Future KDE editions based on Debian or LMDE?

[rjrich]

Any chance of future KDE versions of LM being based on Debian or LMDE instead of Ubuntu?

[MaskedAvenger]

Hi,

Clem said in the comments on one of the more recent news posts that he was looking into porting the Kubuntu packages but eventually decided against it. I hope someone who can reach out to Clem reads this because I came to post about similar information. Kanotix has backported KDE 4.8. using the Kubuntu packages and some of their own patches. [here] The packages are Wheezy/Testing based, same as LMDE. Also, Mepis has done the similar with their distribution with testing ISOs.

I would like an up-to-date KDE Debian distro, so I know that automatically requires Testing/Sid, but no such thing really exists. Mepis is Stable based outside of their own testing. Kanotix is the same. Also, KDE takes far too long to flown down, with older version reaching testing or sid much further down the road.

So the best thing to do right now is to probably use the Kanotix repo for the KDE backport, as its Debian compatible. It's one release behind at 4.8.1 but you're not a completely series behind as in regular Debian.

If someone could be so kind to forward this info to Clem to get something going, I'd be happy about it.

[cwwgateway]

Clem was going to switch the kde edition to a debian base, but for some reason they decided to stick with the ubuntu base. Originally, the main edition and the lxde edition were going to be based on ubuntu and the lmde gnome edition, the kde edition, the xfce edition, and the fluxbox edition were going to be based on debian. My guess is it's up to Clem and the KDE dev that was hired full time. I know that some people had concerns about the user friendliness of debian, but at this point I think that, with the exeption of the installer, it is about equal. As for telling Clem, you can try posting on the blog or the community website for ideas. You might be able to email him, but I guess the only people who can really get in touch with him are the administrators, moderators, and people in the team.

[rhodry]

I would like an up-to-date KDE Debian distro, so I know that automatically requires Testing/Sid, but no such thing really exists.

Well, staying just within Debian environment ( ie ignore Arch, Chakra, Fedora, Kororaa, Frugalware & a number of others!!) you can use Aptosid, Siduction or the Debian Weekly Builds to quickly have yourself a Sid/Unstable KDE install.

Try using the Distrowatch Search functions, you can use all sorts of field limiters to find what you want.

Personally, I have turned an LMDE-Xfce install into a Sid based KDE + Xfce install on numerous occasions, usually with an hour or two.

cheers,
rhodry.

[MaskedAvenger]

Yes I have tested the realms of Aptosid and siduction. The main gripe is how slow the new releases of the KDE SC trickle down. Even for the "special" KDE repos it takes more than it should (up to months later). I understand this may be the Debian Way, but stuff from other DEs flows much faster to users. I'd personally take a stock build for Debian when its out if I could.

With how Blue System now has command over Kubuntu, I have a wish that they could give a Debian compatible repo since they are working on Kubuntu (I know the Debian/Ubuntu difference, don't taze me). Maybe I'll shoot an e-mail and see what they think.

In the meantime I think Clem could get the ball rolling here by bumping heads with some people, i.e. Kanotix, Blue Systems, Mepis, etc. Debian is sort of notorious with KDE for the slow releases.

[Berkah]

Hi,

I would like an up-to-date KDE Debian distro, so I know that automatically requires Testing/Sid, but no such thing really exists. Mepis is Stable based outside of their own testing. Kanotix is the same. Also, KDE takes far too long to flown down, with older version reaching testing or sid much further down the road.

So the best thing to do right now is to probably use the Kanotix repo for the KDE backport, as its Debian compatible. It's one release behind at 4.8.1 but you're not a completely series behind as in regular Debian.

So do I!

[Electroman6913]

I just used the XFCE eddtion of LMDE and insalled KDE on top of it with sudo apt-get install kde-full
and it is working great for me.

[Berkah]

Good idea! Thanks - will try that

[BostonPeng]

I just used the XFCE eddtion of LMDE and insalled KDE on top of it with sudo apt-get install kde-full
and it is working great for me.

If you're concerned about hard drive space (some of us still watch that, even in these days of bigger drives) you can install kde-standard and then install additional packages as you need to. That's how I put KDE on LMDE. I actually went with the smaller meta package because I wanted to partition my laptop's drive to keep my /home safe during any reinstalls. I wasn't sure how much space to leave for the root directory so I created a partition of just under 9 gigs but now I can't install just anything to leave space for debug packages and the such downstream.

[Schoelje]

A few weeks ago I added a tutorial to build LMDE with KDE from a Debian install.
I'm using the 64 bit version on my main computer and the 32 bit on my laptop.
The result is amazing: relatively small install, it looks and feels like Linix Mint KDE but is (at least in my case) a lot more stable.
You need to take your time though, you need to download a lot.

viewtopic.php?f=197&t=103839

If anyone could point me to a nice tutorial to make this into a live installer DVD, I'd be much obliged.

[BostonPeng]

Nice job Schoelje. I'm not sure how I missed it before now. Thanks for spelling things out so clearly.

[cwwgateway]

If anyone could point me to a nice tutorial to make this into a live installer DVD, I'd be much obliged.

Here's a tutorial that might help: http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/918

[Schoelje]

@cwwgateway
Thanks for your reply.
I found that tutorial earlier but did not spend too much time on it because it suggests to be a tutorial for a respin of a Linux Mint ISO.
What I am trying to achieve is to build LMDE from a Debian squeeze iso with a KDE desktop.

However, I'm going to see if this tutorial works with a Debian ISO as well.

[Schoelje]

For anyone who's interested.
I've just announced my Unofficial LMDE KDE: viewtopic.php?f=190&t=106426

[ldvalle]

Schoelje@

Hi Schoelje,
I tried your LMDE 201207 KDE !!! It's really a good piece of work. Not bad at all. And a boot splash included !!!
Once the machine is enabled, everything is so fast.
I think the better place where KDE most live is on LMDE

Thanks for your effort

[braingateway]

Any chance of future KDE versions of LM being based on Debian or LMDE instead of Ubuntu?

For debian and LMDE fan u can just stick to LMDE, what is the point to get a second edition of LMDE?
So I think it does not make any sense. the whole point of LM KDE is to benefit from the ubuntu community, if LM is based directly on Debian, it will loose its value.
And anyone, really needs the feature of Debian, usually is the one knows completely what he want to do and should feel no pain to install any DE they would like to use. Afterall, KDE is just one of the DE. Hence I think clem is wise that he finnally dropped the idea to switch the base of KDE edition to LMDE.

[Schoelje]

@braingateway
I invite you to try the unofficial LMDE KDE: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=106426

[BostonPeng]

For debian and LMDE fan u can just stick to LMDE, what is the point to get a second edition of LMDE?

Actually an LMDE with KDE would be the third version since Xfce is available in a Debian edition.

So I think it does not make any sense. the whole point of LM KDE is to benefit from the ubuntu community, if LM is based directly on Debian, it will loose its value.

I'm curious to know what you're basing that statement on. I've never heard that the premise of Mint KDE was to benefit the *Ubuntu community. It may simply be that I've never come across that statement before so I may be wrong. Personally I've always thought Mint KDE was primarily to give KDE users another option in general.

@braingateway
I invite you to try the unofficial LMDE KDE: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=106426

+1 As someone who's been using KDE on top of LMDE for over a year I have to say the combination is a winner for KDE users, even though our range of available apps is reduced since LMDE can't use Ubuntu PPAs. Plus there are additional apps thanks to the Debian KDE project and the deb-multimedia group. If you're looking for a new KDE distro to try I can't recommend Schoelje's respin strongly enough. It may even get me to nuke and pave my laptop and do a fresh install to get rid of the MATE base that my LMDE install brought along.

[braingateway]

Based on my experiences, many Mint KDE users choose Mint just because it is ubuntu based and better than Kubuntu. Of course, this may be due to most of the clients using our software do not have strong programming background and reluctant to deal with system breakdown. I think this is also the most important reason why there are considerable amount of ubuntu fans, other than Ubuntu PPAs.
For our projects based on some cutting edge patches or heavy customization, we are using arch or gentoo.

We tried LMDE. I have to admit that it is a NICE distro, however it really needs MORE distinguishable "personalities" to attract users. Just a Mint-style rolling distro is not enough. For me, it is still not clear what the LMDE is trying to achieve? A less breakdown version of debian? A less user-tuning-requirement version of debian?

Another interesting fact:
Most of the users never reinstall the system unless absolutely necessarily, e.g. when upgrading hardware or purchasing new PCs. Many of them are still using ubuntu 10.10 or Mint 10. For MS windows users, more than 40% of them are still using win XP pro :-O Will the ubuntu 6-month upgrading policy hit many people? I doubt it.

Of course, for LMDE fans, a LMDE edition with Mint-polished KDE may be cheerful. But, in my opinion, if they spend too much energy on this and compromise the unbuntu-based editions, it may be actually harmful to the competitiveness of Mintlinux. Now it seems already too much editions for them.

I'm curious to know what you're basing that statement on. I've never heard that the premise of Mint KDE was to benefit the *Ubuntu community. It may simply be that I've never come across that statement before so I may be wrong. Personally I've always thought Mint KDE was primarily to give KDE users another option in general.

@braingateway
I invite you to try the unofficial LMDE KDE: viewtopic.php?f=61&t=106426

+1 As someone who's been using KDE on top of LMDE for over a year I have to say the combination is a winner for KDE users, even though our range of available apps is reduced since LMDE can't use Ubuntu PPAs. Plus there are additional apps thanks to the Debian KDE project and the deb-multimedia group. If you're looking for a new KDE distro to try I can't recommend Schoelje's respin strongly enough. It may even get me to nuke and pave my laptop and do a fresh install to get rid of the MATE base that my LMDE install brought along.