Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

[canadianwriterman]

I'm currently using Ubuntu Breezy and am thinking of switching to Kubuntu. I have the Kubuntu Breezy install CD and prefer to do a fresh install, rather than trying to Kubuntu-ize my current Ubuntu install.

I have three questions:

• Does Kubuntu have an automatic updater, similar to what Ubuntu has, that will notify me of any package updates?
• I notice on the Kubuntu Home Page, that a number of new packages (KDE 3.5, for example) are available for Breezy. Are these backports of the Kubuntu Dapper development that might break my install?
  
• Finally, is it too risky to do an upgrade to Dapper with a Kubuntu Breezy install at this time? I did this with my Ubuntu install and there were so many unresolvable breakages that I ended up reinstalling Ubuntu Breezy and staying away from the Dapper development upgrades entirely.

Thanks for your help.

[skoal]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

Awww, sweet.  You're taking the KDE plunge my canadian long user name friend.  I have three answers for you which you will probably hang me with later.  Here goes...

1. AFAIK (oh man, I just used an acro and I hate them so), there is no app which sits in your systray, notifying you of any updates.

2. I guess you could call them backports since they do use the breezy repos and not dapper.  And, no, they won't break your install.  I'm on 3.5 right now as probably most here are...

3. The whole idea behind using dapper repos is to break your system, so that you can point the devs to a package they overlooked which needs some update loving.  You will only be using breezy repos here for the latest and greatest KDE.  No problems.  No breakage...

[canadianwriterman]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

Okay, so if there's no auto-updater, what do you do... check for updates through the terminal every once in a while?

Interesting that, on the Kubuntu side, things like a new KDE version are available as updates to the existing, stable version of Kubuntu. I don't think they do that on the Ubuntu side of the house.

Is anyone here upgraded to KDapper? I guess me question is: is it stable enough not to have SERIOUS breakage? When I tried Dapper on by Ubuntu install, x-server broke and I couldn't fix it. I don't mind if some functionality breaks, but when I can't even get a desktop to come up, that sucks big time.

[skoal]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

yes, sir. I just check for updates via the terminal. Old skool baby!

I had no problems with my upgrade to 3.5, but I just stumbled upon one post here about some kdm greeter problem. That's the first I've heard of a KDE 3.5 upgrade hickup like that here, but who knows. If you have X/kernel problems, I can fix it. If you have KDE problems, I'm just as green as they come...

[canadianwriterman]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

Thanks all for your help. I'm going to make the big move! I've decided to back up my pain-in-the-ass-to-recreate stuff (Thunderbird profile, bookmarks, music files, etc.), then do a clean install from my Kubuntu 5.10 CD overwriting Ubuntu.

But, I have to wait for the weekend when my wife is away so I don't get the usual hassle about screwing around with my computer!

To update everything after the install, do I do a kdesu apt-get update?

[skoal]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

Here's what I did my northern canadian bacon loving friend...

1. Installed kubuntu 5.10.
2. Got everything the way I wanted it.
3. Check for current updates.
...open up a kterminal (or xterm, or whatever) and...

sudo apt-get update

...and then upgrade the base packages...

sudo apt-get upgrade

4. Slap 3.5 on there.
...edit the /etc/apt/sources.list and add the following repo...

# KDE 3.5
deb [url]http://kubuntu.org/packages/kde35[/url] breezy main

5. Update the mo fo...

sudo apt-get update

6. and finally take the 3.5 plunge and enjoy webcam on Kopete...

sudo apt-get upgrade

7. Throw in highly irrelevant "Booyah!" on list just for kicks, and completeness.

Ok.  Just one more for full effect...

Booyah!

[skoal]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

Hey, CWN, I didn't mean to dismiss your original question about the use of kdesu.  I really do not ever use it myself.  I suppose some do when editing a menu entry and needing root privs or something.  I dunno.

Anyways, if you ever need to edit any file owned by root, you can do it several ways.

Easiest?

Open up konqueror, right click over filename, Actions > Edit as root.

Glutton for punishment?

From a terminal, sudo <editor of choice> filename

* Also, from my instructions above you could just as easily use Adept (the KDE equivalent to Synaptic).  You can also install synaptic and use that GUI instead as well. I just like to update/add packages via the CLI (so that's the instructions I provided).

[Nirvana]

Re: Moving from Ubuntu to Kubuntu

kdesu is for when you need to use a KDE GUI app, a la systemsettings, konqueror, etc

sudo is for command line.