Problems running Kompare on Kubuntu 16.04

[Gibtnix]

Hello everyone,

I have a small problem using Kompare (version 4.1.3) on Kubuntu 16.04 LTS: It works perfectly to compare two different files with it. However it seems to be impossible to compare two directories with it... Neither it seems to be possible to open directories with Kompare (if I start the GUI and try to select directories, the selection window does not close; I have to select files here) nor is it possible to use the Dolphin's Kompare integration for directories, I simple get an error message stating "Cannot read diff output". Running diff from the command lines works just perfectly fine.

I also tried to reinstall kompare and to delete '~/.config/komparerc' (maybe broken configuration file?), I did not find any further 'kompare' named files in my home directory (find . -iname "*kompare*" only returned this and the .desktop file). Does anybody know how this issue can be fixed?

Thanks in advance!

[Snowhog]

You might want to look and see if kdiff3 is available for installation in 16.04 (I think it is). Written for KDE4, but it does file and directory comparisons and a lot more.

[GreyGeek]

Ya, I miss kdiff3 in Neon. Seems like it wanted to install the kitchen sink.
EDIT: Out of curiosity I just checked. Before it wanted to install about 100 files, mostly Plasma4 stuff. Now it wants to install only itself and kdiff3-docs. GREAT! Back in business!

[claydoh]

Ya, I miss kdiff3 in Neon. Seems like it wanted to install the kitchen sink.
EDIT: Out of curiosity I just checked. Before it wanted to install about 100 files, mostly Plasma4 stuff. Now it wants to install only itself and kdiff3-docs. GREAT! Back in business!

Because you already installed the numerous (but iirc relatively small) kde4 deps from installing something else

[GreyGeek]

Yup, I realized that. So now if I want it I install it. I don't care what else gets pulled in.

[Rog131]

Kompare

Hello everyone,

I have a small problem using Kompare (version 4.1.3) on Kubuntu 16.04 LTS: It works perfectly to compare two different files with it. However it seems to be impossible to compare two directories with it... Neither it seems to be possible to open directories with Kompare (if I start the GUI and try to select directories, the selection window does not close; I have to select files here) nor is it possible to use the Dolphin's Kompare integration for directories, I simple get an error message stating "Cannot read diff output". Running diff from the command lines works just perfectly fine.

I also tried to reinstall kompare and to delete '~/.config/komparerc' (maybe broken configuration file?), I did not find any further 'kompare' named files in my home directory (find . -iname "*kompare*" only returned this and the .desktop file). Does anybody know how this issue can be fixed?

Thanks in advance!

This is with the KDE Applications 16.08.2

- From Dolphin: Pick two directories and click 'Tools > Kompare Files'. Working at here.




- Kompare GUI is using QFileDialog ( http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qfiledialog.html ) and expecting files:

A bug report: Bug 365034 - The Filechoosing-dialoug cannot handly folders to compare anymore - https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=365034

That is - This dialog is waiting files:



but you could copy&paste directory path to the 'Compare Files or Folders' window...

[Gibtnix]

Thanks for your responses!

I just installed kdiff3 and running kdiff3 to compare files and directories actually works, however Kompare still does not, hence the same holds for the respective dolphin integration. I also tried another reinstall of Kompare, including recreating of ~/.config/komparerc. No change, kdiff3 works, Kompare does not. However, comparing directories does not result in "cannot read diff" errors but the screen stays empty (i.e. no files or directories seemed to be loaded). I also tried to manually change the diff tool in Kompare to /usr/bin/kdiff3. Doing this results in errors in both, comparing files and directories (I also tried the folder pasting - pasting works, comparing actually not). What am I doing wrong?

[GreyGeek]

Rog, I have the same version of Dolphin as in your gif example, but the "compare" option under tools is never active, even with two panels open and directories selected. Kompare, however, works great. Is a plugin required for Dolphin? I didn't see any.

[Snowhog]

See https://www.kde.org/announcements/an...ns-16.08.2.php

[GreyGeek]

See https://www.kde.org/announcements/an...ns-16.08.2.php

Which explains why my Dolphin is 16.08.2, but doesn't explain why the "compare" menu option is grayed out.

[Rog131]

Rog, I have the same version of Dolphin as in your gif example, but the "compare" option under tools is never active, even with two panels open and directories selected. Kompare, however, works great. Is a plugin required for Dolphin? I didn't see any.

The Dolphin is simply checking if there is 'kompare' named executable installed ie: dolphinmainwindow.cpp line 1478:

installed = !QStandardPaths::findExecutable(QStringLiteral("kompare")).isEmpty();

and, if installed, by Dolphin Handbook: https://docs.kde.org/trunk5/en/appli...ml#idp73465696

Tools → Compare Files

Compare the currently selected files or folders with Kompare. This action is only enabled if two files or folders are selected.

[GreyGeek]

Ok, now it works in Dolphin. Something needed time to update?

[Gibtnix]

It's working for me now, too. I just wrongly interpreted Kompare's functionality here, at least I guess I did: I thought that I could compare the file trees in two directories; actually this seems not to hold, instead I can only compare all plain text files' contents while files that are actually missing in one of the directories are treated as empty files in the other one. This way everything works as expected. However I still get errors if I try to compare directories containing non-plain text files, but as long as the intention is to only compare text files, this of course is not really an error. So thanks everyone, so far my problem seems to be solved!

However I'd like to know the following: Is it correct that Kompare's intention is just to compare plain text files and directories containing them while comparing two directory trees it's actually KDiff's task? I tried to compare files with KDiff3 as well, but I think here Kompare is the better choice...

[GreyGeek]

...

However I'd like to know the following: Is it correct that Kompare's intention is just to compare plain text files and directories containing them while comparing two directory trees it's actually KDiff's task? I tried to compare files with KDiff3 as well, but I think here Kompare is the better choice...

Good question. I used KDiff only to compare C++ source files.


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