KDE's Stability.

[Roasted]

I don't mean to stir up the pot here but I just have a really sincere question. How stable is KDE 4.3? Reason I ask is I decided to check out Kubuntu based on a lot of good praise that KDE got on this forum. I've been running it full time on my spare computer here for a few days. Previously I hadn't used it much at all, but last night I used the computer 2 hours straight, and Plasma crashed 3 times in that time frame by doing simple things, such as adding a widget to the panel, closing Amarok from the system tray, and opening Firefox.

To me, this is a severe red flag, being I've been a gnome user for 4 years and I never recall having a crash. Then I fire up KDE and - 3 times in one night..?

What is Plasma, exactly, and what relationship does it have with KDE in general?

[lovinglinux]

Plasma crashes for me when trying to add the Microblogging widget. I get a black screen. I think everything is running in the background, but I have no desktop.

It also crashes if I click the "Kickoff" menu just after login in, while other panel widgets and the tray are still loading. In this case, I don't get a black screen, plasma simply freezes.

Other than that, it's pretty much stable.



From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28KDE%29

Plasma, part of KDE 4, is a fundamental rewrite of several desktop interaction technologies included in the KDE desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like systems, focusing on eyecandy and special graphical effects. It most notably replaces the previous KDesktop shell, Kicker taskbar and SuperKaramba widget engine used in the KDE 3 series with a unified workspace for KDE 4. Plasma also provides a resolution-independent interface for KDE, making the desktop look identical almost regardless of screen size or resolution. Plasma's applets are collectively called plasmoids, but range from informative widgets to mini-applications like calculators and dictionaries. An important feature of Plasma is that there is no longer a distinction between panels (like the taskbar), desktop icons, and widgets; they are created the same way.

[Roasted]

Wow. That's a bummer. From all of the praise I was hearing the last thing I expected was 3 crashes in 1 night. *shrug*

EDIT - to be fair, I did install Ubuntu and then Kubuntu desktop on top of it. I also know this computer has weird graphics issues (HP dx2200, integrated video). Sometimes when I boot to an Ubuntu LiveCD, it'll show the Ubuntu splash screen in 3 different offset locations on my screen. It still boots, but looks weird.

So to be fair I should make those notations aware. I plan to install a native Kubuntu install on that machine later tonight. At the time I couldn't get the Kubuntu CD I had to work (ISO had an error). I'll give it another shot. I keep reading more and more people are speaking highly of KDE 4.3... so I gotta be fair and try it again in a more sensible environment with the native live cd.

[Zorael]

If DrKonqi starts (the KDE crash handler) when plasma crashes, consider sending the generated report to bugs.kde.org. Perhaps it's an unfortunate mismatch with your hardware, if you're having other graphics issues.

4.3.3 is also available from the Kubuntu PPAs; if it's a known issue, perhaps it has been fixed.

ppa:kubuntu-ppa/ppa (https://launchpad.net/~kubuntu-ppa/+archive/ppa)
ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports (https://launchpad.net/~kubuntu-ppa/+archive/backports)

Remember, unreported bugs can only be fixed by accident.

[captaincrook]

My only issue is that Plasma likes to chomp on my memory (~200MB) along with Xorg (200+), so I think something's connected there. Anyways, if you really want some KDE love, try OpenSUSE's latest release in a VM program.

[Melcar]

OpenSuse or even Fedora have better KDE desktops than Ubuntu.

[Roasted]

Yeahhhhh but I'm a sucker for debian. :(

EDIT - just installed Fedora KDE on my spare rig, on top of Kubuntu. What's the difference? How is Fedora's KDE better than Kubuntu's? Looks and operates the exact same way best I can tell.

[captaincrook]

Yeahhhhh but I'm a sucker for debian. :(

EDIT - just installed Fedora KDE on my spare rig, on top of Kubuntu. What's the difference? How is Fedora's KDE better than Kubuntu's? Looks and operates the exact same way best I can tell.

The implementation is better as is the integration. If you don't mind living on the edge, try giving Sidux a try. That's also a good KDE distro based on Debian Sid, although it is a "rolling release" due to the Sid base.

[Roasted]

KDE on Kubuntu seems much more stable than KDE on Ubuntu + KDE from synaptic. It just felt like the system in general was sluggish when I did that.

I definitely like KDE on Kubuntu even more now that I did a fresh install properly. This may be beyond what the user sees but, like I said, I tinkered with Fedora KDE more and more and comparing it to Kubuntu... I just don't see a difference. *shrug*

[Roasted]

EDIT - I'm an idiot. Deleted.

[gerowen]

Just tried KDE4, seems really nice and feature rich, but ran slow on my ATI Radeon 3100, if I had 2 or 3 thing going at once my videos would lag when I tried dragging a window. On top of that, although all my KDE apps would render sound simultaneously, if I tried to play a game or something while music was playing, the game would have no sound. There were just a few minor annoyances, KDE just seems to BIG for me, I feel comfortable working in Gnome, so I'm probably going to stay here. If anybody else has installed KDE by just marking the "kubuntu-desktop" package in synaptic and you want to remove it, here's the file I saved with the markings that you can read into synaptic and it will remove everything installed by kubuntu-desktop so you won't have to worry about worthless kde packages sitting around after you've nuked the DE. Just copy and paste this into a text file and save it, then open Synaptic, click "File" and then click "Read Markings".



python-packagekit deinstall
ksystemlog deinstall
libqscintilla2-5 deinstall
libpackagekit-glib11 deinstall
krdc deinstall
krfb deinstall
kde-zeroconf deinstall
kppp deinstall
userconfig deinstall
libkonq5-templates deinstall
libqca2 deinstall
kipi-plugins deinstall
libksane0 deinstall
update-notifier-kde deinstall
libkonqsidebarplugin4 deinstall
kdebase-runtime-data-common deinstall
libpolkit-dbus2 deinstall
libkorundum4-ruby1.8 deinstall
kubuntu-default-settings deinstall
libqt4-qt3support deinstall
kubuntu-desktop deinstall
kubuntu-firefox-deinstaller deinstall
libqt4-phonon deinstall
libkabcommon4 deinstall
ktorrent-data deinstall
libk3b6 deinstall
kpackagekit deinstall
plasma-widget-facebook deinstall
libindicate-qt0 deinstall
libqca2-plugin-ossl deinstall
ksnapshot deinstall
libpolkit-qt0 deinstall
libkipi6 deinstall
kdepim-groupware deinstall
libotr2 deinstall
libqtscript4-network deinstall
konqueror-nsplugins deinstall
libqt4-test deinstall
libqt4-script deinstall
libknotificationitem1 deinstall
libqt4-designer deinstall
libkleo4 deinstall
libqt4-network deinstall
libqt4-dbus deinstall
language-selector-qt deinstall
libsmokeqt4-2 deinstall
libqtscript4-gui deinstall
plasma-widget-kimpanel deinstall
gwenview deinstall
kdelibs5 deinstall
kubuntu-docs deinstall
printer-applet deinstall
quassel deinstall
libboost-program-options1.38.0 deinstall
plasma-scriptengine-python deinstall
libkontactinterfaces4 deinstall
klipper deinstall
libmimelib4 deinstall
plasma-widget-kubuntu-qa-feedback deinstall
kaddressbook deinstall
kontact deinstall
kdebase-workspace-bin deinstall
kwalletmanager deinstall
usb-creator-kde deinstall
libpoppler-qt4-3 deinstall
ibus-qt4 deinstall
libkexiv2-7 deinstall
ksysguard deinstall
libokularcore1 deinstall
libtag-extras1 deinstall
libexiv2-5 deinstall
mysql-server-core-5.1 deinstall
libkcddb4 deinstall
konq-plugins deinstall
apturl-kde deinstall
libscim8c2a deinstall
kdepim-kresources deinstall
libqtscript4-sql deinstall
kdegraphics-strigi-plugins deinstall
libqt4-opengl deinstall
dolphin deinstall
plasma-dataengines-addons deinstall
khelpcenter4 deinstall
kdesudo deinstall
policykit deinstall
k3b-data deinstall
libqtscript4-xml deinstall
kde-style-qtcurve deinstall
libqt4-xmlpatterns deinstall
libqt4-sql-sqlite deinstall
pinentry-gtk2 deinstall
libsmokekde4-2 deinstall
libakonadiprivate1 deinstall
konsole deinstall
libstrigiqtdbusclient0 deinstall
korganizer deinstall
openoffice.org-kde deinstall
k3b deinstall
libsoprano4 deinstall
ktimetracker deinstall
akonadi-server deinstall
akregator deinstall
openoffice.org-style-oxygen deinstall
kde-icons-oxygen deinstall
libqt4-help deinstall
python-qt4 deinstall
kamera deinstall
ijsgutenprint deinstall
ark deinstall
libkpgp4 deinstall
kde-window-manager deinstall
libclucene0ldbl deinstall
konqueror-plugins deinstall
kvkbd deinstall
libkonq5 deinstall
libkdepim4 deinstall
amarok-utils deinstall
plasma-widget-indicatordisplay deinstall
libkdecorations4 deinstall
libqimageblitz4 deinstall
gtk2-engines-qtcurve deinstall
python-sip4 deinstall
phonon-backend-xine deinstall
libksieve4 deinstall
kfind deinstall
ttf-arphic-uming deinstall
dragonplayer deinstall
kdebase-bin deinstall
kdepimlibs-data deinstall
plasma-widget-folderview deinstall
kdm deinstall
speedcrunch deinstall
pinentry-qt4 deinstall
amarok deinstall
gnupg-agent deinstall
libpolkit-grant2 deinstall
software-properties-kde deinstall
libpackagekit-qt11 deinstall
libvncserver0 deinstall
libao2 deinstall
amarok-common deinstall
libkwineffects1 deinstall
plasma-widgets-addons deinstall
knotes deinstall
soprano-daemon deinstall
kdepim-runtime-libs4 deinstall
libqt4-sql deinstall
foomatic-db-gutenprint deinstall
libkopete4 deinstall
libqt4-svg deinstall
kdebase-workspace-data deinstall
kdebase-workspace-libs4+5 deinstall
konqueror deinstall
libqt4-xml deinstall
libzip1 deinstall
deinstall-package deinstall
cdrdao deinstall
kdebase-workspace-kgreet-plugins deinstall
packagekit deinstall
libqt4-assistant deinstall
gdebi-kde deinstall
libplasma3 deinstall
libqt4-ruby1.8 deinstall
plasma-dataengines-workspace deinstall
plasma-widget-lancelot deinstall
ksysguardd deinstall
kdepimlibs5 deinstall
update-manager-kde deinstall
plasma-widget-quickaccess deinstall
kdelibs-bin deinstall
kdebluetooth deinstall
kwin-style-qtcurve deinstall
kdepim-runtime-data deinstall
ktorrent deinstall
jockey-kde deinstall
liblancelot0 deinstall
kdemultimedia-kio-plugins deinstall
libstreams0 deinstall
python-qt4-dbus deinstall
libqt4-webkit deinstall
libepub0 deinstall
konq-plugins-l10n deinstall
exiv2 deinstall
kopete deinstall
kdelibs5-data deinstall
plasma-widget-googlecalendar deinstall
kdebase-runtime deinstall
quassel-data deinstall
libqtscript4-uitools deinstall
kdepim-wizards deinstall
kdebase-data deinstall
libqt4-sql-mysql deinstall
kate deinstall
kmail deinstall
liblastfm0 deinstall
libqt4-scripttools deinstall
kubuntu-artwork-usplash deinstall
libqtscript4-core deinstall
systemsettings deinstall
kdebase-runtime-data deinstall
kdebase-plasma deinstall
system-config-printer-kde deinstall
apport-kde deinstall
kdepim-runtime deinstall
kdebase-runtime-bin-kde4 deinstall
oxygen-cursor-theme deinstall
plasma-widget-networkmanagement deinstall
konqueror-plugin-searchbar deinstall
okular deinstall
kmousetool deinstall
kdepim-strigi-plugins deinstall
plasma-widgets-workspace deinstall
libmsn0.1 deinstall
hpijs-ppds deinstall
kmag deinstall
libkdcraw7 deinstall
kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts deinstall
python-kde4 deinstall
okular-extra-backends deinstall
kdepasswd deinstall
kmix deinstall
libstreamanalyzer0 deinstall
libpolkit2 deinstall
kcm-gtk deinstall
packagekit-backend-apt deinstall


Edit: Just so you know where I got this list of things to remove, all I did was after I hit install on kubuntu-desktop, I saved the markings, then did a find/replace and replaced every occurrence of the word "install" with the word "deinstall". Just thought I'd let you know that I didn't start picking random packages from memory.

[lovinglinux]

Edit: Just so you know where I got this list of things to remove, all I did was after I hit install on kubuntu-desktop, I saved the markings, then did a find/replace and replaced every occurrence of the word "install" with the word "deinstall". Just thought I'd let you know that I didn't start picking random packages from memory.


http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/puregnome