The last commit digest made me thinking about applications development for KDE 4: several of the applications we really got used to in KDE 3 will be left behind because they will be replaced in one way or the other. So I decided to check which applications I know of will be replaced, and by what they will be replaced. I will also try to add some sources to verify my statements. But, as usual: as long as nothing is written in stone you can’t be too sure about it!
If I’ve forgotten something, please leave a comment with a source, I will update the table in such cases.
| KDE 3 to KDE 4 transition | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program or service in KDE 3 | Successor in KDE 4 | more information |
| aRts | Phonon | linux.com article about Phonon |
| Crystal (KDE’s default icon set) | Oxygen | Oxygen homepage |
| DCOP | D-Bus | Blog post by thiago |
| kdesktop | krunner/Plasma | SVN commit, Blog post by Aaron |
| KDVI | Okular | Okular homepage |
| KFax | Okular | Okular homepage |
| KGhostview | Okular | Okular homepage |
| kicker | Plasma | Blog post by Aaron |
| KPDF | Okular | Okular homepage |
| ksirc | konversation1 | SVN commit |
| kspell2 | Sonnet | Jacob Rideout’s blog |
| Mediamanger | Solid | Solid homepage |
| run command | krunner | Blog post by Aaron |
| superkaramba | Plasma | Blog post by Aaron |
Here are only these things mentioned which we will leave behind – to think of them, the developers, the time and effort spent at them. Spend these applications a minute to remember how great they served you and your needs.
Of course, there are other things where we will see huge improvements but this page is dedicated to the applications the KDE project will replace.
1:Konversation will not be bound to KDE’s release cycle as ksirc was. It will be a stand alone application in KDE extragear like, for example, Amarok.
/home/liquidat 
Ksirc is gone but it won’t be replaced by anything. Konversation’s developers don’t want to be tied to KDE’s schedules.
kat or kerry will be replaced with strigi or nepomuk
Well, kat or kerry were never really part of KDE I think. And kerry might go on to exist, the last word is not spoken about that part.
About ksirc and konversation: I will add some information about that.
If ksirc is to be replaced with konversation, would it not be an idea that konversation could import the config from ksirc?
I would like to know what will happen with the translation of these new apps? I mean, when will they be available for translators, so that KDE 4 is localized correctly?
David: would be an idea in any case – you might want to ask the konversation e-mail list. 🙂
Q: I’m not really used to the translation process – the best is to ask such questions at one of the KDE4 articles at dot.kde.org .
nice ;]
But I’d prefer gnome ;x
@Daniel: that’s ok, take what you prefer. I also like to take a glimpse at Gnome once in a while, and I’m quite sure that the friendly competition between Gnome and KDE will in the end show quite some power against other competitors. 🙂
Linux n00bie here. Been a few months with GNome yet I have tried KDE quite a few times. Good to see improvements in Linux getting more user friendly. I’m thinking of migrating to Linux full-time soon. [i.e. Fedora Core 6] Currently on Ubuntu.
Well, the desktop environments will become more and more userfriendly, no question there. But it will take time until KDE 4 comes out, we certainly have to wait at least 6 more months!
And, there are other issues which cannot be addressed by KDE – like the software installation problem.
KDE4 can’t come soon enough for me. Have been following this project for years and looking forward to it in a very big way.
Gnome is a great window manager, too, but the two projects have very different goals in mind. That’s what makes open source great!
About the “software installation problem” creating a tar.gz that shipps a program but also its dependencies (except the ones that are covered by the Linux Standard Base) is very easy.
and before you point out how this wastes megabytes and ram because of duplicate libaries I’d like to point out that the recent LSB attempt to create a new pacakgeing standard would treat depependencies exactly as I described.
I am aware of the LSB attempts (see for example here). But until now nothing has happened.
Also, it is not (yet) about dependencies outside of the LSB, it is about having a possibility to register files with the local package management (rpm, dpkg, etc.).
And: if it is so easy to create a tar.gz with its dependencies cross several distributions feel free to point out how to do that.
Loss of ksirc won’t mean much to me. I prefer using xchat2 over ksirc or konversation.
yes KDE4 is going to rock..
Look what other thing r comming on linux desktop..
http://lunapark6.com/?p=2916
Things r getting better on linux desktop..