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.
January 30, 2007 at 23:37
Ksirc is gone but it won’t be replaced by anything. Konversation’s developers don’t want to be tied to KDE’s schedules.
January 31, 2007 at 0:25
kat or kerry will be replaced with strigi or nepomuk
January 31, 2007 at 12:26
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.
January 31, 2007 at 14:51
[...] Вот буквально сегодня увидел заметку о компонентах, которые будут заменены в новом релизе. Например, для меня это было новостью, так как знал что поменяется только DCOP на D-Bus и arts на Photon. А вот посмотрел и увидел, что менять собираються много чего. Привожу табличку с блога /home/liquidat. [...]
January 31, 2007 at 21:37
If ksirc is to be replaced with konversation, would it not be an idea that konversation could import the config from ksirc?
January 31, 2007 at 22:23
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?
January 31, 2007 at 22:35
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 .
February 1, 2007 at 2:30
nice ;]
But I’d prefer gnome ;x
February 1, 2007 at 3:13
@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.
February 1, 2007 at 6:28
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.
February 1, 2007 at 11:34
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. :/
February 1, 2007 at 13:44
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!
February 2, 2007 at 1:59
[...] 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! >>>>> [...]
February 3, 2007 at 19:40
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.
February 3, 2007 at 19:49
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.
February 6, 2007 at 23:08
Loss of ksirc won’t mean much to me. I prefer using xchat2 over ksirc or konversation.
February 9, 2007 at 14:28
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..
February 19, 2007 at 21:41
[...] [2007-01-30] From KDE 3 to KDE 4: what we will leave behind [...]
July 28, 2007 at 10:57
[...] 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! >>>>> [...]
December 9, 2007 at 15:32
[...] an interesting blog post with any information on the news sub-systems you’ll be encountering Link [...]
January 15, 2008 at 0:02
[...] belle innovation, qui permet de prévisualiser les documents de manière fort sexy. Voici une petite liste de ce qui a disparu et de ce qui est apparu dans KDE a l’occasion de cette nouvelle [...]
May 27, 2008 at 13:29
[...] Changements entre KDE 3 et 4 [...]