Linux Mint 12 KDE review

Linux Mint 12 KDE is the latest update to the line of Linux Mint editions that are based on Ubuntu Desktop and use the K Desktop Environment. It is actually the first release of the KDE edition in a very long time. The last release before this one was Linux Mint 10 KDE, which was [...]

How to install Takeoff Launcher on Fedora 16 KDE

Takeoff Launcher is one of my favorite menu styles and I consider it one of 2 cool reasons to use the K Desktop Environment. Though it is not in Fedora’s repository, there is an rpm package that you can install from the project’s website. In this tutorial, you will read about the steps necessary to [...]

Install Quick Access on Linux Mint 12 KDE or any KDE installation

I am always looking for tools and applications that make the desktop a lot more fun to use, while boosting my productivity at the same time. Such tools should accomplish those objectives without getting in the way. I have already written about two of them in 2 cool reasons to use the K Desktop Environment. [...]

How to compile and install Takeoff Launcher on Linux Mint 12 KDE

There are several menu styles to choose from in the K Desktop Environment, but my favorite is the Takeoff Launcher, which is why I consider it one of 2 cool reasons to use the K Desktop Environment. In this article, the steps you need to take to replace Kickoff menu, the default menu style on [...]

How to enable desktop slideshow on Linux Mint 12 KDE

Every Linux distribution comes with a static desktop wallpaper. Some of the wallpapers are very good, others, not so good. The default (wallpaper) on Linux Mint 12 KDE Release Candidate fits somewhere in between. For Linux Mint 12 KDE, the spoiler is the logo on the left (see the first screen shot below). Why the [...]

Linux Mint 12 KDE screen shot preview

The first release candidate of Linux Mint 12 KDE was made available for download yesterday, but do not be surprised if the “stable” version is released next week. While we await that, here are a few screen shots for your viewing pleasure. This KDE version is powered by KDE 4.7.4, and comes with a comprehensive [...]

Chakra GNU/Linux Edn 2011.12 review

Chakra Edn 2011.12 is the third and final edition of the Chakra Edn line of Chakra, a desktop GNU/Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. The first two editions were Chakra Edn 2011.09 and Chakra Edn 2011.11 (see Chakra Edn 2011.11 review). I always like to start my reviews by providing information about the installer and [...]

Fedora 16 KDE review

Fedora 16 is the latest stable edition of Fedora, a Linux distribution whose development is sponsored by Red Hat, Inc. The main edition uses the GNOME 3 desktop environment, but there are editions, called Spins, that use other desktop environments. The available Spins in order of popularity, based on download count, are: Fedora KDE, Fedora [...]

Sabayon 7 KDE review

Sabayon is a Linux distribution described by its developers as “… a bleeding edge operating system that is both stable and reliable.” It is based on Gentoo, a source-based (Linux) distribution. The latest edition, Sabayon 7 (GNOME 3, KDE and Xfce desktop editions), was released October 10 2011. Sabayon Core was released nine days after [...]

Mageia 2 alpha 1 KDE and GNOME 3 screenshots preview

The first alpha release of Mageia 2 has been made available for download and testing. As you might expect, this is not a review-quality release, so if you have the time and resources, time to start hunting for bugs – and reporting them, if any, to Mageia Bugzilla. Installation and Live CD and DVD ISO [...]

Kubuntu 11.10 review

Kubuntu 11.10 is the latest stable release of the desktop Linux distribution sponsored by Canonical Ltd., a Linux software provider based in London, UK. It is based on Ubuntu, but uses KDE, the K Desktop Environment. According to the Release announcement, Kubuntu is a “perfect OS for casual users, social butterflies, Linux gamers, software developers, [...]

Top 6 KDE distributions of 2011

There are perhaps hundreds of KDE Linux distributions available, and like an active volcano, more are “erupting” at a rate that is tough to keep pace with. While more choices are a good thing, and distro-hopping is a fact of life in the free software operating system community, sometimes, it is desirable to find one [...]

2 cool reasons to use the K Desktop Environment

You can always find a reason or two to like or not like something, and frequently, the reason you like one thing is exactly why the next guy does not. I used to be a fan of the K Desktop Environment (KDE). I said “used to” because I could not make the transition from KDE [...]

Chakra Edn 2011.11 review

Chakra Edn 2011.11 is the second maintenance release of the relatively new desktop Linux distribution with some ties to Arch Linux. The first review of Chakra on this website was of Chakra Aida 2011.04. With this release, there is a DVD and a CD installation image. The CD image contains very few applications, while the [...]

Create and manage user accounts in Chakra Linux 2011.11

Chakra 2011.11 is the second maintenance release of Chakra Edn, a KDE distribution that was originally based on Arch Linux, but is now an independent distribution (a fork). This release is powered by KDE 4.7.3, the very latest version of the popular desktop environment. In previous versions of KDE, there was a “Users and Groups” [...]

Takeoff with the K Desktop Environment’s best menu style

The K Desktop Environment (KDE) has more menu styles than any other desktop environment available. There is the Classical type, the Kickoff style (which most users dislike), Lancelot (better than Kickoff, but with a few shortcomings), the ROSA Launcher (for Mandriva Desktop 2011), and the Takeoff Launcher. I have already written about the Lancelot menu [...]

Sabayon 7 KDE and GNOME 3 screenshots

Sabayon 7 is the latest release of Sabayon, a Gentoo-based, multi-purpose Linux distribution. It is the third and most likely, the final release this year. While a detailed review is being written, here are some screenshots for the KDE and GNOME 2 and GNOME 3 desktops. Though not listed in the Release Notes, the installer, [...]

Pardus 2011.2 review

Pardus is a Linux distribution developed by the Turkish National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), an arm of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). Unlike most distributions, it is not based on another; an original, in the same sense that Debian is an original Linux distribution. This article presents a [...]

Pardus 2011.2 screenshot preview

Pardus 2011.2, code-named Cervus elaphus, is the latest version of the Linux desktop distribution developed by the Turkish National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), an arm of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). Judging from the contents of the Release Notes, Cervus elaphus appears to be more like a bug-fix [...]

Fedora 16 KDE and GNOME 3 Alpha screenshots

The first alpha of Fedora 16 was released yesterday (August 23, 2011). As you might expect, this is buggy, really buggy. While bug hunting is in progress, here are a few screenshots from the KDE and GNOME editions. A few of them have already been posted here, but the rest are new. In that article, [...]

Pardus 2011.1 review

Pardus is a Linux distribution developed in Turkey. To be specific, it is developed and maintained by the Turkish National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology (UEKAE), an arm of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). It is a desktop-oriented distribution based on KDE, the K Desktop Environment. This article presents a [...]

Sabayon 6 KDE review

Sabayon is a Gentoo-based, Linux distribution with support for binary package installation. Installation images for the major desktop environments are regularly published and updated. The KDE and GNOME 2 editions of the latest, Sabayon 6, were released just last week. June 23, 2011, to be precise. This article presents a comprehensive review of the KDE [...]

Introducing Project Bretzn

Apart from being a tasty Bavarian bread-snack, Bretzn is the code-name for a collection of technology aimed at solving a problem which has existed in software development for a very long time: How do you get your applications to your users? This is particularly a question for the many developers of KDE applications that are [...]

Generating barcodes with KBarcode

Sometimes alphanumeric text simply won’t cut it, and you need a bar code — mailing labels, security badges, inventory tracking, perhaps even URL-encoding for mobile phones. With KBarcode, you can use a simple desktop application to both generate and print several dozen different barcode types, on any sort of physical media. Like you might guess, [...]

Exploring the KDE Plasma Netbook interface

The latest K Desktop Environment, KDE, features two modes of interacting with the desktop – the classic Desktop interface and the Netbook interface. On recent KDE-based distributions that I have reviewed for this website, the default is the classic Desktop, but switching to the Netbook interface is an easy, few seconds process. I posted a [...]

KDE Keynote Event