KDE 4.0 KDE Software Compilation 4

1 kde 4.0

1.1 pre-releases
1.2 release
1.3 reception

kde 4.0

kde 4.0 showing dolphin, system settings , kickoff

the majority of development went implementing of new technologies , frameworks of kde 4. plasma , oxygen style 2 of biggest user-facing changes.

dolphin replaces konqueror default file manager in kde 4.0. done address complaints of konqueror being complicated simple file manager. dolphin , konqueror share code possible, , dolphin can embedded in konqueror allow konqueror still used file manager.

okular replaces several document viewers used in kde 3, kpdf, kghostview , kdvi. okular makes use of software libraries , can extended view kind of document. konqueror , kpdf in kde 3, okular can embedded in other applications.

pre-releases

on 11 may 2007, kde 4.0 alpha 1 released marking end of addition of large features kde base libraries , shifting focus onto integrating new technologies applications , basic desktop. alpha 1 included new frameworks build applications with, providing improved hardware , multimedia integration through solid , phonon. dolphin , okular integrated , new visual appearance provided through oxygen icons.

on 4 july 2007, alpha 2 released. release focused on integrating plasma desktop, improving functionality , stabilizing kde.

on 2 august 2007, beta 1 released. major features included pixmap cache – speeding icon loading, kde pim improvements, improved kwin effects , configuration, better interaction between konqueror , dolphin , metalink support added kget improved downloads.

on 6 september 2007, beta 2 released improved bsd , solaris support. release included addition of blitz graphic library – allowing developers use high performance graphical tricks icon animation – , overhaul of krdc (k remote desktop client) google’s summer of code. plasma integrated amarok provide amarok’s central context view.

on 16 october 2007, beta 3 released. beta 3 release focused on stabilizing , finishing design of libraries release of kde development platform. plasma received many new features including applet browser. educational software received many improvements in marble , parley (formerly known kvoctrain) bugfixes in other applications. program called step, interactive physics simulator, produced part of google summer of code.

on 30 october 2007, beta 4 released. list of release blockers compiled, listing issues need resolved before kde start release candidate cycle desktop. goals focus on stabilization , fixing release blockers.

at same time, first release candidate of kde 4.0 development platform released. development platform contains base libraries develop kde applications, including high-level widget libraries, network abstraction layer , various libraries multimedia integration, hardware integration , transparent access resources on network.

on 20 november 2007, release candidate (rc) 1 released. release called release candidate despite plasma requiring further work , not being ready release. on 11 december 2007, rc2 released. codebase declared feature-complete. work still required fix bugs, finish off artwork , smooth out user experience.

release

kde 4 released on 11 january 2008. despite being labelled stable release, intended adopters. continuing use kde 3.5 suggested users wanting more stable, feature complete desktop.

reception

the release of kde 4.0 met mixed reception. while adopters tolerant of lack of finish of new features, release criticized because of lack of stability , beta quality. computerworld reporter steven vaughan-nichols criticised kde 4.0 , kde 4.1 , called fork of kde 3.5 rebuilding on top of qt 4. same reporter later praised kde 4.3 , welcomed kde 3.5 continuation project trinity. although linus torvalds switched gnome kde on december 2005, switched gnome after fedora replaced kde 3.5 4.0. in interview computerworld, described kde 4.0 break model , half-baked release, claiming expected upgrade of kde 3.5, when reality there significant cases of features being regressed due extensive changes. (torvalds did point out, however, understood why developers in charge of kde project had chosen make such drastic changes desktop environment in kde 4.0 , reason premature release, , criticism more on way kde 4.0 pushed out public.) despite criticism, reviewers such ars technica’s ryan paul noted visual style attractive , easy on eyes , exhibits relatively high level of polish , underlying technologies still have lot of serious potential .