| KDE release adds 2,000 features |
Aug. 11, 2009
 The KDE Community released the 4.3 version of its popular Linux/UNIX desktop environment, representing more than 63,000 code changes by 700 contributors, 10,000 bug-fixes, and 2,000 new features. KDE 4.3 adds numerous improvements to the Plasma Desktop Shell and Application Development Framework, among many other enhancements.
Code-named "Caizen," release 4.3 offers a wide variety of enhancements to KDE, which competes with Gnome as well as smaller players in the competition for Linux desktop environments. The release is expected to show up in major Linux distributions in a few months.
Improvements have been made to all the major elements of the KDE Desktop Workspace, including the Plasma Desktop Shell, the KWin window manager, Dolphin network- and content-aware file manager, KRunner search and launch system, and SystemSettings menus, says the KDE Community. Some of the biggest changes have occurred with the Plasma Desktop Shell, KDE's desktop and panels system, which offers customizable widgets.
KDE Plasma Desktop Shell with new Air theme
(Click to enlarge)
Sporting a new "Air" default theme (see above), the Plasma Desktop Shell boasts considerable performance improvements, with reduced memory usage and smoother animations, claims the project. Activities can now be tied to virtual desktops, enabling different sets of widgets for each desktop. Running jobs are now grouped in a single progress bar, and animations signify when jobs are running. Additional changes include improved keyboard shortcuts, easier widget creation, and new widgets such as a "Translatoid widget" that channels Google Translate.
Other components of the KDE Desktop Workspace have also been improved, including KRunner, which has an easier plugin discovery feature. The Dolphin file manager, meanwhile, now shows previews of files within a folder, as well as video thumbnails for quick identification, says the project. Dolphin is also touted for improved trash can, configuration dialogs, and network discovery features.
KDE's web integration features
(Click to enlarge)
The KWin window manager is said to work faster, and offers better integration with Plasma themes. Its Klipper clipboard memory tool can now automatically determine a list of applications that can handle a given object for quicker access to the content, says the KDE Community. SystemSettings is claimed to be faster, as well, and debuts an optional treeview for configuration, as well as improvements to "settingsdialogs."
KDE applications: Click like an Egyptian
KDE has added to and enhanced its list of applications available in the KDE Software Distribution. Major categories are said to include network applications, multimedia, graphics tools, PIM suite, educational applications, games, and utilities.
Among the many listed enhancements in KDE Utilities, the "KGpg" privacy tool, which is used for encryption and signing files, now offers an improved import dialog, and also integrates the "Solid" hardware awareness technology for detecting the availability of a network connection. The Ark file compression utility, meanwhile, now supports LZMA/XZ, and has improved support for other compression formats.
Egyptian-themed games
Many of the KDE games now offer a standard Egyptian-style theme, including KGoldrunner's new "Curse of the Mummy" game, naturally. All the games are claimed to offer more accurate pause, resume, recording, and replaying of games. Additional improved games include KMahjongg, Killbots, and Bovo, and there's also a new KTron game.
The KDE PIM apps are touted as being faster and more stable. Specific improved functions include the Kopete IM app, KOrganizer, Kmail, and Alarm notifier. A new Bug Report Tool is said to provide a three-star rating of the quality of the data gathered from a crash, and offers hints on improving the quality of the crash data and bug report.
KDE Application Development Framework gains LGPL licensing
The KDE 4.3 Application Development Framework, which is based on Nokia's Qt library, is now, like Qt, "liberally licensed" under LGPL, allowing for both proprietary and open source development. The framework is also said to support cross-platform development on Linux, UNIX, Mac, and MS Windows.
The framework adds its first code integration from the Social Desktop project (see image below), offering an open collaboration platform. The platform supplies a DataEngine for Plasma applets supporting aspects of Social Desktop, but more features are expected in future releases.
Social Desktop in KDE
(Click to enlarge)
Other new development framework features include a system tray protocol developed in collaboration with the Free Desktop initiative. Additional DataEngines include a Geolocation DataEngine using libgps and HostIP, which allows "plasmoids" to respond to the user's location, and a DataEngine for the Akonadi Free Desktop PIM storage solution, which is said to be much improved. Finally, the framework now provides a PolicyKit wrapper, including an authorization manager, an authentication agent, and a library.
Availability
KDE 4.3.0 is available now for free download. More information, including links to download sites, may be found here.
-- Eric Brown
Do you have comments on this story?
Talkback here
NOTE: Please post your comments regarding our articles using the above link. Be sure to use this article's title as the "Subject" in your posts. Before you create a new thread, please check to see if a discussion thread is already running on the article you plan to comment on. Thanks!
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
