The critics are wrong: KDE 4 doesn't need a fork (ars technica) [LWN.net]

The critics are wrong: KDE 4 doesn't need a fork (ars technica)

Posted Aug 18, 2008 14:22 UTC (Mon) by Gordie (guest, #53436)
Parent article: The critics are wrong: KDE 4 doesn't need a fork (ars technica)

I have just up(?)graded to KDE4.1 from testing of slackware-current.

Just spent two days getting KDE to almost do what I want and when I want.

Dolphin is so slow I can't even believe it.  Konqueror is almost instant  in comparison when
accessed from the start menu.  Working on something in KDE has now been transformed into a
slow and frustrating exercise in futility.

The kickoff start menu is awkward and slow to navigate.  It takes more than blue colours and
fancy visual effects to gain my loyalty.

The panel is a mess.  Have to try many times to get a widget to stay when I install it to the
panel.  Most times it is gone at reboot.

Kwallet just barely works and only some of the time and since the help for kwallet is missing
so have fun.
Kwallet asks for info for kmail when you leave the GUI???

Kedit is gone and I miss it greatly.  I used Kedit almost exclusively for text.

Crashes when you check the e-mail with kmail.
Crashes when akregator gets feeds.  Can't make akregator start with a full screen and since
all the other settings I try won't stick why do I bother?

Maybe it is time for me to explore xfce so can get comfortable with it and use it as my
primary GUI.

(Log in to post comments)

The critics are wrong: KDE 4 doesn't need a fork (ars technica)

Posted Aug 19, 2008 0:13 UTC (Tue) by csamuel (✭ supporter ✭, #2624) [Link]

Hmm, your experiences don't reflect much of mine with KDE4.1 under 
KUbuntu, maybe you're running into packaging problems ?

Don't take that as a dig against Slackware, the KUbuntu packages haven't 
been faultless either, just that I've been using it very productively 
both on a 64-bit desktop at home and on a little HP laptop here.

The critics are wrong: KDE 4 doesn't need a fork (ars technica)

Posted Aug 24, 2008 12:23 UTC (Sun) by Gordie (guest, #53436) [Link]

No, not a packaging problem at all. I upgraded and saved all KDE3 settings. The problems likely come from old settings.

The Akrigator "agrivator" problem I had was traced to
~/.kde/share/apps/akregator.
Had to remove the 4 ""lock"" files and all seems well now. Up til now I couldn't keep the view stable. The panes were all over the map when I restarted. Would start minimized no matter what I did and I want it maximaized. The columns wouldn't stay in position and I had to drag them around so I could read the contents ever time I restarted.
I restart lots on a dual-boot machine with more than two users. Same things happen on the laptop and you know why they need lots of re-boots.

I find it difficult, even impossible to work on the desktop like I always do (like you would on a real desk). Trying to drag and drop in KDE4 is a nightmare since sometimes it copies and sometimes it moves and I use drag and drop lots.
Can't think of how productive you could be in KDE4. Finding a simple text file and making/saving a change is a challenge when it used to be simple and easy.

Dolphin is still so slow you think the computer is jammed. Konquorer is light years faster doing anything you can think of so I use Konquorer more often.

The folder view of the contents that SHOULD be on your desktop sucks royally. This is a valuable feature? Give me a break.

Have been getting used to XFCE and I like it so that is my choice now for a Desktop Environment. KDE is too bloated with useless garbage. All it really had to do is manage the windows and I will manage the rest.