Kubuntu vs Ubuntu on Feisty

[timohnani]

Hi guys,

I recently installed Kubuntu (Feisty) and so far I'm loving it. I've had a couple of problems which I have managed to solve thanks to the help around here. I'm a newbie even though I've previously tried Mandrake/Mandriva. I've always "sided" with KDE. No particular reason, it just seemed smoother and easier to use than GNOME.

However it seems that there are many more users of Ubuntu than Kubuntu. I just registered on the Ubuntu Counter and the statistics show that there are 6 times more Ubuntu users than Kubuntu users. So I was wondering why this is. Can anybody enlighten me?

I usually post my problems on the ubuntu forum and get help. Usually (understandably) this comes with advice from using Ubuntu which does not always make things easy to understand in Kubuntu.

The reason I use Ubuntu instead of the Kubuntu forum is because the Kubuntu forum seems to be so much smaller (again implying there are alot lets users of Kubuntu).

So why does the majority use Ubuntu? Should I consider changing? If you use Ubuntu, why did you choose it instead of Kubuntu?


Timo

[dptxp]

Gnome is very well organized and is simple to navigate. As far as looks, you can always change themes, remove top panel, have a nice wallpaper etc. I prefer a few icons on the top panel for the mostly used programs.

It is basically personal taste. I tried PCLINUXOS, KNOPPIX, SIMPLYMEPIS etc. but did not like them because I could not get used to KDE feel. The best KDE I have seen so far (default log is Gnome) is on Ubuntu (it becomes Kubuntu) on my laptop.

KDE has a few more tools, but normal user hardly needs them.

[stuh84]

Best KDE implementation I've seen so far is Sabayon, mainly because it doesn't look much like KDE.

I really do not get on with KDE at all, it just seems so cluttered. Then again I'm an OS X guy, so I find the top taskbar style a lot easier and aesthetically pleasing than the Windo.......KDE bar :P

[bluenova]

Best KDE implementation I've seen so far is Sabayon, mainly because it doesn't look much like KDE.

I really do not get on with KDE at all, it just seems so cluttered. Then again I'm an OS X guy, so I find the top taskbar style a lot easier and aesthetically pleasing than the Windo.......KDE bar :P

The bar can go where ever you want and you can have as many as you want. KDE can look like gnome and Gnome can look like KDE. They can both look totally different.

I don't get why people always compare the DM's in looks. You need to look beneath the surface to see the differences.

[jgrabham]

Hate the look of KDE, but I use Amarok, Kaffeine and some other KDE apps in gnome.

[shavenlunatic]

The bar can go where ever you want and you can have as many as you want. KDE can look like gnome and Gnome can look like KDE. They can both look totally different.

I don't get why people always compare the DM's in looks. You need to look beneath the surface to see the differences.


this is ALWAYS peoples reasoning behind liking a DE, and I don't get it.. both DE's can be customised in pretty much any way you like.. i have yet to see a reasonable argument for using one over the other

I really wish someone would expand further than "*DE looks better"..

yes, KDE 4 promises some new stuff but... neither of them jump out to me as having any functionality massively different to the other..

please, enlighten me.. someone

[Erunno]

All the marketing hype around Ubuntu deals with exactly that: Uuntu, not its neglected siblings Kubuntu/Xubuntu so most print media and internet sites direct you to ubuntu.com. It also doesn't really help that Kubuntu usually lacks behind in the feature compartment compared to its parent distribution, is more unstable than your usual KDE distribution and, in my humble opinon, looks horrible out of the box.

[b0ng0]

I used to use Kubuntu then decided to try Ubuntu when Feisty came out. To be honest I like them both. GNOME has a nice simplicity to it (although sometimes it feels a bit too simple) and I find GNOME is a tad more stable than KDE.
However I do miss the fantastic application set that comes with Kubuntu, Kaffine and amaroK are far better than the GNOME equivalents. I also liked the mini-web server applet which made sharing things over the internet from my pc a doddle. I don't think it's fair to compare KDE and GNOME in terms of looks, since either one can look almost identical to the other so don't listen to people who say that. The main differences are the layouts of the menus and the folder browsers (to me anyway).

At any rate I plan on installing kde-core so that I can choose what DE I want to use. Plus I don't want to get rusty with KDE since KDE 4 will be out soon :)

[curuxz]

Hi guys,

I recently installed Kubuntu (Feisty) and so far I'm loving it. I've had a couple of problems which I have managed to solve thanks to the help around here. I'm a newbie even though I've previously tried Mandrake/Mandriva. I've always "sided" with KDE. No particular reason, it just seemed smoother and easier to use than GNOME.

However it seems that there are many more users of Ubuntu than Kubuntu. I just registered on the Ubuntu Counter and the statistics show that there are 6 times more Ubuntu users than Kubuntu users. So I was wondering why this is. Can anybody enlighten me?

I usually post my problems on the ubuntu forum and get help. Usually (understandably) this comes with advice from using Ubuntu which does not always make things easy to understand in Kubuntu.

The reason I use Ubuntu instead of the Kubuntu forum is because the Kubuntu forum seems to be so much smaller (again implying there are alot lets users of Kubuntu).

So why does the majority use Ubuntu? Should I consider changing? If you use Ubuntu, why did you choose it instead of Kubuntu?


Timo

Because gnome is the primary desktop and KDE is just a side project for conical. They say they are putting more resources their way but I don't think things have changed much.

KDE is much better in my view but then most disagree :)

[SunnyRabbiera]

I think they both suck... that annoying ata error

[shavenlunatic]

KDE is much better in my view

reasoning?


"looks better" is not a valid option

[Tmi]

I use both. KDE on my desktop and Gnome on my laptop.

My laptop is my main computer while the desktop is mostly for movies etc.. I'd like to try KDE a bit more again on my laptop, but at the moment I'm having problems with my wireless WPA password not being stored in KDE, and thus I won't use it until that is sorted.

Pretty much all apps I use are KDE apps, so I guess it would be better resource wise to use KDE.

[Erunno]

I'd like to try KDE a bit more again on my laptop, but at the moment I'm having problems with my wireless WPA password not being stored in KDE, and thus I won't use it until that is sorted.

I encountered this bug too when I was still using Kubuntu. What helped me back than was deleting the whole kwallet folder in .kde (and thus deleting all passwords and kwallet settings). The first time you start KWallet it will recreate the folder. WPA password storage worked for me afterwards.

[stuh84]

Reasons other than the looks? I dont like the KDE Wallet, just gets in the way as far as I'm concerned, Konqueror as a file manager is bleh to me, I don't like having 12 different programs for one task etc etc

At the end of the day, I could spend days making KDE how I wanted......or I could use Gnome, which is how I want it to begin with... Gnome + Dock - Bottom Taskbar = How I want it, not uninstall everything, change this, make this different, change these applications, use this, make this transparent bla bla bla. Hours to get to a 5 minute resolution in Gnome.

Yep, I'm sticking with Gnome until KDE doesn't annoy me.

[Nakkis]

I prefer Kubuntu because of the greater functionality of KDE programs (especially Amarok and k3b). It's also very integrated. I also agree that it looks pretty bad out of the box, but with a bit of customization it looks quite beatiful.

Here's my desktop.

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2005/asdfpoaismdfapsoimdfsy5.th.png (http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=asdfpoaismdfapsoimdfsy5.png)

[Erunno]

I don't like having 12 different programs for one task etc etc

It's the job of the distribution to choose which packages make it into the standard installation. You can hardly blame KDE if someone gets the idea that some user might really need 3 console emulators. For all its faults one really cannot blame Kubuntu for duplicate functionality, there default application selection is excellent for what it tries to achieve.

EDIT:

@Nakkis: Very nice look :-)

[FuturePilot]

There's more Ubuntu users than Kubuntu users because Gnome is the default desktop.

[shavenlunatic]

Yep, I'm sticking with Gnome until KDE doesn't annoy me.

how can i take advice from someone from Rotherham whos avatar looks like a dog is being violated (in true rotherham fashion)

:D

also, the men call other men "love" there.. which just disturbs me :lolflag:

[curuxz]

reasoning?


"looks better" is not a valid option

I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!!! I get annoyed at the number of people that base choice in system on looks, that are so easily changed.

I personally believe KDE is better (for what I do) because:

- Fantastic level of customisation
- Tight integration of its programs and formats
- Konqueror is far superior to Nautilus, eg split plane viewing, good ftp, web browser ability, tabbed browsing
- Faster (least seems it on mine, though its hard to benchmark these kinds of things)
- Kontact cant even be compared with evolution since its so far ahead of it, the features esp with groupware connection you get are fantastic (now if only it was a little more stable! :))
- Kiosk mode good for businesses terminals
- built in remote admin
- fantastic control centre, nicely integrated

those are my main reasons that I use KDE

[stuh84]

Nar then love, be having less!

You've forgot to mention our national sport of whippet slinging, its like cricket, except, no bats and balls, you just catch the whippet after it has been "bowled", and then sling it as far as possible, for more points.

:guitar:

[shavenlunatic]

I COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!!! I get annoyed at the number of people that base choice in system on looks, that are so easily changed.

I personally believe KDE is better (for what I do) because:

- Fantastic level of customisation
- Tight integration of its programs and formats
- Konqueror is far superior to Nautilus, eg split plane viewing, good ftp, web browser ability, tabbed browsing
- Faster (least seems it on mine, though its hard to benchmark these kinds of things)
- Kontact cant even be compared with evolution since its so far ahead of it, the features esp with groupware connection you get are fantastic (now if only it was a little more stable! :))
- Kiosk mode good for businesses terminals
- built in remote admin
- fantastic control centre, nicely integrated

those are my main reasons that I use KDE

fantastic.. that's what I like to see.. i've been using Gnome for a while now and have been wondering if KDE might be worth a shot (used it briefly but not to any extent), I tried searching for reasons to try out KDE and all I came accross was "oohh, i like the way it looks" most of the time... and as I have my desktop looking exactly how I'd like it to look, it wasn't really a selling point

so thanks for that :)

[shavenlunatic]

Nar then love, be having less!

You've forgot to mention our national sport of whippet slinging, its like cricket, except, no bats and balls, you just catch the whippet after it has been "bowled", and then sling it as far as possible, for more points.

:guitar:

hehe, amusingly.. up here in the north (the REAL north, not that middle-of-the-country place you call s.yorkshire) we get called the whippet handlers... guess it comes with the territory of being from a poor town :)

next time i'm going through Rotherham I'll be sure to stop and fling a whippet or two

[vexorian]

I tried both and used each for plenty of time

Kubuntu
- Kolf = +1
- Customizability = +1
- Konqueror = -1 (Didn't IE teach us something?)
- K3B = +1
- Kate = +1
- Folder colors = +1
- Firefox (lack of) support = -1
- Speed = 0

Ubuntu
- Customizability = +1
- emblems = +1
- stretching desktop icons = +1
- nautilus = -1 (too slow and rubbish, if you want to use thunar instead the emblems added by nautilus are incompatible, which is very lame)
- Tango = 1
- Speed = 0

So, it is a tie, I don't really see why people make so much trouble about them... I am also unable to see how KDE is more customizable than gnome or viceversa, of course, my main point of comparison is windows which would ethernally get a 0 in customizability so perhaps it is that gnome and KDE get such a large value in customizability that a difference of 200 doesn't make any difference...

I am actually thinking of switching to Xubuntu, since it does have tango, and emblems and seems to be as customizable, and thunar would be nice to use if it was integrated to the DE. Although I'll first have to find a way to forget about the horrible logo used by it...

[happysmileman]

I use KDE because I like all the applications it has, and i think KDE4 is promising.

Amarok wins against any other Music Player.
Kaffeine wins against video players.
K3B wins against Burners.
Firefox is just as good on KDE as on GNOME.
KDevelop wins against anything else.
Other than that's there's stuff like Konversation and KMail, which i can't compare but work for everything I need them to.

Of course that's all my opinion but I think KDE usually has 1 good program for each purpose whereas Gnome has everyone fighting amongst themselves about what programs to use

[vexorian]

Firefox is just as good on KDE as on GNOME.
Last time I used it there were serious issues with the color of selected menu items, aka it stayed black when it should have been white and that ruined the feel of the qt theme I spent so much time working on :(



KDevelop wins against anything else.

I love code::blocks, although since it is wxwidgets it works everywhere.


Of course that's all my opinion but I think KDE usually has 1 good program for each purpose whereas Gnome has everyone fighting amongst themselves about what programs to use
I don't know what you are talking about...

[Erunno]

Firefox is just as good on KDE as on GNOME.


I'd say Firefox is as bad on KDE as on GNOME with GNOME having the slight advantage that Firefox uses GTK+ for some parts like the file selector but otherwise it doesn't really integrate well with both desktops (think proxy and passwords).

[wolfen69]

all those KDE packages are available in gnome too. i would rather use windows than kde. it's the biggest pile of *%$# ive ever used. i can put any non-kde os on my computer, and it runs beautifully. every single kde distro ive tried i had to nuke. buggy doesnt even begin to describe my experience with kde. i like the way it looks, but i'll take stability anyday. anyone that says kde runs perfect for them is lying. flame away. (puts on body armour)

[wolfen69]

I use KDE because I like all the applications it has, and i think KDE4 is promising.

Amarok wins against any other Music Player.
Kaffeine wins against video players.
K3B wins against Burners.
Firefox is just as good on KDE as on GNOME.
KDevelop wins against anything else.
Other than that's there's stuff like Konversation and KMail, which i can't compare but work for everything I need them to.

Of course that's all my opinion but I think KDE usually has 1 good program for each purpose whereas Gnome has everyone fighting amongst themselves about what programs to use

are you serious? i dont see every gnome user fighting anything. where do you get your generalisations from? bill gates? that's right, it's your opinion. keep it that way. i guess some people live under a rock.

[timohnani]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your response. Its interesting to hear all your opinions.

I was wondering, is it not possible to run KDE programmes in Gnome and vice versa??


Timo

[Hex_Mandos]

timohnani: yes, you can, but you won't see the same performance.

My laptop defaults to KDE, my desktop to GNOME. Both are great. Right now, I'm leaning more towards KDE, as I like the default apps better. I do use some GNOME apps though (I like Abiword and Gedit, for instance)

EDIT: As for stability, Kubuntu Edgy sucked, but Feisty works great

[curuxz]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your response. Its interesting to hear all your opinions.

I was wondering, is it not possible to run KDE programmes in Gnome and vice versa??


Timo

its easy, just install them using synaptic or apt or whatever, it will load the correct parts needed automatically

as an end use you will not realize its a 'gnome' application or vis versa :)

[Gary.M]

Hey Wolfen, everytime I see you pop up in a thread you seem to introduce some drama... your life must be dull...


all those KDE packages are available in gnome too. i would rather use windows than kde. it's the biggest pile of *%$# ive ever used. i can put any non-kde os on my computer, and it runs beautifully. every single kde distro ive tried i had to nuke. buggy doesnt even begin to describe my experience with kde. i like the way it looks, but i'll take stability anyday. anyone that says kde runs perfect for them is lying. flame away. (puts on body armour)

[Swarms]

I can't say what is better, since I never tried KDE properbly though I wanted back to my gnome desktop after 5 minutes, so won't comment on that part.

Though I never understood the huge love for Amarok, I find it too huge and bloathed with loads of stuff you don't need and can't disable.

[visions97]

Ubuntu is by all means a Gnome OS. Kubuntu is really just an afterthought, and it shows. Kubuntu is less promoted, it has fewer developers, and it's given less care than Ubuntu.

[Fittersman]

from what i have read, i see that lots of people like one better than the other because of the applications they each have to offer. But alot of the mentioned KDE apps people like, i have used under GNOME, so is there something other than looks and applications?

[b0ng0]

I think it's more the fact that Kubuntu comes with certain apps and Ubuntu comes with other certain apps. So if you're talking out-the-box then it's fair enough to mention the programs. Plus a lot of people don't like installing KDE libs on their Gnome environment. Or something.

[Fittersman]

I think it's more the fact that Kubuntu comes with certain apps and Ubuntu comes with other certain apps. So if you're talking out-the-box then it's fair enough to mention the programs. Plus a lot of people don't like installing KDE libs on their Gnome environment. Or something.

o, so after you customize it and stuff it really isnt all that different then, or am i still mistaken?