What is akonadi server and why it started on KDE4.2 startup?

[pansz]

After I upgraded to KDE 4.2, the akonadi server got started automatically on KDE startup, since I never use it I wonder why force it autostart on KDE startup and what the hell it is used for?

It seems to occupying quite a bit memory, it is strange it started by default.

[Snowhog]

Akonadi

[pansz]

Akonadi

Well, that's a very basic information. I still confused about it:

1. If it is a daemon, what's the point of start it after login? why not start silently in the background, like most services in /etc/init.d/ , which started before login?

2. What's the difference with or without it? I use Akregator everyday and it doesn't seem to lack any function without Akonadi server.

[kubicle]

1. If it is a daemon, what's the point of start it after login? why not start silently in the background, like most services in /etc/init.d/ , which started before login?

My "educated guess" would be that you might only wish to start akonadi when logging into KDE, and not when logging into other DEs/WMs. (To my knowledge, only KDE apps use akonadi)

2. What's the difference with or without it? I use Akregator everyday and it doesn't seem to lack any function without Akonadi server.

I think without Akonadi, PIM apps use their own data resources like they did before...akonadi should enable them to use a single data pool and share data with other PIM apps (like possibly kopete being able to tell whether there's email in kmail from a contact etc.). It's my impression that KDE apps don't yet use Akonadi's potential to the fullest in KDE4.2...I'm sure this will improve in future releases.

[Fintan]

I just disable akonadi from with in kontact PIM (kalander, Kontacts) and used my own resources.

I don't see it autostarting.

[toad]

I for one like akonadi for the following reason:

My KDE 4.2 keeps on crashing at intermittent intervals - perhaps once every couple of weeks or so (don't know why, I use KDE vanilla). Next time I come up I get the default interface and everything non standard is gone to digital heaven

I use Kontact - thankfully I have all my stuff in a separate partitione, backed up, plastic wrapped, etc. But with akonadi I just do a regular backup and whenever this happens all pim info is back as if by magic.

Before I discovered akonadi I used a simple script linking files to their appropriate places whenever this happened.

My 2cs

[pansz]

My "educated guess" would be that you might only wish to start akonadi when logging into KDE, and not when logging into other DEs/WMs. (To my knowledge, only KDE apps use akonadi)

This has been two parts:
1. why not start before login?
you say only kde uses it, but in the official kde site the pictures clearly shows in gnome evolution and firefox use it.

2. why not start silently in the background?
when the akonadi server starts, it displays a progress bar and it is in the foreground, everything will not run when it is starting... I'm saying it can simply start in the background without drawing anything and do not prevent other programs loading.

It seems that akonadi is the only daemon I've seen to show a progress bar when start up, other daemons simply start without displaying anything, and that imo is what a daemon should be.

[kubicle]

you say only kde uses it, but in the official kde site the pictures clearly shows in gnome evolution and firefox use it.

It was designed to be cross-desktop, but whether non-kde software will actually start using it is another matter.

Also, akonadi seems to be a 'user server/service' (like nepomuk and strigi), it runs as a user (not root) and per user. Services that start before login are system-wide.

when the akonadi server starts, it displays a progress bar and it is in the foreground, everything will not run when it is starting... I'm saying it can simply start in the background without drawing anything and do not prevent other programs loading.

If it takes a while to load, I don't mind showing a progress bar to inform the user of it, but differing opinions are equally valid.

Definitely sounds odd if it prevents other programs from loading.

[toad]

Out of interest you could do a

Code:

sudo updatedb

followed by a

Code:

locate akonadi

to see where it lives and what it does.

Having said all that, mine does not show a progress bar

[gdoutch]

2. why not start silently in the background?
when the akonadi server starts, it displays a progress bar and it is in the foreground, everything will not run when it is starting... I'm saying it can simply start in the background without drawing anything and do not prevent other programs loading.

It seems that akonadi is the only daemon I've seen to show a progress bar when start up, other daemons simply start without displaying anything, and that imo is what a daemon should be.

I only ever saw this the 1st time I logged on after installing. Are you seeing it after every logon?