KDE 4.0 Beta 1 Available Now!

[Dark Star]

http://www.imgx.org/pfiles/1248/kmenu.jpgThe first beta release of the most awaited project of this year, KDE 4.0, was just announced today by the hard-working people behind the KDE project: "The KDE Community is happy to announce the first Beta release for KDE 4.0 is available now. This release marks the beginning of the integration process which will bring the powerful new technologies included in the now frozen KDE 4 libraries to the applications. Simultaneously KOffice have released the second Alpha of KOffice version 2."


http://www.imgx.org/pthumbs/large/1245/default1.jpg (http://www.imgx.org/public/view/full/1245)


This first beta version includes improved text rendering & layout and the new Flake library. Other highlights are:


Marble widget can be used in Qt Designer;
KWin has been greatly improved;
Integration between Dolphin filemanager in KDE and Konqueror has been improved;
Gwenview received usability work and features;
Konsole has improved automatic tab titles, support for random background colors per-tab, clickable URLs and a new default color scheme;
Okular, the universal document viewer of KDE4 introduces usability improvements, better multithreading and work on the print preview component;
KRDC will be rewritten by Urs Wolfer, solving many longstanding issues and adding features like tabbed view and KWallet support;
KOffice Alpha 2 is also available now.



http://www.imgx.org/pthumbs/large/1246/kde4.jpg (http://www.imgx.org/public/view/full/1246)


The KDE 4.0 schedule:


1 April 2007 - Subsystem freeze
15 Apr 2007 - kdelibs Hackathon week
1 May 2007 - Alpha release + kdelibs soft API freeze
8 May 2007 - Usability and Accessibility review
1 June 2007 - Feature freeze
25 June 2007 until 24 September 2007 - Beta cycle, full kdelibs API freeze
25 September 2007 until 22 October 2007 - Release Candidate cycle
23 October 2007 - KDE 4.0 released


KDE is a powerful Free Software graphical desktop environment for Linux and Unix workstations. It combines ease of use, contemporary functionality and outstanding graphical design with the technological superiority of the Unix operating system. KDE is a network transparent contemporary desktop environment for UNIX workstations. KDE seeks to fill the need for an easy to use desktop for Unix workstations, similar to the desktop environments found under the Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows.


http://www.imgx.org/pthumbs/large/1247/kde4-desktop.jpg (http://www.imgx.org/public/view/full/1247)


Announcement: K Desktop Environment - KDE 4.0 Beta 1 Release Announcement (http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.0-beta1.php)
Download : KDE Download (http://download.kde.org/download.php?url=stable/3.1.4/)

Note : Screenshot are just a ex.. are not of KDE beta 1 :)

[tigerpants]

It looks like Vista.

[needtolookatascreenshot]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=519877

[tigerpants]

Well, good luck with that. Its not for me.

[needtolookatascreenshot]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=519877

[mech7]

it's sorta ugly.. it tries to look like vista but then you look at the dock and menu bar and it's grey from the nineties :(

[tigerpants]

Huh? What is not for you?
That someone wrote a theme that looks like Vista? Then don't use it....

KDE. Its bug ridden bloated crap.:)

[Jucato]

I'm sorry but those are just not accurate screenshots. Neither of those have anything to do with KDE 4 at all. The first screenshot is a 3rd party KDE project called Kuartet. The second is merely a screenshot of a KDE user's desktop that looks like Vista.

While we do like to promote KDE (and other FOSS stuff), it hurts more to be giving misleading information.

Here's the official announcement with some screenshots: http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.0-beta1.php

Remember, at this point everything is literally beta (no in the Google sense of the term beta). The focus is not yet in providing "nice" looks but in stabilizing under the hood stuff like API (which is really the purpose of the Beta tag here, to freeze the API).

EDIT: Didn't immediately see the 3rd screenshot, which is the only KDE 4.0 screenshot there.

[needtolookatascreenshot]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=519877

[needtolookatascreenshot]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=519877

[happy-and-lost]

The first screenie looks an awful lot like the SymphonyOS desktop. Looks a million times better than the alpha I tried.

[hanzomon4]

I'm sorry but those are just not accurate screenshots. Neither of those have anything to do with KDE 4 at all. The first screenshot is a 3rd party KDE project called Kuartet. The second is merely a screenshot of a KDE user's desktop that looks like Vista.

While we do like to promote KDE (and other FOSS stuff), it hurts more to be giving misleading information.

Here's the official announcement with some screenshots: http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.0-beta1.php

Remember, at this point everything is literally beta (no in the Google sense of the term beta). The focus is not yet in providing "nice" looks but in stabilizing under the hood stuff like API (which is really the purpose of the Beta tag here, to freeze the API).

EDIT: Didn't immediately see the 3rd screenshot, which is the only KDE 4.0 screenshot there.

+1

[tigerpants]

Look ma, I just found a troll...

Not really. Its just an opinion. Sorry if it made you cry.

[shafin]

I tried the alpha 2 live CD,and I'm sorry to say,but my Gnome 2.18 seemed better than this in terms of Functionality and Eye Candy(I'm on Fusion.)

BTW,Good luck to the project,hope it brings more people to linux.Because the KDE and Gnome are more about helping each other and ultimately linux as a whole by offering choices,not about biting each others off about who is better.

[handy]

BTW,Good luck to the project,hope it brings more people to linux.Because the KDE and Gnome are more about helping each other and ultimately linux as a whole by offering choices,not about biting each others off about who is better.

Yes, just as all the varieties of Linux feed off of each other, & help each other grow, Free Software & Open Source really is remarkable in sharing the knowledge & accelerating growth.

[Jucato]

Kuartet is actually inspired/based on Symphony OS, or rather the Mezzo desktop.

You know, it's too early to actually say that A is better than B, when A is years older than B. The beta release isn't concerned about looking nice, nor is it supposed to be used by end-users (unless they want to help in development). The Beta is focused on API freeze. Eye candy (from Plasma, Oxygen, Kwin) are still on going, and so is functionality (only API is frozen, not the apps). Then there's also the fact that KDE 4 will be a huge leap from KDE 3, in terms of the "desktop" metaphor. We'll have to wait and see. Beta 1 is definitely not something we should all go crazy about just yet.

[Erunno]

Not really. Its just an opinion. Sorry if it made you cry.

I hate it when trolls try to hide behind the "it si just my opinion!!lolz!" excuse. Having the luxury to state your opinion openly without fearing regressions is not a carte blanche for spouting uninformed crap. An opinion has to be backed up with facts (especially when making technical assumptions like you do) otherwise it's just plain trolling.

[ahawks]

Well this thread has been a let down :(

Titled "KDE 4.0 Beta 1 Available now!"

But the whole 2 pages so far are people whining about the screenshots being ugly, other people pointing out that the screenshots are not 4.0 screenshots, and the beginnings of a flame war about whether or not KDE is buggy and bloated or not.

Personally, I was hoping to see a tutorial for installing the beta on my Ubuntu box.

[Old Pink]

Well this thread has been a let down :(

Titled "KDE 4.0 Beta 1 Available now!"

But the whole 2 pages so far are people whining about the screenshots being ugly, other people pointing out that the screenshots are not 4.0 screenshots, and the beginnings of a flame war about whether or not KDE is buggy and bloated or not.

Personally, I was hoping to see a tutorial for installing the beta on my Ubuntu box.

Official announcement, and official screenshots: http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.0-beta1.php

To install:

Go into System > Administration > Software Sources
Enable "feisty-backports"
Close and reload
Ensure feisty-backports (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuBackports) is enabled or you are running gutsy.
Install kde4base-dev.
These KDE 4 packages install to /usr/lib/kde4 so run:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/kde4/lib
export KDEDIRS=/usr/lib/kde4
export PATH=/usr/lib/kde4/bin/:$PATH
export KDEHOME=~/.kde4
Run some programmes. Plasma seems to work and will run over kdesktop happily. Good luck.
To avoid having to start a second X server for a full session install xserver-xephyr and run Xephyr :1 & export DISPLAY=:1; xterm and run startkde in the Xerphyr xterm.
To run it as a full session copy /usr/lib/kde4/share/apps/kdm/sessions/kde.desktop to /usr/share/xsessions/kde4.desktop, edit the Name entry in kde4.desktop to be called "KDE 4", put the four export lines at the top of /usr/lib/kde4/bin/startkde and start a new session in KDM with KDE 4.

[awakatanka]

....[/LIST]
Thxs, will give it a shot to.

And the trolls we better ignore because else the thread goes offtopic fast. Let them scream unbased claims, and just ignore

[EXCiD3]

KDE for the win! This might actually switch me over from GNOME, I prefer the ease of use of GNOME (plus it doesnt remind me of Winblows ;)) But KDE seems to have all the little things i wish GNOME had but it just wasn't my cup of tea, however KDE looks pretty sweet, im going to install it as soon as i the newest episode of diggnation d/l'ed ;) (I'm in Winblows, cuz i needed to patch a couple of games...and just realized there was a new ep, but i was too lazy to wait to reboot and d/l it...)

Anyways enough ranting... Someone remind me, is the Official KDE 4.0 release going to make it into Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon's October release?

[tehhaxorr]

KDE for the win! This might actually switch me over from GNOME, I prefer the ease of use of GNOME (plus it doesnt remind me of Winblows ;)) But KDE seems to have all the little things i wish GNOME had but it just wasn't my cup of tea, however KDE looks pretty sweet, im going to install it as soon as i the newest episode of diggnation d/l'ed ;) (I'm in Winblows, cuz i needed to patch a couple of games...and just realized there was a new ep, but i was too lazy to wait to reboot and d/l it...)

Anyways enough ranting... Someone remind me, is the Official KDE 4.0 release going to make it into Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon's October release?

Sure... if KDE development is on schedule.... (hahaha!)

They will probably have to stick with KDE 3.5.Stable because of the standards of stability that Kubuntu has. I can't see them doing what OpenSUSE will do and release with a pre-release version of the code...

You will probably have to wait until 8.04? for KDE4, that is if it is considered stable enough then (I'm 99% sure it will be by then) but on the off chance it's not considered stable you'll have to wait till 8.10? for KDE4.

[Andrewie]

standards of stability that Kubuntu has

:lolflag: rofl

[Jucato]

They will probably have to stick with KDE 3.5.Stable because of the standards of stability that Kubuntu has. I can't see them doing what OpenSUSE will do and release with a pre-release version of the code...

Kubuntu has been releasing packages for KDE 4 alphas and beta as soon as they are announced. Sure we don't have a Live CD, but those KDE 4 Live CD's aren't from openSUSE. They are Live CD's containing KDE 4 on openSUSE made by a single KDE/openSUSE developer.

[/QUOTE]You will probably have to wait until 8.04? for KDE4, that is if it is considered stable enough then (I'm 99% sure it will be by then) but on the off chance it's not considered stable you'll have to wait till 8.10? for KDE4.[/QUOTE]

No we don't have to wait for 8.04 or 8.10 for KDE 4.0. Kubuntu will be releasing KDE 4.0 packages as soon as possible. There might be separate CD's for it too.

What users will have to wait for is to have KDE 4 by default in Kubuntu.
7.10 can't have KDE 4.0 because of conflicts in release schedules.
8.04 can't have KDE 4.0 because it will be an LTS release.
8.10 will have KDE 4.x by default. BUT like I said, packages will be available as soon as KDE 4.0 is out.

[bns]

In fact, Jonathan Riddell suggested that they might crank out some KDE4 live cds after the KDE4 release. So that might be something to look forward to. ;)

[Dimitriid]

Im glad people are exited about it and some features looks nice, but im just not "feeling" KDE, even on this version. I just like gnome's ( and xfce's ) simplicity, I tend to use very minimalistic desktops and I like minimalistic options ( only 1 or 2 ways for each app etc. )

For some reason I feel it would take me a lot more time to get KDE 4.0 the way I like ( minimal, and removing most shorcuts from menus and so ) but maybe im wrong, its been almost 4 years since I last used KDE.

[bionnaki]

so, is kde 4 going to fix its problems with firefox and other gtk apps?

[jamaisvu]

What users will have to wait for is to have KDE 4 by default in Kubuntu.

Default, i.e. supported, i.e. stable.


7.10 can't have KDE 4.0 because of conflicts in release schedules.

Then the release schedules are broken. It has been suggested before that there should be a delay of 7.10 to, say, 7.12 (which would not be unprecedented), and I think there is a lot of merit in that idea. Better still, that time could be used to get the blasted LTS version out of the way with simultaneous releases:
7.12 KDE 3.5.x LTS
7.13 KDE 4

Then 8.04 could be used for real development purposes, rather than pseudo-commercial LTS stuff.

[Erunno]

so, is kde 4 going to fix its problems with firefox and other gtk apps?

Which ones?

[Jucato]

Default, i.e. supported, i.e. stable.

Not really. We could have included KDE 4.0 in Gutsy if it weren't for the release schedule. But definitely not for 8.04 LTS.


Then the release schedules are broken.

Nothing's broken. Ubuntu's release schedule has never been synced with KDE's but with GNOME's 6-month schedule.


It has been suggested before that there should be a delay of 7.10 to, say, 7.12 (which would not be unprecedented),

The only reason there was a delay in Dapper was due to the first ever LTS release. I'm not sure they're willing to make a repeat of that for every LTS release. Also, all official *buntus release at the same time. We can't delay a release just to wait for KDE 4.0, also considering the possibility of delays in KDE 4.0's release as well.


Then 8.04 could be used for real development purposes, rather than pseudo-commercial LTS stuff.

pseudo-commercial? Dunno what you're talking about.

Anyway, I don't understand why there is such a big deal that Kubuntu won't have KDE 4.0 by default until 8.10. Like what has been said, Kubuntu will be providing packages for it as soon as possible, which is usually just hours or days after the official KDE announcement has been made. Any package coming from kubuntu.org repositories are supported by Kubuntu. And once released to the public.

And if you are concerned about absolute stability, then you might consider waiting until KDE 4.1. KDE developers have already given disclaimers that, since KDE 4.0 is an almost completely new version, there might be bumps along the road, as well as some features that couldn't make it to the 4.0 release (but will be there in successive releases, for the whole KDE 4 lifecycle).