
This week in KDE: Converging towards something special - jrepinc
https://pointieststick.com/2020/01/26/this-week-in-kde-converging-towards-something-special/
======
blinkingled
Anyone thinking about using Linux on their desktop or laptop should give
latest KDE a try. Rolling release distros like Arch or OpenSuse Tumbleweed
should be good options.

Reasons you may like it - no new paradigm bs to learn just your plain old
customizable desktop, it’s stable(they’re fixing stuff like crazy every week),
if you don’t like something they are making contributing to / building KDE
components very easy, HiDPI support is about the best - partial scaling, per
desktop DPI works great at least on X11 and finally they are making running
GTK apps a great experience with Plasma 5.18.

~~~
brabel
After years using Ubuntu 16 I upgraded to 19 as I heard it was really good and
fast. It wasn't either... lots of things just didn't work anymore, like
function keys (switching languages takes like 5 seconds and it's a known issue
they just won't fix) and shortcuts changing or just not working anymore in
several applications I use.

So I decided to install KDE Plasma, and I couldn't be happier! Everything
works exactly as I expected. And it's a beautiful desktop environment,
especially after I installed a dark theme. I also use a Mac, and now I
honestly don't know which desktop experience is better! Which is a huge
compliment to Plasma, as MacOS is actually quite polished.

I can't recommend Plasma enough to anyone who wants Linux on desktop/laptop.

------
brylie
I've been using Kubuntu at home and work for over four years now, and it has
been a stable and productive experience. The only significant difficulty I can
recall was immediately after upgrading from 19.04 to 19.10, where GRUB was
having difficulty with a Secure Boot extension. I should have waited for the
19.10.1 release, but the issue was relatively easy to fix by commenting out a
line in GRUB config.

I really believe that Ubuntu and Kubuntu are reaching a high level of
simplicity and stability where they can be adopted or at least tried out by
people who are more casual computer users (or who just want to stay
productive.)

~~~
algorithmmonkey
A casual computer user is going to figure out they need to comment out a GRUB
line?

Nope. That is an experience that will push them right back to OSX or Windows.

~~~
simion314
Casual users don't upgrade 2 times a year. A casual user might not even know
that those things are called "windows" or that you can maximize them or that
most application have settings where you can change the behavior you dislike.

Causal users just use the system how it is, I sometimes find them suffering
trough a complicated workflow because they did not consider to even ask
themselves "maybe this can be improved, maybe there is a setting to do this or
a shortcut or some better way"

~~~
acqq
> Casual users don't upgrade 2 times a year.

Casual user hears about Linux, and that Ubuntu is the most popular Linux, then
goes to the site

[https://ubuntu.com/](https://ubuntu.com/)

And reads: "Ubuntu 19.10 is here

The latest version of the world’s most widely used Linux platform for
Kubernetes, multi-cloud and machine learning.

Download Ubuntu 19.10 now"

And the problems begin -- he _will_ have to upgrade twice a year.

The branding would have to be different for that not to happen. The LTS should
not be called LTS but simply Ubuntu. All the versions between two LTS versions
should be called like Ubuntu Developer Preview 19.10, and they should be
offered easily on the site.

Then one could claim that the casual user wouldn't use the "Developer Preview"
versions.

As it is for years, it's not so. Just explaining what the exact difference
between LTS and "newest Ubuntu" and why they are still offered the "newest
Ubuntu" on the web page would at best confuse or annoy the "causal user."

The casual user will "the newest" but "the newest that works" and that he
"doesn't have to change." Not in the sense that nothing is updated but that
the updates aren't invasive to him. And the "newest Ubuntu" versions are
invasive -- the last time I've tried such, not even a GUI partition manager
worked.

~~~
simion314
Casual users don't install an OS, as i said they don't even install an ad
blocker or change the keyboard shortcuts to an app.

The people you are talking about are enthusiasts, the probably re-installed
Windows before too,

~~~
acqq
> Casual users don't install an OS

Your definition is useless: it would just mean that casual users simply never
use Linux OS at all, and aren't supposed to use it, as these with your
definition also wouldn't have an awareness to specifically buy a separate
computer with preinstalled Linux.

To make a definition of a "Linux casual user" in any way meaningful, you have
to assume that it's somebody who would like to _try_ to use Linux, especially
without a specific desire to pay for a new computer for that.

Oh, and also without the specific desire and readiness to use command line
having the ingrained assumption that the GUI tools simply don't work, which is
relatively common case in desktop Linux, even with LTE.

By the way, my quote also shows what Ubuntu consider their casual user, based
on the strengths they advertise:

"The latest version of the world’s most widely used Linux platform for
Kubernetes, multi-cloud and machine learning."

I'd say, from their point of view, the target user on that page is,
interestingly, somebody who needs but is undecided which Linux platform to use
for "Kubernetes, multi-cloud and machine learning."

Which is also interesting, but also doesn't follow that such a person would
expect his installed OS to have broken applications every 6 months because of
OS experimentation in compositors or whatever.

~~~
simion314
OK, so you were meaning casual Linux user not a casual computer user.

In my definition a casual user has his computer setup and managed by somebody
else. Someone that helps the casual person to buy the laptop/PC that fits
their budget and needs, that installs the browser and extensions for them,
that installs the apps they need like Skype.Word installs the printer and
other devices for them.

Someone that can installs Linux (usually you need to go in BIOS/UEFI to enable
boot order and disable secure boot and other shit) is not a casual in my
opinion.

Do you think that Ubuntu users are the casuals and Arch are the power users? I
will disagree with that, I used Arch in the past but now I am happy with
Kubuntu LTS just because a DE and OS is a launcher for my applications and not
a identity.

About Ubuntu home page, I assume Canonical is not trying to target the casuals
with that page, casuals can't just download and install Ubuntu on any random
laptop or PC, there s also no money to be made.

------
black_puppydog
On a tangent: the telegram desktop client is IMHO one of the best examples of
how (Linux) desktop apps should be: compiled, fast, and (at least compared to
competitors like slack) light. Far from perfect for sure, but compared to any
cheap electron app it's a pleasure to use.

And yes I know about the security concerns. I'd really love to see similar
apps for other messengers.

------
ssivark
I’m most excited KDE/Plasma on the mobile. Once people get Linux working
smoothly on the Pinephone, etc I think the Plasma interface could be a sane
default that’s already available.

~~~
yjftsjthsd-h
I initially assumed the "converging" in the title meant they'd be talking
about that:) It is a bright _near_ future now

------
ponsin
> In KDE apps that allow you to override the systemwide color scheme, there’s
> now an option to revert back to using the systemwide color scheme

Is there a way of forcing gtk apps to use the qt file picker?

~~~
noahadavis
It's not related to the part of the article you quoted, in case you don't
know. Generally, you can't use anything other than the GTK file picker in GTK
apps. If you use flatpaks with XDG portal support or the app implements XDG
portal support (e.g., Firefox), then they can use the KDE file picker.

------
aitchnyu
I wish there were a updated rigorous comparison of KDE vs Gnome. I switch
every few ubuntu versions and notice niggles. For example, ctrl alt L doesn't
lock screen in Gnome, Gnome has a pointless background you must drag away to
reveal the login screen.

~~~
Cogitri
FWIW Ctrl+L locks the screen in GNOME and you can press Enter instead of
dragging up the lockscreen.

------
pseudoroot
I'm using KDE on Arch Linux for about a month now (tried KDE for the first
time) and I'm loving it. Will start contributing to KDE soon :)

------
hedora
I’m happy to see [https://kde.org/hardware](https://kde.org/hardware) exists,
but why do all of the pre-loaded laptops come with 1080p screens?

This includes the $2395 model, so it can’t be cost.

I haven’t had a daily driver screen with resolution that low since 1998. For
almost all of those years, that was with desktop Linux / Unix. The problem
clearly isn’t software support.

~~~
greggyb
Not trying to yuck your yum, just offer another perspective. I see no benefit
from resolutions >1080p for common laptop sizes. I think 17" is the transition
point where 1440p even begins to make sense.

The majority of people I've actually discussed this with (note, N=V.Small)
tend to agree.

I say this having had multiple laptops <=15.3" with >1080p and really not
seeing any benefit. Those have all been provided by employers. I really cannot
justify paying for it myself.

What is the benefit you see from higher resolutions on laptops? Am I just
missing something?

~~~
wwright
IME, it’s not 1440p that is interesting, but skipping all the way to 1600p or
2160p. This lets you use 2x scaling factor and keep the same ergonomics of
800p or 1080p, but has a few other big advantages:

\- “Retina” resolution with significantly less artifacting due to density
(your eye doesn’t see “pixels” individually)

\- Ability to tweak resolution scaling without paying a huge cost in visual
artifacts (on a MacBook, the native resolution is often 1600p with virtual
800p, but you can scale to 960p, 1080p, or even down below 800p if you want,
and they all look pretty good)

------
solarkraft
I love KDE and use it daily on my tablet, but it's still pretty unusable
without a mouse :(

------
smashingfiasco
This is all awesome stuff. Slick wallpaper too.

