GnomeTWEAK

KDE 3.0

Given that Linux is fundamentally a console-based system, you could probably make a pretty strong case the addition of any GUI desktop application is, in fact, a tweak. At least I hope that case could be made, because today’s tweak centers on KDE 3.0.x.

KDE 3 was released in April and has since made it onto the latest major distribution releases. RedHat, Suse and Mandrake have all incorporated KDE 3 into their most recent releases, so many of you may have seen it. I’ve always been a Gnome user, but decided when installing RedHat 7.3 to give KDE a good workout and a fair shake. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with what I’ve seen. In fact, I would call myself a KDE user today, in the same way I used to call myself a Gnome user. If you haven’t used KDE 3, it’s certainly worth a shakedown cruise on your machine.

So, what’s exciting enough about KDE to make even a Gnome hardcore like myself make the change? Well, that’s today’s tweak - a rundown of the improvements to KDE in version 3.

Konqueror: Improved DHTML support, improved XML support, improved JavaScript support. This is the first version of Konqueror that I’ve felt comfortable using as my full-time browser.

KOffice 1.1.1: KOffice has improved dramatically in the past two or three iterations. KWord has improved in its ability to accurately format .doc documents. Though it’s not yet perfect, KWord gets you closer to an accurate interpretation of the Word format than any other office suite - StarOffice included. KSpread is also improved, moving finally into the realm of being a realistic contender to Excel.

Multimedia: DivX support has been added vi Noatun. Noatun now also offers support for IceCast and ShoutCast streaming.

Data Access: KIOSlave provides a completely modular approach to data protocols, including HTTP, SFTP/FTP, SSH, POP, SMB/NetBIOS, LDAP, SQL queries, audio CDs, digital cameras, PDAs and more. Accessing these data types via KIOSlave is faster.

Kate: This has already become my favorite lightweight text editor. I’ve started using it for the syntax highlighting capabilities in my work on Lockergnome projects.

This, really, is just a list of the high points that have really caught my attention in the past few months. Throw in the capability for font smoothing and KDE is, at this time, simply a more advanced desktop environment than any other in Linux.

If you’re planning on upgrading to KDE 3, you should note that KDE 3.0.1 has been released. It contains minor bug fixes and upgrades.