
Various KDE 1.-4. Improvements
Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net
SimpleKDE aims to be a lightweight, clean, and user-friendly fork of the KDE desktop environment. KDE is often criticized as being too bloated, and SimpleKDE is meant to be a response to this.
Goals:
* Providing a less bloated, less featured but more usable fork of KDE
* Providing an easier Control Center
* Making speed improvements by dropping unnecessary features
* Optimizing KDE for higher performance
* Being more responsive to patches/improvements coming from the KDE community (kde-look.org)
* Sharing our improvements with KDE community
15 years ago
The initial release is for preview purposes. It has some known bugs and it does not contain all the purposed features. Current changes over KDE 3.4.1:
* Confusing system messages have been removed in all parts of the desktop environment. Forexample, the term "Administrator" is used instead of "root".
* Multiple Desktops feature has been dropped. (code trimmed)
* Simplifications in the whole UI (user interface)
* Clock applet has been redesigned with simplicity in mind
* Konqueror toolbars have been redesigned with simplicity in mind.
* Some standart sidebar modules and panel applets have been removed for smaller package size and higher performance
* Some KDE dialogs have been modified with simplicity in mind
* Changes in KControl modules in favour of consistency, simplicity and ease of use.
15 years ago
The initial release is for preview purposes. It has some known bugs and it does not contain all the purposed features. Current changes over KDE 3.4.1:
* Confusing system messages have been removed in all parts of the desktop environment. Forexample, the term "Administrator" is used instead of "root".
* Multiple Desktops feature has been dropped. (code trimmed)
* Simplifications in the whole UI (user interface)
* Clock applet has been redesigned with simplicity in mind
* Konqueror toolbars have been redesigned with simplicity in mind.
* Some standart sidebar modules and panel applets have been removed for smaller package size and higher performance
* Some KDE dialogs have been modified with simplicity in mind
* Changes in KControl modules in favour of consistency, simplicity and ease of use.
brockers
15 years ago
Bobby
Report
avaurus
15 years ago
Report
nxsty
15 years ago
Report
vdboor
15 years ago
But this progress is not made by undoing what others build with sweat and tears. Perhaps an implementation was bad, but should we erase the entire idea for that alone?
KDE can move on by organizing widgets nicer, finding better layouts. Moving stuff to the place it should be. In your limited design people well eventually have needs for more features. Where will those be put? IMHO, it's a dead end.
Report
drashkeev
15 years ago
Report
eean
15 years ago
Um, what about styleclock, superkaramba, kompmgr and I believe akregator as well all came from kde-apps. Given how easy it is to get KDE SVN access, its hard to make the agrument that KDE could be more responive IMO.
I do agree that like Konqueror especially has way to many options. There needs to be a clear method of gaining agreement to remove options (like, why do I care what font settings are used for various time periods in my History view).
Report
noahisaac
15 years ago
I wholeheartedly concur that KDE is bloated. I'm really more of a Blackbox sort of person, but there are times I'd love to have desktop drag and drop capability built right into my window manager without resorting to KDE or Gnome.
So what if he writes that he's going to change root to Administrator. You have to start somewhere, and let's not forget that the primary sponsor of this site is Linspire, a company devoted to bringing Linux to the masses. The masses might understand the term Administrator a little better than root.
I've said this so many times, and I'm only copying others that have said it, but if you don't feel you need to use a certain product... don't. Don't sit there and criticize something because it is underneath your esteemed intellectual capacities. Not everything is created for experts.
BTW: I like the improved clock. I've always wondered why KDE chose to use an LCD-type clock, when it's going to be shown on a high-res graphic display.
I like what I see in the screenshots so far. I look forward to trying something out in the near future.
Report
poisoned
15 years ago
'* Confusing system messages have been removed in all parts of the desktop environment. Forexample, the term "Administrator" is used instead of "root".'
it's not a term ... it's a user ... duh *G* I would be quite confused if I couldn't 'su Administrator'
Report
marekw77
15 years ago
At the same time, I agree about simplifying the "Control Centre"... I mean it's a nightmare. I understand though that work is now underway to make it more user friendly.
Half of the time I find myself wading through the myriad of settings to try and find some obscure mouse click setting, or settings re: file preview can be found in two different panels. Or the fact that some control panels run out of screen space on a 1024x768 laptop screen... most annoying.
People here hate comparisons, but Apple system settings are far more user friendly and if KDE is to succeed, it needs to have an intuitive control GUI.
Report
poisoned
15 years ago
And except for those few duplicate configuration options, and a few mislabeled one, I find it quite intuitive ...
Of course there could be something like a 'Leave me alone, I just spent 2 hrs figuring out I have to push this button so all this colorful stuff gets displayed on this TV' checkbox ...
but some ppl actually like KDE *because* of it's numerous, very useful features ... and some of them, including me, would be a *bit* angry if those were taken away from them ...
If somebody want's a desktop with no features ... give him Gnome ... and if he wants it fast also ... give him XFCE ...
and oh yes ...
no features!=usable ...
Report
MxCl
15 years ago
Report
lane
15 years ago
This idea is the most stupid thing I've ever seen on this site.. and I've seen a lot of stupid ideas. It's just so unrealistic that I can only laugh about it.
Stop smoking crack.
Report
rickvernam
15 years ago
This explanation by no means does justice to what Gentoo has done for installing KDE, go to http://forums.gentoo.org and to http://packages.gentoo.org
and look for the "KDE Split Ebuilds"
Now, this doesn't dumb down the configuration windows & what not, but does allow users to only install what they want...that is after all what Gentoo is all about...
Report
maarizwan
15 years ago
I guess he is making simpleKDE by removing extra code from KDE's huge packages and making it small and simple.
I really like your approach.
Simple KDE menu should have ONLY
1. ONE Media Player
2. ONNE Audio Player
3. ONE Image Viewer
4. ONE Terminal application
5. ONE Text editor
no more redundant software which does nothing but keep KDE look ugly and bloated and big (package size).
I really feel bad for KDE to have too many partially-usable applications. like kaboodle, noatun, kplayer, kaffeine. they are just partial not complete.
I want a media player which can play audio, video, streaming, embedded media flawlessly, a Good MPlayer frontend would be good. But there are none. Perhaps KDE 4 will solve this mess of unnecessary applications.
Report
MxCl
15 years ago
Report
pgquiles
15 years ago
Report
bjohnston
15 years ago
Report
ggabriel
15 years ago
So what? Are you deleting the messages you don't like? (Mine was not by any meand offensive, just telling what my thoughts).
By the way, I've just put my vote in (a negative one in light of this) and the aprovation percentage has been increased from 44% to 45%... how's that?
Report
ggabriel
15 years ago
So I retire what I said about this.
Report
caybro_double
15 years ago
Report
Superstoned
15 years ago
Report
lenooh
15 years ago
pager is one of the best things linux has, so removing it is a very stupid thing.
Not to mention the 'administrator' stupidity. administrators are for windows, and windows are for losers...
having the ability to configure everything you see and wish is IMO one of the main reasons why kde is so popular. Not being able the change almost anything is the worst thing that can happen. smells like windows...
Report
ktech
15 years ago
Report
ronaldst
15 years ago
Report
Svyatogor
15 years ago
Report