Kubuntu, ArkLinux Announce KDE 3.4-Based Releases

arexx writes "Kubuntu, the new Linux flavour based on the fast-climbing Ubuntu but with a KDE desktop as standard has reached its first preview release, with the first full release due next month. ISOs and torrents are available for all major architectures from cdimage.ubuntu.com. Kubuntu is the first distribution to ship with the new KDE 3.4, released just two days ago. Existing Ubuntu users can grab KDE 3.4 with a quick and customarily painless 'sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop' in the nearest terminal window." Kubuntu isn't alone, though: as reader fixertechno puts it, "After 3 years of development, testing, and me waiting patiently, the first stable release of Ark Linux has been released; Bero's announcement is here. Ark Linux is a KDE based desktop version of Linux with similar goals of 'it just works' to Ubuntu Linux. If you've been waiting to try Ark Linux -- or any Linux distribution for that matter, now's the time!"

Kubuntu is a word!

[sethadam1]

Before anybody starts up with the name, let me quickly quote the Kubuntu FAQ:

What does kubuntu mean?
It means "towards humanity" in Bemba.

to avoid misunderstood

[netdur]

kubuntu is not based on ubuntu, kubuntu is ubuntu with KDE instead of gnome, it's from the same ubuntu team, anyway kubuntu mean "to humanity", it's real word

That's great for (k)Ubuntu

[kusanagi374]

Since Ubuntu is Debian's newer brother, it's great to see that they are coming up with different project to cover different needs, just like Debian. Debian covers the portability front (with loads of different ports working just the same way on different architectures), and Ubuntu the usability front with both KDE, Gnome and soon other ambients as well (XFCE and others).

Before people go like "Why doesn't Canonical make one cd with both KDE and Gnome?", let me put it this way: the same reason why they don't make one big DVD like Fedora. Read their FAQ ;)

Re:Kubuntu is a word!

[zecg]

It's nice that both Ubuntu and Kubuntu have meaning and that they both imply humanity.

Ubuntu = humanity towards others Kubuntu = towards humanity

Re:to avoid misunderstood

[LifesizeKenDoll]

Does that mean there's a Gubuntu? ;)

Gubuntu is not a real word, unlike Ubuntu and Kubuntu. Ubuntu normal is based on Gnome, whereas Ubuntu-KDE or Kubuntu is based on KDE.

kubuntu-default-settings

[Anonymous Coward]

To get the full Kubuntu feeling (like themed kdm, Kubuntu wallpaper etc.) and not pure KDE 3.4 alone you have to "sudo apt-get install kubuntu-default-settings" additionally/instead.

Kubuntu Preview Screenshots

[Anonymous Coward]

shots.osdir.com [osdir.com]

Re:Ark has a long way to go

[nutshell42]

I've downloaded the kubuntu preview today and it had neither a graphical network configuration client (you could install one from a different repository but a lack of answers in the channel leads me to the conclusion that there's no gui way to change repositories) nor a way to change the (apparently hardcoded) settings for your monitor (I had to switch to a different virtual terminal, stop kdm, adjust xorg.conf and restart kdm to get 1280x1024 at a reasonable refresh) while the ark screenshots at least make me hopeful that it offers just that.

Oh and they should really disable kde's ipv6 support by default, it makes some web pages incredibly slow because afaik it spams your nameserver with ipv6 lookups and it can be disabled with a simple environment var (reuters.com took 40s (!!!) to load with standard kubuntu and 6-7 with the variable set). I've already written that in the channel and I'm also aware that I've tested a preview version and I am hopeful that they'll do a lot of polishing in the weeks ahead. Just wanted to mention it.

Just for clarification:

[stanthegoomba]

Kubuntu is not just a derivative of Ubuntu like many Debian based distros. Kubuntu and Ubuntu are not meant to be separate, competing distros. In fact they are basically the same thing- you can apt-get install KDE in Ubuntu and Gnome in Kubuntu. The main difference is that Ubuntu COMES with Gnome and Kubuntu COMES with kde, instead of the Ubuntu team providing multiple CD's like most distros. Kubuntu FAQ [kubuntu.org.uk]

Re:kubuntu-default-settings

[Anonymous Coward]

That's actually wrong: you only need kubuntu-default-settings if you installed kde-core but kubuntu-desktop depends on kubuntu-default-settings.

Just got it last night...

[dcuny]

To use a cliche - Move along, nothing to see here...

I really like the Ubuntu distro, and I'm seriously thinking of going that route with my next upgrade. Ubuntu really shows off the nice things about Gnome. (Except for the Human theme - give me Gorilla, please).

In contrast, the Kubuntu doesn't really show off much of the latest KDE release. I booted it up, had a look, and [i]Zzzzzzz[/i]. Heck, it hasn't even got any games! I rebooted, and wiped the .iso from my disk.

I'm hoping that someone else puts out a nice Live CD distro to show KDE off, but Kubuntu isn't it.

Re:Transparency

[Anonymous Coward]

a) Give the user a password (using sudo password ubuntu)
b) Edit xorg.conf to load Composite extension (using sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf)
c) Activate it in KDE ([x] Use transluency/shadows)
d) Logout
e) Login

Re:Kubuntu is a word!

[Trailwalker]

Great, now what the fuck is Bemba?

Here [worldlanguage.com] Windows is available in Bemba.

Re:Ark has a long way to go

[Bero]

Thanks for the bug report! We've fixed the typo in the network config in current CVS, so feel free to update (and given the fact the tool was written by a German guy and a Swiss guy, enjoy the fact that the English translation works, apart from a typo ;) ).

As for "Ethernet adapter" etc. being too hard to understand, this is quite possibly right, but how do you want to manually configure a network without knowing what it is?

We'd be glad to hear of possible fixes for the next release.

Re:Ark has a long way to go

[knipknap]

I've downloaded the kubuntu preview today and it had neither a graphical network configuration client (you could install one from a different repository but a lack of answers in the channel leads me to the conclusion that there's no gui way to change repositories)

In Ubuntu Hoary you can use the (GNOME-based) Ubuntu Update Manager to add new repositories, it is installed by default. (System -> Administration -> Ubuntu Update Manager, in the new dialog click 'Preferences')

You can also run 'gnome-software-properties' on the command line directly. (or 'update-manager')

Re:Kubuntu

[outZider]

heh. apt-get install xfce4 did wonders for me. ;) For extra good times, add the repositories off the xfce site for the most up to date xfce. :)

Re:One less thing for users to whine about...

[tackat]

Kubuntu looks to me very much like an "official"
ubuntu project:
* There are Canonical employees who have been hired to work on Kubuntu,
* KDE is not in universe but in main (which means it's officially supported)
* and as far as I know Mark Shuttleworth encouraged work on Kubuntu and seems to be quite happy with the current result (especially with Kubuntu's attractive konqi models).

Re:Kubuntu is a word!

[Murf In Wyoming]

See def [emory.edu] for the full quote:

"Bemba is a language spoken by 5 to 6 million people in Zambia, and in bordering areas of Tanzania and Congo (DRC). Bemba is one of the eight official languages of Zambia. It is the language of the Bemba people (population est. 1.7 million) and a major lingua franca across Zambia. Bemba is part of the Bantu language family (Guthrie's M.42), which consists of over 500 different languages throughout Central, Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa. Other Bantu languages include Swahili, Zulu, Luganda, Shona, Sesotho, and Kongo...."

So, you were pretty close.