Helena KDE ideas

[Boo]

With Helena on the horision I am looking for ideas for new apps, replacement apps, new widgets and apps to remove.
I am looking to add:
Mythtv frontend (v 0.22) and mythbuntu control centre. (missed out this time around)
Grub 2 (now a ubuntu default) instead of gfxboot.
A KDE4 partitioner.
Google widgets.
KDE Partition Manager
songbird
minitube
tucan
network-manager-gnome - the default network GUI

make blinking start icon

Boo

[zole052]

http://tucaneando.com/index-en.html

[markcynt]

I install these plasmoids in every KDE distro.

http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.ph ... tent=94144 (A great system info widget)

http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.ph ... tent=94106 (My favorite weather widget)

[zole052]

http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.ph ... ent=101229

[exploder]

I would like some feedback about this idea.

I saw this tip today on the Kubuntu forum about turning off KWallet, it is annoying and letting the applications remember passwords seems like a better solution. Here is the tip.

K Menu > System Settings > Advanced > KDE Wallet > Wallet Preferences and uncheck Enable the KDE wallet subsystem. I wondered how other distributions got rid of that annoyance, now I know and it is a lot better. Kopete, KMail, etc can remember passwords without the use of KWallet.

What do you think?

Edit: Also, what are some opinions on leaving launch feedback turned off by default like in the last release? I think it was an improvement because the bouncing cursor leaves artifacts on some application splash screens and having it turned off eliminated the problem and gave KDE 4 a less buggy look and feel. I have seen other distributions use these tweaks and they were generally well received.

[badmotor]

Some good suggestions here. I agree with turning off the wallet by default.

[Steely]

As far as disabling the kwallet manager I disable it as I do not use kopete or kmail . I have used the pclos kde build and amarok uses kwallet to store info. I have never had any issues with mint 7 kde and amarok with kwallet disabled. The pclos version of amarok was newer than the one with mint.

Launch feedback is something that I disable immediately if it is enabled by default.

Afaik gnome mplayer is included with all versions of mint 7. However, it looks really out of place on a kde installation and kmplayer is a much more complete and capable player imo.

My concern with Mint 8 KDE is not so much about the default applications as I can easily change them , however, what is more of a concern is the base and the packages used to build mint kde. I know that mint kde versions 6 and 7 used kubuntu ppa packages extensively in order to have a more stable version of kde. With kde 4.3.x things have got a lot more stable and I think it would be wise to stay away from ppa packages as much as possible. It would also make upgrading the version of kde on the install easier than it is with the current mint 7 kde. Also, mintupdate has always been extremely slow on mint 7 kde and it would be nice to see a newer version of mintupdate that doesn't take several minutes finding and checking for updates.

[dequire]

I agree disabling KWallet is a great idea. It's the 1st thing I do is to turn it off. As mentioned before, my KDE system (and any in install) is stock except for:

Disabling KWallet
Installing Songbird
Installing KDE Partition Manager
Installing KRsync (Especially until MintBackup matures to, as intended, utilize Rsync)
Installing System Monitor
A few other tweaks

I would love to see KDE Partition Manager and KRsysc become default.
Adding Myth s a great idea too! Since the size of KDE CE is already over the size of a CD, might as well full up the DVD

[dafi]

I would like some feedback about this idea.

I saw this tip today on the Kubuntu forum about turning off KWallet, it is annoying and letting the applications remember passwords seems like a better solution. Here is the tip.

K Menu > System Settings > Advanced > KDE Wallet > Wallet Preferences and uncheck Enable the KDE wallet subsystem. I wondered how other distributions got rid of that annoyance, now I know and it is a lot better. Kopete, KMail, etc can remember passwords without the use of KWallet.

What do you think?

For example KMail says that its not as secure to save the password in the kmail config as it would be in kwallet. Thats an argument for me not to disable it...
You could also configure kwallet to stay open all the time. At my system i need the password one time fro kwallet, after that my wifi-connection is established, kopete runs and kmail is open. Then it could close because i have no more need for my passwords. If you disable it, its like Windows in which every programm saves the password wherever it wants to. I don't think that this is a good solution.

Please do not extend the DVD so much, otherwise i have to largen my systempartition to install it the first time O.O
I think its easier to make a sudo apt-get install -y programm1 programm2 command than to find out the unused software and make a sudo apt-get remove command

[Dalamar]

I think Mint 7's Menu is awesome. Can it be incorporated into Helena instead of the confusing default menu of KDE 4? Thanks!

[kanishka]

I'm using Gloria KDE as my main system since KDE turned 4.3, and I love it (on my EeePC 1000HE, nonetheless!).

The first thing I do in KDE is to kill the Kickoff Menu (aka "click-feast") and use Lancelot that it's not perfect but has awesome no-click navigation.
Then, I try to disable Akonadi... I said "try" because it's not easy, at least for me. I would very much like to NOT have it in Helena KDE. I heard it's collecting hate from thousands of users.

Everything else is stock, more or less. I add OOo, Chromium and Wine PPA's and KDE's backports to sources.list, and that's all.

Please, kill Akonadi for me

[Rob Brill]

Hi,

Mint KDE 8 "Helena"


KWallet - disabled

Keep Kick Off menu (i like it)

Gnome MPlayer - Out

KsCD to be included (audio player for KDE 4x)

Fix MintUpdate to fetch for updates. It is too slow

The latest version of mintInstall (software manager) to be fully compatible
with Mint KDE 8

KDE 4x upgraded to the latest version when we have a RC or a final (stable) release.

regards
Roberto

[Go2doug]

I highly recommend implementing Grub2 as Grub1 is incompatible with ext4 partitions.

I also agree with having KWallet disabled by default. I have never used it as the only place I like to keep passwords is in my head.

Regarding the mouse pointer's launch feedback, I would suggest setting it to "blinking" instead of "bouncing" by default.

The only two video players I ever use are VLC and Kaffeine. For audio I use only Amarok.

I fully agree with Dalamar's suggestion to include the default (Gnome) "Mint Menu" to use as an alternative to the KDE4 menu, which I feel is its weakest feature. I would also suggest including Lancelot as a menu option, as well. That way, when you right-click on the Mint menu icon, the context menu that appears would let you choose between the KDE 4 Kickoff menu, Mint menu, Lancleot, or classic menu.

Regarding the edition of OpenOffice.org that comes with Helena, perhaps it would be a good idea to use the GO-OO remix?
http://www.go-oo.org/

Roberto mentioned having KDE4x fully updated with the final release, and this would be an improvement over Mint 7 KDE. If you recall, Mint 7 KDE was released with KDE v4.2.4, and just one or two days later KDE v4.3 became available. The update from 4.2.4 to 4.3 was not smooth for Mint users as the new 4.3 desktop was missing all of the panels and widgets. See for reference: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=30528

[rec9140]

With Helena on the horision I am looking for ideas for new apps, replacement apps, new widgets and apps to remove.

disable kwallet

Absolute WORST IDEA. I use it, and only it.

[exploder]

Absolute WORST IDEA. I use it, and only it.

About 3 mouse clicks would enable kwallet for the few that need it enabled. KMail and Kopete will work with or without kwallet enabled.

[dequire]

Absolute WORST IDEA. I use it, and only it.

About 3 mouse clicks would enable kwallet for the few that need it enabled. KMail and Kopete will work with or without kwallet enabled.

It also takes 3 clicks then to disable it

Also, I do not agree with replacing the kickoff menu with Gnome's. This is KDE. Trying to explain to a noob or anyone coming from another distro why there's a Gnome menu in a KDE distro might be kinda confusing. Again, this is a KDE distro. Any hybridization between Gnome and KDE should be left to the User to decide.*

*The exception here are decisions like Boo's to use Gnome's network manager, since that was a usability issue. One would expect to go away, if it hasn't already.

[exploder]

It also takes 3 clicks then to disable it

That is true. I originally came up with the idea of turning off kwallet by default from seeing other popular KDE based distros doing this by default. Many people will simply use Thunderbird rather than KMail if the wallet is left on because they do not know how to turn off kwallet. The whole idea revolves around being user friendly for people that are new to Linux and KDE 4. For me anyway, if I do not want someone seeing my e-mails I would just lock my screen when I was away from the computer. I never used KMail because of the wallet and honestly, I was missing out on a really nice application that is actively developed because I never took the time to find out that turning off kwallet would stop the password prompts. I really like how KMail can be configured and being a native KDE application is a plus for me too.

Also, I do not agree with replacing the kickoff menu with Gnome's. This is KDE. Trying to explain to a noob or anyone coming from another distro why there's a Gnome menu in a KDE distro might

I agree completely! It would be a nightmare trying to get the mintMenu working in KDE anyway. The Kickoff menu is not so different to me because I use the Favorites section most of the time just like I do in the main edition.

[Dalamar]

Are there alternatives for the KDE menu? Thanks!

[dequire]

This is Linux...There are ALWAYS alternatives! Sometimes - too many of them.

You know the saying - opinions are like XXX-XXXXX; Everyone's got one. :p

[dafi]

Absolute WORST IDEA. I use it, and only it.

About 3 mouse clicks would enable kwallet for the few that need it enabled. KMail and Kopete will work with or without kwallet enabled.

It also takes 3 clicks then to disable it

An other way is to click on the cancel button, the first time kmail or any other application asks for kwallet. Than the application "thinks" that there is no kwallet, and prompts the option to store the passwords itself.

Perhaps you could leave it enabled and just uninstall it... So if you need it, you could install kwallet and it just works, if you dont need it, do not install it...