There was an update notification icon in my systray this morning which told me there were 10 updates for my system.

When I clicked on the icon it started KPackageKit (the default application on Kubuntu). However KPackageKit only listed 6 updates and 4 of those were 'Blocked' and couldn't be installed. I don't know what happened to the other 4.

I had to use Synaptic to install the updates (all 10 of them).

I realise that KPackageKit is an interface for PackageKit and that it may be missing some features because it is under development but if it is the default application for applying updates surely it should be able to apply them?

Any thoughts, comments?

Looking into PackageKit, it promises a lot, but is still, sadly under heavy development. I personally think the Kubuntu guys got ahead of themselves when selecting it.

(One of the bugs I encountered in it was very annoying, I was trying to replace KNetworkManager (sorry guys, it just dosent like my system) and put in wicd. PackageKit cannot do this, however, because it first; removes -> downloads -> installs. Rather then Synaptic's quite sane Downloads -> Removes -> Installs.)

Having a look at the other package managers avaible...god, I wish Kynaptic was with use (or at least someone gave Synaptic a KDE 4 facelift)

Mind you, Ubuntu AppCenter looks quite interesting..I'm rather hoping it'll be in Kubuntu...hell, I think the idea itself is worthy of being applied direct to KDE upstream when it's fully setup!

As far as I can make out from a lot of Googling, KPackageKit can't cope with installing anything that needs something else removing.

It seems recent updates have triggered this problem with virtually every Kubuntu user. The way round it is to run synaptic instead and tell that to install the updates.

I'm afraid it's all too typical of Ubuntu's half-arsed approach to KDE and it's one of the reasons I'm in the process of downloading Mandriva to replace it (though the fact that the last two Kubuntu releases have both screwed up badly on my machine.

Can anyone recommend a debian based, idiot proof KDE-centric distro? (IE, easy propitery drivers install) There are a lot of Ubuntu clones out there, I'm rather hoping someone has done a 'Kubuntu, but better' kinda one.

It's interesting to not that all the posters thus far are using Kubuntu, as am I on my main (desktop) system.

To that end I'm also experiencing problems with updating, as follows.

Update notifier displays via the system tray that x number of updates are available. Which is what it's supposed to do.

The problems I experience are this.

1) Update notifier indicates x number of updates are available, which is inconsistent with kpackagekit as it will display x + y number of updates are available.

2) If I choose to click on the update notifier to install updates kpackagekit will lock up my system, once the packages are installed, to the extent that I am unable to

a) restart x <ctrl> <alt> <bckspc> or,
b) access a virtual terminal <ctrl> <alt> <fx>

hence a hardware reboot is required.

However if I go through System Settings > Add Remove Programs > Software Updates no such problems occur.

On the other hand I have a fairly old laptop running Fedora 11 (KDE) and no such problems occur.

It would seem that the Kubuntu devs have not jumped the gun so to speak though kpackage kit is still under heavy development but haven't got the implementation down pat.

Kpackagekit as a front end to packagekit has a lot of promise, it's a shame that it's reputation is being tainted, (check the kubuntu forums), as a result.

I would also be interested in any suggestions as to a distro that provides a well executed implentation of KDE.

Or perhaps someone is aware of a backport of the latest kpackagekit for Kubuntu 9.04?

Cheers.

I've been in communication with a few people, most were not fond of what I had to say about it.

I've heard a lot of good things about Linux Mint (Community edition does KDE)