Third KDE 4 Development Snapshot Released: "Kludge"

The KDE project announces the availability of the third development snapshot of the upcoming KDE 4. This snapshot is meant as a reference for developers who want to play with parts of the new technology KDE 4 will provide, those who want to start porting their applications to the new KDE 4 platform and for those that want to start to develop applications based on KDE 4. This snapshot is not for end users, there is no guarantee that it will be stable, and the interfaces are subject to changes at any time.

This new development version of KDE features the following new technologies:

  • Sonnet which has previously been covered on Linux.com.
  • Solid, KDE 4's unified layer to deal with hardware and network resources.
  • Vastly-improved support for the Windows and Mac OS platforms by cleaning up the source code from dependencies on X11. See kdelibs.com for more information.
  • The recently added filemanager Dolphin which will be the default filemanager for KDE. Konqueror will still be available and share much code with Dolphin.

After "Krash", the first development snapshot, this is another milestone towards KDE 4.0 which will be released later this year. The KDE developers aim at a release in summer 2007. Reaching this target depends on application developers picking up the new technology to use in their applications. While "Krash" marked the milestones initial Qt 4 port, the use of D-Bus as the inter-process-communication system, the merge of Phonon as the multimedia framework and CMake, KDE's new buildsystem defines this latest release.

The next planned change is new integration of Oxygen, the new artwork concept. Work on Plasma is also taking up pace.

Download the 3.80.3 source, or install packages for Kubuntu or openSUSE.

For those who want to keep track of the development process, KDE Dot News regularly covers new and upcoming technologies through the series "Pillars of KDE 4" (informing about upcoming technologies) and "The Road to KDE 4", which covers new functionality that has been integrated in the official development tree.

Questions about KDE 4 are answered on various mailing lists such as kde-devel and kde-buildsystem, as well as on #kde4-devel on irc.freenode.org. Documentation for getting up to speed with KDE 4 development is available from a number of sources.

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Comments

by illogic-al (not verified)

Yes. Because obviously that one blog post, and the single reply, were generated by >1 user.
Also I suspect you're using the fact that most people here not understanding dutch to make a point which doesn't exist.
From what I understand the poster made no comparison to nautilus and dolphin.
Further, The reply displayed below was saying they prefer Thunar to Nautilus as far as file managers go.
But what do I know, I don't read dutch either.

by otherAC (not verified)

Ok, let me translate it:

I just read that another snapshot of KDE4 is released. Fine of course, development continues, also at KDE and that is how it is supposed to be. I also saw that KDE adds a seperate filemanager to KDE4: Dolphin. It won't replace Konqueror, which can do more than just filemanagement (by the way, i could never get used to konqueror). The first thing i noticed about Dolphin is the looks of this new filemanager. I won't say anything, just draw your own conclusions. ;-)
[picture of nautilus]

two replies

KDE is moving more and more towards gnome. :)
by: Me - 24 Februari '07 - 14:31

Let say: Modelled after a good example :) At KDE too there might be people that find Konqueror a bit of overkill. I find Thunar more comfortable (especially faster) than Nautilus.

So far the translation of that blog.

So in short he makes the statement that Dolphin reminds him of Nautilus.
And looking at the screenshot of Dolphin and at Nautilus on my (kde) desktop, i can only agree with him ;)

by otherAC (not verified)

>>[picture of nautilus]

that should be [picture of dolphin] of course :)
The blog can also be found on http://planet.nl.gnome.org

which imho makes it a gnome blog.
But that is not the point: this gnome blogger points out that the simplistic interface of dolphin reminds of nautilus.
And he is right in my opinion..

by superstoned (not verified)

Nobody on the whole page is comparing Dolphin to Nautilus, there is only one comment which said Thunar is more comfortable compared to Nautilus... Or am I missing something?!?!

Well, doesn't matter really ;-)

by otherAC (not verified)

>>Nobody on the whole page is comparing Dolphin to Nautilus, [..] Or am I missing something?!?!

Yup, you are drawing other conclusions than the blog poster did.
He is pointing to nautilus (which is the filemanager that the blog poster uses -- see other blogs of him), but is does not want to say that explicitly :o)

>> Well, doesn't matter really ;-)

Indeed, but still: he's right :)

by Bob (not verified)

Well as much as I am a fan of konqueror the one thing that will have me running to dolphin would be:
right-click>
------------sort icons by>
-------------------------- name, date modified, size, etc

This is a feature I get sooo annoyed that is missing in konqueror.
OK, it's nothing major and probably a bad habit I picked up from windowz as a child, but as the ability to change view exists under the menu's at the top of the application why should I have to move half way across the screen to be able to use this feature. I am not complaining but having this feature would make konqueror easier to use or dolphin better imho.

Fantastic app's though both of them, keep up the amazing work!

The dolphin change for file browsing, tbh I was happy keeping all my browsing and file management open in the one window. The thought probably would make interface designers ill but I am happy tabbing between documents as it means I can auto-hide my taskbar and have the whole screen to use for whichever task

by Andrew (not verified)

Mice make computers harder to use, not easier. You can pull down that menu and make a selection in four keystrokes, without having to look at the screen, and without having to move your hands anywhere, let alone push the mouse aalllll the way across the screen. Yeah, I know, it's so hard. But I think you'll probably survive.

by Bob (not verified)

I have to agree with you that the keyboard is more functional than the mouse.

(Hence why I am still confused that my classmates are made to use a GUI in windows to program in fortran)

I am also using a laptop which means that my mouse is below my keyboard and the main advantage of X is that I can use a mouse. Not talking about usability, just simplicity.
I either memorize the shortcuts for a lot of programs (that are altered by different distro's) or I use the mouse, which, is good for first person shooters, navigating VERY bad GUI programs which insist on mouse interaction, and other uses.
Also

I just point it out as I know a few new converts that would like this feature as well. It just irritates me that copy/move to have been integrated into the right click which is more irritating than using the mouse to select files, and keyboard to move by address bar.

If it's a complex job or a very full directory I still prefer using the command line to copy files.
Just wishing someone would indulge my laziness. I am sure I am not the only person who comes from windows missing this 'feature'.

End of the day, it's just my bad habit so I will get used to it or forget it now that over the past 2 years I have discovered the command line and KDE.

by viseztrance (not verified)

I love konqueror.. most kde users do.. they love it because of what it is - please don' try to change kde. You'll gain some users, but loose some in the process..

by Bernd (not verified)

First, I love konqueror too.
But, I just dont get it, why everybody want his own preferences to be the default.
Dolphin is an simpler(featureless) and easy to use filemanager.
Is it so insane to start with the simple interface as default for beginners?
If you are a more experienced user and want to use a more powerfull app like konqueror you should the hell be able to change that default. So stop whining.

by Anon (not verified)

Seriously - what part of "Konqueror will still be available" are people failing to grasp, here?

by viseztrance (not verified)

Did you knew that Microsoft Word can save in other formats than the infamous "doc" files ? I bet you did, but most people don't. Default means a lot. As long as konqueror will still be there, no problem i guess, but it hasn't seen too much development lately, has it not ?

by Bernd (not verified)

>>Did you knew that Microsoft Word can save in other formats than the infamous "doc" files ? <<
No, because I dont use that crap. ;)
I know the power of defaults, and especially for people that don't have an opion on that subject.
If I'm right, you are you fearing that if less people use konqueror, there will be less development on it ?
Then I say it's not the peoples duty to use a software in the hope that it becomes usefull someday.
Its the duty of a sofware to be usefull to the people, so that it deserves it's users.
I personally think/hope/whish that konqueror is able to hold its userbase without being the default filebrowser.

by Richard Van Den Boom (not verified)

Actually, it's increasingly difficult for beginners to have desktops that provide three or more applications which seem to do the same thing. At some point they just use the default and period. Which probably means very few will ever learn all the interest of Konqueror.
To avoid confusion, many distros will probably remove easy access to the apps that are not the default, remove them from the menu, etc. Just like there is Kaffeine in most distros but not Kplayer.
Again, as I posted above, the assumption that beginners should have simple looking apps with just three icons and is flawed in my opinion. What they just need is to be able to do the little things they already know easily, which is the case with Konqueror. The rest, they just ignore it at first and slowly they begin to use the features that they don't know. If you just hide them, they'll never use them. Making Konqueror a "power-user" app will guarantee you that most people will never have the chance of becoming a "power-user" (I put it in quotes because I think it's a stupid way of calling users that try to use more advanced features of their apps).

by illogic-al (not verified)

> Making Konqueror a "power-user" app will guarantee you that most people will never have the chance of becoming a "power-user" (I put it in quotes because I think it's a stupid way of calling users that try to use more advanced features of their apps).

But... that is the very definition of a power user. That's like saying you think "chef" is a stupid way of calling a cook who is more advanced than normal cooks in the kitchen.

by Ben (not verified)

Apart from you're ending comment about "power-user" I fully agree with this.

by superstoned (not verified)

Konqi won't be a 'power-user' application. Konqi will be the webbrowser in KDE 4, Dolphin will be the filemanager. As konqi is based on Kparts, it CAN do filemanagement, just like it can do it now, but it won't be the default filemanager (though you can easily set it as default in Kcontrol or its successor).

We won't have many apps doing the same, we won't have one app doing two things like the current situation, but two apps each doing one thing as good as possible. Without losing any power or flexibility. Let's rejoice, please, as KDE doesn't take the Gnome route of REMOVING stuff, but is reorganizing and improving things instead...

by Emil Sedgh (not verified)

why developers think that they know better?
whey you dont try to take a poll and ask users about something like this?
Yes!Dolphin (maybe) is a good Simple File Manager.but whats the matter with Konqueror?maybe Distro's will change their filemanager to dolphin, if thats usefull.
KDE aims to be a powerfull Desktop Enviroment.Changing default file manager to Dolphin is againts this.so why developers dont try to make a new __EVERYTHING__ for KDE, to make it simple?
I agree that making Toolbars change ith Profiles is the best solution.

by Sutoka (not verified)

Two points:
1. A poll of Developers and Power users (how many casual users REALLY read the Dot?) would be ignoring a large part of the current user base, and a massive potential user base.
2. Who will most likely be able to change their settings: The power users, or the new users?

by superstoned (not verified)

+1

Well, +100 actually. You get it, many here don't. I don't like dolphin, but I can change the default. For most ppl, Dolphin will be better for filemanagement, and they can still enter a local url in their 'webbrowser' anyway, so it's not like filebrowsing is 'hidden' in konqi... So what's the problem all these ppl seem to have?!?!?

by Aaron Seigo (not verified)

> why developers think that they know better?

why do users think their personal opinion constrained to their experience is better?

by eMPe (not verified)

Not better, more important than the developers opinion. Users know how they (wish to) use the software. That is quite important.
That said, changing the default to something simpler doesn't seem to have bad consequenses for konqui, does it?

by Emil Sedgh (not verified)

I dont think my personal experience is the best one.I said taking a poll is a good solution, because you are asking more people.

by Sutoka (not verified)

The results of that poll would be incredibly missleading. At best you'd just get the opinions of Developers and Power Users, which would be missing out on all the casual users and probably a huge chunk of the power users as well.

by otherAC (not verified)

>>why developers think that they know better?

In the end, they write the code..

>> whey you dont try to take a poll and ask users about something like this?

most users don't take polls.

>> Yes!Dolphin (maybe) is a good Simple File Manager.

So, what's the problem?

>>but whats the matter with Konqueror?

it's too technical and has too tight integrated filemanagement webbrowsing features

>>maybe Distro's will change their filemanager to dolphin,

which says enough about konqueror

>> KDE aims to be a powerfull Desktop Enviroment.Changing default file manager to Dolphin is againts this.

what's the difference between distro's defaulting to dolphin or kde defaulting to it and distro follow that choise?
Both ways dolphin becomes the default filemanager on many systems.
powerusers can change that easily to konqueror

>> I agree that making Toolbars change ith Profiles is the best solution

That's how konqueror works in kde 3.x
Apperently, that's not considered the best solution for kde4

by Emil Sedgh (not verified)

>> In the end, they write the code..
I know this.i know they write code and they make my life easier.I am a KDE fan, im living with it and i love it.but i dont think every time I want to write a comment, i should repeat these.everybody knows these.

>> most users don't take polls.
which is better?asking 10-50 developers or asking all of dot people who read dot?

>> it's too technical and has too tight integrated filemanagement webbrowsing features
I think making Konqueror's code cleaner is easier than making a new file manager.and its really the good piece of Konqueror.its both Filemanager and web-browser.

>> what's the difference between distro's defaulting to dolphin or kde defaulting to it and distro >> follow that choise?
>> Both ways dolphin becomes the default filemanager on many systems.
>> powerusers can change that easily to konqueror

KDE should try to use the best applications with its default package.lots of distro's will not touch it.

by otherAC (not verified)

>>I know this.

But you asked the question :)

>>which is better?asking 10-50 developers or asking all of dot people who read dot?

I'd say the developers.
Average users don't read the dot.

Best choice would be to ask a team of experts to determine what's the best choice for kde.
Not a bunch of random users..

>>I think making Konqueror's code cleaner is easier than making a new file manager
Yep, and that is what i would like to see.
But apperently the kde developers choose otherwise.
I hope they would change their mind and make konqueror a less cluttered webbrowser/filemanager, but with dolphin in kdebase they chose another path.

>>KDE should try to use the best applications with its default package.lots of distro's will not touch it.

What's best is not easy to determine.
It looks like distro's are looking for a more simplified desktop, so even if konqueror is default and dolphin part of extragear, chances are that kubuntu for example chooses dolphin as default..

by Emil Sedgh (not verified)

>> In the end, they write the code..
I know this.i know they write code and they make my life easier.I am a KDE fan, im living with it and i love it.but i dont think every time I want to write a comment, i should repeat these.everybody knows these.

>> most users don't take polls.
which is better?asking 10-50 developers or asking all of dot people who read dot?

>> it's too technical and has too tight integrated filemanagement webbrowsing features
I think making Konqueror's code cleaner is easier than making a new file manager.and its really the good piece of Konqueror.its both Filemanager and web-browser.

>> what's the difference between distro's defaulting to dolphin or kde defaulting to it and distro >> follow that choise?
>> Both ways dolphin becomes the default filemanager on many systems.
>> powerusers can change that easily to konqueror

KDE should try to use the best applications with its default package.lots of distro's will not touch it.

by ferdinand (not verified)

pls distinguish between filemanager and html rendering.

there is IMHO nothing equal to konqueror in respect to network transparent accessing of files with all sort of protocols (ftp, sftp, fish, smb, nfs , svn and many more).

Unfortunately not all safari enhancements are ported back yet, so the html and js script engine are not state of the art and it is sometimes necessary to use other browsers. Sometimes some workarounds are not implemented and hence do not treat non standard html and js coding. And there may be bugs too ;-)

In respect of statistics mentioned, sometimes it's the fault of the web page desingers which check for valid browsers and reject konqueror. Changing the identification to firefox allows to visit the site, but this is propably not counted as konqueror.

by Tsiolkovsky (not verified)
by Andre (not verified)

Please, please stop this spamming. Lets digg a big hole and burry digg in it forever. And yes, I know the arguments why this "digging" is supposed to be helpfull or important, they come by again and again.

by Goalie (not verified)

Why not just put a digg this button on every page so these people wouldn't bother posting it in comments.

by Troy Unrau (not verified)

Because then we'd have to update the code to include every possible news submission website that's popular on any given week.

by Mark Kretschmann (not verified)

That's actually a good idea.

by Felix (not verified)

What about a button "Digg this" which shows a page just with content muuuh or something like that ? ;) There could also be a random delay, faking it...

Felix

by Haakon Nilsen (not verified)

Why would we need to "help spread the news"? This is an alpha release of interest to developers; I'm sure the target audience pay attention to the dot at least.

by teh fierst (not verified)

let me be the first to say : big up Tsiolkovsky, many thanks for putting it up!

by another ac (not verified)

man I get sick of this digging stuff

This is dot.kde.org, not digg

by Andre (not verified)

I was checking out Solid again, but I was a bit dissapointed by the fact that the website that promisses comprehensive documentation for developers seems to lag behind the actual development of the system itself quite a bit. In fact, there is no documentation to be found at all. How do people expect developers to start using these technologies if you can't find how to use them?

by Troy Unrau (not verified)

In the case of solid, it's still somewhat of a moving target for certain things, so writing documentation about all of the features this early is a hindrance, and it needs to be updated 10 times a week. That said, if you check out #solid on irc.kde.org (redirects to freenode), you should get a decent response when the developers are awake :)

by Andre (not verified)

Of course, I see that. However, this article also states that the succes of a summer release will depend on application developers porting their applications to KDE4. How are they supposed to do that if the API is still a moving target? I am sure the developers are very helpfull on IRC, but I for one would at least want to have some sort of reference documentation, some sort of overview on how this lib is put together on a higher level before I would considder using it. Not all details need to be filled in in that, but at least give us *someting*?

The Solid website as it is now is really lagging behind a lot. In the API section is still says: "First uploads of the API documentation to this website will likely occur in Q2 2006 given the current roadmap."

by Jakob Petsovits (not verified)

I agree that API documentation is important, and that Solid is still in flux is no excuse at all. Apidox should be written together with the code, not as an afterthought, so if there's code but no docs then the development practices are subject to be improved.

That said, updating the web page is most likely not as important as getting fine code (and apidox) pushed out.

by Carsten Niehaus (not verified)

I just had a look:

* There are three tutorials for Solid

* There is a Mainpage.dox which gives you a short overview

* I checked 5 header-files, in all 5 _all_ public methods have full API-docs

* There are unittests for both hardware-recoqnition and network-stuff.

What more do you want??? And this is not even the complete documentation because there is more to come.

by Jakob Petsovits (not verified)

Er. I believed the parent poster without checking it myself. Blame on me, and on those people stating that there is no proper documentation.

by Andre (not verified)

Are you sure? Well, I guess you are if you say so...
Maybe I looked in the wrong place or something, because I didn't find them. I just wend back to look again, but I still can't find them on the Solid website. However, you are right, I did find the documentation you describe in the sources themselves. I am glad there are docs, and to help others find them as well, I plan to try and put them up on the solid wiki or something like that.

by Andre (not verified)

AH! Excellent!
Thank you for these links. I still think it would be usefull to put these links on the Solid website, so you can find these documents from the Solid website where this documentation is still announced as forthcomming. It is good to see that the documentation is actually there. I am going to look into them to see if they might be usefull for a project I want to try...

by Lee (not verified)

Docs should probably be written FIRST, along with unit tests, so that everyone knows what they're aiming for, and knows it's been comprehensively thought out ahead of time. Still, that's only one development methodology, and I'll be happy just to see it work :)

by djouallah mimoune (not verified)

why not showing some screenshots, i know till now all the changes are under hood as some dev has said.

friendly mimoune

Because, as has been stated many times, it currently just looks like a (very, very!) badly broken KDE 3.5 Desktop :)

When you're building a Rolls Royce, the paint-job is always the last thing to be applied ;)