View Poll Results: What is the best desktop in your opinion?

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  • Gnome

    182 57.78%
  • KDE

    86 27.30%
  • Xfce

    47 14.92%
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Thread: Desktop Environment / Window Manager Preference/Comparison Thread

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Desktop Environment / Window Manager Preference/Comparison Thread

    I went on a search through the forums, and read several heated messages in the mailinglist about inclusion/integration of KDE. Amusingly enough, some of those people were people who claimed to have stopped using Mandrake due to KDE being the main focus.

    So I just have to ask: Have I come to the wrong place? I didn't install Ubuntu because I wanted a GNOME-centric desktop; I installed Ubuntu because it seemed to be a relatively stable, relatively stock-software system that was desktop-centric, followed standards, and didn't invent a gazillion different distribution-centric GUI tools. Ubuntu was that.

    Truth be told, though, despite its clunkiness, I prefer KDE to GNOME, and I have multiple reasons that, if listed here, would start a flamewar.

    So was I wrong? Is the main focus on building a GNOME desktop rather than a standards-driven desktop? If so, can anyone point me in the direction of a standards-driven desktop that's leaning toward KDE? I don't want to help cram anything down anyone's throat if people don't want KDE on their systems. If I was right, then I don't feel sorry for the poor, misguided GNOME zealots who've mistakenly believed this to be a GNOME-centric distribution.

    My own stance on the KDE vs. GNOME issue, BTW: May the best system win.

    Thank you for your time, and please, let's try to keep the discussion civil; I promise to try to do the same.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
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    34

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    I too am KDE over gnome. I plan to go with debian testing pretty soon. the gnome UI is just too much work to learn. while some may use it well, i cannot. i tried just recently. i literally hugged my monitor when KDE came back on... also, gnome always comes off as buggy, hacked together. i thought goneME was a great idea to bring the option to give people who didn't like gnome2.6 the ability to use gnome2.6...

    my biggest concern is that they vastly change the entire UI over ONE RELEASE and didn't provide any backwards compatibility... there was actually a lot of debate over this during gnome2.6. by now anyone who hated 2.6 either took it and liked it, or went to kde, or went to flux/open/blackbox/fvwm/xfce, or back to windows.

    I'd take windows over gnome for UI, by far. my hatred for gnome is pretty much everything in 2.6...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by regeya
    So I just have to ask: Have I come to the wrong place? I didn't install Ubuntu because I wanted a GNOME-centric desktop; I installed Ubuntu because it seemed to be a relatively stable, relatively stock-software system that was desktop-centric, followed standards, and didn't invent a gazillion different distribution-centric GUI tools. Ubuntu was that.
    Its not that KDE is a sore issue, its that its a non-issue. KDE support for Ubuntu (as in official support) is probably not in the cards. A third party might do it one day, but the Ubuntu project is just trying to be the best Gnome desktop it can be. There are not enough resources for KDE support.

    The basic opinion is that in a linux world where there are hundreds of distros, its better to just do one thing well than be everything to everyone. Ubuntu as a project is trying to be THE gnome distro. Sounds like you either need Kanotix, Mepis, Libranet, Progeny Debian, or plain Jane Debian. As long as you as sticking to the good debian backbone, nothing should go wrong.

    Quote Originally Posted by regeya
    So was I wrong? Is the main focus on building a GNOME desktop rather than a standards-driven desktop?
    Yes, the point of Ubuntu is to make a Gnome desktop, thats what makes it different from regular Debian (a standards driven desktop).



    Quote Originally Posted by regeya
    If so, can anyone point me in the direction of a standards-driven desktop that's leaning toward KDE? I don't want to help cram anything down anyone's throat if people don't want KDE on their systems. If I was right, then I don't feel sorry for the poor, misguided GNOME zealots who've mistakenly believed this to be a GNOME-centric distribution.

    My own stance on the KDE vs. GNOME issue, BTW: May the best system win.

    Thank you for your time, and please, let's try to keep the discussion civil; I promise to try to do the same.
    I honestly don't think that there is a competition between KDE and Gnome, the both can win. KDE wins when a distro like Mepis kicks buns with it, and Gnome wins with every Ubuntu release.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Oxford, UK
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    125
    Distro
    Xubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by poofyhairguy
    Its not that KDE is a sore issue, its that its a non-issue. KDE support for Ubuntu (as in official support) is probably not in the cards. A third party might do it one day, but the Ubuntu project is just trying to be the best Gnome desktop it can be. There are not enough resources for KDE support.
    There has been discussion about spinning off a "Kubuntu" project but I'm not sure where that's got to - do a search on these boards to catch up.

    However, I think Ubuntu's clear focus is a good thing. Until I installed it, I hadn't been happy with Gnome in the past and had always ended up using KDE (on various incarnations of SuSE and then Mandrake... I can't remember what I was using before that!); this time round, things are actually pretty smooth. When it comes down to it, the desktop environment is only the backdrop for running the tools that enable me to do the things I want to do.

    There have been a few programs that haven't run too smoothly "out of the box" (or, at least, off synaptic) but most stuff has been pretty well behaved and I've been having a "good user experience".

    If I came across a similar KDE based distro, with the same level of support and polish, I might consider it but at the moment I'm doing alright with Gnome. This is the world of Open Source, so, if I do get fed up then there are plenty of other alternatives (as well as places I could contribute time and money). However, I don't think anybody gains if people find a slick, well-polished release and then try to insist that it becomes another "kitchen sink" distro.

    Wulf
    Wulf Forrester-Barker
    Bassist with The Elusive Teeth (see gigs page for forthcoming dates)

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Ubuntu Budgie Development Release

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    If people are so unhappy that KDE is so bad supported in Ubuntu, they might try a KDE based distro instead and it's not because the distros out there lacks for KDE desktops. Linux is about choises, if you don't like a distro you'll find one what's satisfied your need, and there are 100s of distros out there.

    I'm quiet happy with gnome. I was actually KDE fanatic before I ran into Ubuntu (thanks bvc for the recommendation ) and was sceptic with all the manually setup of stuff, but now I love it! I actually feel I've the control of what and where I want my stuff.

    thechris, perhaps ubuntu is the wrong distro for you.

  6. #6
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    Xubuntu 14.04 Trusty Tahr

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by Artificial Intelligence
    If people are so unhappy that KDE is so bad supported in Ubuntu, they might try a KDE based distro instead and it's not because the distros out there lacks for KDE desktops. Linux is about choises, if you don't like a distro you'll find one what's satisfied your need, and there are 100s of distros out there.

    I'm quiet happy with gnome. I was actually KDE fanatic before I ran into Ubuntu (thanks bvc for the recommendation ) and was sceptic with all the manually setup of stuff, but now I love it! I actually feel I've the control of what and where I want my stuff.

    thechris, perhaps ubuntu is the wrong distro for you.
    Totally agree with Artificial Intelligence. There are other debian-based distros that supports KDE. MEPIS is one example. And I don't think anyone can complain about MEPIS being more KDE-centric and Ubuntu being more GNOME-centric.
    Last edited by Buffalo Soldier; January 16th, 2005 at 02:30 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    IMHO the issue here is applications: KDE actually has some apps that are better than
    alternatives on gnome. Examples: k3b and lyx-qt

    k3b is clearly the best cd burning app out there and many of the complaints
    seen on this board are related to cd burning (audio is particularly bad)

    lyx-qt is clearly the superior latex frontend. While not strictly a kde app, it is in universe
    and looks better with kde libs installed.

    When I install a linux distro such as Fedora even though the primary supported desktop is gnome there is decent kde support available which enables me to use the superior kde apps as addons.

    Conlcusion: either provide basic level kde support so addons will work properly (k3b doesn't in warty) or put a major effort into gnome replacements. If you don't you will find users drifting away back to Fedora. Just my two cents worth.

  8. #8
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    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Gnome also has a much better outlook when it comes to being free software.

    Qt has a business model that is not entirely in that spirit. It is not a comunity driven project, but more of a company driven project. They charge for the Windows version of QT development tools, for example. Yes, it is released under the GPL, but in the long term, their business model may question that.

    With gnome, there is no doubt.

    What do you mean by "standards-driven desktop?"

  9. #9
    ralph_ubuntu Guest

    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by azz
    Gnome also has a much better outlook when it comes to being free software.

    Qt has a business model that is not entirely in that spirit. It is not a comunity driven project, but more of a company driven project. They charge for the Windows version of QT development tools, for example. Yes, it is released under the GPL, but in the long term, their business model may question that.

    With gnome, there is no doubt.

    What do you mean by "standards-driven desktop?"
    Excuse my language, but that utter bs.
    Qt is released under the GPL and it will always stay under a free license as it will automatically be under a BSD like license if Trolltech ever gets sold to an other company.

    Why making money with their product and at the same time giving all the development made possible by that money back to the community is not entirely in that spirit also is beyond me.

    Again, excuse my language, but this kind of uninformed FUD simply ticks me off. Gnome is a great desktop (as is kde imho) and one surely doesn't need FUD to justify why one uses it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    Re: Why is KDE such a sore issue?

    Quote Originally Posted by ralph_ubuntu
    Excuse my language, but that utter bs.
    Qt is released under the GPL and it will always stay under a free license as it will automatically be under a BSD like license if Trolltech ever gets sold to an other company.

    Why making money with their product and at the same time giving all the development made possible by that money back to the community is not entirely in that spirit also is beyond me.

    Again, excuse my language, but this kind of uninformed FUD simply ticks me off. Gnome is a great desktop (as is kde imho) and one surely doesn't need FUD to justify why one uses it.
    -----------
    its not gpl for windows..check their site and you will see your info is incorrect. This does matter for those of us wanting to cross develop and for those of us finding relavancy in 100% free software.

    its only NOW going to be gpl 'for windows' in quater 4 ( late 2005 ) and they do it to maintain they say a mindset of open source software. Gnome/gtk has been donig that for sometime now which is why I prefer gnome ( always will ) to this day. That does not mean I think kde is nasty just that I believe in 100% free software and gnome started out that way, and thats where my loyalty remains.

    cheers
    nl

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