KDE 4 impressions

[t_ras]

As most of you probably already did ,I've just tried KDE 4 on my machine (Kubuntu7.10/Athlon64/512m/some NV card)
It is really nice and smooth and offers some nice affects and gadgets. Even though (at least for me) it lacked some functionality:
- I couldn't find where do I change the graphic card driver.
- I couldn't find where do I configure the start menu.
- I couldn't find how to change taskbar size.
- Oxygen does not support transparency (at least not for my comp).
- Some desktop effects stacked the desktop and I needed to restart KDM.

My general impression was that is is still not mature enough (but again, it might be something wrong in my comp), and my current KDE looks very nice any way.

What do you think?

[dibl]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

The graphic driver installation isn't a KDE function, strictly speaking, although KDM uses it. This forum has about a zillion posts on how to install graphic drivers.

Not sure what you mean by "configure" the Start menu - probably a little research on the KDE4 site will show whatever options you have.

I agree that the taskbar or panel appears to be the least "finished", at least in terms of doing things like we did with KDE3. I'm not sure when or how those kinds of customizations will be included. It works fine, black and default size LOL -- good thing I don't need it some other way because I see no capability to change it.

Oxygen is pretty -- I dunno about transparency. But I'm very enamoured of Emerald, and it's disappointing to see that Emerald is not a "natural" window decorator anymore. I had it enabled for auto-starting with compiz on KDE3. Now I have to manually run it at every log in -- can't seem to choose it on the Window Decorations utility any more. It's all Oxygen and Plasma there.

My Compiz and KDM stuff seems to work just fine, including Emerald once I enable it manually.

So, I'm using KDE4 full time, and it works. But it's not KDE3, for sure.

[Primoz]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

I m new to KDE, but I like to experiment meaning that not only i went from Gutsy to hardy in a day or so
but i also installed KDE 4.
This Experimenting got me in some real trouble as seen here: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3093204.0
Well i do like KDE 4, and its looks but i'm just going from trouble to trouble. Latest of them is that my windows lack name toolbar (thats the one where the name of application is given and where are most important functions as: mininize, maximize and quit ([=] [_] [X] )
I don't know what to do, and I still cant have more than 1 desktop
But at least i got that working in KDE 3.5 i had to uninstall desktop effects

[dibl]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

Latest of them is that my windows lack name toolbar (thats the one where the name of application is given and where are most important functions as: mininize, maximize and quit ([=] [_] [X] )
I don't know what to do

That is called "Window Decoration" Primoz. Do Alt-F2 "kwin --replace" with no quote marks -- that should fix it.

[Primoz]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

Latest of them is that my windows lack name toolbar (thats the one where the name of application is given and where are most important functions as: mininize, maximize and quit ([=] [_] [X] )
I don't know what to do

That is called "Window Decoration" Primoz. Do Alt-F2 "kwin --replace" with no quote marks -- that should fix it.

Thanks but I already done it; now if I could just get more desktops to work

[Primoz]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

Ok I managed to get multiple desktops, but there is another problem:
If I have multiple windows opened bits tray is starting to disappear. With that i mean that sometimes
the clock is gone other time the icons of running program is gone instead of those i can see my desktop picture i'm guessing it something to do with my graphical card. I have Nvidia 6600 is it enough
should I loose even more desktop effects??

[assettt]

Re: KDE 4 impressions

I have done a fresh install of the RC and it appears less complete than when i had beta 3. Maybe because then i still had KDE 3.5.9. Anyway the desktop loads and i get a "kdesudo command not found ..." which i just close. Now i need to add user and it's not there in system settings so i have to drop to CLI. How do i customise the desktop, no screensaver or millions of wallpapers to choose from. How do you add the screensavers and wallpapers. But this really gets on me, no Amarok and no k3b in default install. Surely this 2 are the big players of KDE. Hope they will be there in KDE 4.1.
I kind of like to right click on items on the desktop and get options like open with, install with, copy, move, paste ,etc which are not there. I'm yet to find use for the add widget app on the desktop, mainly because there is limited choice of the widgets available.
Good points: Plug in the camera and it's detected correctly, same with a USB flash drive. Even better i just turned on my HP all-in-one printer and a few seconds later I'm informed it's ready for use and it really was. The recently plugged in devices applet on kicker is useful and a nice touch.
I'm sure I've missed many good and bad points that familiarity will highlight but i think by the time we have kde4.1 out this will be the best desktop available anywhere.