Mythical Creatures Behind KDE: Konqi

Just over two years ago (end of April 1999), Konqi the dragon decided to join the brave crew of the KDE ship in an endeavor to conquer your desktop. His help in promotional activities (as well as his intimidating flaming breath) has been invaluable to KDE's success. Tink had the brilliant idea to interview the handsome dragon for the launch of a new series of the famous KDE people interviews. Tink made the site even more beautiful and the new series of questions even more interesting. And there are other goodies in preparation, as you can check for yourself. Thank you, Tink, for this refreshing story.

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Comments

by Carbon (not verified)

I concur, KDE for kids is something that people should get involved in.

Any thoughts about KoolPaint having a "Kiddie" mode, similar to kid progs such as KidPix?

by Troy Unrau (not verified)

You should seek psychiatric aid.

Tink (the writer of the article) doesn't code afaik, so she contributes how she can.

The people who drew konqi and katie most likely don't code, or if they do, they also draw. If I must say so myself, they draw pretty well. Currently konqi is only in the kde about dialogs and on the websites.... no where else in kde. In fact, you have to look for him to find him.

And transparent icons are configurable.

And last but not least, we generally don't give a fu_ck what the corperate people think -- we're doing this for ourselves. If I want a feature, I implement it. If the corperations want a feature, then they should implement it.

If you want a better handle on the attitude of the people working on kde, hang out on irc.kde.org/#kde for a few minutes. We're not here to please the corperations, we're here to please each other... individuals!

/me goes back to irc

Troy Unrau
--First there were monkeys on typewriters;
Then there was UNIX.

Linux has officially lost it's 1334ness.

by Thomas (not verified)

Lost it's ... what?
Question: Did it ever wanted to be ... ?

Some time ago it was so easy to be ___, you
just had to install Linux on your PC :)
And I'm sure, this was the reason for you to
install Linux.
My suggestion: Try harder to be ____
(I guess you want to be). Maybe you find a OS
on the ROM of your Microwave, that suites your needs...

We use this Linux thing because of other reasons
(One day you will understand that...)

hehe

ha, i wait for you to flee to a more l337 operating system. when that happens, i'll port some uncool app to it, say a kony-screensaver and i will joyfully watch you run around in panic seeking desperately for a new l337 os. *enter recursion*

I don't know why everyone is bashing this article. I thought it was lighthearted and funny.

And that Konqi plushie is cute. :-)

Lighten up people.

by Matthias Ettrich (not verified)

Me neither, I thought the interview was simply great. Free software is about fun, not about enterprise (not to say that this is an exclusive or or enterprises cannot be fun).

In Norway there is a saying: "a good laughter makes your life last longer". Thanks a lot, Konq and Tink, for the extra minutes :)

Matthias

by Antialias (not verified)

Huh, I am totally confused now. There is a guy on kde-user mailing list (Andrew, who BTW obviously rulez there), and who says that core kde-developers and people from zine and promo share his opinion. And his opinion is that: kde should konqer corporate market (and that gnomes Nautilus rocks - it is 'kde all in one', and that primary kde goal now is to think about marketing, etc. I was pissed off and I told him that his marketing philosophy is a crap & bulshit, but...following the tread on the kde-user mailing list I concluded that he must be a part of kde core team cause everybody there (I wont mention names)really share his opinion. So Matthias, I would really want to know what is kde's primary goal? Is it 'Free software is about fun, not about enterprise..' or 'marketing and business'? When James says on dot.kde.org that kde should take care about corporate users you guys call him a troll, and when I say on kde-user mailing list that kde corporate & business & marketing philosophy is bulshit and crap I have to shut up, and everyone is pleased by Andrew's words.

by aleXXX (not verified)

Well, I'm not subscribed to kde-users, but tokde-devel and kde-core-devel, I don't know which Andrew you are talking about. Maybe he "rulez" on kde-users, but obviously not among the developers.
Well, kde's goal are both: first it is fun to develop software and share them with others, and on the other hand we don't want to lose the competition with Gnome and Windows :-)
And for this we have to make sure that KDE gets enough attention -> "marketing".

Alex

by Wolfgang Hockertz (not verified)

I like Konqui a lot an i like the interview :) AND i like to laugh :)))

I think there are not really many people bashing the article, only very few, but very often.

And I'd like konqi even as a business user. As a business user I'd dislike anything that hurts productivity, but as Konqi in a splash screen doesn't hurt producitvity - what the f**ck?

Is it true that Konqi is a SwampDragon and came from sunshinehome in Ankh-Morpok?

by Thomas (not verified)

Hey, ... :)
The weather is fine today and your interview
really made me smile ...

Thanks for your work
Thomas

by me (not verified)

In case you didn't realize yet: James Alan Brown is a troll

He already posted his eye-hurting fake-screenshot months ago in this discussion-forum without providing any code. He only wants to get some attention.

by reihal (not verified)

Do you know what Konqi and Katie is doing when you hear heavy breathing?

They are frying trolls!

by James Alan Brown (not verified)

A Troll:

Don't forget he has also got 3 of his customised Themes on kde.themes (Computers section KDE1.1.2) too.

I respect your views but calling me a Troll is quite rich!

I also feel it is important to express your view and findings even if those around you don't agree. That how things get changed in life!

In this real world I live in Linux is still thought of as a bit of a joke by far too many.

Try reading all the Linux news groups and see what others are saying about KDE2 and GNOME bloatware before putting down people.

Its easy to say good things on "kde.org" thats what most of you like to hear but it is also better point out not all are happy or if you wish just James.

Whatever you may think I like KDE 1.1.2 use it, shout out virtues to one and all and am sure that given time KDE2 will be just as good.

I question the number of gimmicks and GNOME look-a-likes only because its not the direction that I hoped KDE would go.

And while most of you seem to say its really stable I have despite many downloads of various KDE2 bzip2 source and SuSE rpm files found it "nice to look at but still unstable"! So I am at fault for being open about this!

so my systems at fault or I am at fault(oh how rich that is)!

I can't help but wonder if the rest of the open source community if asked may also have similar findings?

The bulk of you who replied up on this site are probably more inclined to give a bias view rather than hear what you don't wish too hear!

And as per normal, I am called a "Troll"
how silly can we get?

Regards,

James

by Mosfet (not verified)

Okay, so since you keep on clogging dot.kde.org with complaints that others here don't have, I figure you have had time to actually submit a bug report? I looked at bugs.kde.org and nothing with your name is there, but your not including your email so I can't be sure.

by James Alan Brown (not verified)

Would you all prefer that I put up an article on some of the main Linux User groups and ask others to comment on KDE2?

1. If they are happy with the way KDE2 is developing and to its usability/current stability?

2. How many still continue to use KDE 1.1.2?

While I can accept that many of you at kde.org seem to be happy with it I can't see any reason why it would not be a useful exercise to check how many others like it or dislike it or are getting the problems that I seem to be getting.

regards,
James

by Mosfet (not verified)

Okay, I guess that means you never submitted a bug report. Considering you take all this time complaining on the dot, and even are willing to take all the time to write an article, but aren't willing to do something as simple as submit a proper bug report, I think it's fair for people to consider you a troll.

by James Alan Brown (not verified)

Fine: OK I am a Troll (if that makes you feel better)

Wonderful and very grown up way to try to put down someone!

Yes I have submitted bug reports regarding Yamaha sound card problems also emails directly to one or two of the kde big wigs and you know what no one ever replied.

Now then re: my last questions on News Groups?

Regards,
James

by Mosfet (not verified)

What email did you submit the bug report with? I can't find it... I see reports from other people about Yamaha, but nothing from you. Plus, a problem with your sound card is a long way from KDE being so unstable as to be unusable.

It doesn't make me feel better that your a Troll - you all waste other people's time. Going around and threatening about writing putdown articles also makes you look like a troll. But it's a free world, go ahead. All one has to do is point out that while you can take all the time in the world ranting about KDE2 you never even submitted a report on the bugs list. I could also link to this thread. How do you think this makes you look?

As far as a search for "Yamaha", I get:

Yamaha chips should work with the recent CVS versions of the 2.0.1/2.1 branch,
where you can configure the sampling rate with kcontrol (set it to 48000 Hz).

As a workaround for 2.0 versions, you can start artsd manually, using something
like

artsd -r 48000 -F 12 -S 4096

Cu... Stefan

by James Alan Brown (not verified)

Look you need to look at past postings on kde.org regarding KDE2 version releases
and read their comments regarding stability and problems with the Yamaha SG sound cards from some of the users. Indeed I noted timings had been change to try to sort this problem out.

You need to look at my home page and see that for the last two years I have been promoting the virtues of KDE and please note the link back to kde.org

http://www.jabcomp.force9.co.uk

I do not dispute that some or even a very large number of users are happy with the way KDE2 is going. I am concerned that KDE1.1.2 is marked up as "obsolete" and that its seems to me that KDE2 is full of to much glitter and lacks many of the nice packages contained within KDE1.1.2 and in my case seems no matter what I do runs
quite badly and is still quite unstable.

Dragons are fun.. yes I agree but with respect many small business users that I am trying to promote the virtues of Linux running KDE tell me it's a bit too "Kiddie"
for them.

My personal view is this: until the day we can show a large number of Windows users that Linux is a great operating system, stable and usable, it will never be more that a passing fad.

Everyone seems to jump on the bandwagon saying "its your system try this distribution" or that there maybe other reasons to this but never the less its factual in my case.

I have 25 years of experience of PC building and 10 years of C++ programming and been using Linux now for some 4 years or so. I am totally happy with SuSE Linux,
(now using SuSE 7.1) and even compiling QT/KDE2 from kde.org source files still shows KDE2 as being unstable. Yet compiling KDE1.1.2 source files on the very same system work great and boy its stable. So you tell me! (rather than calling me a "Troll")

I respect and have 100% of gratitude for all of the many programmers working hard on KDE2. That is not the issue!

I do however feel that the release of KDE2 has more to do with trying to out run GNOME and that KDE1.1.2 was dumped before KDE2 was stable and contained
more functional programs. (again a subjective view).

Regards,
James

by Mosfet (not verified)

Yeah, KFM was so much more functional than Konq, KPanel was so much more functional than Kicker, KEdit was much better than Kate, KMail in 1.x was so much more functional... And forget the new KParts model and all the other architecture improvements - that's all glitter!

This is pretty ridiculous. The feature set of KDE is so far beyond 1.x's that it would take pages to list them all.

As far as stability, I haven't had KDE crash on me in months as far as I can recall without it being a bug in my own code...

by James Alan Brown (not verified)

And I could say this:

"And how many pages to list all the Mosfet bugs too"?

but it don't solve any of the problems!

Come on now! Your getting totally silly with remarks like that!

be contructive dear chap

regards,
James

by Mosfet (not verified)

That's a pretty easy answer. Search for mosfet on the bugs list database.

I find it ironic that your telling me to be constructive...

"you're"
It's really really simple to understand.

by Mosfet (not verified)

Heh, my my do the trolls get upset...