1/+15PolishLinux isn't a Linux distribution. Plus, black theme != Vista. That sort of reasoning is shallow, if it can be called reasoning at all.
    • tuartboy, on 05/01/2008, -1/+7Sorry, but.... lol
  • vvlist, on 05/01/2008, -1/+6Drool.
  • SQLserver, on 05/01/2008, -0/+8Well, looks to me like KDE's finally caught up with GNOME, and far surpassed it.
    1 Question before switching:
    How stable is this version of KDE?
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+7Well, it is an alpha. Tagging also took place during the middle of a Plasma API-review, so the alpha is a tad bit unstable now on the Plasma side of things.
      Latest SVN is quite a bit more stable now, since it has had a week or so of fixing since alpha 1 was tagged for release.
      • kelvie, on 05/01/2008, -0/+4Plasma is basically as good as it was before (the systray now works again! The week or two without a systray was really hell for a lot of us), but KWin's desktop effects have really gotten unstable in the last few days.
    • tolbs, on 05/01/2008, -1/+4I've played with KDE 4 a bit and it is no where near Gnome. Sure, it's pretty, but it is by no means functional. It just doesn't feel "right" yet and is so wonky. On the other hand, the seeds are planted for something great. I know KDE 4 in its current state is more of a work in progress, but I wouldn't use it now if I wanted to be productive...
    • fyanardi, on 05/01/2008, -0/+6KDE is behind Gnome? In terms of what? Eye candy? In terms of technology KDE is always ahead. (yeah, end users only care about how they desktop looks like)
    • InorganicMatter, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3GNOME was ever ahead of KDE?
    • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1"How stable is this version of KDE?"
      Currently? Not very. By June (or July, whenever 4.1 is release - I forget), hopefully it'll be fairly stable. If you want rock-solid stability, 3.5.9 is the way to go.
  • ToadLeg, on 05/01/2008, -7/+2I really like the way KDE4 looks, but they need to make Gnome applications, like Firefox, somehow look the same as everything else, before I'll use it.
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3That's a fault that needs to be dealt with at the distribution level. The problem stems from the lack of a gtk-qt theming engine being installed by default. in Kubuntu, you can install this with a simple "sudo apt-get install gtk-qt-engine-kde4", or by installing gtk-qt-engine-kde4 from the package manager. Then, GTK apps will be themed with Oxygen goodness. Be forewarned that the theme engine is still a bit buggy since its so new, in comparison to gtk theme engines for KDE3 that have been around for years.
      • ToadLeg, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2Thanks. I spent a couple hours messing with KDE4 yesterday and heard about gtk-qt-engine-kde4 and heard it was buggy, so I assumed that was why it wasn't working. You suggested it was working, so I went back and looked around, and found an option I had missed under System Settings -> Appearance -> GTK Styles and Fonts -> GTK Styles - there is the option "Use my KDE style in GTK applications". It works, so I'll be using KDE4 now.
        • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1It is a bit buggy, especially with Firefox 3. That could be due to Firefox's new GTK integration stuff, as pure GTK apps don't display the bugs that Firefox 3 does.
  • muniak, on 05/01/2008, -1/+6Wow, KDE looks a lot like mac, a lot better than it used to though O.o
    • TheWindBlows, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3Reminded me more of a clean looking Vista. (how it should have been looking).

      Though the default look just doesn't feel right like it needs a more glossy design instead of a creamy design.
    • InorganicMatter, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3I always thought it was the other way. KDE tries to look like Windows with the bottom taskbar and "start menu," while GNOME tried to be the poor man's Mac OS substitute with the top bar and separated menus.
      • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Don't forget GNOME's keep it incredibly simple philosophy, like Mac.
  • jmeeker516, on 05/01/2008, -6/+3LinuxGASM
  • hurtmetomysoul, on 05/01/2008, -9/+4This Just In!!!

    The Polish Government is installing this on all their submarines to alleviate the problems they've been having with Windows.

    then..

    rmmod screendoors
  • sovietamerica, on 05/01/2008, -8/+3A man walked into a bar and asked the bartender, "Hey, have you heard the latest Pollack joke?" The bartender replied, coldly, "No. And I'll have you know I'm Polish." That's O.K.," said the man, "I'll talk slow."
    • abes2, on 05/01/2008, -1/+1Hahahaha... not... isn't sovietamerica a russian breed of yankees?
  • DeathRay2K, on 05/01/2008, -4/+7Until they get antialiased window borders, I don't care how many effects they add for moving windows, resizing, maximising, whatever!
    • DeathRay2K, on 05/01/2008, -1/+5I should clarify. I just mean that they've skipped a step here. They're trying to have all sorts of cool new things, and they're trying to make it look great, but they haven't fixed the smaller things that people see all the time. The visual enhancements skip the basic stuff and go straight to the advanced. Obviously this is because they're not only playing catch-up, but they're also trying to get ahead of Vista and OSX. Unfortunately, to do that they have to look at improving the visual experience overall, not just tacking on unusual effects.
    • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1That's a good idea actually. (I've noticed unaliased rounded corners in KDE 3.5.) Does Compiz do that?
  • skyshock1, on 05/01/2008, -5/+2Great. Looks even more busted than 4.0. When are they going to get their ***** together?! I'm sick of using Gnome and KDE 3.5, I want a KDE that doesn't suck dammit.
  • over900000, on 05/01/2008, -8/+2Hmm... the one thing I noticed is that Amarok looks exactly like iTunes. And that System preferences is laid out exactly like that in OSX.
    • wiresjr, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1err. Amarok looks nothing like iTunes. Not even a little bit.
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1The top bar with the play/pause buttons and the progress bar is about the only similarity I can see.
  • sparrowkc, on 05/01/2008, -0/+3What's the difference between Dolphin and Konqueror?
    • dualscreenman, on 05/01/2008, -0/+8Dolphin's sole purpose is for file managing, while Konqueror has web browsing functionality too. Dolphin's aim is to make a simple, powerful file manager without all the heavy features you get along with a web browser.
    • fyanardi, on 05/01/2008, -0/+7Konqueror actually uses Dolphin to do file management (Dolphin part is embedded in Konqueror). So if some guys there want Dolphin to die, they would'nt have Konqueror as file manager as well.
      • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Well, Konqueror in KDE4 uses the Dolphin Kpart, but that's not how it use to be in KDE3. Basically the old Konqueror is dead. All the 3.5 file-views are gone. I think all of the important ones have been ported to Dolphin views. And anyone who want's Dolphin to "die" would be silly. Now that it has tabs, I would argue Dolphin is the more powerful file manager of the two.
  • nationalist, on 05/01/2008, -12/+4KDigg: Kbury, Kobama, Kriaa, Kpaa, Kidiot, Katheism, Kgnorance, Kligg Kdugg Klan
    • fyanardi, on 05/01/2008, -2/+2Come on dude, the K is just another naming scheme, like :
      * iPhone, iMac, iPod, iWork
      * MS Windows, MS Office, MS Word
      * Warty Warthog (WW), Hoary Hedgehog (HH), Dapper Drake (DD), Hardy Heron (HH - again?)
      • wiresjr, on 05/01/2008, -0/+2You're aware that only one of those is a naming scheme, right?
        (clue: it's the first one)
      • InorganicMatter, on 05/01/2008, -1/+1The difference between the Knaming scheme and iNaming scheme is that i is a vowel and goes well at the beginning of almost any work, while K is a consonant and doesn't go well with everything.
  • digjam, on 05/01/2008, -10/+1PolishLinux.....????? now I ll be interested in German one please!
  • brettalton, on 05/01/2008, -2/+1That theme looks like a modified GNOME theme and I don't see much else worth cheering about.

    Actually, Dolphin does look pretty good, but it doesn't have any features that I miss in Nautilus.
  • kwilliam, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1(I've got to shout this somewhere, I can't contain myself...)

    Hallelujah, Dolphin has TABS!!! I can die happy now. Name me the developer and I'll mail him a check for a beer.
  • dracflamloc, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1bleh, until i can right-click the desktop and get a nice compact menu of all the programs installed on the computer, like in KDE 3.5, I can't use this newfangled crap. Get off my lawn...
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