I started a thread about why I switched to KDE4, and I never got around to giving the actual brass tacks reasons why KDE4 has crossed the line into awesomeness for me. All of these improvements are in KDE4.1.3

Specifically, I was going to list three things.

1. Filter bar restored to Konqueror This is the problem that I personally screamed bloody murder about, and it's been fixed. With the the filter bar restored to make locating files easier, and the option to set ~ (or anything else) as your home page and go straight to it on the first click, Konqueror the file manager/all purpose desktop GUI is back stronger than ever! Konqueror isn't the only reason why I use KDE, but it's the reason why I always use KDE, even if I'm running KDE apps on fluxbox or fvwm-crystal.

2. Options have been added to the Desktop settings which allow users to choose to interact directly with the desktop folder in a more traditional way. For those who don't want it, the Colgate Invisible Shield is coming down!

3. The bugs have been ironed out of the "Input Actions" dialogue, so when I program custom keyboard shortcuts, they work, and they stay put after I logout and login again.

But here's the thing: I was so impressed by these improvements when I tried opensuse 11.0 with KDE 4.1.3 that I installed Kubuntu on my main box... but none of these improvements have made it to Kubuntu Intrepid with KDE 4.1.3 installed. Not one.

With KDE 3, Konqueror in Kubuntu was missing the "GO" button, an essential navigation tool. Everything that Konqueror could do was linked to the GO button, and, as far as I could tell, it just wasn't there. There may have been a way to get it, but I was never able to figure it out, or It wasn't a problem, because I could just apt-get KDE for Ubuntu. The KDE packages were probably ported from Debian. These Debian packages probably aren't available for KDE4 yet, but they probably will be eventually.

When I complain about something I am more often wrong than right, and it may turn out that I don't know what's going on here, but there's no mistaking that KDE4.1.3 for opensuse has major improvements that are missing from the same numbered release on Kubuntu, and that these all happen to be the reasons I decided to start using KDE4. (Which is not to say that without these improvements, KDE4 isn't worth using. It is.)

I never did understand the whole idea of Kubuntu (xubuntu, etc) Why a seperate distro for each desktop? Does Kubuntu have a mission other than just slapping KDE on Ubuntu? I would hope so, because, anecdotally, it looks to me like other distros are doing a better job of just getting KDE out without all the added buerocracy of a separate organization, and it seems reasonable to ask: Is the added buerocracy what is getting in the way for Kubuntu?

Beats me. I cannot see the whole forest. I am merely extrapolating from the few trees that I see before me.

On the other hand:

Where would we be now if there was no kubuntu? Ubuntu would probably be waiting on Debian for stable KDE4 packages. I'm guessing there would only be KDE3 for Ubuntu, except fopr advanced users who could get it themselves. I'm not sure that would be so great. I may install opensuse on this machine by and by, but I'm pretty happy using Kubuntu with KDE 4, even without the improvements that are on opensuse. So I hope I can walk the line between criticism and bashing.

I did not find KDE4 to be accesible at first.. I needed to figure it out in order to enjoy it. There are some widgets that are more effective on the panel, and other widgets that are better on the desktoop, and before I figured that out, it was a mess. But now that I get, I get it. So again, I think KDE4 is awesome, I've even stopped using fluxbox (for the time being) but I'm not sure it's ready to take KDE3's place as the universal desktop. But you guys are probably thinking about this. I'm convinced that you eventually think of everything.

blackbelt_jones wrote:But here's the thing: I was so impressed by these improvements when I tried opensuse 11.0 with KDE 4.1.3 that I installed Kubuntu on my main box... but none of these improvements have made it to Kubuntu Intrepid with KDE 4.1.3 installed. Not one.

That is because the openSUSE guys backported those features ,that were actually in trunk (4.2).

einar wrote:

blackbelt_jones wrote:But here's the thing: I was so impressed by these improvements when I tried opensuse 11.0 with KDE 4.1.3 that I installed Kubuntu on my main box... but none of these improvements have made it to Kubuntu Intrepid with KDE 4.1.3 installed. Not one.

That is because the openSUSE guys backported those features ,that were actually in trunk (4.2).

Ah... now I get it! Nice trick, but you can't say the Kubuntu guys aren't doing their jobs. Thanks for clearing that up for me. My apologies to kubuntu, and my complements to KDE on the fine stuff that is coming down the pipe. These improvements are more than innovative, they are the proof that the KDE team is listening and responding to the pain of people (like me) who have been freaked out by such bold changes to their well-loved desktop.

Knowing that these changes are coming gives me permission to enjoy KDE4.1.3 as it is. No one has had a harder time coping than me. No one has made more impassioned posts against the advent of KDE4 (not the software itself, it was easy to see that was impostant and necessary, but I couldn't see it taking the place of KDE3. Well, still may not still be for everyone, but I see a future for KDE4 on my desktop.

Actually, I still intend to use KDE3. I have an old box that I want to use for writing, and that will run Vector Linux SoHo and KDE3. I just had a very nice high-end machine fall into my hands, and that will be my entertainment/media desktop, running KDE4 with Kubuntu, or possibly openSUSE.

When Kubuntu dropped KDE4, it took me by surprise, but I'm learnign that there are distros, smaller ones to be sure, who will cling to KDE3 stubornly, and I still think that's a good thing. But all those reservations aside, you've made a KDE4 user out of me. I was supposed to do some housework today, but I couldn't pull myself away from my awesome new desktop. Minutes turned into hours.