The final release of KDE 4.4 is due in early 2010, and not since the arrival of KDE 4.0 two years ago has an open source desktop environment been so highly anticipated by the free desktop community. Unlike the anti-climax that was the first KDE 4 release, however, KDE 4.4's developers say this new version will actually deliver on many of the original promises of this next-generation desktop environment -- and then some.
See related slideshow: Sneak peek: KDE 4.4 screenshots |
If maturity is the measure of a desktop environment then KDE 4.4 will have a lot to live up to, as it represents the fourth major release of the KDE 4 series.
With the feature freeze for KDE 4.4 looming in November 2009 -- after which no new features will be added and only bugs will be fixed -- we decided to take a look at what KDE has in store to lift the free desktop to a new paradigm.
Features, updates and bug fixes
Like any major version increase, KDE 4.4 will include numerous feature enhancements, updates and bug fixes.
According to KDE's developers, 4.4 will have an immediate advantage over previous versions by leveraging the latest Qt 4.6 toolkit, which brings a new layout mechanism in QGraphicsView and improved performance, among many other additions. In fact, KDE 4.4.0 was delayed by two weeks until February 2010 to make it possible to release on top of Qt 4.6.
General enhancements include improved desktop search, better privilege escalation, remote controllable Plasma widgets and more polish to the existing code base.
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KDE developer and spokesperson for the project, Sebastian Kugler, says it's difficult to determine exact numbers of features, but for 4.4 it would be a very high number.
"4.4 is a significant release that brings many new features. We have new applications, for example Blogilo, a local applications for writing blogs, allowing for offline editing of articles," Kugler says. "There's is a new network manager (living in the notification area right now, a plasmoid for it is planned for later). Also applications that are not directly shipped with KDE are maturing now. Amarok, Digikam, Konversation and all those applications that are well known from their KDE 3 version are now available in a KDE 4 version."
The desktop look-and-feel has also received a makeover. The new Air theme for the Plasma desktop shell is more polished and has added subtle animations to improve the user experience.
"Many small things that make the user's life easier have been done, sometimes something as small as giving feedback from the buttons in the quick launch area of the panel," Kugler says. "Those changes might not be significant on their own, but they add up to a system that feels really well rounded and well done."
A more visible development in Plasma is the new netbook interface, which will also debut as part of KDE 4.4. Plasma-Netbook will sport a mobile computer form-factor for desktop Plasma widgets.
Kugler says there are plenty of interesting changes behind the interface, too. KDE 4.4 will ship an authorization framework based on PolicyKit, so applications and the desktop can elevate privileges safely, and administrators can specify exactly what a specific user is allowed to do.
KDE's developers have also made the desktop more social and "connected". There is a Plasma applet that shows answers to questions from the KDE knowledge base, with the aim of making it easier for new users to find help.
KDE 4.4 will also make it possible to drag content from Web sites onto the desktop. For example, a picture can be dragged it from the Web browser onto the desktop and a Plasma applet showing this picture is added to the desktop where the file was dropped. The wallpaper can also be set this way or from any remote URL.
In addition to new features, Kugler says the KDE team has been busy fixing bugs and improving the overall quality of the existing code.
"We've closed about 18000 bugs over the past 6 months -- so if we match the bug fixing frenzy before 4.3 (I'm quite sure we will), we'll probably have about the same number, maybe we can even get it a bit higher," he says.
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Comments
Mono.net
KDE is based on qt4 which is gpl. Gnome uses gtk which is giving gnome so much trouble that they are advocating moving to mono.net. That may make a nice DE until Microsoft pulls the rug out from under them. Oh and the Gnome shell is crap.
KDE is far superior to Gnome.
KDE4 compared to GNOME is unusable
I like the enthusiasm you share about KDE4, I agree that it is really very pretty. However also very sluggish. The other thing is, I liked KDE3, but I have to say it takes me twice that time to accomplish tasks in KDE4.
They speak about a new approach to desktop, however I do not think that everything new is better. Some things simply are used in some ways as it is very efficient. You can change it but it does not mean you will really gain efficiency.
So, yes KDE4 is nice, but as I need a production work on my desktop, I a moving to GNOME. Bye bye.
KDE is the future. I dont
KDE is the future.
I dont like gnome's way of doing things, not to mention it is ugly. (not only ubuntu)
As ubuntu is now the most widely linux distro I hope that cononical would do the things right with new Kubuntu distributions.
sorry for my english
That's funny. KDE 4.0 was
That's funny.
KDE 4.0 was only intended as a Tech preview release. Most users were warned that it is not ready for a production environment.
KDE 4.4 will be the next step up. I am using RC 1 now, its fairly stable on OpenSUSE, really looking forward to the stable release.
As for 'Lost all credibility' well, that doesn't seem to likely, KDE seems bigger then ever now so that credibility must just be your own.
re KDE leaves competition in the dust
I agree with you regarding Ubuntu. Ubuntu is very popular but I personally think that they are promoting the lesser Desktop. Nothing aginnst Gnome but kDE is obviously superior and Gnome doesn't seem to have gone anywhere significantly in the past years. It looks basically the same.
I tried KUbuntu many times but it only reflects Canonical's half hearted effort. If one compares KUbuntu with openSuse and Mandriva then one would wonder if it's the same DE. Kubuntu is just not as polished as the other KDE distros and gives KDE 4 a bad name.
If Canonical doesn't start putting it's weight behind KDE then my hope is that it will get a warning from Mandriva and openSuse as these distros continue to deliver the best KDE DE out there.
KDE leaves competition in the dust
After using Ubuntu with GNOME until recently I've decided to try KDE. I didn't use Kubuntu though as so many people around the internet say that it is not the best Linux for KDE. So I checked out Mandriva 2010 which was getting great reviews for the new release. And boy I was totaly surprised, positively of course. It is really obvious that KDE is way ahead of GNOME and even ahead of comercial desktops in many ways. The looks is awesome the technology super modern. After all this positive experience I've also switched to KDE. And to think this is only KDE 4.3 I've tried and so many cool new things are still comming in KDE 4.4. Damn. Now all I can think of is that Ubuntu should use this for their desktop. I strongly believe that this combination of Ubuntu popularity and KDE technical superiority would be the best thing to happen to Linux so it could compete much better with commercial offerings.
KDE3 was great
I really like KDE3. I like its flexibility and way of doing things. I guess Im not the only one, so why throw good things away? I had a hard time re-installing and downgrading my whole system after trying KDE4 (a great disappointment). Perhaps KDE4.4 will be mature enough. I'll check it out.
re. Instant Messaging
Not only KDE, the whole Linux world doesn't get it. I wanted to find something similar to Skype and that is open source recently but without luck. linux obviously lags behing in this area. I do hope like you however that something good will come out of the KDE camp. Skype is good but it's not open source and they give Linux a second class version of the same software. That needs to change rapidly.
Instant Messaging
Hopefully they will start focusing some interest on Instant Messaging. Right now KDE doesn't get it.
Kopete fails miserably with Jabber on ssl. And doesn't know a thing about IRC. Konversation is IRC only and has the same old style interface as the KDE 3 version.
Then there are rumours that all will be replaced by a new Telepathy based client.
Please get this fixed. It is rather central to modern computing.
KDE convert
I just recently converted from Gnome to KDE and I must say the difference in technology is clear. I was a bit concerned about where Gnome was going with Shell so I decided to start trying out KDE and in a matter of days I decided to completely switch. From what I can see Gnome is just headed down the wrong path. I still thing Gnome windows and widgets can look better than KDE's with themes but aside from that KDE is blowing Gnome out of the water. And everyday I find something new thats done better in KDE than Gnome. So far I'm glad I have switched and look forward to what 4.4 has to offer.
Someone also mentioned that KDE doesn't get the props it deserves and I can agree. Its mainly because Ubuntu is leading the way in popularity. If you want to help KDE get noticed I'd say throw your weight at Kubuntu. It could easily become a shinning KDE distro. Mandriva and OpenSuSE may be good but they don't get the public attention that Ubuntu gets and looking at some of the plans Canonical has they may never get it.
Gnome will always play #2.
Gnome will always play #2. It's like Bolt and Gay, Gay is really fast but Bolt is always a few leaps ahead. KDE is the elite desktop among the linux DEs and i am convinced that that will stay that way for a long time.
Cashew> zoom out> Configure
Cashew> zoom out> Configure plasma> Different activity for each desktop.
Now you can have different wallpaper and different plasmoids in each desktop. Also, you can configure one (or more) desktop to be folder view, (like the classic kde3) with its icons and folders.
re. Really?
You must have been sleeping because this is available in KDE 4 for quite a while now and it didn't stop at just having a different wallpaper for each Virtual Desktop. You can actually have different Desktop type for each Virtual desktop. For example; you can have Folderview as a desktop type on one and the plasma desktop on another. You can have slide show on one VD, the Globe on another, Virus on the third and a normal picture or the weather on the forth and it didn't stop there. You can have different plasmoids for each virtual desktop and configure it the way you want.
All that you need to do is configure Plasma to do that all and it's very easy.
KDE 4 is already where KDE 3.5x could ever dream of and it hadn't stopped there...
Really?
"..Kugler says the 4 series is now going beyond what was possible in KDE 3". Right, except we still have no different wallpaper on each _virtual_ desktop. I wonder when will I get this feature finally. Multiple desktops are not really a good solution to the problem since switching between them is a total bitch.
Great article for KDE
KDE could use some good publicity.
I constantly see great features in KDE 4 that come is relative silence, while similar efforts in Win, Mac eve Gnome as DE, ring all the bells when they show up.
:)
Kde 4.4 is going to be a major step foreward for kde....
and gnome's solution to competing with kde is "gnome-shell" BAHAHAHAHAHA!
gnome is doomed
KDE
Ever since 4.0 KDE has lost all credibility. If you want to run a desktop environment that releases bloated software that is clearly not ready for prime time, install Windows.
ill follow
Tough not using Linux/KDE as my main OS due the nature of my work (im industrial designer btw), i always follow KDE since beta 4.
That goes until now. Recently, I installed Mandriva one KDE on my wifes netbook and it works great.
Can wait for the next release. Hope someday can contribute.
Keep the good work guys
very nice article, kde has a
very nice article, kde has a brillant future
Great article!
Great article! Congratulations.
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