[mdlug] KDE 4

[Raymond McLaughlin]

Robert Adkins wrote:

>> Yes, exactly. Yet every major distro is trying to push 4.x on 
>> us, and most are abandoning the superior 3.5. Pisses me off.
>>
> 
> 	OpenSuSe 11.1 features the ability to install KDE 3.5 if the user
> wishes. It's possible that by the time they stop offering KDE 3.5 as an
> option that KDE 4.x will be able to made much more similar to KDE 3.5 in
> terms of customizability.

But it's not. I've spent the last 5 days trying to calm down enough to
type this coherently, but the KDE 3.5 promise on OpenSUSE 11.1 is a
*lie.* Although it is true that there is a Desktop environment that they
call KDE 3.5, and as holders of the trademark they can slap the name on
any sack of sugar that they want to. But it is nothing like the previous
KDE 3.5.

Specifically: OpenSuSE 11.0 includes KDE 3.5 which, when fully updated,
identifies itself as 'KDE 3.5.10 "release 20.1"', and when KDE 3.5 is
selected for installation, OpenSuSE 11.1 installs something that
identifies itself as 'KDE 3.5.10 "release 21.9"'. (These IDs are taken
from the "about:" box in konqueror.)

Looking at these two slightly different IDs you might expect the two
releases to have comparable feature set. I did, and I think anyone who
has ever paid any attention to software version numbers would. And we
would all be wrong.

Unlike the OpenSuSE11.0 version, KDE3.5.10-r20.1, (r20 hereafter), and
exactly like in KDE4, the OpenSuSE11.1 version, KDE3.5.10-r21.9 (r21
hereafter) does not have an "external task bar" option.

In the r20 version, the KDE system tray can be placed anywhere on tool
bar with a simple click and drag. I prefer mine at the top of a left
hand (vertical) tool bar. In r21 the system tray will place itself as
far left on a horizontal tool bar, (or as far down on a vertical one) as
the existing buttons and icons allow. If you want to move it to the
right (or up) you must add invisible "spacers" to obtain this "look". In
this respect r21 is, again just like KDE4.

In the r20 version, selecting the "Personal Settings (Configure
Desktop)" starts op an executable called 'kcontrol' which presents a
clear, straight forward, two framed interface with a hierarchical
arrangement of 10 catagories with a total of 68 modular sub-components,
many with multiple tabs. Clicking the identical menu button in r21
starts up an executable called 'systemsettings' that tries to look like
Windows Control Panel and provides 14 icons providing access to a total
of 29 sub modules. I could stand the different look here, but the
paucity of features is intolerable. And again this whole question should
be a KDE3 vs KDE4 issue, not a minor revision issue.

And to compound this insult, the old kcontrol executable is still there.
You can start it up and click around all the old, feature rich,
settings. But none of the ones I tried actually did anything. The
wallpaper selector couldn't change the wall paper, the tool bar
placement tool didn't move any tool bars, the system sounds applet
didn't change the system sound settings, etc., etc., etc. Way to waste
the end user's time @$$Holes!

In preparing this post I fired up a virtual machine to poke at this "KDE
3.5.10 r21.9" and, in between fits of rage, I discovered processes such
as kdeinit4, kded4, kwrapper4, knotify4, plasma running. Obviously this
is KDE4 calling itself KDE3.5.

This just leaves me asking "Why?" It's like asking for tea from someone
who insists that coffee is better than tea, and after an hour of arguing
with you they relent and say OK you can have tea, and then handing you a
cup of coffee as if you wouldn't notice the difference.

Analogies aside, where did they learn to treat their customers like
this, from Microsoft? This is exactly the kind of "you'll take what we
sell you and learn to like it or shut up." attitude that drive me away
from Microsoft ten years ago. Either these guys aculturated in the MS
world, or they are agents provocateur paid by MS to sow dissension in
the free software community. That might sound far fetched, but who would
claim that they couldn't be that evil, or that cunning, or lack the
motivation, or lack the resources.

And how "far fetched" is this situation, this case of pointless bait and
switch? I mean if the had just repackaged the exact same KDE3.5 that
they shipped with 11.0. I can't imagine any body would have complained.
But no! Those arrogant dip sticks know better...

I'm ranting again. Beware of OpenSuSE 11.1!


> 	I'm reading about OpenSuSe 11.1 as I am downloading the DVD iso to
> start upgrading my systems.
> 
> 	Regards,
> 	Rob