A must read very important news

[ronw]

What does it mean for Kubuntu to die in the future, if we'll still be able to slap KDE on top of Ubuntu?

How will you do that if all the people packaging KDE are gone?

[claydoh]

I have an ignorant question.

What is Kubuntu aside from Ubuntu that uses Plasma instead of Unity?

What does it mean for Kubuntu to die in the future, if we'll still be able to slap KDE on top of Ubuntu?

As if it is quite that simple, lol

How will you do that if all the people packaging KDE are gone?

Well, we'd have whatever version of Plasma is in Debian Unstable whenever Ubuntu takes it's snapshot that is uses for it's next version. And zero (or minimal at best) updates of any sort at all for 6 months. And LTS users would be stuck at this for 2 years. No updates/ No testing, no fixing of things that need tweaking due to the variances between Debian and Ubuntu. No updates. None of the small and mostly un-noticed applications and integration bits. No updates. No individual installer -you would have to install Unity or whatever other Flavour and add Plamsa on top of it. (sure, you could do a net or server install, and 'slap' kde stuff on top of it, but that sure ain't user-friendly). No updates.


And do not forget, we didn't just lose Jonathan, we lost Scott, Rohan, and Harald as well. Core level coders and developers. We lost technical skills and abilities that will take some time to regain.

Let's see what happens over the next 6 months.

[bendy]

And do not forget, we didn't just lose Jonathan, we lost Scott, Rohan, and Harald as well. Core level coders and developers. We lost technical skills and abilities that will take some time to regain.

Let's see what happens over the next 6 months.

Ouch - I didn't realise that (only Jonathan seems to have been mentioned much in the usual geek news channels). How is the kubuntu dev team looking now in terms of being able to maintain and bug fix 15.10, and then push out 16.04 LTS? I'm worried now.....

[claydoh]

Ouch - I didn't realise that (only Jonathan seems to have been mentioned much in the usual geek news channels). How is the kubuntu dev team looking now in terms of being able to maintain and bug fix 15.10, and then push out 16.04 LTS? I'm worried now.....

Well.....

Let's see what happens over the next 6 months.

[julek]

It is very sad that a select few zealots that care nothing about anything but their ego push out such talented individuals and cause such a great piece of work go to ruin.

Completely agree. Having to drop a distribution just because of some politics is an absolute shame.

[julek]

kubuntu-backports puts you to 4.14.2.......just sayin'

It's true but backports aren't officially supported as a path of upgrade in Ubuntu while they've been in Debian for a while (even though this has not always been true).

[Qqmike]

New users here may be wondering and/or panicking about all this! For people who are relatively new here (@ Kubuntu) or who are new to this ongoing subject, my post may be of interest to you -->

If Kubuntu folds entirely (in all forms), there's a lot of discussion about users switching to Debian, as it gets directly to the source of things, so why not? I don't feel it is entirely straightforward for many people to "just download and use it," but that's only my opinion, and we all know about how common opinions are (don't say it), especially around here.

There is always Linux Mint. If you are new to Linux, make a note/bookmark of it.

My question for insider-experts here is this: It appears to me that Linux Mint KDE is secure in terms of ongoing Mint dev support. Is that's correct, or am I missing something or not privy to some insider-something? I see nothing wrong with Mint KDE, IOW.

(Note to beginners here: Mint is known as an easy "ready-to use" OS, based on Ubuntu. The latest Mint KDE is NOT however using Plasma 5, but it is based on the LTS 14.04 substructure, supported through 2019. There are other flavors of Mint that are not KDE.)


Interesting review of Linux Mint KDE 17.2 -- Note that the reviewer is upset only because it doesn't include the latest Plasma 5 -- It is, however, based on the Ubuntu LTS and so will go until 2019.

http://www.itworld.com/article/29684...-plasma-5.html

If you've missed this controversy between Ubuntu and Kubuntu, here's a nice, brief outline-summary of it (through May 2016, explaining the history of it):

http://www.itworld.com/article/29268...as-leader.html

[oshunluvr]

Mike, I miss the point of Mint 17.2 vs. Kubuntu 14.04 - both are supported until 2019 and both use Plasma 4... ?

[Qqmike]

People who like Kubuntu 14.04 might also like Mint KDE 17.2, if Kubuntu were not to exist.

[oshunluvr]

Ah, so you're supposing that Kubuntu dies but Mint KDE lives on? But if Mint KDE 17.2 has the same base as Kubuntu 14.04, wouldn't they likely suffer the same fate? Further, my assumption is the death of Kubuntu will revolve around Mir and Ubuntu leaving the desktop space, more than just the departure of Jonathon. I don't think Jonathon leaving now ends 14.04 support - unless I'm mistaken. My belief is that Mint KDE is only released along with LTS Ubuntu, so I suppose there might be a Mint KDE based on Ubuntu but there would still have to be someone to tweak and package KDE for Mint. I guess I have assumed much of what they offer is based on Jonathan's work - which ended this week as far as a *buntu based KDE goes. The issue as I see it isn't the removal of LTS support. Rather, it's the end of continuance of the Kubuntu entity and I think the causes for that will end Mint KDE too. Mint Debian is even further behind the release cycle than Mint KDE so that's not really an option for me.

My overall belief is I doubt there will be any "Kubuntu" after Wily unless we are lucky enough to get 16.04 off the shelf, and even more unlikely after that. Mir simply kills everything except Ubuntu and Canonical is going to kill that too (only my guess). My supposition is Mir is really about them (Canonical) moving toward closed source and into the phone/tablet market - toward a profit model that makes Shuttleworth a billionaire. Of course, I'm not an industry insider so I'm only guessing about all this. The skeptic in me doesn't allow me to believe really Canonical cares about the alternate flavors to it's brand. The real loss will be in all the packaging they do for us.

My hope is Jonathan's departure from Kubuntu means we are a release cycle away from a viable alternative.

[Qqmike]

oshunluvr: Of course, I'm not an industry insider so I'm only guessing about all this.

You know more than I do about all this.

Ah, so you're supposing that Kubuntu dies but Mint KDE lives on? But if Mint KDE 17.2 has the same base as Kubuntu 14.04, wouldn't they likely suffer the same fate? ... My belief is that Mint KDE is only released along with LTS Ubuntu, so I suppose there might be a Mint KDE based on Ubuntu but there would still have to be someone to tweak and package KDE for Mint. ... it's the end of continuance of the Kubuntu entity and I think the causes for that will end Mint KDE too ...

Exactly questions about which I'm asking, too.

Then there's Blue Systems, from which one might conclude that financial backing is not an issue (in keeping Kubuntu going). What does it all mean? what's a viable KDE alternative OS to Kubuntu? or, as claydoh has said, wait another 6 months to see what evolves or changes. Of course, all of us posters here are assuming that WE will be around in 6 months! Plenty of counter-examples of that cooling down in the local morgue! ...

[oshunluvr]

Yikes - you had to go there! LOL. Well, let's hope you and I are re-capping this discussion in a year!

[Qqmike]

Boy, ain't that the darned truth!

[ronw]

Of course, all of us posters here are assuming that WE will be around in 6 months! Plenty of counter-examples of that cooling down in the local morgue! ...

Can I get a moderator to delete my post in this thread? I had no idea posting in here put you on a Dead Pool list.

[GreyGeek]

A couple years ago Shuttlesworth made it very clear about his views on the now "orphaned" Ubuntu derivatives. He cut off most of his support. Were it not for BlueSystems Kubuntu would be dead by now. As Ubuntu's path focuses more tightly on Unity and Shuttlesworth's dream of Ubuntu becoming profitable (not just Canonical's server and support business), it will be increasingly more difficult for Kububtu's now masceated dev team to pound Ubuntu into Kubuntu's KDE mold.

The question is not IF it will become too much work, but WHEN, forced by increasing difficulties, Kubuntu will choose another base for its own survival. The longer the delay in taking that course the more the user base will diminish as users doubts increase.

And that assumes that Shuttlesworth won't decide, for his own financial health, to further reducing or eliminating all support for Kubuntu, or even Ubuntu itself. Three years ago, when Shuttlesworth kicked the step kids out and established a 5 year LTS release I predicted that 2017 would be the deadline year he set for for Ubuntu to become profitable, fulfilling Shuttlesworth's hopes, or he would pull the plug on everything. I still hold to that view. I don't expect to see 17.04. If, to my surprise, it appears then I will remain with 14.04 till 2019. If, not I will rebase myself on either Debian KDE or Arch's version, as things now stand. With that in mind I continue to search for another Distro that gives KDE its due. IMO, this forum is more about KDE than the underlying Ubuntu framework, which is becoming increasingly hostile to KDE as it focuses on Unity. So, while I will remain connected to this forum I probably won't remain connected to Kubuntu if its trajectory continues along its current path. After all, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark, and I am not going to wait for Kubuntu to collapse before I start looking around for a different boat.