Some KDE 3.2 comments...

**champagnemojo** · 02-12-2004, 05:48 AM

I have KDE 3.2 installed on both my desktop and my laptop now. I would suggest upgrading to it personally. It has some nice new features. For example, one thing I've always wondered about is why the taskbar can't be flashed in Linux, which it does now with 3.2. The arts soundserver seems improved as well. I no longer have hiccups or clarity problems. The new Kopete is also vastly better than the older versions in my opinion.

I would especially suggest it for a laptop install, because the new KLaptop has quite a few new features...though I'll admit that most of them don't yet work for me. One nice thing though, is that I can now set it to turn my laptop off automatically when I shut the lid.

I do have some issues with it. It created an Autostart directory, and ran some sort of "Sort Icons" app at every startup...which I quickly got rid of, but find annoying nonetheless. The main issue I have is that I can't seem to use the "auto-login" feature in KDM anymore. For my laptop that isn't an issue, but I liked the auto-login feature on my desktop.

I know there's a lot of talk about bugs and issues, but I haven't encountered any others at this point. I like 3.2 and highly suggest it. It was also rather easy to upgrade to it using the source that Stephen posted in The Lounge:

Code:

deb http://rs.fuzz.nl/muesli/686/kde_head/ unstable/

**Hayabusa** · 02-12-2004, 06:46 AM

there's some good and bad with it.

anyone else ran into these problems yet?

* QT libraries are properly recognized after pgradign to the 3.2 release of KDE and subsequently trying to build a kernel package with the make xconfig command.

* Some genreal stuff from kde-look.org no longer works in KDE 3.2 .. I've had no luck installing splashscreens for KDE, and in the past I've used an IceWM window style, though IceWm seems to have disappeard from the Window Decorations area of look and feel in the kontrol center.

those are my only gripes, KDM works fine for me, I like the new enchancements to konqueror, and other than the aforementioned problems have run into no compatibility issues with any of the apps that I run

**champagnemojo** · 02-12-2004, 10:29 AM

I just remembered a big beef with 3.2's Arts that I left out. You can't use Arts with XMMS now. The plugins no longer work. And it doesn't look like they're gonna be working with it anytime soon. So I'll probably stop using it...it's too bad, because it actually works quite well now too.

**Stephen** · 02-12-2004, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by champagnemojo

I just remembered a big beef with 3.2's Arts that I left out. You can't use Arts with XMMS now. The plugins no longer work. And it doesn't look like they're gonna be working with it anytime soon. So I'll probably stop using it...it's too bad, because it actually works quite well now too.

That is strange you are correct with the aRts, however the ALSA output has always worked for me you may want to try that instead.

**alxdotnet** · 02-12-2004, 05:48 PM

So what you mean is--all I have to do is add
http://rs.fuzz.nl/muesli/686/kde_head/unstable/
to my list of packages and then type:
apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade
?
Will this work on a fresh Knoppix HD install?
Thanks,
-Alex, Official Linux Newbie.

**champagnemojo** · 02-12-2004, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Stephen

Originally Posted by champagnemojo

I just remembered a big beef with 3.2's Arts that I left out. You can't use Arts with XMMS now. The plugins no longer work. And it doesn't look like they're gonna be working with it anytime soon. So I'll probably stop using it...it's too bad, because it actually works quite well now too.

That is strange you are correct with the aRts, however the ALSA output has always worked for me you may want to try that instead.

Thanks Stephen! I didn't even try the ALSA output before...but it works. There goes my only beef with arts...much appreciated.

**champagnemojo** · 02-12-2004, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by alxdotnet

So what you mean is--all I have to do is add
http://rs.fuzz.nl/muesli/686/kde_head/unstable/
to my list of packages and then type:
apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade
?

Will this work on a fresh Knoppix HD install?
Thanks,
-Alex, Official Linux Newbie.

I don't think dist-upgrade is the best way. The way I've been doing it is to see what's available through Synaptic (you have to change your default to show the "Experimental" or "Now" packages as the latest). So I start an IceWM session and use Synaptic to remove all the old KDE packages other than KDM. And then I install the latest. If there are dependency issues you have to use the command-line and apt-get install all of the dependent packages together. After everything else is installed I then stop KDM from running and upgrade it.

But Stephen explains how to do it from the command line in another thread...that's probably the best way. I just like to see graphically what is available and what I have installed.