“After developers finished squishing more than 2,000 bugs, KDE 3.2, codenamed Rudi, is available in Beta 2, codenamed Dobra Voda (which in Czech means “good water”). What are new features of the desktop environment? Does an update make sense?” Michael ‘STIBS’ Stibane asks in his review.
A look at KDE 3.2 Beta 2
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
drives me crazy when reviewers don’t include them…..
any way, I’m really looking forward to 3.2!
Yeah, usability factors are great and all, but it’s always nice to have some eye-candy.
The new KDE is pretty nice looking, but I’ve noticed a few bugs here and there, of course. If you’re running gentoo and would like to give it a shot, try using the script found here: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=69335&highlight=
Works pretty well, and installs to a seperate directory so that it will not screw up your current settings. The only thing that it really uses common with the current version is the desktop, just because it uses the default that KDE has setup.
Worth a try, and easy to do with Gentoo.
My kde 3.2 beta 2 screenshots:
http://www.satnet.lt/~sat29131/kde/index.php
…and it fixes some bugs that I had with KDE 3.2 Beta 2.
KDE 3.2 truly rocks. It is faster, prettier, and has better features than 3.1. Good job to everyone involved!
As long as khtml is extremely buggy and it still is, KDE is no contender for Windows. But it’s the best, the linux desktop has to offer.
Let’s see when they get Apples Webcore fixes merged into KHTML.
I read yesterday on the developer list that they were experimenting with merging that code in now.
http://kde.ground.cz/tiki-index.php?page=Screenshots
KWallet!?!? I remember the linux community blasting Microsoft for creating such a creature. They said it would email all your password to Microsoft, and MS couldn;t be trusted, etc… But now they have copied it and tightly intergrated it with KDE!
Well, I guess if you can beat’em, join’em…
If you are referring to Passport, than its not the same thing.
Passport is a centralized storage on a server, KWallet keeps your passwords in a local file in the user’s directory.
Not only is is stored on your local HD, but it is encrypted such that only the user with the magic pw can access the stored passwords and private info.
Any security arguments about this are summed up in:
– the security of the password
– the security of the post-it under your keyboard
– the physical security of the computer.
=)
As long as khtml is extremely buggy and it still is, KDE is no contender for Windows
What the hell? KDE != khtml. As for khtml being extremely buggy, we’re talking about KDE 3.2, not KDE2. And since when did the html parser define the desktop experience?
Personally I use Firebird anyway, but KDE is a firm choice.
As long as khtml is extremely buggy
kthml is not extremely buggy. In fact, it is very stable. There are still a few rendering bugs for specific sites, but those are minor.
It has a code name for beta? It’s a bit of overuse of code names, don’t you think? (But I welcome czech.)
…considering 3.2 release was tagged a couple of hours ago.
It amazes me that they still CANNOT get the basic of all fucntions to work. CUT and PASTE, still does not work correctly in Linux.
Until then it will remain in the 1% market of all operating systems, trailing behind MS 95% market desktop.
Cut and paste works fine. What are you talking about?
GJ
No, there are so much rendering errors, it is extremely buggy.
And there are other erros like focus handling etc.
KDE-team should fix it.
Considering I can do a copy and paste action with half as many mouse clicks in Linux as in Windows, I don’t think Linux is the one that needs to catch up.
Copy something, mark something, replace the marked part with the clipboard content. That should be the most used copy and paste action. It’s impossible with Linux. But KDE has a nice applet kalled klipper.
“Copy something, mark something, replace the marked part with the clipboard content. That should be the most used copy and paste action. It’s impossible with Linux.”
Just did exactly that with Abiword in Linux.
Give me a sec… Yep, worked in KWrite, gedit, Epiphany, and OpenOffice. Where exactly are you having trouble with this?
X11 clipboard doesn’t handle styled text, bitmap images, vector images, or anything more advanced than plain text.
X11 clipboard doesn’t handle styled text, bitmap images, vector images, or anything more advanced than plain text.
The X11 clipboard handles the transfer, it doesn’t matter what the data is.
The two sender and the receiver application negotiate on a MIME type both can handle and then start the transfer.
So if the sender offers image/png and image/xpm and the receiver can either handle image/png or image/xpm they can transfer the image data.
Huh? I’m not talking about Passport. I’m talking Microsoft Wallet, which if memory serves me right, was part of IE.
I forgot to mention that this works across system and architecture boundaries, i.e. copying from an application running on a 64bit BigEndian machine to an application running on a 32bit LittleEndian machine.
The X server can even be on a third machine.
You’re right, I thought that can’t be done. For some apps it fails but in general I’ve no problems with copy/paste in Linux, especially with klipper.
There are other problems in KDE.
The biggest are khtml, some mouse selection issues in konqueror’s file view and some drag’n drop issues.
No Kevin…
The original poster (TenaciousOne) knows what he is talking about…
Microsoft does (or did?) have a feature called Microsoft Wallet that got installed as an additional package to IE. One could use this wallet to store credit card info, passwords etc. and then import these into forms (or even applications).
Think of this as a precursor to Passport.
> …considering 3.2 release was tagged a couple of hours ago.
You’re wrong, it will be tagged at earlist tomorrow.
http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-core-devel&m=107484635232534&w=2
I haven’t seen any of the rendering errors complained of here at all. It’s working perfectly for me, very snappy on my Athlon 900 and P4 3.06. Konqueror renders fast.
As for cut & paste: learn to use it. It works perfectly. Konq even supports a “copy text” right click on a page, where previously you had to go to the Edit menu. You can use KDE’s Klipper clipboard or the regular X clipboard. Works between apps just fine for me…
The KDE 3.2 screenshots look good in general. A few things continue to bother me from a UI standpoint however:
1) While KControl, Konqueror, and application toolbars look *somewhat* simpler than in the past, they still appear to be over-stuffed with unecessary detail and options. This has been covered repeatedly by Eugenia and others.
2) The overal look is too derivative of Windows XP IMHO. Plastik is subdued and pretty enough, but *very* similar to the detault XP theme.
I wish that OSS / Free projects would concentrate more on *better* UI rather than copying from the market leader. While this might make it easier for Windows switchers to change over to Linux initially, it may not do that switcher any favors in long-term functionality. Windows isn’t necessarily the *best* OS to model, even if it is the most popular.
Diego
For example:
http://webcvs.kde.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/kdelibs/kdecore/AUTHORS?on…
Coolo is going to move the tag in a few files, though.
I wish that OSS / Free projects would concentrate more on *better* UI rather than copying from the market leader.
See GNOME.
How can you say over-stuffed? As as user you can configure it anyway you like, Only want the time, fine, want 30 app buttons, fine, want klipper and 5 other try-icons, fine. So it can only be over-stuffed if you configure it that way. BTW, in it’s defualt config as shipped, you might think it to be a little bloated, but a couple of clicks and all is better!
nightrader
Cut/paste works fine for me (using Klipper).
Who cares about marketshare? If it’s useful to you then use it, if not then don’t. If 95% of people want to pay to use Windows (or, more likely, don’t care which operating system is installed as long as it JUST WORKS) then more power to them. If some decide they’d like to move to a more free and open enviroment, well then it’s here waiting for them. As far as I’m concerned (AFAIC?) as long the Linux community isn’t shinking in size then Linux is still doing just fine. Since said community actually grows as each year goes by I’d say it’s doing great.
KHTML does sometimes render a tiny fraction of the pages I visit incorrectly but does so no more than Mozilla, in my experience. I’ll glady take the odd misrendering if it means I don’t have to put up with endless popups and can use tabs rather than opening new windows.
Anonymous: Yes, I *do* prefer Gnome when in a non-OSX UNIX most of the time.
Nightrader: I was referring to the menu options, context menus and toolbar icons more than the panel. I agree that it *can* be largely cleaned-up. I just don’t see the point of adding so many options (that most people don’t need) to the default configuration.
Diego
Yes, Microsoft had wallet, but its a good idea, so I see no reason to not copy it
People didn’t complain about wallet, though, they complained about Passport, which is something a whole lot more sinister.
No, there are so much rendering errors, it is extremely buggy.
“Extremely buggy” means unusable. I don’t considering 2% of web sites not rendering exactly as they should “extremely buggy”!
Konqueror rocks!
Konqueror shows errors on every second web site. Most of them minor errors, but other browsers (IE, Mozilla) don’t show these errors.
A lot of major errors still exist. Never seen a popup menu rendered correctly with Konqueror.
3.2-RC1 is nearly as buggy as 3.1.4.
Besides konqueror has big problems with focus handling.
Simply TO much errors.
I don’t think that khtml is faster than Gecko or IE. It seems to be slower in various situations (for example when rendering sites with lots of images or popup menus).
KDE needs to provide an improved Konqueror.
As a dial up user I can say that Konqueror not only renders ok (I still think Mozilla renders better thoe) but it’s much faster when it comes to loading a web-page vrs that of Mozilla. Sometimes you can’t tell much differs but most of the time it’s faster. Not only that it downloads programes faster too. Dun know why but it just does. I do like Konqueror more so then any other browser but it still has work needed to be dun to it.
–Idoxash
Can you give us a list of such websites? And please don’t cop out by saying it happens to so many it’s not worth giving you a list.
“2) The overal look is too derivative of Windows XP IMHO. Plastik is subdued and pretty enough, but *very* similar to the detault XP theme.”
I don’t really see it. Looking at the default XP theme makes me feel like they are trying to gouge out my eyes with lollypops and candy canes. The only reason I can stand using XP on this computer is because they let me change to the ‘classic’ Windows theme. Plastik actually looks like something I’d like to use. If anything Plastik resembles the classic windows look a bit, but not enough to bother me.
No I can’t because I’ve thrown away Konqueoror 3.1.4. I can give some examples for 3.2rc1 errors, maybe 3.1.4 works better with these examples (in general 3.2rc1 works better as 3.1.4).
http://www.abendblatt.de (look at the green box called NEWSTICKER)
http://www.imdb.com, Search-Field-‘Go’-Button doesn’t grab focus.
Look at this misrendered forum
http://community.sport1.de/c/forum/?cid=160&mid=751
(line spacing)
3.2rc1 works far better with popup menus then 3.1.4. But minor bugs occur everytime.
http://www.skyscrapercity.info/
There’s a menu bar, but konq can’t handle it.
etc….
Of course the focus mark (the line around the focused component) is misrendered on nearly every page. A minor bug. But it’s a bug.
No Kevin…
The original poster (TenaciousOne) knows what he is talking about…
Microsoft does (or did?) have a feature called Microsoft Wallet
Ah, sorry, didn’t know that.
The IMBD button works for me. Type in a search and press enter and it goes.
http://www.abendblatt.de I don’t know what is going inside that
The community support one mis-renders in Mozilla as well so it is more likely a buggy page.
And yes the skyscraper menu is terrible. It is a javascript menu problem.
But these pages are few and far between. Most are due to not using web standards. Or the fact that standards just don’t allow you to do what you need to.
Mozilla doesn’t show a single error on these pages.
The ‘Go’-button on http://www.imdb.com is an example for the buggy focus handling in Konqueror. In Mozilla you can leave the search field with tab and press space to execute the ‘Go’-Action. That’s standard behaviour for web browsers.
Konqueror fails to often with its focus handling.
There are a lot of similar bugs.
GW: “…Just did exactly that with Abiword in Linux.
Give me a sec… Yep, worked in KWrite, gedit, Epiphany, and OpenOffice. Where exactly are you having trouble with this?”
Use Mozilla Mail (able to duplicate results in Mozilla 1.5, and 1.6 under Mandrake 9.1, and Fedora Core 1 — never bothered testing Mandrake 9.2 since the bugs created too many everyday user issues!) Copy a ‘large’ selection of text (ie: approx. 25-30 lines) from an email in your Inbox. open OpenOffice.org 1.1 Writer. Now paste. You will find that some of the text did not paste at all!
PS: Konqueror is very stable, but it has ‘small’ issues rendering HTML/JavaScript on numerous sites. They are small, but at the end of the day they bug me. Personally I compare the rendering in Konqueror to that in Netscape 6.0, and 6.1 — Sorry, I wasn’t even aware of Mozilla existance in those days….
List of websites that Konqueror has issues with:
http://www.tomshardware.com : combo boxes are rendered too big. They seem to pick up the styling of my window theme – this should not happen.
http://www.thestar.ca : i. text is way too big using konqueror. ii. Text Boxes seem to pick up formatting from my windows theme — again this is wrong!
Actually, now that I compare about 20+ bookmarks I find that the majority of Konquerors rendering issues are from issues listed above. Actually, if Konqueror would *not render web objects (ie: list boxes, text boxes, etc…) using the formatting I used in my Windows Theme then it would be alright — Just work on the Text size issues
KDE 3.1: Keramik style; bluecurve icons; dark blue colour scheme
<<“Copy something, mark something, replace the marked part with the clipboard content. That should be the most used copy and paste action. It’s impossible with Linux.”
Just did exactly that with Abiword in Linux.
Give me a sec… Yep, worked in KWrite, gedit, Epiphany, and OpenOffice. Where exactly are you having trouble with this?>>
Try this. Open any web page with graphics and text. Slect and Copy it and try to paste it into OpenOffice in KDE. It does not work. Try the same in Gnome and it works.
http://www.tomshardware.com : combo boxes are rendered too big. They seem to pick up the styling of my window theme – this should not happen.
http://www.thestar.ca : i. text is way too big using konqueror. ii. Text Boxes seem to pick up formatting from my windows theme — again this is wrong!
On Windows XP with Internet Explorer, if you switch between Windows Classic Style and any of the XP styles, you get different looking drop-down lists and check boxes on web pages. This is normal and to be expected in a browser. All desktop applications should change their appearance to match the GUI style you’ve chosen. It’s called consistency and makes the users’ experience much nicer. Just because MS Office can’t seem to manage it, doesn’t mean the rest of the world shouldn’t either.
Copying from Konqueror 3.2 to OpenOffice 1.1.0 works fine. Note that I didn’t just type all the text into the OO window in this screenshot!…
http://www.sorn.net/misc/copypaste.png
“Copying from Konqueror 3.2 to OpenOffice 1.1.0 works fine. Note that I didn’t just type all the text into the OO window in this screenshot!… ”
Obviously you did not my original post fully. I said try to copy and paste a page containing text AND GRAPHICS into OpenOffice. That does not work in KDE 3.1.X. I do not know about KDE 3.2 as I have not tried it yet. The same cut and pase works in Gnome.