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Kubuntu 15.04 Will Be Based On KDE5

jones_supa writes Kubuntu Vivid is the development name for what will be released in April next year as Kubuntu 15.04. The exciting news is that following some discussion and some wavering, the Kubuntu team will be switching to Plasma 5 by default. They claim that it has shown itself as a solid and reliable platform and it's time to show it off to the world. There are some bits which are missing from Plasma 5 which are planned to be filled in over the next six months. As another technical detail, Debian git is now used to store the packaging in a Kubuntu branch, so hopefully it will be easier to share updates.

45 comments

  1. Ugh. by Shaman · · Score: 1

    KDE5 Plasma 5.

    --
    ...Steve
    1. Re:Ugh. by Shaman · · Score: 1

      WTF can I not edit... /. took out my greaterthan/lessthan symbols.

      Plasma 5 and KDE5 are two different things.

      --
      ...Steve
    2. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Try "<>"

    3. Re:Ugh. by Karzz1 · · Score: 1



      Thanks AC!

      --
      Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.
    4. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      UID 1148 and still not using preview ?:)

    5. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plasma 5 and KDE5 are two different things.

      Not really, because KDE5 is not a thing (it's a bit like saying "Google KitKat" or "Microsoft 7")

      http://i.imgur.com/usfgJSF.png

    6. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't want to hear about your sexuality. Let's keep it in the bedroom ok?

    7. Re:Ugh. by Bogtha · · Score: 1

      It hardly seems right to liken people referring to the desktop as "KDE" as if they were people saying that they "boot their Microsoft". KDE stands for the K Desktop Environment, and it has referred to the software itself for the majority of it's existence.

      --
      Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
    8. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's been around long enough to remember when things would work in preview but then get mangled when you post.

      As indeed have I. I remember reporting such a bug several years back, asking why the preview used a different rendering. Didn't get a reply.

    9. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      KDE stands for the K Desktop Environment, and it has referred to the software itself for the majority of it's existence.

      KDE stood for K Desktop Environment. It's been an empty acronym for 5 years.

      The "boot their Microsoft" is indeed a bit hyperbolic (though it is memorable, which is the point of that mnemonic image), but the Mozilla one is a perfect analog, since "Mozilla" used to be the name of a web browser but is not any more (since that browser is now called Seamonkey) and now refers to the people who make this browser (among others).

      In any case, I think it's pretty important to encourage the use of correct terminology, if only because it makes it much easier to find correct (or at least officially supported) documentation.

    10. Re:Ugh. by Bogtha · · Score: 1

      I've got no problem with encouraging the correct terminology, it's the fact that it implies somebody who is a bit out of date with the project's branding is a technological halfwit who doesn't understand the difference between an organisation and a software package. It's KDE themselves that mixed the two up.

      --
      Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
    11. Re:Ugh. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 3, Funny

      Plasma 5 and KDE5 are two different things.

      I'm waiting for the LCD version, less chance of burn-in than w/Plasma.

      --
      It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    12. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've got no problem with encouraging the correct terminology, it's the fact that it implies somebody who is a bit out of date with the project's branding is a technological halfwit who doesn't understand the difference between an organisation and a software package. It's KDE themselves that mixed the two up.

      So if someone is out of date with the terminology I can't explain it to them because that makes me a patronizing asshole? OK, noted.

      Also, I think the 2009 renaming clarified stuff.
      Before that, when KDE was the name of both the software bundle released every six months or so, and a general umbrella term for all software produced by the community, including outside of that bundle (eg Amarok, K3B, Yakuake, Koffice), we were in a situation where some of the most popular KDE applications were not part of KDE, which I think is a bit confusing.

      There's also the fact that there's more than one KDE desktop environment: Plasma's the most famous, but BE::Shell also counts, and last year they proposed the Razor-Qt guys to join the KDE infrastructure, and although that didn't pan out, both sides are at least open to the idea.

    13. Re:Ugh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      i would like to install linux on my SNES. how do I do this? The log in will be up up down down B A B A start.

    14. Re:Ugh. by X0563511 · · Score: 1

      Try again. It stands for "K Desktop Environment."

      Hell, Google says "KDE is a powerful graphical desktop environment for Unix workstations." for the page summary!

      --
      For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
    15. Re:Ugh. by SQL+Error · · Score: 1

      Aha! The real reason why <> has been deprecated in favour of !=

    16. Re:Ugh. by Bogtha · · Score: 1

      So if someone is out of date with the terminology I can't explain it to them because that makes me a patronizing asshole? OK, noted.

      I said nothing of the sort. By all means, explain it. That's a good thing. Just don't liken them to technological halfwits while you are doing it. That's unwarranted.

      --
      Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  2. KDE5 has nice features, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I see there is much discussion going on on this thread, but I'm afraid I can't participate until I have formed an opinion... but to form an opinion I need frequent contributor Bennett Haselton to comment on this topic. I'm confident my wishes are heard and bennett will contribute to slashdot again. After all, he's a frequent contributor.

  3. Err... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What else are you "fairly sure" of without actually knowing what you're talking about? Election Day is coming up, this impacts us all...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE_Frameworks_5

  4. Err... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ok fair enough. I did look into it but obviously not hard enough. Also, no elections in my country right now :)

  5. abort abort abort by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    kill this and try again huh

  6. Re:Plasma? by jones_supa · · Score: 2

    Well, KDE consists of two parts. Plasma is the desktop shell. SC (Software Compilation) are the various apps that come with KDE.

  7. Re:Plasma? by Kjella · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, KDE consists of two parts. Plasma is the desktop shell. SC (Software Compilation) are the various apps that come with KDE.

    No, what used to be the "Software Compilation" in KDE4 split into three parts:

    KDE Frameworks 5 - the KDE libraries on top of Qt5
    KDE Plasma 5 - the shell
    KDE Applications - the applications, duh

    They're now on three separate release schedules from what I gather, there's no more SC like it used to be.

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  8. Re:Plasma? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    KDE is the name of the community, so it's a lot more than 2 parts.

    Or, if by "KDE" you mean "The software bundle once known as KDE", in the Qt 5 world it doesn't exist any more, and has been split into 3 parts:
    - Frameworks 5, the modular evolution of the KDELibs
    - Plasma 5, the next iteration of Plasma
    - And the Applications bundle, whose first version not entirely Qt4-based will be released in december (and since not all application port to Qt5 at the same time, they decided to go for a date-based verion number, so it will be Applications 14.12)

  9. Where have I heard this before? by Bogtha · · Score: 1, Troll

    There are some bits which are missing from Plasma 5 which are planned to be filled in over the next six months.

    You mean like what happened with KDE 4? Because that really turned out well.

    --
    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
  10. 4 Again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Are we doing this again? 4 is just now getting relatively stable and complete...

    1. Re: 4 Again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From their website: "Plasma 5.1 brings back many features that users have grown used to from its 4.x predecessor".

      But they still haven't finished bringing back useful features from 3.x.

      Deja vu all over again.

    2. Re: 4 Again? by i.kazmi · · Score: 1

      Could you please name a few missing features? I don't have a kde 3 system available at the moment and kde 4 feels pretty complete and stable to me

    3. Re: 4 Again? by Gavagai80 · · Score: 1

      Well, I still miss being able to place launchers/applets wherever I want them on a panel or desktop without being forced into a grid or having to use spacers that never quite work right.

      --
      This space intentionally left blank
  11. Re:Plasma? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    yes - but will get the desktop boxes in the tray back?

  12. Non-LTS Ubuntu Release == DO NOT WANT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sorry Ubuntu, but after you burned everyone on the 10.04 -> 10.10 release, everyone and their dog learned to stick to your LTS releases.
    Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

    Right now we're on 14.04.1 LTS, so the next news worth reading about is 14.04.2 LTS.
    In 2016 we'll have the choice of sticking with 14.04.x LTS, upgrading to 16.04 LTS, or jumping ship to Mint.

    1. Re:Non-LTS Ubuntu Release == DO NOT WANT by Teun · · Score: 3
      A real ./ nerd is not chickened out by some breakage but commits fixes or at least reports!

      Besides, that same nerd would be damned to run a single distro, he'd always have a (couple of ) fall-back systems.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    2. Re:Non-LTS Ubuntu Release == DO NOT WANT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      10.04 -> 10.10 release

      no. it is the change to 9 months support for non-lts releases beginning with 13.04 that got everybody to say "fuck you" and switch to lts only (or switch off ubuntu entirely)

  13. 4 Again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And 4 will remain stable, complete and supported for plenty of time to come. But 5 will never get there unless it is released. So, just like most people should have stuck with 3.x until at least 4.2 and probably a bit later than that, stick to 4.x for now unless you want a rough ride. Then, when 5.x is on par with or better than 4.x was, the distros will switch. FWIW, I expect the transition from 4 to 5 to be a lot smoother than 3 to 4 was.

  14. Yah, but can it do Pinch-2-Zoom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just kills me that all of Linuxdom does without Pinch-to-Zoom (2 finger gestures) on a touchpad. All modern laptops (including Win8) have this feature but Linux skewers it in the butt.

    1. Re:Yah, but can it do Pinch-2-Zoom? by Voyager529 · · Score: 1

      Just kills me that all of Linuxdom does without Pinch-to-Zoom (2 finger gestures) on a touchpad. All modern laptops (including Win8) have this feature but Linux skewers it in the butt.

      OSX is its own vertical silo, so the hardware/software/driver/OS integration is completely seamless - it's the benefit of the Apple approach. Windows 8 kinda-sorta has this, but for the most part those gestures are handled by the Synaptics drivers and software, and are configured as such. In other words, Windows 8 will see a touchpad as a garden variety 2-button mouse. If you want pinch-zoom, swiping, and all that other crap that I disabled on my touchpad anyway (except edge scrolling), it's all a result of closed source Synaptic driver magic.

    2. Re:Yah, but can it do Pinch-2-Zoom? by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      Dude, this has been on Linux for years. The only time it doesn't work is when there are not good drivers for the touchpad.

  15. GNOME strikes back by ThePhilips · · Score: 1

    I haven't used Plasma, but from the screenshots it appears to be as dysfunctional and castrated as the GNOME.

    I hope Kubuntu would keep the full-blown KDE as an option.

    --
    All hope abandon ye who enter here.
    1. Re:GNOME strikes back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Plasma's been Kubuntu's desktop since 2008.

      TFA just says the next Kubuntu will ship the Qt5 based version of Plasma instead of the Qt4-based version of Plasma (which was the default up till now).

    2. Re:GNOME strikes back by Gavagai80 · · Score: 1

      Using plasma alone is dysfunctional. Using it as part of KDE has been fine for years.

      --
      This space intentionally left blank
  16. Wayland by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Will this version come with Wayland included?

  17. krunner crash. fingerprint scan. NETWORK neighbour by eddie.dunckley · · Score: 1

    Please look at krunner crashing: To restart it automatically. Needs fingerprint scanning, Google Now and Drive integration, PLEASE sort out Network icon for network drive mapping. Make icons dragable by clickin ON icon, drop 'activities' its crap an confuses people and no one uses it. Make sure only one package manager tries to do updates. .. dudes... lots of work.. and people go for LTS...