Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

[Fintan]

After spending most of yesterday getting to know kde4.1 and helped by rog here:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...;topicseen#new

I find that kubuntu now sports their own packages.

Easy to install and very fast

There are a few issues but it is a great big step forwards.

Please give your opinions and eventual solutions.

The party continues

[dibl]

Re: Any first impressions on KDEç.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Good for you, Fintan and Rog, and thanks!

I have to reinstall my Kubuntu 8.04 sometime soon (long story, involves XFS filesystem and VMWare ...). I was thinking I will wait until KDE 4.1 is released in July. But, you are making me feel brave and adventuresome -- maybe this weekend!

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDEç.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Hey dible, you can install HH kde3 und then install kde4 as before:

Excerpts from:
http://kubuntu.org/announcements/kde-4.1beta1.php

Instructions

The updated packages for Kubuntu 8.04 are located in the Kubuntu Member's KDE 4 Personal Package Archive (PPA) repositories. To update to this latest beta release of KDE 4.1, please complete the following:

1. Add:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu hardy main
to your /etc/apt/sources.list.

2. If you do not have kubuntu-kde4-desktop installed, simply type:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install kubuntu-kde4-desktop
and answer the questions.

Have fun and enjoy

[dibl]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Excellent -- wow, that does look easy. I think maybe I'll take a day off work tomorrow and see how much trouble I can get into with this.

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Well.......

[Guest]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

So when it says one can install KDE 4.1 alongside KDE 3...does that mean that I can download and install 4.1, then log out to the login screen, and under Sessions I will have the option of choosing which KDE I can run?

Or is it more (less) complex than that?

[dibl]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Yes, that's exactly how it works if you first install the regular Hardy Heron (which comes with KDE3.5) and then install KDE4. That's what I did, and I've used KDE4 exclusively since about March, and it has not been a problem.

However, please be aware that there have been quite a few folks who reported problems when they tried to "go back" after running KDE4 for some time. Apparently there is still a bit of interaction, even though the packages install themselves in separate filesystem locations. So it's not advisable to install KDE4 on a theory that if you're not happy with it you'll go back to KDE3.5 and all will be smooth sailing. It would better to set up a separate installation, or VM perhaps, to do that.

[Guest]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Nice! I'll have to give it a go when I get home from work...
Do you happen to know if it is more or less (or varies too much to say) "resource-intensive" (I suppose the term might be...)? I've heard tell that 4 is up to 40% less intensive than 3.5. I'm curious because the machine I'm tooling around with is older (700mHz P3, 256 MB RAM) that I ousted XP on in favor of speed, which Kubuntu has provided in spades. Prior to Kubuntu, I tried Fedora 9 with KDE 4 on it and found it to be sluggish and overall disappointing; even the GNOME that came with it was dissatisfying. With Kubuntu, I've been more than pleased at every turn, and (this might be from years of Windows-socialization) I'm accustomed to Upgrade=Slower.
Long story short (too late!), did you notice any decrease in performance with 4?

[dibl]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

My hardware is so fast that it's hard to tell without actually measuring things. (Not bragging here, just fortunate, I guess -- 3.5GHz dual core CPU, 4GB of RAM, and fast Raptor drives). On the same hardware platform, on a different hard drive I have sidux with KDE 3.5.9 and compiz on that one, too. I honestly cannot see any difference in responsiveness or speed between the two KDE desktops. I would say you'll suffer more installing Firefox 3 than KDE 4. You might want to go with Konqueror or Iceweasel for your browser (or Opera, which I've never tried).

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

I have a 5 year old caveman machine with 1gig ram and P4 2.4 cpu.

With kde4.1 beta I notice a definite increase in speed on loading stuff like FF, TB, OpenOffice and a few others.

I wouldn't know how it stacks up with 256ram but there is one way to find out

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Here are some of my impressions for the first day:
Loves:
-installing and / or getting new plasma themes from:
right click>configure desktop
It goes straight to kde-look.org

-getting / installing new color schemes from:
systemsettings>apperarence>colors>add colors
It goes straight to kde-look.org
- Horizontal resiting of the panel. Very sexy.
- Add panel to the top. Very neat if one could resize vertically

- Folder view plasmoid
- kate session plasmaoid

-toggling between kickoff and tradition kicker with a right click
-kmenu editor with a right click

Not finished yet:
- installing new plasmoids (kde) from file or internet does not work yet.
- installing mac dashboard widgets crashes desktop (for a moment).
- installing new kdm themes from systemsettings(kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings)>advanced>logon manager>themes>install does not connect to site (yet)

Regression:
-some plasmoids are not available (at least not in kubuntu, they work on the debian version) due to libplasma upgrade.
-Vertical resizing of the panel was lost (should be back soon).

Hate:
-kdesudo!! Just does not want to work correctly.
One has to do the whole path. ie. kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/kate, konqueror, etc.

-"run command" does not remember command. Pain!

I stuck this on a knote (kde4) and put it on my desktop:

kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/kate
kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/konqueror
kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/dolphin
kdesudo /usr/lib/kde4/bin/systemsettings

having a lot of fun here

[Primoz]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

I posted this also on everything else KDE4.1 beta; But I guess this is also my first impression. (sorry if I'm spamming)
AAAA! I just tried to install KDE4.1beta and while this was being done I decided to turn off compiz and get to know the plasma desktop effects better. Well I by trying some things I crashed the plasma and probably Kwin and couldn't access Yakuake where updating to KDE4.1 was taking place. I thought the best thing is to log out and back in and continue with installation thet didn't work. But it said to repair I have to write:

sudo apt-get -f install

I did that and then I logout and back in just to witness the fatal crash of plasma:

Application: Delovno okolje plazme (plasma), signal SIGSEGV
(no debugging symbols found)
....
[Thread debugging using libthread_db enabled]
[New Thread 0xb4aa8740 (LWP 9755)]
[New Thread 0xb1708b90 (LWP 9767)]
[New Thread 0xb3118b90 (LWP 9758)]
(no debugging symbols found)
...
[KCrash handler]
#6 0xb76b2f14 in QObject::connect () from /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4
#7 0xb233ec15 in ?? ()
  from /usr/lib/kde4/lib/kde4/plasma_applet_systemtray.so
#8 0xb6ce9d92 in QApplication::x11ProcessEvent () from /usr/lib/libQtGui.so.4
#9 0xb6d133ba in ?? () from /usr/lib/libQtGui.so.4
#10 0xb5a19bf8 in g_main_context_dispatch () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#11 0xb5a1ce5e in ?? () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#12 0xb5a1d3ac in g_main_context_iteration () from /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0
#13 0xb76caf98 in QEventDispatcherGlib::processEvents ()
  from /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4
#14 0xb6d131b5 in ?? () from /usr/lib/libQtGui.so.4
#15 0xb769e92d in QEventLoop::processEvents () from /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4
#16 0xb769eabd in QEventLoop::exec () from /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4
#17 0xb76a0d3d in QCoreApplication::exec () from /usr/lib/libQtCore.so.4
#18 0xb6c7f567 in QApplication::exec () from /usr/lib/libQtGui.so.4
#19 0xb7f79456 in kdemain () from /usr/lib/kde4/lib/libkdeinit4_plasma.so
#20 0x08048582 in _start ()
#0 0xb7f91410 in __kernel_vsyscall ()

So for now I'm back at 3.5.9 and I did

sudo apt-get autoremove

Maybe now it will work...
If not any idea how to make it work re-install plasma or something else??
Thanks for help
EDIT: I delited .KDE4 folder and now it works... barely Hopefully it will get better.
EDIT 2: It's getting late and the problems are just getting bigger. My plasma crashed again, but thankfully my yakuake works so I can access everything through it... I killed the plasma but when I want to restart this happens:

<unknown program name>(10182)/ checkComposite: Plasma has an argb visual 0x8062268 52428801
<unknown program name>(10182)/ checkComposite: Plasma can use COMPOSITE for effects on 0x805ad88

So don't know what to do.. I'll probably sleep this over I think it will be for the best.
EDIT 3: Well From time to time my KDE4.1 even works and its quite an leap from 4.0.4.
When I'm adding some widgets I also experience plasma error but it's fatal.
I decided to reinstall my Kubuntu, somewhere in the future, and then install KDE4.1 on it.
But I should learn now for my final exams and not be bothered by KDE4.1

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Well good luck with your exams.

The only easy thing I can think of is to login to your kde3.5.9 (HH?right) and purge the kubuntu-kde4-desktop.

You may have to do a:

sudo dpkg --configure -a

sudo apt-get clean

sudo apt-get autoclean

sudo apt-get update

first. I don't know.

Reinstall it with:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install kubuntu-kde4-desktop

making sure your

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu hardy main

are active in the sources.list

Hope that helps

Edit: That should also teach you not to fool with too much stuff during upgrades / installs

[tomp01]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

[quote=Fintan ]
After spending most of yesterday getting to know kde4.1 and helped by rog here:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...;topicseen#new

I find that kubuntu now sports their own packages.

Easy to install and very fast

There are a few issues but it is a great big step forwards.

Please give your opinions and eventual solutions.

The party continues
[/quote

Does anyone have the same problem that I've got with Adept being locked out and unable to update anything? How do I resolve this?

[Fintan]

Re: Any first impressions on KDE 4.1 beta for Kubuntu?

Hey tomp,
have a look at the post right above yours. It addresses the same basic problem.

Hope that helps.

More Impressions:
- no message effects from the taskbar
- After todays upgrade still can't get alt-F2 to work. You have to right click on the desktop and "run command".
As they have kicked alt-F1 for kmenu I am wondering if kubuntu or kde don't like the alt-Fxyz combo anymore It works on kde3 / kde4 environments and on opensuse 11RC1 but apparently not with kubuntu kde4 pure.
- klipper disappeared from my systray, have to run it manually at every boot.

Extra:
For those who like to experiment and want to change the height of the panel.
This feature disappeared somewhere between alpha and beta.
Here goes:
open:
~/.kde4/share/config/plasma-appletsrc

now edit all the containers that look something like this:

[Containments][2][Applets][10]
geometry=46,2,427,56
immutability=1
plugin=tasks
zvalue=0

to look like:

[Containments][2][Applets][10]
geometry=46,2,427,42 (42 is a good size unless you want it reaally smaaaall)
immutability=1
plugin=tasks
zvalue=0

then set the max and min size accordingly:

[Containments][2][Configuration]
maximumSize=1202,45
minimumSize=1202,40

Hope this helps you tweakers

Note: You must do this in recovery mode or change to a different shell as you cannot edit this file correctly as user!!