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Noticed this in Opensuse and Fedora; there are two sets of tools for the configuring the same settings, or devices. One tool is usually partly disabled(System Settings).

Some modules of System Settings should be disabled when the distro-specific tool install, or the other way around is fine. Though, Yast2 is far superior then System Setting but there some things you can't configure in Yast2 that you can in System Settings and Vis-Versa.

I personally would like to see System Settings used for a good portion of the configuration and not need separate tools for the same purpose.

I would say that it's up to the distro to write KDE System Settings integration modules. It would be possible to add all of the YaST modules as KDE Settings Services. I don't think, however, that it would be possible to do it the other way around: that System Settings modules are shown in YaST, especially since some System Settings modules edit a particular user's preferences, and not system-wide preferences.

I agree with the idea, there should be no duplication and very tight integration between KDE's tools and a distro's

What I've noticed (mostly in Opensuse of late, but in Kubuntu too earlier) is that while there can be overlapping functionality, for the most part there isn't for one reason:

When Suse (or other distro of choice) provide their own program for doing X that system-settings can do, the system-settings module in question isn't usually installed by default. For example, YaST has its own user-management tool and consequently kuser isn't installed by default. It's not always clear-cut though, since Suse (sorry...just the distro I'm most familiar with) for example have a module for setting the time in both YaST and system-settings.

Personally, I've come to think that there should be a "division of labour" if you will between system-settings and the distro system-tools. That is, system-settings should ideally only provide tools that do not require root-privileges. The distro-specific tool(s) on the other hand should only contain modules that require root-access.

The two different tool-sets should look and behave the same otherwise though.

+1 on this. It is impossible for most regular users to understand the subtle difference between configuration tools (requires root priv or not for example - remember it was necessary to have root priv. to burn CDs not that long ago). And finding all configuation tools in one place is consistent with expectation.

I'm not at all sure how the KDE team could achieve this objective however as it is really up to the distro's to integrate with KDE system settings. And most distros are trying to support multiple DEs. Nobody wants to see duplication of effort so in fact *any* path to progress is quite difficult to see. But I'll post a possible solution for consideration...

Look at this in other way:
Yast are set of tools for administrators. System Settings is tool for users.

@dflemstr wrote on Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:22 pm:
Not just better add PackageKit modules into System Settings? PolicyKit, PackageKit, PowerDevil, Solid, etc. We don't need super integration. Only one case - searching Yast modules in Krunner/SystemSettings, but only to search(or better - add new tab, like 'distribution dependent').