Mint 8 KDE

[blazemore]

The release candidate of Linux Mint 8 KDE Community Edition has been released.
I'm using it now and it's so good. It's what Kubuntu could/should have been, if Ubuntu didn't have such a rigid release cycle (I don't want to talk about that here).

Give it a go. It won't fit on a CD, but it will fit on a DVD or flash drive.

Screenshot attatched.

[toupeiro]

I'm running mint 8 on an x64-bit machine right now and I have to admit, I was very impressed. It truly is an out of the box, fully functional experience. The MintMenu takes some getting used to. Ultimately, its still very close to ubuntu but there is a very noticeable amount of work that obviously went into it and I see why people really love it now.

It was a close tie between mint and OpenSuSE 11.2 for my next main distro, but I think OpenSuSE edged out. The same fears I have about ubuntu in the next few releases will likely trickle into Mint. (Yes, the GiMP thing bugged me that much, principally.) OpenSuSE is giving me a refreshing reminder of what I loved about that OS before discovering ubuntu. At the same time, I'm also learning how nice apt is to zypper, and am already hot on the feature request lists trying to get tab-to-complete for zypper like aptitude has. I still think ubuntu has one of the greatest open source communities around bar none, so I dont plan on going anywhere from that standpoint. :) The mint community on their forums seemed pretty small from a seasoned support standpoint. The people that are over there are very helpful, but they could probably use some more volunteers to ease their workload. I saw many posts where the end result turned out to be related to forums resources being slim which for as much potential as that distro has is not a good thing.

I'll definitely be considering mint for people who want a taste of linux for the first time.

[inobe]

It was a close tie between mint and OpenSuSE 11.2 for my next main distro, but I think OpenSuSE edged out

oh my' libzypp is amazingly faster than apt.

suse sponsors more developers to work directly on kde than on any other distribution, it doesn't get better than that.

i never tried mint, i just never dug testing multiple spin offs of debian, it's either debian or ubuntu for me.

since ubuntu is gnome centric i wouldn't expect much with a Kdesktop however they are doing an amazing job with gnome.

[Techsnap]

As much as I despise Debian based distros (Don't like APT at all) I think that the Mint team do the best job with it, though Mepis certainly isn't far behind.

[cespinal]

I'm running mint 8 on an x64-bit machine right now and I have to admit, I was very impressed. It truly is an out of the box, fully functional experience. The MintMenu takes some getting used to. Ultimately, its still very close to ubuntu but there is a very noticeable amount of work that obviously went into it and I see why people really love it now.

It was a close tie between mint and OpenSuSE 11.2 for my next main distro, but I think OpenSuSE edged out. The same fears I have about ubuntu in the next few releases will likely trickle into Mint. (Yes, the GiMP thing bugged me that much, principally.) OpenSuSE is giving me a refreshing reminder of what I loved about that OS before discovering ubuntu. At the same time, I'm also learning how nice apt is to zypper, and am already hot on the feature request lists trying to get tab-to-complete for zypper like aptitude has. I still think ubuntu has one of the greatest open source communities around bar none, so I dont plan on going anywhere from that standpoint. :) The mint community on their forums seemed pretty small from a seasoned support standpoint. The people that are over there are very helpful, but they could probably use some more volunteers to ease their workload. I saw many posts where the end result turned out to be related to forums resources being slim which for as much potential as that distro has is not a good thing.

I'll definitely be considering mint for people who want a taste of linux for the first time.

+1 with this!... mint IS the best distro for first time users.. have been an avid mint user until the release of karmic (the overall look of and functionality of gnome in karmic seemed superior to mint this time) and so far I am very pleased. I gave kubuntu a try for a couple of weeks, it is visually impressive and feels very solid, but it was also plagued with bugs and applications crashing all the time.

maybe mint will help me give KDE a try... :)

[koleoptero]

...It's what Kubuntu could/should have been...

Care to explain?

[Bios Element]

Care to explain?
It's just the customary "kubuntu suxs" and "no one loves kubuntu" story. Which is getting rather old to be honest...

[bigbrovar]

The release candidate of Linux Mint 8 KDE Community Edition has been released.
I'm using it now and it's so good. It's what Kubuntu could/should have been, if Ubuntu didn't have such a rigid release cycle (I don't want to talk about that here).

Give it a go. It won't fit on a CD, but it will fit on a DVD or flash drive.

Screenshot attatched. I have been using karmic since beta and I have to say its one of the best kubuntu in a long time, and certainly one of the best kde distros out there. In what way is mint kde better than kubuntu beside extra codecs

[Techsnap]

i have to say its one of the best kubuntu in a long time, and certainly one of the best kde distros out there.

what the....

[koleoptero]

what the....

Tough concept? Want help?

[Techsnap]

Anyone who says that has never used Upstream KDE packages :P.

[koleoptero]

Anyone who says that has never used Upstream KDE packages :P.

How does that make kubuntu bad?

[Techsnap]

Stupidly Small Font Render by Default Slow as heck implementation. Crashes and Lockups

I wouldn't mind so much if the Kubuntu team put more effort in, but when you look apart from the few who do like it, Kubuntu seems to be giving KDE a bad reputation which is a shame because KDE is awesome.

[blazemore]

Well said.
However, I STILL have sound issues where I have to log out and in if I want to change sound application (exaile -> Youtube, for example)

[Techsnap]

However, I STILL have sound issues where I have to log out and in if I want to change sound application (exaile -> Youtube, for example)

I'm assuming that Mint 8 is using KDE 4.3, and I think it might be something do with Phonon because I've had this happen on Slackware, since I've never really bothered with it, I've ignored it for now, but if I do find a fix I will post it.

Update: Downloading now.

[BigCityCat]

I use kubuntu and have none of these problems others talk about. Anyway, I would still like to know if and how does Compiz work in Mint? Just in case i decide to use it in the future. That is one thing I like about Kubuntu. It's KDE/Compiz integration is very good. Just wondering?

[Techsnap]

You're using Compiz with KDE! Doesn't kwin compositing work?

[Jesus_Valdez]

You're using Compiz with KDE! Doesn't kwin compositing work?
In my opinion, Compiz does a better job.

[Artificial Intelligence]

In my opinion, Compiz does a better job.

Compiz support more features, but my experience the KDE compositing is faster and more stable.

[blazemore]

I'm using whatever is default, probably not Compiz. I've used Compiz before with KDE but it seems more buggy. Take another look at Kwin, it has wobbly windows!

Also, does anyone know how to stop windows becoming transparent when I move them?

[BigCityCat]

I'm using compiz with KDE mostly because Emerald gives me more window decoration options. Yes I have Aurorae and Dekorator but I like what is avialable with emerald better. As far as glitching, I still don't know where that is coming from. I'm having zero issues with that, but I do have dual core, 4gigs of ram and my Nvidia graphics driver is supported.

I like Kwin as well but from what I can tell the desktop cube set up is pretty generic.

I would still like to know if Mint has compiz?

My desktop probably looks like mint though.

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk14/bigcitycat/snapshot8.png

[Islington]

I'm using whatever is default, probably not Compiz. I've used Compiz before with KDE but it seems more buggy. Take another look at Kwin, it has wobbly windows!

Also, does anyone know how to stop windows becoming transparent when I move them?

Transparency plugin.
I will try it out, but I haven't had any problems with kubuntu karmic.

[Islington]

This edition is based on Kubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope, Linux 2.6.28, Xorg 7.4 and it comes with the latest KDE 4.2.4 and Amarok 2.1.

YIKES, is this still true?

[Techsnap]

When I tried the LiveDVD it looked to be KDE 4.3 but it had 2.6.28.

[bigbrovar]

Stupidly Small Font Render by Default Slow as heck implementation. Crashes and Lockups

I wouldn't mind so much if the Kubuntu team put more effort in, but when you look apart from the few who do like it, Kubuntu seems to be giving KDE a bad reputation which is a shame because KDE is awesome.

Concerning the Fonts its a matter of preference I too feel the fonts on Kubuntu could be better, but that is hardly a deal breaker, fonts can always be changed and I was able to change make some adjustment on the system fonts on kubuntu (http://bigbrovar.aoizora.org/index.php/2010/01/16/my-smooth-fonts-setup-for-kubuntu-karmic/)

Slow as Heck Implementation? What ever that means But I would presume you mean Kubuntu is slow? well again its a matter of preference its sure not as fast and speedy as archlinux, but That is then it runs lots more things OOTB to enhance usability across systems compared to arch which is more targeted at advance users you know what there want with their system. Kubuntu is not any slower compared to Mandriva or Open Suse.

Crashes and Lockups ever since I have started using Karmic Kubuntu I have never noticed a crash or lock-up, in fact the system is solid and very stable, I have had instances where the system runs for 2 weeks without me restarting. The only problem I am having with it is just the Intel graphic performance issue, but that also affect ubuntu and its a known upstream problem.

Kubuntu is not bad, its not as polished or as customised as Ubuntu but that is because Ubuntu is Canonical's flagship. There are only 2 active developers working on Kubuntu and I have to say there have done an awesome Job. Kubuntu is a community and there expect everyone to play a role. If you are having problems then file a bug about it and am sure the issue would be attended to. My only issue with Kubuntu was an audio problem which I filed a bug on. It turned out to be a problematic setting in mpd.conf which was not any of the Kubuntu's fault.

I have tried fedora kde, (Too many gnome applications for my liking) Open Suse ( Update issues, and am not just used to Yast although very polished offering) and Mandriva That one didn't even install properly, kept logging me to shell every time I try to boot.

of the above I have to say I find Kubuntu to be the best and most stable. It is also closest to upstream kde

[Techsnap]

It is also closest to upstream kde

If you're comparing it to OpenSUSE and Mandriva yes. If you're comparing it to Slackware or Debian you're completely wrong.

[blazemore]

Mint 8 KDE is based on Kubuntu 9.10
It's a lot better, however.

[CbrPad]

Mint 8 KDE is based on Kubuntu 9.10
It's a lot better, however.

Just wondering if you could expand on this please ? I'm running Kubuntu with the latest KDE beta and it's wonderful, no problems at all.

I booted up the Mint 8 KDE rc yesterday for a quick look and to be frank I didn't notice much difference. I had been kinda hoping the Mint menu would be there as I dislike the various Kde ones but didn't see it. Other than that the only diff I noticed was the Mint software centre (I already have Gnome network manager running on my Kubuntu) but that's not enough to get me to reinstall all my apps again .

[bigbrovar]

If you're comparing it to OpenSUSE and Mandriva yes. If you're comparing it to Slackware or Debian you're completely wrong.

Explain, the only non upstream implementation on Kubuntu am aware of is the Ayanata Notification system which is not enabled by default. It allows the user to choose which notification system there want to choose. But by default it uses the KDE Notification system. according to the Kubuntu dev the Ayanata Notification system was rejected by KDE upstream which was why it was implemented on Kubuntu.

[Techsnap]

Explain, the only non upstream implementation on Kubuntu am aware of is the Ayanata Notification system

Well okay, it seems that they are using upstream packages for the most part now, I was wrong about that. However it's just not configured properly to its full potential, it is noticeably slower with more glitches [and some plasma crashes] than Slackware & Debian for me.

[bigbrovar]

Well okay, it seems that they are using upstream packages for the most part now, I was wrong about that. However it's just not configured properly to its full potential, it is noticeably slower with more glitches [and some plasma crashes] than Slackware & Debian for me.
Never had any of those issues. Choice is always a good thing though :)

[CbrPad]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[blazemore]

I never had much luck getting anything in Kubuntu to work.
Sound didn't work out the box, neither did wireless, although it worked in Gnome (I know, weird).
I got graphical glitches everywhere, like when I opened the menu. GTK applications were a disgrace, and everything, I mean EVERYTHING crashed every half hour or so.

The only issue I still have with Mint is the thing in pulseaudio where you can only have one app playing sound at a time, which is a bit annoying if someone calls me on Skype. I don't see why they implemented this (I think it was in Jaunty) when whatever they had before worked perfectly.

[bigbrovar]

I never had much luck getting anything in Kubuntu to work.
Sound didn't work out the box, neither did wireless, although it worked in Gnome (I know, weird).
I got graphical glitches everywhere, like when I opened the menu. GTK applications were a disgrace, and everything, I mean EVERYTHING crashed every half hour or so.

The only issue I still have with Mint is the thing in pulseaudio where you can only have one app playing sound at a time, which is a bit annoying if someone calls me on Skype. I don't see why they implemented this (I think it was in Jaunty) when whatever they had before worked perfectly.

Did you install from scratch or you installed ontop of gnome using the kubuntu-desktop meta package. I have heard that installing from scratch works best. Gnome and Kubuntu use some conflicting technologies. for example kubuntu doesnt use pulse audio by default. It use phonon and Xine as backend. Installing gnome alone side kubuntu would cause lots of sound problems because gnome uses pulse audio this would just mess up the whole sound syste,. samething for network manager and bluetooth. It is always best to do a clean install of kubuntu at least from my experience.

[blazemore]

If anything, it worked better alongside Gnome.
Even on a clean install, I could never get it to work.
It's not KDE itsself, since Mandriva worked brilliantly on the same PC.

[bigbrovar]

If anything, it worked better alongside Gnome.
Even on a clean install, I could never get it to work.
It's not KDE itsself, since Mandriva worked brilliantly on the same PC.

Well the good thing is you are happy where you are. Choice is always a good thing :)

[Kirk M]

YIKES, is this still true?

Linux Mint 8 KDE is: Based on Karmic, KDE 4.3.4, 2.6.31-16 Kernel

[RiceMonster]

Compiz support more features, but my experience the KDE compositing is faster and more stable.

Yeah, I've had the same experience as well.

[L4U]

I've just toyed with a couple of KDEs on livecd because I prefer GNOME myself.

I definitely like Mint 8 KDE better than 7 KDE.

I like both of those better than Kubuntu.

Mephis had the best polished KDE look, but didn't run as well as the Mint KDE's.

I was most disappointed with Sidux because it looked really cool in the screenshots, but not good running on my computer.

The moral of this story, I'm a GNOME guy, so don't listen to me. ;)

[Techsnap]

I was most disappointed with Sidux because it looked really cool in the screenshots, but not good running on my computer.

Sidux isn't really supposed to be used on production machines.