KDE Goes Cross-Platform, Supports Windows and OS X

klblastone writes "The KDE desktop environment is going cross-platform with support for the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. In addition to porting the core KDE libraries and applications, developers are also porting popular KDE-based software like the Amarok audio player and the KOffice productivity suite. New KDE binaries for Windows were released yesterday and are now available from KDE mirrors through an automated installer program. The Mac OS X port is made available via BitTorrent in universal binary format."

Comments

I want to like this

[geek]

I do enjoy some of the KDE applications and want to install them deep down in my soul, but because of the buggy nature and pre-release nonsense with KDE4 I'd really never trust it on my MacOSX system. I got my mac so that I wouldn't have to deal with the eternally beta Linux software situation. I want things to work, KDE4 doesn't work. Maybe in a couple years when they get their act together I'll trust it on my system but right now, as a MacOSX user, there is nothing KDE has to offer that's worth trying out. They really screwed up releasing KDE4 early. I don't trust it, I wont trust it for a long time and they're giving me no reason to begin trust any time soon.

Re:I want to like this

[gardyloo]

Hm. Kind of like OS X v. 10.0 (from Wikipedia):

It proved to be a rocky start to the Mac OS X line, plagued with missing features and performance issues, although it was praised for being a good start to an operating system still in its infancy, in terms of completeness and overall operating system stability.

Re:So will this ...

[mhall119]

You apparently haven't looked too hard. I have, and the GP is right, they all suck.

This is good...

[tprime]

I know this is considered by many as blasphemy but, it can't be seen as anything other than a REALLY good thing for the linux camp out there, provided it works well. One of the biggest barriers to people running linux is that they are uncomfortable with how it will work compared to their comfy Windows box. With this, people can see that KDE is really not that dissimilar, but is more functional.

Over time, people will see that they can run the same thing on a VASTLY less expensive computer. Get people comfortable with how it functions, show them how cheap it is by comparison, increase marketshare.
I guess I probably should have added inserted a step three in there before the increase maketshare as ??? to follow /. policies.

Re:So will this ...

[Hatta]

Agreed, the MSVDM crashes the only program I really need on windows, so it's a complete nonstarter. I can't believe that in 2008 ANY OS ships without this fundamental usability tool. And people give linux shit about having a crappy GUI when windows is 20 years behind.

And while I'm at it, where's my window shading and sloppy focus too?

Re:Point? Diversity.

[Devil's Avocado]

I believe you just answered your own question. There are some really nice KDE apps available that would be great to have running native on OS X. Krita is a more capable image editor than just about anything available on Mac short of Photoshop. (Try finding any other free image editor that supports 16-bit/channel color and filter layers.) Digikam is also shaping up to be a powerful photo workflow app. I've adjusted to the Mac apps now but back in the day I would have loved to keep using kmail, which is still more functional than Mail.app. In short, more diversity == more choices == better.

Mac developers can design shinier interfaces than anyone else, but too often they gloss over core functionality and/or remain closed-source. It's valuable to have apps designed from the opposite perspective available as well.

Re:Two interesting perspectives

[EvilRyry]

Approaches like that pulled me over to Linux on the desktop. KDE will always be associated with Linux. If you get Windows users hooked, next time they need to reload their OS because it goes completely berserk and dies for no obvious reason for the 2nd time in two years they might reconsider which CD to stick in the drive. That's basically my story ( not with KDE obviously , same laptop still runs Linux btw ).

Re:For Redundant, See Redundant

[vux984]

KDE = K Desktop Environment. When you say "KDE Desktop Environment", you are actually saying "I don't really know what I'm talking about". Rant Over.

The "K Desktop Environment" abbreivated "KDE" is the full name of the project. Its not a project called "K". And KDE is a desktop environment, so the KDE desktop environment while somewhat 'redundant' if you expand the acronym, is perfectly acceptable: "The 'K Desktop Environment' desktop environment has been ported to..."

The same sort of thing applies to, say, DOS, OS/2, or BeOS. Where it is perfectly acceptable to say "The DOS operating system...", "The OS/2 operating system...", "The BeOS operating system...".

Do you ask if someone's PC has an AGP port? I've never ever heard anyone say, "Do you have an AGP?" Or maybe you say "AGP slot" which is still redudnant: As in "Do you have an accelerated graphics port slot"?

Do you take offense if someone refers to the the perl language? The POP, PPP, TCP/IP, or PPTP protocols? And I can only imagine how you must burn right up when told to enter your SIN number. ;)

Re:Now Windows and Mac users can enjoy...

[segedunum]

the bliss that is getting harassed with a context menu every single fricken time they drag and drop a file!

I actually find it pretty useful. At least, unlike other desktop environments, I actually know when a file is going to be copied or moved, and I am not going to go somewhere in a hurry with my USB flash disk only to find that I've only made a bloody shortcut to the file that is about fifty miles away. It happens.

Dial-up, no CD recorder, or winhardware

[tepples]

I want it to work on my windows 98 boxes step one, download the kubuntu iso...

Step two: have your dial-up ISP hang up on you before the download completes, or not have any way to boot the ISO to install it. High-speed Internet access (and Ethernet cards to enable it) and CD recorders were not universal on machines sold in the Windows 98 era. Workaround: Buy a copy of Kubuntu on CD.

Step three: You downloaded or bought the wrong CD. Many PCs from the Windows 98 era had 128 MB of RAM, but the Kubuntu live CD needs about twice that. Instead, you will need the alternate installer CD. But by this time, you might as well use Xubuntu instead.

Step four: Have the CD fail to recognize at least one of sound, networking, and printing. Many older video cards have decent Free 2D drivers in X.Org, but winmodems and winprinters were unfortunately common in that era.

Re:Dial-up, no CD recorder, or winhardware

[emj]

step six: Earth is gone because no one wants to use old stuff.

Re:Dial-up, no CD recorder, or winhardware

[couchslug]

There are piles of old machines for donors, and it's quite practical to make a usable Linux box out of good throwaways. There is no need to use Win-shit.

A 440BX board or better, a PII or III, as much memory as ya can fit, a Soundblaster card, a 3Com or Intel NIC, a US Robotics external modem if you are on dialup, and an HP LaserJet for basic printing.

Well-supported, good hardware that's available in thrift stores, dumpsters, etc. Remember that you can build machines out of junk, and there is plenty of good junk.

Sure, plenty of us have money for better, but many of us don't and they needn't suffer much for it.

Re:Dial-up, no CD recorder, or winhardware

[cayenne8]

"You fail miserably. There are places outside your world where people get $349 *a month* for a living. And they must maintain a complete family (in fact, the average income of people in Mexico is about 515 and $2000 [sustainer.org] a year. There are lots of these people who can not buy a new computer, and are still happily using their 486 or even 386 with windows 95 and 98. And some of them using dial up internet connections! "

Well, from the poster's comments.....I gathered he was probably in the US. You're generally not going to be in the US posting on /. on less than $349/mo.

That being said....I do myself like to recycle older hardware, but, you gotta go for what will work on them. You don't use a brand new version of ubuntu or RH or whatever on old hardware....you have to install basic linux...roll your kernel to min of what you need....and go for lower end window manager, etc if you want gui.

I mean....win 95 wasn't exactly the resource hog that modern versions of MS windows are.

One big problem is his using dial up.....but, it can be done. My first linux install was on an old box in about 1994 or so....I did slackware...downloaded for weeks to get all the parts on floppy....and I installed it. It can be done....

Re:So will this ...

[damn_registrars]

There's been one in the FREE powertoys that microsoft puts out for ages... maybe since win2k
Actually, it was added in winXP. But it wasn't particularly good, and some of us can't use XP for various reasons.

As long as most linux distros have had it, so has M$.
No, various X windows systems have supported multiple desktops for a lot longer than that. CDE has supported multiple desktops (at least in Solaris) for many years - and done it with the best multi-desktop controls I've seen so far. KDE and GNOME have both done it for quite some time as well. Considering XP came out October 2001, and the powertoys sometime after, I don't think one could reasonably claim that microsoft has had it as long as linux.

That said, it's as useless in windows as it is in linux
If you find it useless, then don't use it. But don't try to tell the rest of us that it isn't useful. Many of us find it to be very beneficial. I suspect it comes down to how one tends to organize things in your own mind.

Re:Point? Diversity.

[Devil's Avocado]

We can bicker all day about what's "native" and what's not, but it really doesn't make one bit of difference. If an app does a job I need it to with an interface that doesn't get in the way then it's an asset. Sure, it would be great if everybody ported every app on the planet to Cocoa with loving devotion, but that's not going to happen. KDE has innovative and powerful apps to offer, and being able to run them as first-class apps on OS X is a Very Good Thing(TM). Furthermore, having OS X as a supported platform means those apps are likely to integrate *better* with the system over time instead of staying in the X11 ghetto.