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  KDE 4.0 to be Released in January
KDE Official News Posted by Sebastian Kügler on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @08:15
from the santa-claus-will-be-hacking-time dept.
The KDE Release Team has decided to release KDE 4.0 this coming January. The release was originally planned for mid-December. The KDE developers want to solve a couple of essential issues before releasing. Having solved some of those issues, among which were glitches in the visual appearance, and in Konqueror, the KDE community hopes to have a KDE 4.0 that will live up to the high expectations for it. Read on for more details.

Meanwhile, the progress towards KDE 4.0 is astonishing. Most parts, such as the KDE Development Platform and a lot of applications are considered stable and well-usable.

Some parts of the desktop experience do not yet meet the KDE community's quality standards and expectations for a stable release. There are also some issues which need to be addressed upstream, for example a bug in certain codecs of xine that cut off audio fragments prematurely. The developers are confident to be able to release a more polished and better working KDE 4.0 desktop in January. The changed plans involve releasing on January 11th, 2008.

At the same time, the release team's call for participation is repeated. To make KDE 4.0 a success, your effort is needed. An overview of current showstoppers can be found on Techbase, KDE's knowledge platform.

This is also a call to the wider Free Software community, and also to companies working with KDE. If you have the resources to contribute, assistance in fixing the remaining bugs is most welcome.

<  |  >

 
  Related Links
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Over 40 comments listed. Printing out index only.
API/ABI freeze?
by Anon on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @09:35
How does this affect the API/ABI freeze? There are a couple of interesting changes floating around (to KConfig, mainly) that would be beneficial to KDE4, but which are ABI-incompatible, so if they are not added before the freeze, we will have to wait until KDE5.

Is there a list of proposed BIC-changes anywhere and their work/ benefits analysis anywhere? KConfig is pretty core, and I think it would be nice to spend a short time getting it nearer to "perfect" than to spend the next 5+ years using ugly workarounds.
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Disappointing
by she on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @10:05
oh well...

guess i am disappointed. no xmas kde!

This is probably the better solution, to fix all the outstanding issues without over-pressuring the developers or burning them out, but ... i cant help myself... i am slightly disappointed :(
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how do you say that in english?
by kdeuser on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @10:40
I think you made the right decision, because "Gut Ding will Weile haben".
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Awesome
by Quentin on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @12:05
You go guys, who cares if it takes longer, I run KDE4 for almost all my critical apps and find it very easy to use, I would prefer a late clean product than a rushed on time one. Keep up the good work guys!!!!
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Seemed pretty far off
by Mitch Golden on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @12:37
This week I tried RC1 from Ubuntu packages, but it seemed more like a beta than close to release:

*) The screen locker crashed.
*) Konqueror wouldn't accept cookies.
*) The system tray was in the center of the screen, always, and on top of everything.
*) When you tell it to shut down, it asks again what you want to do.
*) When I zoomed out and then back in, the wrench at the top right was partially off the screen.

I am not sure where to report these bugs - I put the crash into bugs.kde.org, but I am not sure if that's the right thing to do at this stage of development.
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Good decision
by Grósz Dániel on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @13:18
I think this was a good decision. I checked out openSUSE packages yesterday and it still has many issues.
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Good Call
by KBX on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @13:29
This was obviously a good call. It's also obvious that it's nonsense to name these Release Candidates! Everyone knows they are not ready for release, so they're Betas. In any case, not much to do about that right now, good luck guys and thanks for all your work.
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Thanks for resisting peer pressure and waiting
by Max on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @13:31
Thanks for waiting with the release. I prefer a stable KDE, over a rushed one. "Gut Ding braucht (wirklich) Weile" - Colloquial German for "Good things take time"
If I want rushed incomplete software I'll just stick with Micro$oft products. -That was a low blow :D

Seriously though. Please resist peer pressure and make it stable. The Google release party isn't till January anyways. :p This way it's more likely that KDE 4.x will make it to Kubuntu 8.04.

Also please make sure that KDE plays nicely with "eye candy" apps like Compiz fusion, etc. This will be the future in years to come, so if it works nice now and is future proof, there will be less struggles later..

Please make sure that the "desktop paradigm" is innovated further. Don't be afraid to be a step ahead of the competition, in the end, that's what makes open source great.
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A good decision
by Mark on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @14:14
I think this is a good decision and I would encourage to delay it even further, if necessary. At the moment especially the desktop experience with hardly any configuration options, does not seem suitable for daily use. I hope that can be resolved and that also katapult will be available (the new menu really, really sucks, sorry for that).
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Usability nightmare!
by David Johnson on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @14:40
Someone please tell me that this horrible piece of unusability I just installed is the result of Kubuntu's mucking about, and NOT what I have to look forward to with KDE4! If this is what KDE4 is going to be, I'll switch to plain vanilla blackbox.

1) Konqueror is nearly unusable. Typing in the text field is painfully slow. Resizing fonts with Ctrl+ or Ctrl- results in garbled rendering and the inability to use this edit box. I am using Firefox just to post this.

2) I added the analog clock widget to my desktop. Stupid me. It's stuck in the middle of the screen with no way to move it. No combination of keys/mousebuttons can get it to move anywhere but the center of the desktop. The rotate (circular arrow) button does nothing. Is it supposed to?

3) I can find no way to change the wallpaper. It is missing from system settings. Neither is there a desktop menu of any kind. I tried dragging an image to the desktop, but all that did was result in an immovable widget (see above).

4) Even more lack of configuration! There are so many configuration settings missing that I feel like I'm using a GNOME parody instead of KDE. If non-newbies are expected to hand edit configuration files, the least KDE could do is document them!

5) And the worst, that stupid menu! I have to keep scrolling up and down, and clicking back and forward, to find anything. And since the "Favorites" is directly above the K menu button, it's nearly impossible to avoid moving the mouse over it. And true to form, there is no way to configure this menu. Do the developers really expect me to type in the search field every time I want to run an application? Once again, the default menu listing is item description followed by item name, leading so such bizarre results as "Board Game" (In larger boldface font) as the name of game. At least they could have put "Board Game" under "Board Games" instead of "Strategy & Tactics". Geez.

7) There's lots of little stuff, but I'm going to write them off as merely known bugs waiting to be fixed, or additional Kubuntu shenanigans.

On the bright side, Dolphin4 isn't the piece of crap the Dophin3 preview was.

I hate being so negative about a desktop I love, but this RC1 is a complete load of crap. Can we at least stop pretending that this will be suitable for use by non-developers?
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Good decision
by opensuse10.3 on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @14:59
for me, there is only linux and kde. when i upgrade to kde4, i don't want to be disappointed at all. i definitly can wait a bit longer and get a strong and powerful kde4 :)
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Problems updating KDE4DAILY
by josh on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @16:55
Sorry for posting this here but I thought I'd get a quicker response.

I'm trying to update my system with the built-in updater. Since the main site isn't working I tried switching mirrors like SSJ said to do in http://dot.kde.org/1195829316/1196069183/ with

export KDE4DAILY_SUBSTITUTE_MIRROR=http://home.kde.org/~kde4daily/

but as its going along I get the following error(PIC attached).
Click to download attachment kde_error.jpg
73KB (75211 bytes)
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Sonnet?
by Concerned gearhead on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @19:25
I think it was wise to move the release to January to ensure the loose ends are tied up properly, even if it means no shiny finished 4.0 for Christmas.

How is Sonnet going since poor Jacob Rideout disappeared off the face of the KDE planet? Are others working on it so its original goals will be achieved by 4.0/4.1?
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Summary
by MrCopilot on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @20:04
I think I can sum up every post in this thread with one word.

Whew.

The current RCs are not Ready. We would rather have it late and right than on time and soil the good name of KDE.

I use KDE 3.5x daily, and have since 3.1. I like the direction we are going, but I urge the main developers to listen to the critics, harsh as some might be, they are KDE users, they are coming at it from a direction far more kind than a new user would. If they are this harsh, think how badly KDE will be blasted from non KDE users/Lovers.

I welcome the idea of developer releases, and I think this should be pointed out in BOLD 26Point Letters on the next few releases. Many are of the mistaken idea that they can get a usable productive KDE4 desktop from a Release Candidate, and are severely disappointed to find what they get.

Overall, Great progress, Keep polishing, and can we rethink the menu and clock please.
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Nice.
by Schalken on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @20:11
Nice to hear we're giving more time for KDE contributors to finish implementations, polish and iron our problems. :D
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Glad to hear it
by Andrew on Saturday 01/Dec/2007, @20:56
I'm also very glad that the release is postponed. KDE is my favorite desktop for Linux (making it my favorite desktop for any computer system), and I don't want a new major version to be released with less functionality than the previous one. I really like the direction that 4 is headed, and I like the way that the new modules (Phonon, Solid, Plasma, etc) have been designed. However, the current state of the "RC" version feels more like an alpha. I know that it's a lot of work to reimplement all the functionality of kicker and the old desktop, and for that reason it should not be rushed. I wouldn't mind if the release were postponed even until the summer if all the features of KDE 3.5 were all implemented on top of the new framework. I know that everyone is looking at KDE 4.1 as being the release where all the cool new KDE 4 features are brought into the desktop, but I still think that a reliable, stable, and functional desktop is essential to the 4.0 release. In conclusion: Thanks for all your hard work, and great progress so far, but please please don't release until everything works like it should.
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Someone who sees the bright side
by Tom on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @00:00
Developers: You're doing a great job indeed! Don't let some people get you down. If you follow the dot and planetkde, then you'll see that the people only complain about some GUI stuff and RC1, they don't even take the time to install a recent build where most of the problems are already fixed.

And a positive point to end my post with: The new menu is very good(favourites, search, history). Way more features than the old 90's menu. The critics of the new menu are actually arguing that they want LESS features. Who understands them?? :-p
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Better served cooked, than half cooked
by Sagara on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @02:04
I was very worried about the quality of KDE 4.0. I think now KDE is on the right track. You should have gone for many betas. At least go for few RCs. Served it when cooked, not half cooked.
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The price of success
by KDE User on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @02:17
Nice to hear that the realease of KDE 4.0 was postponed, it's not yet stable as many (the majority?) users expect it, IMHO.

In my opinion kde developers must take more into account that when KDE 4.0 will be released it will be reviewed from many people that do it just for sport and not to contribute to it. What they will do is judge it, not contribute to it.
And if KDE4.0 will be released with some unfinished stuff they will say that it sucks.

So if you are planning to release it early just to get a wider user base to test it, think to it twice, the risk is that you get only unconstructive critics, i.e. what you don't like and doesn't deserve.
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Small Incremental Releases
by anon on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @03:19
KDE 4.0 at it current state is a mess.
To avoid future disasters like this you might consider instead of trying to build a complete new version 3.X -> 4.0 instead going in small incremental steps.
To achive this: Become independent from Trolltech: Fork QT. Make QT a part of the KDE source tree and maintain it along side with KDE. Throw out all unnecessary stuff not related to KDE.
Try to remember some forgotten values like: simplicity, correctness and performance.
Fight your egos and listen to the flaming crowd.
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Windows Vista:
by JimmyX on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @07:30
Hi folks,

Will KDE 4.0 be any better graphicaly than KDE 3.XX and how does it compare to Vista's Aero interface. Which is better? Will KDE work on Windows Vista in place of the Aero interface?
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Kde 4 RC1+
by mihas on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @08:43
Kde4 apps is thanks to Qt4 and core tehnologies much better, but desktop (desktop & settings & panel) agrrf - gnomish. Oxygen - icons profesional, sound "smells awfully", windec dead (in other words - too much grey - i want plastic like (blue & grey) with oxygen buttons and domino corners), ....

- Desktop of Kde Four Live RC1+ stil looks like 80s blackbook. I think that settings corner is a big mistake. There isn't any gradients. Simply too ugly. And you can acess to these functions with right click too.
- Walpaper config is there, but simply too simply for me. Where are now Position options (scaled, centred, tiled), Colors options (various gradients), Blending?!?! And how can I set 1 wallpaper for desktop 1, secound for D2, etc.???
- What about runing KDE3 aplications in KDE4 desktop?
- What about Raptor (kbfx for 4 generaton?)
- What about option for KDE classic menu, from 3.x generation (many there think that it is much much better than Kickoff)
- What about new splash screen?
- What about current app menu bar (MacOS style)
- Icons on desktop looks bad, but they are very usuable. We need it (and please simple .desktop files - not plasmoids)

Greetings, Miha
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freeze status?
by tfry on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @09:14
I'm utterly confused what this means regarding the freeze status. I guess API and ABI will need to remain compatible. But does the delay give us another chance for message string changes, for instance?
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One month
by Dennie on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @13:34
One month isn't enough. If KDE 4 wants to live up the expectations at leasts two months is needed, but 4 months would be better.

I mean, can anybody give me a link to the requirements + estimates used for this descision?
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Finally using SVN
by Soap on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @14:05
Well, I've decided I can't wait that long, so I'm installing from the SVN now. Maybe I'll actually get my act together, and contribute somehow.
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4.0 Final in one month?
by Andy on Sunday 02/Dec/2007, @22:31
I've no doubt the plasma developers are pretty good at what they're doing. But I really wonder about the state of the desktop. To deal with the plasma applets is a mess. What about that horrible button in the upper right desktop corner? How can I move to and integrate the pager applet in the bar at the bottom (whatever it's current name is - formerly kicker)? Application windows easily hide applets - I can't find a way bring the applets into the foreground like a normal application window (by clicking it in the taskbar).

I know, all is easy to implement and so on. 4.0 is not 4, and it's meant to be for developers only. You'll tell me about the preliminary state and so on. Perhaps you'll ask what I contribute instead of critizising. Anyway, it needs a bit more to convince me. All I can see is 3.95 up to now.
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KDE4's kmenu
by Meghazi Fabien on Monday 03/Dec/2007, @05:19
Don't know if this screenshot of the kde4 menu is a joke, a beta test a skin or a plugin,

http://kde.rinet.ru/announcements/announce_4.0-beta4/kde4.0-beta4.png

but if not, I hope there will be an option in order to revert back to the KDE3 menu.
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Want to help
by Daniel Aleksandersen on Monday 03/Dec/2007, @15:26
I want to help. I am almost ashamed that I am unable to do so!

Donating money at this time probably will not help to make this a great release either.
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I love KDE - but this is (/%/($&(
by Moritz Moeller-Herrmann on Monday 03/Dec/2007, @18:36
I have been using KDE sce beta 2 - before version 1.0 was ready. It was great. I have compiled KDE for countless hours and have even added minuscule portions of its code... I have reported and tested hundreds of bugs and have defended KDE against unfair attacks many times.

BUT - the release management of the KDE4 branch is the worst I have seen. I can only compare it to Gnome-1.0, which also sucked bad. How do you call this development snapshot RELEASE CANDIDATE? No packaging is available, only live cds because noone wishes to ruin a real system with this snapshot. All the live cds I tested were not usable as desktop - less so than any extremely simple WM like icewm or the like. FVWM is more usable than the RC1.

Please do take time until spring, add a number of real release candidates, when the developers run out of immediately obvious bugs. At the moment there are glaring bugs in the entire environment. To call this release candidate reminds me of the WOW effect of Vista... For the first time in years I have checked out gnome (still behind KDE3, fortunately).

Please take your time, package the stuff to get real users using it on their desktop machines (e.g. debian packages) help the packagers with their packages, wait until the flood of bugs decreases and then call it a release candidate - when it is ready. Stop the MARKETING CRAP - it's lying to people. Gnome is better at that game.


Please let me know when there are DEbian packages of KDE-4.0 that can be installed in parallel to the KDE3 desktop... You will then get as many bug reports as you like from me.

Best regards

Moritz
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Packages?
by Eduardo Sanchez on Tuesday 04/Dec/2007, @03:34
I wanted to try KDE 4 since its Beta days, but I can't because there are no packages for my distribution (Slackware). How do you want us to test the software if we cannot have it in our computers? Building from source 1) takes days, and 2) completely messes up the administration of my workstation.

Can you get a way to provide packages for the most popular distros, please?

Thanks,

Eduardo
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Oh! Come on!
by Luis on Tuesday 04/Dec/2007, @09:51
For all people crying about RC, just get over it!

KDE 4.0 is in a much better shape now, Do you know why? Because a lot of people test RC and submit bug reports, that was the plan, the idea behind the label, thanks to that KDE 4.0 improve a lot.

And, they didn't do anything to majority of their user base, people reading the dot, planetkde and testing alphas, betas, and RCs aren't the big portion of the user.

Any way, cheers to all developers.
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