KDE4 - should I try to run this?

[brent_weaver]

Hello all. I just got a shiny new 64bit PC and am installing Gentoo on it now (amd64). I am VERY curious to run KDE4. Is it worth it or should I stick w/ 3.5?
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Brent Weaver

[albright]

IMHO, kde 4.2.3 is generally pretty wonderful

(you can have both it and 3.5.10 if you like too)
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.... there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth
doing as simply messing about with Linux ...
(apologies to Kenneth Graeme)

[pdw_hu]

Go for 4.2.3.

[i92guboj]

Without having any idea what will you be doing with it, it's like asking "should I use a hammer or a pike?".

KDE4 is nowhere near as stable as 3.10 or 3.9. That's what I would use if you intend to work with it.

It also performs awfully for some people, overall when you enable effects. It seems to -still- have lots of problems with nVidia cards (and it really doesn't matter who's the culprit when 100% of the rest of the software works ok with them). Expect crashes, occasional segfaults and of course, missing applications and functionality.

I am picturing the worse of course. I am sure that it's very nice and that it works beautifully for lots of people. But I can't help it. 3.x simply offers the same (well, more, since a lot of things haven't still been ported) without all the extra pain, that is, if you are not an eye candy maniac.

However, I must admit that I use a few kde4 applications and they work beautifully, outside of kde, that is Okular, kate and gwenview are beautiful. However, some widgets still perform pitifully when resizing window panels and other elements.

[hunky]

kde-4.2.4 has just been released into kde-testing overlay but perhaps not yet on the mirrors. I say this because I think 4.2.3 went from the overlay to portage fairly quickly. So it may be available *soon* - of course probably dependent on bugs found.

You can use 3.5 and try 4.2 by installing it as well. I think they coexist for most, though some have problems.

[brent_weaver]

hey thanks for the great responses! Well I have attention

My keyboard and mouse do not work on my Xorg server install. Do I need evdev? What am I missing?
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Brent Weaver

[Martux]

Hi!
Just my 2 cents:
I tried kde4 after the initial 4.0 release, after the 4.1 release and the latest 4.2.3.
Must say, i want to like it but i really don't. IMHO this isn't nearly as usable as 3.5.10. I hate amarok, i hate gewenview compared to kuickshow. They removed media:// and replaced it with something far more worse than even in windows. But try yourself. Your machine will compile it quite fast, just make sure you have backed up your system in case you experience the same dissappointement as I did.
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"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."
Albert Einstein
"The road to success is always under construction"

[pingufunkybeat]

I say go for it.

i92guboj's is indeed the worst-case scenario, and I haven't experienced big problems since 4.2.0.

some functionality is still missing compared to 3.5 (which is the most configurable environment ever), but KDE4 is great for most people, is slick and comfortable, and the new programs (okular, gwenview, kmldonkey, smplayer, etc.) are fantastic.

[d2_racing]

I had some great comments on Kde 4.2.3, so maybe when it will hit the stable tree, I'm gonna try