New KDE SC 4.10

[vrkalak]

KDE SC 4.10 has been released today!

See what's new in KDE Plasma Workspaces 4.10: http://kde.org/announcements/4.10/plasma.php

For KDE 4.10 applications, see: http://kde.org/announcements/4.10/applications.php

A quick changes overview:

- Plasma Workspaces have been refined considerably. Work continues on updating widgets with new ones built with Qt Quick. This effort brings improvements in consistency, layout behavior, stability, ease of use and performance. It is also now easier to build widgets, entirely new Plasma Workspace layouts and other custom enhancements. A new QML-based screen locker makes Workspaces more secure. The wallpaper engine was also updated to QML, so it is easier to write animated wallpapers.

- With KWin's Get Hot New Stuff (GHNS) integration, additional effects and scripts are available in the KWin configuration dialog and can also be found at kde-look.org, including behavior modifying scripts.

- Faster and more reliable metadata engine

New Print Manager

- The KDE file manager Dolphin has seen many bugfixes, improvements and new features. Transferring files to and from a phone or other mobile device has become easier with support for MTP devices, which show up in the Places panel. The size of Panel icons can now be changed, and other usability and accessibility options have been added.

- Kate—KDE's Advanced Text Editor—received improvements in many areas. Thanks to an intensive KDE e.V.-sponsored coding sprint in October, Kate got an improved notification system, an optional 'minimap' as scrollbar, a new Project Management plugin, predefined color schemes, improvements to the scripting interface and much more.

- Konsole brings back print-screen and send signals functionality formerly present in KDE 3, as well as options to change line spacing and the requirement of CTRL key when drag'n'dropping text, new support for xterm's 1006 mouse extension and the ability to clear the command line before using bookmarks for some commands.

- Tiled Rendering Improves Okular Performance

- Gwenview Gets Activity Support

- Kontact Improves Performance

- Major Improvements in Gaming Apps

- Ktouch, KDE's touch typing tutor has been rewritten.

[Orbmiser]

Ahhh you beat me to the press!

But wondering when available for Mint?
Some over there in KDE forums where complaining doing a dist-upgrade borked them.

Dist-Upgrade to KDE 4.10. with disasterous result in Kubuntu
http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=109913

Not feeling well today so no messing around with my setup tho backed up and a 20min reinstate back to normal. Maybe some more reading instead. As always like to wait a week or three to see how it pans out.
.

[homerscousin]

Thanks, vrkalak. Actually, I knew it was immenent but was expecting the 8th rather than the 6th. I hope this a very active thread because I have been looking forward to this release for a couple months. I hope a lot of people do install this upgrade and report their experience. My big question is the installation procedure. I did read the install process from KDE.org,(or other ) but this is something I don't have much experience at. A little guidance here would be appreciated.

[Rudemeister]

Shouldn't using this from Kubuntu work for Mint 14 KDE?
-----------------------------------------------------------------

KDE Plasma and Applications 4.10 Released
Submitted on Wed, 2013-02-06

Packages for the release of KDE SC 4.10 are available for Kubuntu 12.10, 12.04 and our Raring development release. You can get them from the Kubuntu Backports PPA for 12.10 and 12.04.

Bugs in the packaging should be reported to kubuntu-ppa on Launchpad. Bugs in the software to KDE.

To update, use the Software Repository Guide to add the following repository to your software sources list:

12.10, 12.04:
ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Or, from your konsole:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Thanks to Philip and Rohan for their work on these packages
-----------------------------------------------------------------

[Cerule]

Thanks, vrkalak. Actually, I knew it was immenent but was expecting the 8th rather than the 6th. I hope this a very active thread because I have been looking forward to this release for a couple months. I hope a lot of people do install this upgrade and report their experience. My big question is the installation procedure. I did read the install process from KDE.org,(or other ) but this is something I don't have much experience at. A little guidance here would be appreciated.

The installation process is very straigth forward. Just do what Rudemeister explained and take a cup of coffee and after installation relog/restart. I have habit to backup my kde settings & stuff just in case (the ~/.kde directory) but dunno if that's necessary. I've upgraded many KDE versions in Mint including 4.10 without any problem. I have one hint copied to my notebook I read somewhere that might help avoiding some possible troubles. Note: in Mint you can't log in as root by default but you can do what that guy suggest with your normal user account.

"One more suggestion (from Alien Bob, the Slackware developer): when you upgrade the KDE always delete the KDE cache directories. The leftovers are always causing problems. Afer I upgraded I first logged in as root and deleted these 2 directories (which are symlinked in .kde directory):
.kde/~cache-username
.kde/~tmp-username
These are symlinks to /var/tmp/kdecache-username and /tmp/kde-username.
Try to delete these. It should help to avoid lot of troubles."

[zerozero]

it should work (but i see some reports of troubles (e.g. here http://www.webupd8.org/2013/02/upgrade- ... qus_thread)
so what i would recommend (not necessary but advisable) is:

1- do a dist-upgrade before adding the kubuntu backports ppa
- reasoning of this: in mint by default (unless the user sets it otherwise) mintupdate doesn't perform dist-upgrades and at least kernel and xorg are not at the latest version;
- doing this first we ensure that a) the system is fully working and updated when we engage the kde update and b) we split possible issues either with kernel/xorg stack or kde in different updates
- doing this first dist-upgrade we need to be careful about graphic card drivers (specially)

reboot, check that everything is working properly and then carry on to the kde update

2- from what i saw in a couple places this might be a complex update, so i would suggest
add the kubuntu backport ppa

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get -f install

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

don't reboot unless you see a clean output in the end of the last dist-upgrade

good luck 4.10 is just amazing

[caf4926]

Running it on openSUSE and it's just spanking !

[Orbmiser]

Thanks for the info zerozero
Going to give it a go.

1st step looks like doing a kernel upgrade linux-image-3.5.0-23-generic amd64 3.5.0-23.35
linux-image-extra-3.5.0-23-generic amd64 3.5.0-23.35 [27.7 MB]

But what do you do if you don't get a clean last step?
What's the next step?
Doing steps now but don't want to reboot unless clean results.

Code: Select all

orbmiser@Winterfell ~ $ sudo apt-get -f install
[sudo] password for orbmiser:
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
orbmiser@Winterfell ~ $ sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

Seems clean so going to reboot. Tho steps 2&3 seemed not to do anything?
.

[zerozero]

But what do you do if you don't get a clean last step?
What's the next step?

you have to capture the error (the last bit of the terminal output right before your username) so that we can troubleshoot it.

[Orbmiser]

Well no errors but steps 2&3 didn't seem to install anything?
Far as I can tell kernel upgrade but no 4.10?

But after 1st step got a need to reboot to finish install?
Which I didn't and proceeded to steps 2&3
.

[zerozero]

have you added the kubuntu backports ppa?

Code: Select all

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

i edited my post above for completeness

[Orbmiser]

Nope will add it then steps 2&3 again?
Before rebooting?
.

[zerozero]

after step 1) you got a new kernel so it's advisable to reboot and check that everything is working properly;
then follow for step 2) (the instructions are already updated in that post)

[Rudemeister]

I have upgraded my Mint 14 KDE 64 bit installed on my desktop and laptop now. My desktop is an HP XW8600 with dual 3Ghz quad core Xeons, 16G of DDR2 ram and an Nvidia GT520 with 1G. To say it has snappy performance would be an understatement. Heck, I could care less about all those light GUI's. The laptop is an HP nx9420 with a core2 dual T7400 2.16 Ghz CPU with 4G of DDR2 ram and an Nvidia Quadro NVS510M. Performance here is very nice too. I couldn't be happier.

[Orbmiser]

Yep took over 2hrs on my pathetic 1.5mb connection. And was kind of peeved about 89mb for Wallpapers! ?
That took 20mins alone and wish I could opt-out on dist-upgrades on stuff like that as not all of us have a broadband connection.

But so far video,sound,wireless working and to give it a through testing thru the night.
So far looks good.
.

[anandrkris]

I have been using KDE 4.10 since their RC version and the desktop experience is strikingly seamless, refined and elegant. Plasma workspace offers quite an high level customization and the more I learn, configure and use it higher is the productivity and functionality. Kudos to KDE team for such a wonderful release.

Personally I experienced -

1. Huge improvements in Desktop Search

2.Faster acess to files through improved Dolphin

3.Refinement in Desktop Widgets

Read this for an elaborate review.

KDE - Keep the Desktop Elegant

Note aside - Since we're talking about desktop experience, i should talk about the KFaenza icons which is so much eye candy i keep looking at them. Must try.

@ Orbmiser - I usually ignore the wallpaper packages by unchecking them in Mint update manager.

Update - Minor issue - I lost one of the panels I had configured earlier, not sure of the reason though. And Menu integration in Title bar does not seem to work. Requires appmenu-qt isnatllation.

[caf4926]

Here is my openSUSE 12.2 with 4.10 and the SUSE theme

[Orbmiser]

After a few hours testing seems to run great.
And a strange remember size & position with Gimp 2.8 but seem to figure it out and got it displaying properly.
Maybe due to theme change?


Mint KDE 4.1.0 upgrade Feb. 7 Desktop by Orbmiser, on Flickr

On KDE 4.9.4 could ramp it up to 1-2gb in use multiple programs. After closing everything the desktop would only return to idle at 1.1gb or so. As fresh startup to desktop usually started out at 470-480mb for 4.9.4.

Notice on 4.10 drops down to under 1gb so seems more ram is being released. And KDE seems consistently 200-300mb lighter than Cinnamon 14 under same conditions & same apps being used. Also includes fresh startup with Cinnamon weighing in around 700-800mb to desktop. And KDE same user startup apps weighs in around 460mb-500mb.

Not scientific just day to day observation.
.

[Orbmiser]

Next Day and all still running well.

Thanks all for sharing and especially zerozero for the step by step to backport to upgrade instructions.

And don't know if it's a 4.10 feature? or theme? Have Ghost Deco 2.2 installed. And there is an extra button.
One next to dolphin file cabinet circle with a dot. click on that and that app is pinned to All virtual Desktops. Cool!

extra button.png (33.24 KiB) Viewed 4535 times

.

[homerscousin]

Thanks to all. It really is very simple. I did the dist upgrade, no errors, reboot, check some basic functions like playing a video, check dolphin etc. All ok. Next did the update -upgrade. About 2/3 done here my desktop changed. Taskbar disappeared, window theme reverted to very basic, no min,max, close buttons, dragging a window didn't budge it. But, this step completed without any errors in terminal. I rebooted. Did the final step apt-get -f install. Seemed redundant, took a few seconds, output was done, done, done. KDE SC 4.10 is installed and working. Did get an error message, I think when I went into system settings, desktop effects to uncheck the blur option. the message: Executable: Kwin PID:2036 signal: segmentation fault (11). Haven't looked into that because it only happened once. The only other minor problem so far is with screen locking. Prior to this upgrade, I had my screen set to blank after 300 minutes ( I set it up that high while I was messing with VLC and blanking issues). If the monitor did turn off, I just had to move the mouse and it was on again. Connected to a video stream last night, woke up this morning and I hear it still playing, but the monitor is off, moved the mouse, monitor is now on, but now I have to login to restore the desktop. I just haven't experimented with settings yet. So far, so good. My first reaction was some things do seem a bit faster, but some of the desktop effects don't seem as smooth. One day is not enough time adjust and evaluate. Turned my effects animation speed down from normal to slow. Maybe that's more noticeable and smoother, but I'll try them all.