In this week's KDE Commit-Digest: Custom legend entries and the beginnings of the Mercator map projection (and evidence of exciting other things to come) in Marble. Support for multiple online dictionaries and the start of a vocabulary Plasma applet in Parley. Kross scripting engines (supporting various scripting languages) in Plasma, and the much-anticipated return of the ability to resize the panel. Support for multiple "Picture of the Day" providers in the "Picture Frame" Plasma applet. More work on the redesign (code and visuals) of KWorldClock. Work on theming improvements across KDE games. Image information now displayed in fullscreen mode in Gwenview. Continued maintenance work in the Kooka scanning application. Support for HTML signatures in KMail. Continued development on the IRC Kopete plugin. Work on snap guides and a threaded tile backend in KOffice. A migration plugin for Sybase ASE in Kexi. Various efficiency improvements in KLinkStatus, KGet, and some KDE games. KDE 4.0.1 (bugfixes) is tagged for release. Read the rest of the Digest here.
Comments
While the nice GUI for configuring the plasma panel is still absent,
where could one find a description of plasma_appletsrc config file?
the official howto doesn't work anyways... myself and others tried numerous variants of editing the file's panel section (while plasma being terminated of course) including size=35 or other things, but it remains just like it was, huge and clunky. Sorry to disappoint
I just compiled from svn (trunk) yesterday. The panel is now configurable in size (tiny/small/normal..) and location (left/bottom/right...).
The size and placement option seems to work okay. The one thing I miss is the auto dissapear option, that, along with drag n drop placement of panel widgets, and I'd say we just about have our beloved kicker back in all but name.
Panel auto dissapear pretty please (damn I wish I could code C++) ?
"Panel auto dissapear pretty please"
It's planned - in fact, it was targetted for 4.0.0, but the devs ran out of time :(
Why do we want Mercator projection. IIUC, it has been deprecated.
We already have equal angle, which is probably the best. It would probably be a good idea to add equal area as well.
Orthographic and equal-angle hemisphere projections would be nice. Would it be possible have the user choose the center point?
Well that wasn't clear.
I meant to say that it would be nice if we could add equal-angle. I presume that the current globe view is orthographic.
You are welcome to contribute. :-)
I know that this "standard" Open Source answer is not what you or other people suggesting features want to hear. On the other hand, we are refactoring the projection system in marble right now so that all calculations that are unique to a certain projection will be collected into one class. This means that a new projection can be created in just a few hours if you know the maths, and you don't have to know much about the internals of Marble at all.
In fact, we hope to make the creation of a new projection a Junior Job(tm), which it definitely is not now.
Yes, the current globe is orthographic projection. Marble is not meant to be a full blown GIS application so we only focus on things that cover most use cases in practice.
While the Stereographic projection is highly popular for starcharts I don't see much use for it in digital geography. That being said Mollweide projection (which is one of the few useful equal area projections - god forbid Peters Projection) is something that is being used quite often and I'd be definetely interested in getting that into Marble.
Equal angle (Azimuthal Equidistant) is a well known projection although most people probably aren't aware of it -- it is the projection used in standard fish-eye lenses (Nikon made one Orthographic, but it wasn't a commercial success). Imagine that you are standing at the center of a translucent globe.
Getting back to maps. The advantage of equal angle is that distance from the center point is true -- which I why I suggested that the user be able to specify the center point. Also, it is a useful compromise between Orthographic and Gnomic.
Yes, there are issues with equal area projections, but they have their purpose in that they show land area correctly (although distorted in shape).
I have a project I started a few hours ago, just to see if I can do it (and to rescue my old Vaio from the depth of a storage closet)
I'm trying to run a distro of Linux on a
Sony Vaio PCG505-Sr7k
600 mhz Pentium III
192 megs of Pc-133 SDRAM (I can put in 256 total, but I could not find a vendor that sells SDRAM Micro-DIMMs, but that's another story)
10" screen 1024x768 max resolution.
Netgear 54g wireless cardbus card (atheros chipset, IIRC)
12 gig hd.
external DVD-ROM drive (plugs in through cardbus)
I could probably do XFCE, but that would be to easy (and unfamiliar) Besides this could finally lay proof to the claim that KDE 4.0 uses less resources than KDE 3.5.X
The computer was built for Windows 2000, I managed to run WinXP on it. As well as Suse 10 (before openSUSE). Never could get the wireless to work under the Linux partition.
Now will KDE 4.0 run on it? (kinda like "will it blend?", but less destructive. :) )
I'm going to bed now, but based on you guy's prediction, and helpful tips, I will attempt it tomorow morning. Some tips as to the installer would help too, as most live CD's I can think of atm, want at least 384mb ram.
"Besides this could finally lay proof to the claim that KDE 4.0 uses less resources than KDE 3.5.X"
KDE4.0 at least uses more RAM than 3.5:
http://www.jarzebski.pl/read/kde-3-5-vs-4-0-round-two.so
All the credible claims about KDE4 using less memory than KDE3 were made years ago based on (educated) guesswork, before KDE4.0 was compiling correctly, even. It turns out that it was just wishing thinking, alas :(
edit: I found the memory, but I don't think it's worth it, at $44 for 128 megs.
http://www.4allmemory.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.w4s&UniqueId=0109-...
(besides, maybe that would be cheating. "192 megs 'outta be enough for everybody!" :) )
KDE4 or 3, will run just fine one that machine.
192Megs of RAM is no problem, but you may want to stay away from some of the "heavy" distributions like *buntu or Suse. Perhas some of the lighter Slackware based ones(not a KDE issue).
The thing most likely to not make speed problems are the hd, a old 12 gig laptop drive is not exactly a speed demon. So slow application startup times would not be surprising, but that's not particulary important. After all if you are actually going to use it, one usually keeps applications open to do actuall work not just opening and closing them.
Seriously, KDE4 runs pretty well on the Asus EeePC, so I could imagine that it will do the same on your computer ..
eeePC runs KDE3 and he is asking for kde4 :)
In my experience KDE4 is faster in some parts (program starting mostly) and slower in use. I believe because a lot of small details like rounded corners and fade effects where added (I'm talking about style, not desktop efects/xgl, those turn my computer in a slow and old dog).
It may come default with KDE3, but KDE4 runs pretty well on the Asus EeePC. Which was the question. And since Torsten has a EeePC, and are running KDE4 on it he answered well :-)
http://developer.kde.org/~tackat/marble_secrets2/marble-eepc-olpc.jpg
Yes, but the EeePC is a much more powerful machine than this old Sony.
It's only the LCD that sucks on the EeePC.
I got the same laptop.
It's sitting on a shelf somewhere. I used to use it a lot. I think, I too upgraded it to Windows XP before it started collecting dust. (it wasn't exactly a speed demon under Windows XP, didn't feel like downgrading back to Windows 2000)
Let us know how it comes out. Maybe I will put Linux on it too.
I think that laptop is about the size of an eee-pc. Gotta check!
What's a good distro that recognizes most components automatically with little fuss? Drivers are a headache if I have to do them manually.
I like the "will it run?" challenge. Would show that KDE 4.X is both lean as well as powerful.
This will probably work but ... (tm).
There are two issues here:
1. Distros tend to install a lot of crap that you really don't need on a laptop. This will fill up your limited disk space and if these things are running, they will fill up your limited RAM. So, you should be careful to see that you are only running system processes that are needed and that unneeded Kernel modules are not loaded.
NOTE: I would get the extra memory.
2. The system is going to be running on virtual memory. So you are going to need at least 1 GByte of swap. In theory, two 1/2 GByte swap partitions are better than one 1 GByte. Set "/proc/sys/vm/swappiness" [sic] (no it isn't spelled correctly) to 100 to free up as much ram as possible.
NOTE: If swap fills up, you will need to increase it to 4 x 1/2 GByte partitions.
Now to describe the problem. When you are running something, everything will be well, but you will find that whenever you switch applications that a Virtual Memory swap will occur before you can do anything on what you have switched to. If your disk drive is slow, you will find that to be slow.
There are strange ideas running around about using a flash memory card for swap memory. There are issues of speed and useful life vs. a mechanical HD. The hardware to do this on a desktop is available and Intel is promising much faster flash cards. I don't know if this would be relevant for a laptop since you might not have room to put it in the case.
I installed Slackware 10.2 on my SR7K a couple of years ago. I have 128 MB ram and a 40 gig 16mb cache toshiba drive. I remember having to enter special paramerters to get the installer to recognize the CD-ROM, but they were relatively easy to find online. The video was working after the install, I dont remember what I had to do to get sound working, the modem I was never concerned with, I had to re-compile my kernel to get apm to see my battery status. I also have a wireless card that I used Ndiswrapper to get working. I run KDE 3.5, XMMS, openoffice, and etc.. runs fine....
But it is a clean lean machine... people always comment on it...
If you don't mind let me know how KDE4 runs on it... woulden't mind something new to look at.
Kyle
I currently use Eqonomize (http://eqonomize.sourceforge.net) a lot.
Is a cooperation between these two projects possible?
There's also KMyMoney2 which is much more advanced than Krone... I understand Krone aims to be much more basic than any of these (and I really don't want to flame), but it would be nice if people could avoid reinventing (and duplicating) the wheel for once... Wouldn't have been better to improve (or simplify) KMyMoney or Eqonomize instead of starting yet another little app that will eventually beg for a maintainer...?
I think the two apps play in completely different leagues. Judging from what the Krone author writes, it is a very simple expense logging thingy, whereas KMyMoney2 (which i actually have been using at home for some time) attempts to be a full-fledged personal finances manager application capable of talking to your bank account etc.
Yeah, but couldn't they accomplish the same thing by adding a module or a wizard to KMM2? This way one could start logging basic expenses and "graduate", if necessary, to the full-fledged features.
I just noticed something. I thought Nokia was going to donate money to the KDE project? Something about becoming a Patron?
I've yet to see their name on that list:
(speaking of which, where did the "Patron of KDE, Supporter of KDE" image go. Wasn't it always on the homepage?)
Also isn't E$ 10,000 nothing more than chump change for a big company like that?
I think they should donate MUCH MORE MONEY THAN THAT. They bought Trolltech after all. They should at least have a SIGNIFICANT amount of money vested in KDE as a gurantee towards the project, and to show goodwill, IMHO.
Could anybody involved with Trolltech please clear this up?
Also "What have they done for me lately" - Eddie Murphy
Could anybody give us an update of what Nokia has done for Trolltech,KDE,OpenSource in general in the last few weeks since the aquisition? I'm curious and interested.
Hopefully the above didn't sound too negative. I'm trying to welcome Nokia with open arms. Inquiring minds just want to know.
update: still can't find the
Patron of KDE
Supporter of KDE
list.
http://kde.org/support/donations.php
In general, even private donations are low. I know it's a recession and such, but the KDE folks also need to eat/code. We all know, that according to the "ballmer peak" one needs beer for that. Free beer!! =) j/k.
I think I'm going to donate $50 my next paycheck. (crap, that's like $0.50 cents in Euros these days.. :-/ )
Can I ask a favor: Could you please write more Compiz type compositioning effects in return? puweese?
btw.: Kudos for being able to operate on such a shoestring budget. Most businesses wouldn't be able to.
Keep up the great work. Hopefully more donations will come.
I'll donate $20 for more compositioning effects. Like, Coverflow, and expose.
I still think a mini-competition for a small prize with the Oxygen team as judges would be the best way forward.
I like that idea too.
> still can't find the Patron of KDE Supporter of KDE list.
http://ev.kde.org/supporting-members.php
> I thought Nokia was going to donate money to the KDE project?
You have a wrong expectation how fast such things happen...
> Could anybody give us an update of what Nokia has done for Trolltech,KDE,OpenSource in general in the last few weeks since the aquisition?
The acquisition has not happened yet, so nothing.
I doubt they want to just paypal over that much money, "chump change" as it may be, so just have patience. ;)
Does that mean, that the buyout might not happen?
I see no reason why NOKIA couldn't donate the money well ahead of the purchase. Now, before 4.1 is released is when we would need it the most.
There is still tons of work and money needed to dof:
Add Features for 4.1 (since no features are allowed to be added for 4.1.x *grr*)
More desktop effects,
Simple way of finding extra plasmoids, extra apps, etc. (KDE-look isn't newbie friendly)
More support for computers with small/low resolution screens. Car-PC, Asus-eee, mobile devices (NOKIA, ARE YOU LISTENING??), other ultra-portable pc's.
A way for newbies to regain desktop screen real-estate.
AMAROK 2.0
KDE on Windows, KDE on Mac
MUCH MORE PUBLICITY.
More input from different distro's (openSUSE, KUBUNTU, Fedora, etc.)
Tons of videos posted on Youtube, and then (stumbleupon, digg, /., de.licio.us, etc.) People crave screenshots, and eye candy, if they were to switch to KDE.
tons of other features, I forgot to mention
There is only a few months left.
> Simple way of finding extra plasmoids, extra apps, etc. (KDE-look isn't newbie friendly)
I'm looking foward Get Hot New Stuff integration in Plasma. I have a svn build from some days ago and the button is still disabled. Anyone knows if at least it's planned to come in 4.1?
If the button is there, then it's planned to 4.1. Right?
This is a feeling sort of thing, and I wouldn't know where to start fixing it.
The desktop feels heavy. Mousing around, using the menu, opening and closing things, it feels like you are dragging a weight around. I suspect it has to do with fine tuning the timings. It isn't lag caused by a slow machine or loading libraries, which gives a stutter feeling. It is consistent.
This is one of those things that will get sorted out by use. I'm impressed how KDE 4 is coming along, and I don't think any developer can help but be excited by the available technologies.
Derek
I experience the same! Strangely enough this is the first time I read anyone else reporting it. Have we all actually seen this, but nobody spoke up? I was already resigning to eventually getting a new machine just to be able to run KDE4, though my current one is damn fast when running anything else than that.
Hopefully it can be fixed?
Since KDE4 runs smoothly on the pretty low-spec EEE PC and I have heard very few people complaining about it, I'm guessing this problem affects only a minority of users and is likely caused by their particular hardware/ driver configurations.
Pentium M @ 1.86 GHz, 1 GB, Intel 915GM graphics, freshly installed Kubuntu Gutsy, KDE4 from the PPA archive on launchpad, nothing else running. Any clues?
define "smoothly"... I just compiled it on a 2Ghz / 1024 ram / ATI radeon 9600 / 7200rpm machine, and it does feel sluggish compared to the recently-tuned 3.5.
My notebook uses the xorg.intel driver for my 945GM graphics (not very powerful hardware). I was using 24bpp, but KDE4 was unbearable slow. After switching to 16bpp it feels much much better (speak "normal"). Only thing is, that the desktop background picture now has lost 90% of its colors... looks like a gif-pic in 16 colors ;-)
Perhaps it runs smooth when openGL stuff is turned off, but once 3D accelerated Kwin is turned on it becomes really slow.
I bought a sony vaio SZ61XN four months ago when it was the newest model, and on that one KDE 4 is also slow. A lot slower than KDE 3.5.x, so let's hope they concentrate on improving speed, before adding any features to kwin.
I've used KDE 4 only for a few moments to peek around.
It seems most of the complaints are from Nvidia users using composite effects however.
The problem is not only with composite on. and not only with nvidia drivers.
For me for example, scrolling in all applications is very slow (not always, but most of the time), and this is with a ATI and another time with a nvidia. But i believe that that is a qt 4.3 problem and is hopefully solved with qt 4.4
I had the same problem with my ATI card and fglrx but with radeonhd it runs much smoother. So I think it is indeed a driver problem.
I think it is the "organic" feel - things fade in/out, nothing just appears/disappears.
I guess that is intentional. Maybe the desktop ends up feeling friendlier, but slower.
Possibly it will feel lighter with a different theme, or with some of the effects turned off.
Also, my feeling is probably dominated by the debug build....
It isn't hardware or responsiveness.
You are probably right about the fades. I wanted to mention it because another few days and I wouldn't notice it any more. I'm a terrible tester. I route around errors.
Derek
This might help you when it lands. At least to see if the animations are the problem.
http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-core-devel&m=120310169819776&w=2
Is it really reasonable to put every application or technologies on a different site?
Its freaking annoying, whats wrong with the regular kde.org site?
You got gwenview on this website, kross on this site, and then you got amarok on the kde website? Wtf!
Sorry, I'm kinda picky.