Linux Mint 8 KDE (Helena)
I’ve been somewhat tardy in getting to the KDE version of Linux Mint 8. But I’ve finally been able to sit down with it and thus couldn’t resist writing a review. As great as the GNOME version of Linux Mint is, it simply isn’t for everybody. Many people still prefer KDE to GNOME and a separate review is helpful for those looking for an alternative for GNOME.
Please note that this release weighs in at a chunky 1.16GB so it’s not going to fit onto a CD. You’ll need a DVD to burn it to before you can run it as a Live DVD or install it on your system. If you’re using VirtualBox, VMWare or Parallels, you can just do a regular install from the ISO file.
What’s New In This Release
Linux Mint 8 KDE is based on Kubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala), Linux 2.6.31, Xorg 7.4 and KDE 4.3.4.
New Features & Changes
Here’s a brief list of new stuff and changes:
Screenshots have been moved to the corner in Software Manager, this has freed up more space to view software and see reviews.
Now there is no need to manually refresh Software Manager, instead you will be automatically notified of new “mintinstall-data.”
Multiple application install/removal in Software Manager.z
Update manager has multiple improvements including the ability to define visible columns and to resize the Update Manager itself. The UM also uses Synaptic to refresh the list of updates and error messages appear in the main window. You can also customize software sources, choose preferred mirrors and also ignore packages you don’t want.
There’s also some new artwork included in Linux Mint 8 KDE and the “Air” desktop theme replaces the “Oxygen” them.
Updated Software
There are also some new applications installed by default including:
Minitube
Tucan
Google Widgets
Songbird
KDE Partition Manager
Guarddog
Wine
Use Minitube to view YouTube videos.
(11 votes, average: 4.18 out of 5)
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(4.75 out of 5)
As much as I love Linux Mint, the KDE version is based on Kubuntu, which is a red headed stepchild in the Ubuntu family. It gets nowhere near the attention or polish Ubuntu gets. Second, what I love about Linux Mint is how they changed and enhanced the Gnome experience and their wonderful theme and artwork. It’s the standard all other distros should be held to. However, with the KDE version, it’s pretty much the usual KDE fair. I also don’t like them moving away from the green theme. Mint=green and not blue. It’s silly.
Honestly, they should start with Ubuntu and tack on KDE with the standard Mint dark + green theme/look. Every Debian distro user wants to use Synaptic, anyway… Who cares if they mix GTK+/Gnome and Qt/KDE as long as the look and feel is made to be consistent throughout.
I love KDE, and am not really a Gnome user at all. However, Linux Mint makes Gnome so nice and KDE so ho-hum, I’d rather be using the Gnome version. It’s too bad Linux Mint doesn’t have the resources to venture off on their own. They do so well with what they have, I can only imagine what they could do with more resources, digging much further into the distro.
Linuxlover
All mint distros are based on Ubuntu?
Mint KDE is a community distro not an official mint distro I personally think they did a very good job. I must agree that green does look nicer but hey it only take a minute to change no big deal. It boots fast and is very snappy to use I think mint KDE is like many others led down by KDE. Examples amorok flagship audio player crashes constantly playing a CD, system search uses to many resources. KSCD is a JOKE and many more.
These are not Mint or any other distros problems they are KDE.
Linux Mint8 is superb and beat Ubuntu already in term of RAM uses read the complete article here
http://www.linux2u.co.cc/2010/03/kde-434-is-lighter-than-gnome-linux2u.html
I always find it amusing when people put time and resources into developing these new releases (and even time to write articles such as this for that matter), only to have people complain about something as trivial as default color schemes.
Say, Jim, why don’t you have a stab at PCLinuxOS? They’ve just released a flurry of 2010 versions for KDE, Gnome, XFCE, LXDE, and several minimal versions as well. Some haven’t replicated out to worldwide mirrors yet, but the newest downloads are available at ibiblio.org
Thanks for keeping us all informed about new releases of linux!
LinuxLover wrote:
You must not have used Kubuntu lately. No longer is Kubuntu a second class citizen and that is proved out by the reviews of Kubuntu 9.10. It is one of the most polished and stable KDE distributions that you can install. But enough of that and back to Mint. I’m not a KDE fan but my wife uses Mint on her computer. Mint KDE is great for new Linux users and very nice for a community edition. As far as color goes I think that the green is butt ugly and I’m glad it’s blue but that’s just me.
Anyway this was a nice review and LinuxMint 8 KDE CE is a distro worthy of installing. Anybody who hasn’t tried it should.
Thanks
I think the point here is whether the team did a good job overall with the integration. Particularly since this one is a “community” respin without the full complement of distribution support, I’d say that they did pretty well overall, but it’s also clear that lacking that one leader, like Clem with Mint, Texstar with PCLinuxOS, Patrick Volkerding with Slackware, or Warren Woodford with SimplyMEPIS, the community edition just slightly misses on product quality, messing up the localization of the splash screen and the correct configuration of the video and sound – even though the core sound server works properly. These are relatively small, but fairly important, details, nothing that a release team and a good QA team couldn’t easily tackle and fix. I think that Clem has some ideas to better integrate the respins with the core team and that may help the next few releases.
GRnich wrote:
You mean like this?
http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/2010/04/20/pclinuxos-2010-kde/
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