PolishLinux site takes a look at KDE 4.2 based on the latest subversion branch and concludes: "As it can be seen, the KDE4 development is running at full throttle. KDE4.2 will include much enhanced functionality and versatility than KDE 4.1, but still a lot of work has to be done in many areas, especially when it comes to the stability of the applications." Hopefully some of the long standing stability and maturity issues with KDE 4.x branch are resolved before the GA release.
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Member since:2005-07-06
> Is there any reason behind not switching to WebKit
webkit in Qt 4.4 is really too slow for daily web browser use and the KPart for it isn't mature yet. these things can change with Qt 4.5, however.
additionally, KHTML comes with a bit of API glue that a lot of KDE apps use. there's really nothing in there that Webkit couldn't be used for, but it does mean porting apps (though thankfully it's usually just a handful of calls in the entire codebase)
and most of the apps stick with KHTML.
> and keep working on KHTML
well, you can't tell people to work on something and you can't tell them not to, either. the group who continues to work on KHTML does so because they wish to.
those who work on Webkit do as well.
it'll all sort out as the future unrolls.
p.s. i'm using the webkit kpart in konqi right now. have been for about 2 months. not end user ready, as i noted, though.
Member since:2007-02-17
One of the things I mention to people who still bring that all up is the Lancelot alternative menu plasmoid for KDE 4.
http://lancelot.fomentgroup.org/main
It is not unlike the Mint Menu, or the Tasty Menu.
It is normally available in distribution repositories if not installed by default as an available plasmoid, and it generally dissipates all complaints about the kickoff menu.
YMMV. Use it if you like, it is good to have the choice available. Its main benefit by far is to further accelerate the fading away of the KDE4/4.0 drama.
The new "show directory" mode for the desktop should also help significantly in this regard.
I'd also recommend installing SMPlayer instead of using the default Dragon Player. SMplayer is MPlayer with a Qt GUI.
Amarok 2 is still in beta, but nevertheless it does come with some distributions. K3B is still not ported to KDE 4 yet, but the version for KDE 3 works fine in KDE 4.
The default handling of GTK applications is still ugly. It is necessary to do a bit of twiddling with styles and/or themes and your .gtkrc file (whatever it is called) in order to overcome this on most distributions. IMO it wouldn't hurt for a few KDE 4 themes to adjust the contents of a user's .gtkrc file to something near-compatible to help with the integration of non-KDE applications.
Apart from these minor things KDE 4 is getting there. Quite a few people still recommend KDE 3, and quite a few KDE-based distributions still install KDE 3 by default (eg, MEPIS and PCLinuxOS new betas) but IMO is is now time to start re-evaluating that recommendation.
Edited 2008-10-21 05:19 UTC
Member since:2005-07-07
Member since:2007-03-26
Member since:2006-09-22
Member since:
2006-09-22
Is good to see the KDE4/4.0 drama fading away. Once it gets released, I plan to give it a try using a KDE-friendly distro (most likely OpenSUSE).
And since I know a few KDE devs read these comments: Is there any reason behind not switching to WebKit and keep working on KHTML besides, you know, the fact that you made it? Are there any technical aspects I'm missing or something?
It's not flamebait, I just want to know
Anyway, seems like you guys are making a good job, congrats.