KDE 3.4 Released

andy753421 links to today's announcement of the official release of KDE 3.4, and writes "Several KDE 3.4 based distributions such as ArkLinux and Kubuntu are soon to follow. Features in the release include built in Text to Speech, a revamped trash system, enhanced PDF support and PC to PC synchronization, as well as a new theme. KDE 3.4 weights in at 6,500+ bug fixes, 1,700+ enhancements, and a grand total of 80,000+ contributions." Reader gotr00t adds a link to the KDE download mirror page . Update: 03/16 20:58 GMT by T : mrevell points out an interview with KDE hacker Aaron Seigo in the latest LugRadio, in which Seigo "dispels various myths about KDE and talks about the desktop environment's future."

Comments

Screenshots

[Grip3n]

Everyone loves pretty pictures!

http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/slideshow.php?re lease=265&slide=1

Re:Screenshots

[trans_err]

Here's another from kubuntu with KDE 3.4 and default transparency options
Pretty, eh?

Re:Screenshots

[Anonymous Coward]

if you look close enough they actually show the british isles -- but not the water between them and the continent (european integration driven too far?)

what they don't show is iceland...

Re:One more stat

[ZephyrXero]

Can't we all just get along? ;)

Re:fat as ever?

[m50d]

Actually it performs better with every x.y release, although the new features will weigh against that for real speed. But they're taking a breath ready to make KDE 4 the most bloaty ever. (Disclaimer: I'm actually a KDE fan, I do know qt4 brings a lot of speed improvements, but I also expect this to be true at least of the 4.0 release)

Re:BSD? Huh?

[spektr]

Try reloading the frontpage several times. The category will change between BSD and Linux randomly.

Re:BSD? Huh?

[timothy]

Call me ignorant, but what does KDE have to do with BSD?

Mr. Helmet:

Well, KDE has about as much to do with BSD as it does with Linux :) Popular desktop on both.

My intent was to make it basically in the Linux section (since many more KDE users are using Linux -- I assert, without numbers, just observation, and I could be wrong, and a moose once bit my sister and and and), cross-listed in the BSD section.

A peculiarity of the Slashdot backend means I picked the wrong order / weighting for KDE vs. Linux; I updated the story to fix this. No slight is meant toward Linux users, BSD users, Gnome users, those who enjoy boiled eggs with dill of a winter evening ...

timothy

Re:awesome

[Carewolf]

Neither does KDE. We have around 800 developers with 100 commits each on average. Although fairly it is mostly 200 core developers with 100s of commits. Check CIA/a.

Re:Good LORD it's got some useless stuff!

[avalys]

First of all, that thing has been there since KDE 1.0. It's a toy, and I doubt it requires much maintenance, so why not leave it in? What do you expect from something in the "kdetoys" package, anyway?

Second, the current moon phase is very important for amateur astronomers. A full moon makes it nearly impossible to see anything but the brightest objects in the sky, because of the glare. Also, if you want to look at the moon itself, the best time is not when it's full (because everything is so bright and washed out), but when it's at approximately 1/2 phase, because the shadows show depth.

Re:One more stat

[netdur]

> kde vs. gnome
it's simple, it's choice, everyone can pick up whatever he/she like... if you trying (trolling / flamware) force people use "DE" you like, you are nothing better than "ben laden"... it's really never mind, as long as "they" listen to freedesktop.org

one thing to say to kde people, QT is GPL, fork it, the company is out there to profit not to help kde project, when you fork QT you will control the widgets then drive it to direction right that kde needs, as free project you shouldn't risk stay under mercy of trolish or whatever you call it.

think about day trolish may think playing friendly with kde is not good for it business!!!

Good news

[realmolo]

I have to say, KDE is starting to get really good. And they seem to be cranking out improvements faster than they did in past years.

A couple more versions, and they'll probably have caught up to/surpassed what you get with a Mac or XP system. GUI-wise, anyway. Underneath it's already better.

The only complaint I really have about Linux on the desktop these days is the confusing layout of the filesystem. Which isn't KDE's fault. I hate having programs located in 5 different directories, with their configuration files in yet ANOTHER directory. I'm used to it, and it makes sense in a way. But I'd like to see all non-OS exectuables in their own folder under one "Program Files" folder, along with their configuration files. All the "system" files could go under a "System" folder.

But that'll never happen. It would break EVERYTHING.

Re:Good news

[saigon_from_europe]

The only complaint I really have about Linux on the desktop these days is the confusing layout of the filesystem. Which isn't KDE's fault. I hate having programs located in 5 different directories, with their configuration files in yet ANOTHER directory. I'm used to it, and it makes sense in a way. But I'd like to see all non-OS exectuables in their own folder under one "Program Files" folder, along with their configuration files. All the "system" files could go under a "System" folder.

I agree that filesystem could be much better organized. But just like with every long-lasting project you have to inherit a lot of bad choices you made. In this particular case, this is inheritance from UNIX. What's worse, no Unix system actually depends on any filesystem organization; kernel would be perfectly happy with "Program Files", "Settings", "Libraries" etc, but programs would find themselves quite confused.

What's even worse, all Linux filesystems have symlinks, so I really don't know why usr/bin is not linked to /bin (and same for other respective dirs, you get the idea). Those /usr vs non-/usr installs drove me mad (and very often still do) during lib over-installation (if you intall programs, they run anyway, but you never know what lib is really used). It is easy to do, so I don't know why distros don't do that. With some minor hack, these links could be even hidden.

OS X is UNIX-based kernel, but it does not have too messy filesystem organisation, but they did it in moment when it was obvious they would break backward compatibility.

Slightly OT, I think that init system should be simplified too, but I really don't have an idea how.

Re:Yahoo :)

[bigjocker]

Sadly, about a month ago I gave up on KDE and Gnome and went back to Enlightenment. I have over 1GB RAM, but those desktops are becoming a huge memory hog.

E just sits there (looking beautiful, BTW) and does just what I need. A few tweaks away and I have a great desktop.

Now watch the bug reports roll in.

[Kili]

I'm on the kmail list and in the past 12 hours over 57 bugs have been filed against kmail alone...

I think I'll do what I usually do... wait for x.1 to be released. If that comes out too quickly I wait for x.2.

As always: Back up your data BEFORE trying new software.

Happy compiling...

Re:Klauncher could not be reached via dcop

[nietsch]

" kde needs to fix this problem, not a workaround. Not for me because I don't care anymore. For others, especially newbies."

Yes and the catholics need to love the protestants, and the linux need to fix their installion scripts.

If you cannot even mention the distro/version you were running and how you got kde on it, why should anybody take you serious. You are just trying to get people to get angry at you for being hardheaded.

And I will bite your head off.