Marketing proposal: KDE to became the default DE for Mint 10

speedyx · Post by **speedyx** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:31 pm

For the great job done with the KDE CE I dream and wish Linux Mint 10 with KDE at the same level of attention like the GNOME one.
No more CE, but an official release, at the same time with the GNOME (or same days difference).
What do you think?

No blame me, please!

olligod · Post by **olligod** » Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:38 pm

That's a matter of resources. After an .iso image is created, three people do a lot of tests each on the KDE version alone. And these are different from the Gnome tests.
The core Mint team is still small. They can only do so much. E.g. this week they found bugs in KDE64. Now the bugs get fixed and all the tests by three people start over.
One could call this rigorous testing to get a top-notch quality.

SO ... it's a matter of resources They aren't there (yet). So first, they did one (Gnome) and then the next one. I fact KDE is the third I believe since there is also fluxbox.
To release all Versions at the same time would mean holding back one or two of them until tests of all of them are finished (when you think about it).

Mint-KDE is better than Kubuntu because there is some quality assurance in place and scheduled testing schemes at Mint. But it costs a lot of time.
It seems that is missing at Kubuntu. They release and then wait for bug reports to come in and then react to them.
Which distro is of better quality ?? Why do you like Mint ?? (I do especially for the better quality and the better Multimedia capability).

speedyx · Post by **speedyx** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:27 am

I hope KDE will obtain more attention in the ubuntu community as well as in the mint one.
First of all I am a KDE fan, after that a Linux, GNU, debian and ubuntu supporter.

I love Linux Mint KDE CE because is the simplest distribution I ever installed. Ready for use. Just works.
My STABLE system must be a well tested, as a bit old, STABLE base distribution upon what I love to put the latest STABLE applications, like firefox, amarok, kde, vlc...
In the present KDE have done a great job that should obtain more visibility. The present GNOME is far behind.

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:56 am

I used to like the KDE3 interface. It seemed much more complete and stable as compared to gnome. However, I was won over to gnome when KDE went to version 4. (at least in SID). It seemed to have lost it's polish. I do commend the KDE Mint team, though. They tend to pick "best of breed" when choosing apps for the KDE distro. They don't necessarily pick KDE apps for KDE sake.
-Hinto

mick55 · Post by **mick55** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:29 am

Dang!

When I saw the name of this thread I thought it was a formal announcement
that Mint 10 main was going to be KDE instead of Gnome.

KDE to became the default DE for Linux Mint 10

Dang! Dang! Dang!

For a second there I was overjoyed.

Oh,well.....at least Mint 8 KDE is a fantastic distro.

speedyx · Post by **speedyx** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:51 pm

I admit: I put the statement "KDE to became the default DE for Mint 10" without an exhaustive explanation.
1- Mint-gnome is different from ubuntu: utilities + modified desktop +- GNOME apps +... The modified desktop is windows like, but I should say KDE like!
2- KDE is growing a lot in the last year and is the leading software in the open&free community more than GNOME, in a marketing perspective
3- If we want to encourage the masses to switch to linux, the masses use Windows, and KDE is a better alternative: more options, like windows, instead a limited options spectrum like in GNOME
4- Mint-kde is a lot better of kubuntu, but I can't compare mint-gnome with ubuntu. You maybe can.
...

This can be a provocation... but I think raising the KDE to the level of the GNOME desktop in Mint can contribute to obtain the approval of disaffected kubuntu user, that are more than the ubuntu ones.

DrHu · Post by **DrHu** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 4:26 pm

In the bigger world of Linux distributions, Kde does not take the backseat to Gnome..

But in the Mint world, which decided to use Ubuntu as its baseline, then Gnome rules

You cannot expect mint developers to support two different desktops, when even Ubuntu doesn't
Yes, there is Kubuntu, as a separate development
http://www.kubuntu.org/
- Packages for the final release of the KDE Software Compilation 4.4 are available.
  Users of the Lucid development release can upgrade to the newest packages.
  Users of our stable 9.10 release can install it from the Kubuntu Backports PPA.
Won't happen for Mint
--not enough resources, else why piggyback from Ubuntu, instead of developing directly from Debian
--they (developers) of Mint might already prefer Gnome, same reason, using Ubuntu as their baseline

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:14 pm

Piggy backing on sidux would give KDE. But I think that's another topic.
-Hinto

speedyx · Post by **speedyx** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:16 pm

Like opensuse switched to KDE as their default, I think is a place and an "audience" for a kubuntu based distro with the same care of mint that give a big attention to KDE.
Was only a proposal! And a wish. I stay with the KDE CE.

Jay514 · Post by **Jay514** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:28 pm

I would like to see this also, maybe the community could get a poll vote or something like that going & it would depend mostly on the team ,Clem, Boo, Ect. Anyway good topic

mick55 · Post by **mick55** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:38 pm

Mint based on Debian stable or testing (not Ubuntu) with the KDE desktop as the main edition,
would be a dream come true.

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:52 pm

Would that be Mint based on Mepis?
-H

mick55 · Post by **mick55** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:12 pm

Hinto wrote

Would that be Mint based on Mepis?

Nope.

It would be Mint based on Debian, just as Mepis and over 120 other distro's are.

As you probably know Mepis was originally based on Debian, switched to being
based on Ubuntu, and then switched back to Debian because of Ubuntu's inherent instability.

Ubuntu is based on Debian Unstable, always named Sid.

I run Debian 5 KDE on my main machine because of it's remarkable stability.

An ultra-stable version of Mint KDE is what I would like.

deleted · Post by **deleted** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:48 pm

Yes, but Mepis is Debian testing, with some fixes.
Sidux is SID.
Ubuntu starts with SID, then rolls in some testing/backports. (Mixed repositories as I recall).

I ran with SID for about 6 years, until KDE 4.
-Hinto

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:02 am

mick55 wrote:

An ultra-stable version of Mint KDE is what I would like.

Yes, I agree that there is a need for this but is there really a desire for it. Look at the forum threads. How many do you see in a week that are complaining about not being able to run the latest and greatest alpha or beta releases of some application? Or some un-vetted application downloaded from the net that broke something? I suspect new users especially wouldn't be happy with it for long.

It seems to be the newest users complaining the loudest about breakage and other problems with un-vetted software. Something about having your cake and eating it too comes to mind.

Fred

mick55 · Post by **mick55** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:09 am

Uhhmmm.....I'm not disputing any of the facts....

I simply wrote what I would like.

It's my dream.

Please don't allow reality to intrude on this transcendent moment.

Fred · Post by **Fred** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:27 am

mick55 wrote:

Please don't allow reality to intrude on this transcendent moment.

LOL : Point taken. Post retracted. I certainly wouldn't want to be the one to rain on your moment in the sunshine.

Fred

mick55 · Post by **mick55** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:28 am

Fred wrote

It seems to be the newest users complaining the loudest about breakage and other problems with un-vetted software.

Yes, that is definitely the new trend.The mentality confuses me.

I see many posts where the user indicates that they are new to Linux, just installed Mint,
and yet they are attempting to install some bizarre app from source and can't understand
why it won't install; and then they decide we are all morons because we can't give them
a 3 word answer to all their problems.

And dont forget the terrorists and their demands, you know the ones:-
"If you can't help me fix this right now I'm going back to Windows"

peace
mick

hemimaniac · Post by **hemimaniac** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:52 am

LAWL LOL ROTFLMAO

I have to agree with Fred and mick55, seems to me the latest questions to flood the place imo could have a 45-50% solve rate if the the new user would read the release notes while waiting for the .iso to download, and not to be condescending to the fnp's, but when i was new to ubuntu/mint 99.8% of my initial failures were covered in forums as a then guru was n00b when he/she tried it 1-2 years ahead of me and the post was there and the legwork sorted. The SEARCH box is quite wonderful. Many times I have used it and saved the post/repost cycle to fix a problem and, I don't like typing any way so once you put "widows grub" (as an example) in the search box I was able to click my way to a solution.

monkeyboy · Post by **monkeyboy** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:12 am

The list below is from the Linux Mint Community page, where users are asked to list the edition they are using. It looks like the developers are doing a fine job meeting the needs and wishes of those users with the current Main Edition as it is now. JMO

# Main Edition (683 people)
# x64 Edition (247 people)
# KDE Community Edition (56 people)
# Universal Edition (39 people)
# Xfce Community Edition (19 people)
# Fluxbox Community Edition (5 people)

Linux Mint Forums