Last week I looked at Ubuntu Linux 10.04 and found it to be a delightful surprise. This week I thought it would be fun to look at the KDE version, Kubuntu 10.04.
Alas, I was not nearly as pleased with Kubuntu as I was with Ubuntu. While there have definitely been some improvements in Kubuntu 10.04, it lacks some of the important things that defined Ubuntu 10.04.
Read on to find out why you should avoid Kubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS.
What’s New In This Release
Here’s a list of some of what’s new in this release:
The Kubuntu logo has been updated on the splash screen and in the desktop menus
KDE Plasma Desktop 4.4
Linux kernel 2.6.32
Amarok 2.3
Installer slideshow
Touchpad configuration
Firefox KDE integration
System notification updates
Gnome application system tray integration
The updated Kubuntu logo is fine but seems to only appear on the bootsplash screen and the desktop menus. Beyond that there is no other branding to indicate that Canonical is behind the release of this distro.
The new Plasma desktop has some goodies in it including an improved system tray that includes widgets, better search via Dolphin and the ability to let you browse through a recently used timeline. You can now also group windows into tabs.
The inclusion of a slideshow during the install is a great idea. It lets newbies know what’s available in this distro and helps keep the user entertained while the install concludes.
If you’re using a laptop then the touchpad configuration in System Settings is a welcome addition. I rarely use my laptop so it’s not particularly relevant for me but I’m glad to see it in this release.
The system notification updates are also helpful. When I first opened Konqueror, I was greeted with a menu asking if I wanted to install additional codecs. See the screenshot of this in the Sound and Multimedia section of the review to see what it looks like.
I’m very happy to see Firefox integrated with KDE. That’s an excellent thing for those of us who prefer Firefox as our default browsers instead of Konqueror. It’s also good to see GNOME apps blending into the KDE Plasma desktop in a more cohesive way.
System Requirements & Installation
System Requirements
Here’s a list of what’s necessary to install and run Kubuntu:
1 GHz x86 processor
512 MB of system memory (RAM)
5 GB of disk space
Graphics card and monitor capable of 1024×768
CD-ROM drive
Sound support
Internet access
The Kubuntu install is similar to the regular Ubuntu install and should not present any problems for experienced or inexperienced users.
The screenshots below walk you through the install from start to finish, and you can watch a slideshow while the install is completed.
Bootsplash
The bootsplash screen in Kubuntu is one of the few places in this distro that you actually see Canonical’s new branding. The Kubuntu logo has been updated to reflect Canonical’s changes. Unfortunately, this is about the only thing that is on par with its GNOME based cousin in this respect.
Login Screen
The login screen immediately disappoints, it has nothing on it to indicate a connection with Canonical. It simply comes across as a generic login screen that could be a part of Joe Blow’s distro as opposed to something from a major Linux company like Canonical. The login screen is a harbinger of more disappointment to come in Kubuntu.
The Desktop
As noted earlier, Kubuntu uses the KDE 4.4 Plasma desktop environment. I noted some of the good things that come with this version of Plasma in the What’s New section, so I won’t repeat those here. But suffice to say, Plasma definitely has some pluses to it.
If you are expecting Kubuntu’s desktop look and feel to resemble the gorgeous Ambiance theme used in Ubuntu 10.04, think again. Kubuntu’s desktop does not resemble Ubuntu’s at all. Frankly, I dislike it. It’s bland and dull. There’s nothing striking about it whatsoever and I recommend customizing Kubuntu as soon as possible to change the look and feel.
I know that some will say “…but it’s KDE you idiot! Why should it look like the GNOME version?” It’s called branding and Kubuntu utterly lacks any significant kind of Canonical branding on the desktop and in general (with the exception of the bootsplash logo and the logo in the menus).
The fact that Kubuntu is KDE-based is beside the point. It has the “ubuntu” in its name so it’s right and reasonable for users to expect it to have a similar look and feel to the GNOME version. Instead it looks like a desktop that could have been included in Joe Blow’s Distro rather than something major from Canonical.
Themes
If you want to download new themes to change the style of Kubuntu, access System Settings then click on Style. The default style is Air and you can change it to Oxygen if you want. But there are other choices available via the Get New Themes button on the Style menu.
Wallpaper
The default wallpaper is Ethais, an icky light-bluish mess that I immediately wanted to replace. To change your wallpaper, go into Desktop Settings and click on Wallpaper. There’s a whole bunch of different ones you can download to replace the default Kubuntu wallpaper.
Icons
As with styles, you can change your icons by clicking on the Icons button in System Settings then clicking the Get New Themes button.
Bundled Software
Here’s a sample of the software included in this release.
Games
No games included.
Graphics
Document Viewer
OpenOffice.org Drawing
Image Viewer
KSnapshot
Internet
KTorrent
Krfb
Akregator
Kopete IM
KPPP
Quassel IRC
KMail
Firefox Installer
Konqueror
KRDC
Multimedia
Amarok
K3B
KMix
Dragon Video Player
Office
OpenOffice.org
KOrganizer
Kontact
KAddressBook
KTimeTracker
Others
KNotes
KCalc
Klipper
KMag
Kate
Software Management
One of the biggest problems with Kubuntu is its lack of the Ubuntu Software Center. Kubuntu uses KPackageKit to manage software and, frankly, it sucks. It’s ugly, it’s non-intuitive and it really has no place in any distro with “ubuntu” in its name. The word “ubuntu” suggests ease of use and comfort in a desktop distro, but KPackageKit provides little in that regard.
It would be one thing if there was no Ubuntu Software Center available at all; users would not have very high expectations and might settle for KPackageKit. But we’re way past that point and something needs to be done to improve the software management experience in Kubuntu.
Sound and Multimedia
I had no problems with sound working in Kubuntu. The only thing I needed to do was to install flash to run YouTube videos. Once flash was installed the videos played well and sounded fine.
One thing I found lacking was the non-inclusion of the PiTiVi video editor. I was puzzled to find that it wasn’t available in Kubuntu. It certainly would have made sense for it to be included in the Multimedia applications menu by default for users that want to edit videos.
If it’s available in Ubuntu 10.04 then why not have it available in Kubuntu 10.04?
Problems & Headaches
As I noted earlier, one of the things that puzzles me about Kubuntu is that it uses a totally different desktop theme that looks nothing like Ubuntu’s. Some may find this pleasing but I do not. The Ambiance theme in Ubuntu 10.04 helps set it apart from other distros and makes it easy to identify at a glance. I’m not sure why the folks at Canonical don’t do a KDE version of Ambiance for Kubuntu. The default desktop theme is basic and essential branding for Canonical’s desktop product and there’s no reason for Kubuntu to look so different from Ubuntu.
The use of F-Spot as a replacement for GIMP has been very controversial among Ubuntu users. But in Kubuntu, neither application is installed by default. So there really is nothing for desktop users to use as an image-editing program. This is an odd decision on Canonical’s part. Why isn’t one application or the other included in Kubuntu?
One truly bizarre omission is Gwibber. Gwibber is the social media client found in Ubuntu but there seems to be nothing similar available in Kubuntu. This is particularly odd in light of this bit of text from the Kubuntu News page:
“Our selection of tools and applications will provide you with all that you need for most of your tasks, with many more available just a few clicks away. Whether browsing the web, playing your music, composing an email or connecting with your friends on social networks, Kubuntu 10.04 LTS brings you a stable, innovative and attractive platform for all your desktop needs!”
Huh? Connecting with friends on social networks? How? With what? I looked on the Internet applications menu but Gwibber wasn’t there and neither was anything else to replace it. If Canonical is going to market Kubuntu as being social media friendly, it really needs to make sure that there is something along the lines of Gwibber included with it.
Another inconsistency is that the title bar buttons are on the right, unlike in Ubuntu where they are on the left. Yes, I know that some people prefer them on the right but it seems clear that a single standard from Canonical on this would make sense. And no, I’m not buying the excuse that since this is KDE the buttons are fine on the right. Some interface consistency would probably be helpful to most users.
Firefox was not installed by default but there is an installer built into the Internet applications menu. Frankly, I’d rather that Firefox be the default browser but this is a KDE distro so it’s not surprising that Konqueror is the default browser. Konqi is a fine browser in its own right but I still prefer Firefox or Chrome for my daily browsing needs.
Finally, I was shocked to notice that Ubuntu One was nowhere to be found in Kubuntu. Um…isn’t Ubuntu One (the music store and the online service) an important part of the Ubuntu experience? Shouldn’t there be some trace of them in Kubuntu? Is Ubuntu One only meant for GNOME users?
What a strange situation for Kubuntu users. It’s as if their money isn’t wanted by Canonical. The decision to omit Ubuntu One from Kubuntu makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.
Where To Get Help
Please take a moment to register for the DLR forum (registration takes less than a minute and you can login with your Facebook account if you want); everybody is welcome. You are welcome to post a message in the Linux Help section and we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction. The forum contains discussions about Linux, but also many other topics. Please stop by and say hello when you have a chance.
Drop by the forum to get help, talk about Linux or just hang out.
You might also want to check out the Kubuntu Wiki, FAQ, and Community Support page.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Use It
I had high hopes for Kubuntu after last week’s review of Ubuntu 10.04. However, it seems clear that Kubuntu is still a bit of an orphan and not very high on Canonical’s list of priorities. The lack of similar theme, title bar buttons on the right, no software center, and various other problems mean that Kubuntu just isn’t up to par with Ubuntu.
Frankly, anybody could have released Kubuntu. There is little or nothing here to indicate that it is part of Canonical’s product family. It’s just a generic KDE-based desktop distro with little or nothing to set it apart or to draw users to it. I’m forced to wonder why Canonical even bothers with it in the first place. I think it’s time for the company to decide whether or not it really wants to continue releasing Kubuntu. Either make it on par with Ubuntu in all ways or simply discontinue it altogether.
I recommend that everybody avoid Kubuntu. If you must use a KDE-based distro, wait for the KDE version of Linux Mint. You’ll have a much better experience and you won’t waste your time with Kubuntu. I’m sorry to have to say that, I had hoped for much more from Kubuntu 10.04. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t measure up to Ubuntu 10.04 and it’s best avoided if at all possible.
What’s your take on this distro? Tell me in the comments below. Visit the DLR forum for more discussions. Visit JimLynch.com for opinion columns.
Summary Table:
| Product: | Kubuntu Linux LTS 10.04 |
| Web Site: | http://www.kubuntu.org/ |
| Price: | Free |
| Pros: | Provides the latest KDE 4.4 Plasma desktop. Install includes a slideshow to entertain users. Touchpad configuration menu for laptop users. Firefox integrated with KDE. Better system notification updates. |
| Cons: | Lacks a social media app like Gwibber. F-Spot, GIMP and PiTiVi are not installed by default. Ambiance theme from Ubuntu not available. Uses KPackageKit for software management, the Ubuntu Software Center is not available. The Ubuntu One online service and music store are also not included. |
| Suitable For: | Only the most die-hard KDE users who simply must have “ubuntu” in the name of their KDE-based distro. Others should wait for the KDE version of Linux Mint. |
| Summary: | Kubuntu is a sad disappointment and should have the “ubuntu” removed from its name. There is nothing in this release that remotely puts it on par with Ubuntu Linux 10.04 LTS. |
| Rating: | 2.5/5 |
@ Jeff:
This article is barely a review. It spends the majority of the time complaining about "branding". Who the hell cares? I just want software that works. The only useful piece of information which would pursuade/discourage me from trying Kubuntu is that the package manager sucks. Its sounds to me like your complaints about the distro missing certain apps is easily fixed using the sucky package manager (otherwise I would have assumed you would have mentioned that that they weren't available).
This is a 7 page rant about branding. You should label it accordingly.
I HAVE INSTALLED KUBUNTU AND FOUND IT EASIER THAN UBUNTU HOWEVER I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE OS SYSTEMS ENOUGH TO COMMENT ON HOW THEY WORK
I HAVE A BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH IMPLEMENTING ANY SERVICES LIKE INTERNET OR MUSIC STREAMING HOW EVER THE DESKTOP IS NICELY ORIENTED AND I AM SURE WITH SOME MORE CONSENTRATION TO OTHER ASPECTS I WILL GET TO KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THIS OS
THE REASON I HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING ANY LINUX TO WORK IS THE ADDITION OF AN EXTERNAL DRIVE AND ON MY ORIGINAL DRIVE I WAS ABLE TO USE UBUNTU UNTIL DISK SPACE RAN OUT
THE KUBUNTU OS IS PROVING TO BE A CHALLENGE AND I AM NOT SURE WHY BUT A QUESTION I HAVE CAN I INSTALL UBUNTU DESK TOP INTO KUBUNTU OR WILL THAT DESTROY THE KUBUNTU ?
I have Kubuntu 10.04.1 LTS installed on my systems, so I took another look at it tonight. I don't know what the issue is with KPackagekit, but for me, it is about as easy and solid as they come. It always works for me, and if all I am doing is upgrading the system, it has about as easy an interface as there is with any GUI-based package manager. Kubuntu is stable, too. I have not seen any Plasma failures. Then again, I have since added the PPA (Personal Package Archive) to give me the very latest KDE release, and the latest have quite a few Plasma improvements, so perhaps that is one reason that I have fewer issues. Can't say I got a lot of Plasma issues earlier though.
In any case, with the most recent updates, this release is about as solid as they come. I did not even see any warnings during the entire time that I was using it.
@ KenP:
Kubuntu is by far the best distro for KDE. tested in our labs. It by far out succeeds SUSE, Fedora, LinuxMint KDE, and the list goes on. Only Kubuntu has succeeded in a non linear lag for this GUI. I don't want sound rude. But alot of you guys need to test Gnome, and KDE on multiple systems as our firm has.
All I got out of this article is someone hooked on gnome. first the install routine is not alot like ubuntu. it is better…HOW? it keeps a index on right showing ever step visually as to give reference in how far through the install you are along with catagory. Ubuntu is totally different in means of this and lacking due to its late 90's looks and feels. I take it this guy likes the 80s and 90s approach to things and plain and simple. Thats great. But rest of world is moving on. Example? North east arkansas our firm has switched over 800 computer systems from ubuntu to Kubuntu with merely allowing users to sample for them selves the difference. You also go on to say plain and boring. lol. the graphics level of Kubuntu without doing math but just looking is at far higher lvl of graphics then ubuntu has ever musturd of the orange and brown block segment. Ubuntu is a very good program for slow older computers. But if you own a new system and need a design maximizing your output. Kubuntu has that Award. As for disliking the no cano logo on the login screen. thats a matter of personal choice i would say seeing that most end up changing it to there feel and like with gnome. But i notice with users on Kubuntu they tend stick to the original Air theme. Can't Hardly blame them.
Don't take this reviews word for dittly. it is bias and personal choice. Go kubuntu site. get a install on your system or off a pin. And let yourself be the judge:). 1 year ago kubuntu was making ever wrong move in book. Today I applaud them for the hardwork they have achieved to for go that outlook.
I disagree with your review 100%. With the k environment, it is good to only use qt based applications such as amarok, konq, etc. Why would you want gtk based ones like gimp. Kde is supposed to bring a uniform design with its applications. When you install something like gwibber, you are ruining the uniformity. It will stand out from the rest of your applications which is not a good thing at all. If you do not like the fact that kubuntu doesn't come with ubuntu like packages, then kubuntu is not even meant for you. Kubuntu should never try to imitate ubuntu or it will become a disgrace..
I have to say the quality of reviews on this blog are really bad, especially this one on Kubuntu. It is extremely superficial to say the least.
As a new convert to the Linux world, I have tried most of distros on distrowatch's top 30 recently, and so far Kubuntu 10.04 is one of the most beginner friendly KDE distro I have seen.
The installation was flawless and very intuitive. Comparing to PCLinuxOS 2010.1 KDE, which is also a renowned beginner friendly distro, but during its installation why I need to be presented with that 2 screens of grub options selection? Most beginners do not know how to choose and do not care. And why I need to be asked type in the root password to start the installation from live CD session? I know the password is shown on top of the screen, but it is certainly an extra step and unnecessarily not beginner-friendly. Kubuntu 10.04 does a much better job in this area.
And talking about internationalization support. Remember a significant portion of users would be non-English speakers. Kubuntu did a remarkable job on this. Everything works out of the box. Everything on screen is translated, the fonts look pretty nice and iBus installed automatically and works great. In comparison, in Linux Mint 9 KDE, everything on screen is still in English and I can find nowhere iBus. The situation is a little better for PCLinuxOS 10.1 KDE, menus etc are translated properly, but the fonts are weird and in weird size that make them essentially unreadable. And unlike in Kubuntu 10.04 I select my language to be used right during installation and that is it, in PCLinuxOS 10.1 KDE I need to click and run that Localization Manager after installation, which is really anti-intuitive and inconvenient. And what if my English is not good enough, and I still need to go through the entire installation process in English, and even after the installation I still have an English system, and I need to again find and run that Localization Manager, in English, before I can have a system in my native language.
And Samba share support. I certainly still have lots of windows machines I need to access. That is why I need Samba share support. In Kubuntu 10.04 it works right out of the box. I can access all my windows share folders on my other windows machines. The story is not so simple for other distros.
And it is pretty much polished. In contrast in PCLinuxOS 10.1 KDE, several times I encountered dialog boxes that ask me choose between OK and CANCEL but I had only 2 buttons of YES and NO to choose. It is sometimes hard to do the guess work.
I do agree with this reviewer that lacking a Software Center leaves something to be desired. It took me a while to find out how to install new packages. And those packages like build-essential should be included in default installation. I guess it is limitation of CD size. In my opinion for KDE nowadays it is really hard to package a properly functioning and configured out of the box system into something as small as 700MB. Maybe it is the time to move to DVD size packaging.
Also the default coloring scheme is far from attractive. In my opinion openSUSE 11.3 has the most attractive appearance in current KDE system.
Another is, I would like to see the most recent user names I used to show up in the login screen. The good example here is PCLinuxOS 10.1 KDE, I can simply click on the user name and start typing my password to login. That is something we called user-friendliness.
Overall, I am very happy with Kubuntu 10.04. It certainly needs some more work. But for beginners it comes with least difficulties, which is its goal, to be a beginner friendly distro. Its major competitors all trail behind. I would rate it 4/5 or even 4.5/5.
In the end, I would like to suggest the reviewer of this blog to put some real work into it, if you want to run something called DesktopLinuxReviews. Better be more professional. Learn from some other linux review sites. It is a better idea to design a set of standardized tests, like 20, covering different aspects of installation / usage. Conduct each test and rate each aspect individually, like ease of installation 5/5, internationalization support 5/5, Samba share support 5/5, appearance attraction 3/5 etc, and then sum them up to get the overall score. That will make your reviews much more material, consistent and valuable.
Regards,
Al
Ravenheart wrote:
Yeah. He is. This is the worst review I've ever seen.
I agree with this review. As a dedicated KDE user I found Kubuntu to provide a lacklustre experience. Compared to other prominnent KDE distros it really is the pits. The software selection is terrible and the distro-specific tools are few and unpleasant.
I think Canonical should just be open and admit that they are moving in a monoculture direction with regards to desktop distros and kill off their secondary releases because everyone else out there is doing a better job of things.
Hi,
Although I am a new linux user, I've been using Linux distros long enough to know whats good and whats not.
1. Comparing kubuntu with ubuntu is not the way to do it because thats not comparing apple to apple.
2. All linux distos (or at least most) are know to be highly customizable, which is one of the main reasons why people use linux. Thus, Kubuntu shouldn't lose points because of the way it looks. Besides, Kubuntu shouldn't look like ubuntu at all because they are targeting different users with different preferences, Gnome users and KDE users.
I think Canonical do a great job with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. Mint/Gnome is fine to. But if you prefeer the KDE desktop I have so far not tryed any better than PCLinuxOS 2010.1 and Pardus 2009.2.
This really a bad review. The author takes 5 web pages to complain about 2 things, both are EXPECTATION related, i.e. the cause is with the author himself.
1. "It doesn't look like I want to". Well, it's KDE man. You can tweak it to death and make it look like whatever you want. KDE customization surpasses GNOME's capabilities by about 300%. Spend the time man and stop whining.
2. "There's no Ubuntu software centre". So what?
The review contains zero nada nothing about things that don't work in Kubuntu.
Seriously, if you're writing reviews, stay objective.
the title bar buttons are supposed to be on the right in any KDE distro because KDE is supposed to handle like windows.
I agree with you Jim. Canonical should either bring Kubuntu on par with Ubuntu or drop it as an "official" distribution. As it stands now, it is making KDE look bad. If you compare Kubuntu with PCLinuxOS (for example), Kubuntu is a memory hog whereas PCLinuxOS with KDE4 uses less memory for its default desktop even as compared to Ubuntu!
Just one of the things I feel is wrong with Kubuntu. The Kubuntu devs are an energetic bunch but it feels they are chasing Ubuntu's tail-lights all the time.
i think that the ubuntu theme sucks and that the kubuntu look and feel rocks.
Pretty poor review I thought, I'll expand on that in a moment, but first I'll just say yes I am a KDE user mainly, although I do use both.
I do agree with you on some points, particularly that the default Kubuntu theme should more closely mirror the Ubuntu release, but then Kubuntu has always had a "blue" theme rather than the brown. It certainly deserves more work, IMO.
You main gripes however seem to be the lack of Canonical branding (is this really such a big deal?), and the lack of certain software that is installed by Ubuntu (Gwibber etc.)
If you don't understand why Kubuntu developers do not include Gnome/GTK+ apps, then I think you should stick to reviewing Ubuntu based distro's.
@ Jim Lynch:
I have to agree with the review. My first experience with KDE 4 was with Kubuntu and I hated it. Its VERY poorly implemented.
Since 2008, however, I have tried openSUSE. Thats how KDE SHOULD look & feel, IMO. Kubuntu has been a disappointment for me since 8.04
I too found your review to be very unfair.
I happen to love the default KDE theme and find it to be more polished/appealing than the custom themes of other distros. Lack of obnoxious branding is a plus to me.
I don't want my os to include a music store or built in online storage. If I wanted to buy music or store files online I'd use a different provider than Canonical. I find integration of these kinds of services a very slippery slope towards adware or the kind of bundled bloatware that you immediately uninstall from a newly purchased computer.
What you missed in your review is that Kubuntu 10.04 / KDE 4.4 is now very stable. The graphic driver and network management bugs that plagued 9.04 and to a lesser degree 9.10 are absent. KDE integration of non-KDE applications like Firefox is pretty fantastic.
Documentation could be significantly better. Maybe kpackagekit could be better? I use apt for updates and software management so haven't really looked at it.
If you're looking for a debian based, vanilla KDE distro, with a large community, and giant software base, that is easy to use what other distro are you going to pick? A lot of the hate Kubuntu gets is based on people having had bad experiences with KDE 4 a year ago and refusing to reevaluate the state of KDE 4 today.
Everything you criticized made me want to move to Kubuntu 10.04. A fairly pure KDE 4.4 with the Ubuntu-style hardware driver installation automation but none else of the Canonical fuckwittery and wankery? (What's wrong with KPackageKit? Why does Ubuntu have the Fischer Price "Software Center" AND Synaptic?) Sounds good to me. All in all, this is a really stupid review. For people who actually like KDE, what you described sounds great. For people who like Canonical's kludged up bullshit, perhaps not.
Ha, I always love all the comments stating that distro X or release X is the worst ever, cause some small thing didn't work by default. I have Ubuntu 10.04 running on my laptop, and it's pretty damn solid (on my hardware). This surprised me as 9.10 didn't work (on MY hardware), tho 9.10 worked flawlessly on my desktop.
I haven't tried Kubuntu 10.04 yet, cause of all the flaws that the article stated. I tried to like Kubuntu for so long, hoping they would get more resources and get their act together. Before this release they were talking smack about updating their image etc. The only thing I see different is that their web-site looks a bit nicer (but will probably stay the same for 5 more years). It is hard to blame the Kubuntu team though, because as I understand it, Canonical only pays one person to work on the project and that is about the extent of their support. Personally I think if your not going to do it right, don't do it at all. Although vanilla KDE is nice, it's getting boring and some default theme more similar to Ubuntu (but kde'd) would be nice. Basicly it seems all they do is take Ubuntu, remove gnome and all the default apps, install vanailla KDE and some buggy beta KDE apps (ok most are pretty good by now), add the 2 logos you mentioned, then test it a bit to make sure it's not TOO buggy (tho it usually is). I'm pretty sure I could do this myself…
Lately i'v been using linux mint KDE, though not much different, it seems a little more dressed up and a little more tested. Plus I generally like the added mint apps. Plus i'm so used to the *buntu base that I don't think I could stand switching back to Suse or Fedora (or wait 5 years between stable Debians). I love and have always used KDE, though Gnome is finally looking sort of modern, my heart still lies with KDE.
I disagree with the assessment here… at least in part.
While the supportative things said were for the most part quite good, some of the negatives were off-the-mark
1 - Theming, while I do think it could do with some more canonical/kubuntu-izing that it is nothing like Ubuntu itself is not a bad thing, the KDE-ized ubuntu isn't just Ubuntu + KDE its the base of Ubuntu with a well integrated KDE desktop… Kubuntu having its own theming as opposed to ubuntu's is more appropriate than it using ubuntu's… although I'm not abject to some similarities… same thing goes for button placement, I must admit it is quasi-windows-like to have the buttons where they are in KDE, but thats normal for KDE, its not a kubuntu thing nor is it due to it being a mac or windows-alike thing (besides that is customizable, its just a default. if the truth be told from what I've seen of Ubuntu (the default gnome desktop) it doesn't appear all that unique, it appears to me very much a Mac OSX Leopard-alike (with darker decoration) but similar colour desktop background…
2 - apps, and social media, afaik Kopete is an Instant messenger, I'd be suprised if it wasn't in Kubuntu, along with Quassel (although personally I'd prefer Konversation) for IRC… but there is the newbie on the block (which to me is somewhat kopete-like) called choqok, its a twitter client (that is quite new in terms of application maturity in Kubuntu) … its the beginnings of a microblogging client … also with Kdevelop and Koffice both being relatively new to KDE4 the apps that will come along with them, like Krita/Karbon for Image enditing is why a GIMP alternative is currently missing… KOfficce will likely be intending to fill those functions, The only part of that I can see needs extending upon is Choqok (plurk anyone?), a full-blown Blogging (ie WordPress, LiveJournal, etc.) client although most of those things can also be comfortably done in a browser it seems more useful to have a client) Note: this doesn't address Ubuntu One which is probably likely to be addressed in the future since Ubuntu One is relativly new, still in beta last I saw…
3 - Its a pity but it does seem true that Canonical don't put much into development of Kubuntu, it does feel like a second-rate cousin who they don't care about a great deal…
4 - another note is the similarity of Quicksilver and Gnome-Do… looks like Gnome has resorted to trying to be very much OSX-like…
5 - Package Manager, this one I agree with, I'm not sure what is really going on here, I miss Adept, but I think KDE/Kubuntu will look for a better solution…
6 - OK so obviously I'm a KDE supporter, I hope it wasn't too jaded a view, but many of the points there that weren't so great are things that will be addressed either in backports or coming releases… the problems seem to me mostly a matter of timing and a little lack of KDE love on Canonical's part, however for the most part Kubuntu is still a strong OS…
kubuntu. install it, work very good..
fast boot
nice task bar (for me)
until now had one problem, Wi-Fi not work. But Ethernet cable works fine.
generally good distro.
Note: about the article above…it's a fast look just.
What you call "review" is only a whining on kde look and the fact that Kubuntu don't have a ingeniously patents like making an OS purple and moving the buttons that whole world knows to be on the right to the left?!
Some programs are missing? Oh, what a problem. You need to be an IT expert to install them? C'mon…
In this, so called "review", there is no a single word about usability, stability and functionality and those are the things that matters. And in all of those, Kubuntu is brilliant. If you like your buttons on the left, just move them. It is not a big deal. Just try to really test the Kubuntu, and then write this article again…
I tend to agree with Elder-Geek in his thoughts on Ubuntu and Mint. I had not quite put a handle on why I did not prefer them, other than their use of GNOME, but Elder-Geek helped me clarify some of my reasons. For Ubuntu, the choices made are very good ones for a beginner, but they are not right for me. Regarding Mint, especially the KDE version of Mint, but also the main GNOME version, both are stable but rather stale in the software they provide. When I do want older, more mature, stable software, I find that I have, for me, a better delivery mechanism in SimplyMEPIS. It is even more defect free than Mint, and tends to be lighter and it runs faster, yet it is simple.
One other observation is that the Slackware distribution is perhaps the most pure vendor implementation of KDE of any distribution. Patrick Volkerding does not modify it AT ALL. The Kubuntu distribution is a lot like that, but it is much more current than Slackware. Along with Mandriva and openSUSE, it tends to be a very early implementation. This latest release is the best one they have ever done.
To me, everyone has valid points, and everyone has a right to an opinion. The ratings, anyone intelligent enough to realize, are clearly subjective - my opinion is, and so is yours. Jim has clearly articulated what his reasons are for saying what he said. Look, he got some controversy and some readership. Reminds me of John Dvorak. He always says controversial stuff and I love to read his pieces. Jim Lynch has always been, even more so than John, one of my favorites. I don't agree with his viewpoint this time, but it takes nothing away from enjoying reading these pieces. Some of you "hot heads" here make reading these comments quite amusing, too, so thank you all! I am so glad that like free software, we are free to openly share our opinions, and I thank each one of you for yours. This has been one of the most entertaining threads here in recent memory! -Brian
Sorry Jim,
while I agree in part with something you say, your review is unnecessarily harsh, misleading and plain wrong in some parts.
- Basing a low score mainly on appearance is plain ridiculous. Yes, I agree about the branding part, but you're being way to harsh here. Especially since many people like to customize their desktop somewhat.
- You're calling the installation slideshow a big improvement? I hope you're kidding. Entertaining the user during the install in UNNECESSARY: how many people keep watching the monitor as the install percentage go up? Do they really need to watch a slideshow to know the feature of a distro they've already downloaded and got info from the homepage?
- I'm not a big fan of social network things, but there are plasmoids included for that in KDE AFAIK.
- I can't possibly understand why you're complaining so much for software missing in the default install. Everything can be fixed by using the package manager and fetching what's needed! And yes, I DO understand that this may be challenging for non-networked people (or people with low bandwidth).
- Speaking of which: well, neither I don't like KPackageKit that much. I preferred the good old Adept on KDE3… it's a shame the project's dead. Better than Adept for KDE4, that sucked for good. Kubuntu has to come up with a better frontend.
- You're missing way more serious problems here. Who cares about the appearance when since 8.04 EACH AND EVERY KUBUNTU VERSION has some problems with the NetworkManager frontend for KDE? I'm forced to use Wicd on my Kubuntu 8.04 (and I'm not that happy about that), and one of the reasons I didn't upgrade (yet) is this. Lucid still has the annoying bug of being unable to link to WPA2 WiFi networks with a disabled SSID broadcast. THIS is a real issue! I'd rather prefer Kubuntu team fix this SERIOUS bugs first before thinking about branding!
- While this distro still needs work to be done, they've improved many things since the KDE 4 switch. Including the latest KDE SC is great - first KDE 4 versions were just embarassing. Things are starting to go into the right direction!
Summary: while not perfect, Kubuntu is better than what you're saying.
I wonder what good people (the few that liked something) see on this review. How on earth does one consider it a "review", given the only crap the guy says is about Kubuntu theming not being of his taste, and stupid branding. Does he actually use a linux distro, or he just looks at its theme, and once done, he reboots on his precious windows box?? He doesn't even know the distribution, and he's clueless! Bah, why does he even bother buying such domain name.
thanks for this review - you make some good points, particularly about the continuing need for a better package manager - but the review stops short of looking at functionality in some important areas, which would be really helpful for KDE users. There are major developments and changes with each release of KDE and with each Kubuntu, and it'd be helpful to have a more in-depth review that would look at those. Theming is important but focusing on that makes it seem like there hasn't been anything else going on.
A few things I'd really like to see reviewed -
* Wireless - Recent Kubuntu releases had huge issues with wifi, with a lot of experimentation with different applets, plasmoids, whatever leading users to just install wicd instead - is that fixed now?
* How well does the firefox integration work?
* kontact and akonadi - is it done yet? does it function?
* nepomuk - is better desktop search finally here?
* anything new in Dolphin, Amarok, other core KDE apps?
Ravenheart wrote:
No your post is a 1000 times worst. What planet did you come from. From reading your post you don't even know what Ubuntu is or how to use it. You don't even know how to spell Shuttleworth. :lol: Please don't TROLL up the comments section.
@Jim, I did like your review. The KDE theme is just butt-ugly and they do need the software center. I don't believe it would be fair to say Kubuntu is a flawed distro but maybe one lacking in features. I does need more branding. Keep up the good work.
Eddie
For those of us who dont' like Gnome, and more importantly, for those of us that want to avoid PulseAudio at all costs. Kubuntu and Xubuntu are great. My wife loves KDE so I install Kubuntu on her systems. I rotate between Fluxbox, KDE and XFCE so I install Xubuntu and add the kubuntu-desktop packages to my setup.
What I like about the *buntus is how fast I can set up a system. Almost all the software I use can be found in the repos, medibuntu, getdeb, the ppa's and a few choice websites.
Skype, VirutalBox, x11vnc, openssh-server, vnc4server, xbmc, sshfs, smbfs, gringotts, truecrypt, gyachi,Opera, Google Chrome, vlc, and mplayer. All at my finger tips with just a few apt-get's or mouse clicks.
Once upon a time it did not matter which *buntu I started with, I would always add the other *-desktop packages. But now there is just so much crap I don't want that Ubuntu has, I can't use it for a base.
Pretty much every reason you have for liking Ubuntu is what I don't like, and ever thing you list as wrong with kubuntu, I would say is what is right about it.
My problem with KDE Mint is it is always 3 months behind. It will be sometime in June before Mint 9 (Gnome) will be done, and then it will be sometime in August before KDE Mint is done. At that point, I will be itching to move to the next RC of Kubuntu to get more features. And even if KDE Mint looks better out of the box. I still give it a face lift so that by the end of the first day, You can't tell if I started with Kubuntu or KDE Mint. So why wait?
kubuntu has a microblogging program.. it is a plasmoid, it is easy to use and it can connect to twitter and identi.ca
I call this article total rubbish too
I couldn't find any valid reason cited by this author why anyone should avoid Kubuntu. So, I call this article total rubbish.
I like Kubuntu just the way it is and I use it because it is not Ubuntu. Haven't you noticed that it is called Kunubtu for a reason?
I also think that this review is very subjective. It is your opinion, nor a review. You should review the distro as a distro, not compared to Ubuntu.
PiTiVi is GTK apps, Kubuntu is only a Qt OS (with exception from OO.o which has its own toolkit). But they could include Kdenlive.
For basic image edition you can use Gwenview.
With KOffice 2.2 or 2.3 is released they will include that instead of OO.o, which will free much space to include also more apps by default like DigiKam, and Krita (from Koffice) which is like GIMP.
I think this release is one of the best of Kubuntu. The kubuntu devs don try to do a very tuned KDE distro, they try to be very close to upstream KDE as possible. That is what you don't find many places where you see something very different from upstream KDE. And personally I don't care so much if I don't see many changes which reflect the new branding (which I think is nice).
The plus that Kubuntu has is the big community which is also from Ubuntu and the rest of *ubuntus. It is also a Debian based distro, using apt, dpkg, debs, etc.
Ubuntu if self has not so many developers paid from Canonical to work exclusively in Gnome, my work in the Kernel, Xorg/mesa/video-drivers etc. Which is something that all the *ubuntus share.
But I also think that Canonical should merge Kubuntu/Ubuntu/Xubuntu, etc. in one big branding, Ubuntu; so they will only have Ubuntu Gnome edition, Ubuntu KDE edition, etc. Like openSUSE or Fedora or Mandriva.
If Kubuntu 10.04 is so much better than Ubuntu 10.04, why, then, do you suppose that after using KDE from 3.0 - 4.4, I have now switched from Kubuntu to Ubuntu and am a GNOME user, at least for now?
Mackenzie wrote:
Hell yeah!!! This is SO sweet to hear. Ever since I switched to Kubuntu for the recent directions Canonical is driving Ubuntu into, I've always wanted to hear your words to rest assured that the dictator, however benevolent, will never impose his bad taste and (lack of) design skills on the Kubuntu community. Aaah! It feels so free in here…
——————————————-
Actually, it is - a Gnome only application.
Doesn't work either in KDE or XFCE.
——————————————
Another inconsistency is that the title bar buttons are on the right, unlike in Ubuntu where they are on the left.
——————————————-
There would be little point to this, since it seems that the planned window indicators will be supported only in Gnome.
And, btw, you did not state the details of your test configuration.
It is customary when relating any experiment, and the test of an OS clearly fits this category, to state your methodology, so the results you achieved may be duplicated by others. Without this, a review lacks an objective quality.
>Cons: Lacks a social media app like Gwibber. F-Spot, GIMP and PiTiVi are not installed by default. Ambiance theme from Ubuntu not available. Uses KPackageKit for software management, the Ubuntu Software Center is not available. The Ubuntu One online service and music store are also not included.<
Are you kidding? :lol:
You could have saved yourself loads of trouble by simply interviewing Riddell from the get-go. I am sure he would have "schooled" you on what KDE is and how it works as opposed to what GNOME is. Personally? After reading the review and followup comments, I no longer believe that you even know what those are. Am I being overly harsh? No. I am being honest. A good writer sticks with his/her expertise for a reason…
Stange, most of the cons you mention are what I like about Kubuntu.
It gives me a standard default KDE desktop, its not in your face, I then customize it the way I want it. Its really why I like KDE, after install it takes me a few hours to get it just the way I want it, and all the software you mentioned is just a click away, I suppose if you do not have internet connection then these things are an issue….
You rock man! I like your writings. Unbiased, clean, objective, proffessional,… no, sorry to say,… but your writings really suck. If you really wanted to show how unproffessional, taste-biased and subjective you are, you really managed.
Such comments are unwelcome not only by the *buntu community alone, but also from Gnome's. Honestly, you should be forced to install Windows and live with it.
If you are expecting desktoplinuxreviews’s website look and feel to resemble the gorgeous linuxtoday theme, think again. desktoplinuxreviews’s website does not resemble linuxtoday’s at all. Frankly, I dislike it. It’s bland and dull.
I know that some will say “…but it’s desktoplinuxreviews you idiot! Why should it look like linuxtoday.com?” It’s called branding and desktoplinuxreviews utterly lacks any significant kind branding on the website and in general. It only shows penguins, "kinder", superman, and "slipknot".
Background
The default background is Penguinis, an icky light-gray penguin- mess that I immediately wanted to replace. To change your background, go into Browser Settings and click on the CSS settings to disable. There’s a whole bunch of different ones you can download to replace the default desktoplinuxreviews background.
Why do these comments bother having a "reply" link on each individual one when they don't even nest? Makes it seem like you're going to reply directly to someone, and then your comment is just hanging out there with no context after all
DigiKam is *huge* and so not included by default. Gwenview is included, and it is a capable image viewer and editor.
And why would you think that the KDE version should be made to look like the Gnome version and not the other way around? Why not just mod the KDE version to have Canonical logos all over the place and mod Gnome to look exactly like it?
Obviously because they cannot. It's not only looks but also technology. It's also about development process upstream. But you sure know nothing aobut this, otherwise you wouldn't be stirring shit that smells bad.
Why would a BMW Series 3 car look exactly like a Mini? You like Minies: small, simple, little space needed, and idio…beginner-proof. I prefer the Series 3, while more complex for id…beginners, it's more flexible, fast, efficient, and lets me run it the way I want.
Aren't both of them branded? They are. Do they look the same? No, they shouldn't.
Don't rise bad mood in the community. Use what suits you, and let the others alone, as long as they don't do you any bad. Peace.
You have clearly not done your homework. Your anger at the exclusion of a bunch of gnome apps that have good kde equivalents tell me that right from the get-go. The only valid point you have is that Kpackagekit isn't completely up to snuff. However, you can't fault the Kubuntu developers for being limited to a CD's space.
Many would be happy if we moved up to 2GB DVDs. Then we could include Firefox, Choqok and Kdenlive, etc.
Kubuntu is *almost* a community project. It has one full-time paid developer, Jonathan Riddell. Design decisions come through the Kubuntu Council and the community developers who attend UDS. We're not bound to go along with Mark's sense of taste, so we don't.
I guess you missed the bit where large swaths of the Ubuntu community are mad as hell about the buttons being put on the left without any input from anyone?
This review shows a lot of emotions but even more subjective opinions than objective facts. Furthermore it clearly lacks background research and homework. It paints subjective image over good and bad that comes with Kubuntu, not weighting them properly.
To point out a few errors:
1."The login screen immediately disappoints, it has nothing on it to indicate a connection with Canonical." - This is subjective, many would say that they like default KDE KDM theme. Lack of more brand Kubuntu artwork should be regarded as bad thing but not as harshly as you do:"The login screen is a harbinger of more disappointment to come in Kubuntu."
2. "If you are expecting Kubuntu’s desktop look and feel to resemble the gorgeous Ambiance theme used in Ubuntu 10.04, think again." - Ok so you like GTK Ambiance theme and expect to see the 'same' in KDE based distro?
"Kubuntu’s desktop does not resemble Ubuntu’s at all. Frankly, I dislike it. It’s bland and dull." - Go back to the first point: subjective and over reacted.
3. "One of the biggest problems with Kubuntu is its lack of the Ubuntu Software Center. Kubuntu uses KPackageKit to manage software and, frankly, it sucks. It’s ugly, it’s non-intuitive and it really has no place in any distro with “ubuntu” in its name." - Even though I agree KpackageKit is not on par with Ubuntu Software Center, it is not as bad as you make it out to be. It does it's job very well, and it is the most developed dpkg KDE based package manager.
4. "One thing I found lacking was the non-inclusion of the PiTiVi video editor. I was puzzled to find that it wasn’t available in Kubuntu. It certainly would have made sense for it to be included in the Multimedia applications menu by default for users that want to edit videos." - Like with many other 'strange' things you said, this shows your lack of homework (gnome app on kde.. gnome libs + kde libs ! small CD). KDE has Kdenliv, by many THE BEST linux nonlinear video editor, light years in front of PiTiVi. But the lack of the CD space makes including Kdenlive unlikely.
5. "The default desktop theme is basic and essential branding for Canonical’s desktop product and there’s no reason for Kubuntu to look so different from Ubuntu." - Yes there is Kubuntu is KDE distro and Ubuntu Gnome, two different technologies providing two different experiences. One to emulate other would be silly.
6. "The use of F-Spot as a replacement for GIMP has been very controversial among Ubuntu users. But in Kubuntu, neither application is installed by default. So there really is nothing for desktop users to use as an image-editing program. This is an odd decision on Canonical’s part. Why isn’t one application or the other included in Kubuntu?" - There is Gewnview that provides basic editing capabilities (even more after kipi plugins are installed). But on the repositories there is DigiKam and ShowFoto, again by many THE BEST applications of their kind. Again problem of small CD.
7 "One truly bizarre omission is Gwibber. Gwibber is the social media client found in Ubuntu but there seems to be nothing similar available in Kubuntu. This is particularly odd in light of this bit of text from the Kubuntu News page:" - haha, again gnome app on KDE distro. Firstly there are plasma widgets, and long before Ubuntu was doing 'the social thing' Kubuntu was 'social from the start' there is micro-blogging widget, facebook widget and in repository there is Choqok app for twitter and identi.ca
8 "Another inconsistency is that the title bar buttons are on the right, unlike in Ubuntu where they are on the left. " - there is no law that says that every *ubuntu distro must have buttons on the left. However KDE can be configured to have buttons where ever you want them ;)
9 "I recommend that everybody avoid Kubuntu. If you must use a KDE-based distro, wait for the KDE version of Linux Mint. You’ll have a much better experience and you won’t waste your time with Kubuntu."
Kubuntu has much smaller development team, and I believe that only one person is payed by Canonical to work on Kubuntu. Kubuntu is community driven.
Kubuntu has its strengths and weaknesses, but you don't weight them properly. Kubuntu is THE FIRST distro to have the new KDE packages, it is extremely solid and stable, it provides clean KDE experience. We all would like to see more artwork and polish, but the lack of that and some Gnome apps (that have extremely good KDE replacements) can't be the reason to give it such bashing and a score of 2.5.
I truly hope that the votes and comments you receive for this review tell you something about its quality.
davemc wrote:
I would assume merely a statement of fact. To note that while it is an official Ubuntu derivative, it is not worked on in tandem with the Ubuntu dev team.
This is an important point. Just about every other major Linux project shares a "look". openSUSE has a look and style that is shared for both their Gnome and KDE desktops. Same for Mint. Same for Fedora, etc… This common look ties these releases together. Ubuntu and Kubuntu do not have this. This is a poor branding decision.
This is purely opinion, and one I do not share. Mind you, I am not even a Gnome user.
However, the fact is that Ubuntu has featured several inovations that have not made it to Kubuntu, and it *is* a noteworthy fact. Until Kubuntu has, or at least features an equivalent to things like Ubuntu One, the software centre and an integrated (K)ubuntu branded music store, there is a clear disconnect between the projects.
I agree that the end score given is not truly representative of the issues mentioned, and that some issues brought up weren't completely followed through on. However, quite a few salient points were made.
Ultimately, I think that the issue it hand is that Kubuntu was reviewed against Ubuntu, as opposed to being reviewed on it's own merits, and was not compared to other KDE based distros. However, your wording about wasting people's time is way off base and overly hostile. You are free not to read this review if you disagree, and create your own counter review if you disagree that strongly.
choqok is a tremendous twitter client KDE 4
apt:choqok
Paste the above in firefox location bar and u get the best twitter client
gwibber is buggy at best and never worked for me whereas choqok was working tremendously when I tried opensuse 11.2 last time
So, in the end what do we have here?..
"Its not Ubuntu but its sponsored by Canonical!"
Ok.. So what?
"The wallpaper and theme are not like Ubuntu (GNOME)."
Ok, right.. So what?
The bottom line is that KDE4.4 is far superior to GNOME 2.30 in every arena possible, including Social App integration, so why screw up the base KDE functionality by polluting it with Ubuntu (GNOME) tweaks, when that would completely train wreck whats there already?!
The fact of the matter is that this review was stupidly written, imo. No research or homework was done obviously, and it clearly shows. The reviewer seems to have no knowledge of KDE, yet he writes a KDE review?.. Sorry, but this whistle is blown. Credibility gone! Please stop writing reviews on things you have no in depth knowledge. You waste everyone's time and dime.
Now Jim if you are going to knock over a bee's nest you do have to be careful!
I would not grind on Kubuntu quite so hard as you did, but it does show the limits of a smaller team trying to work with an Ubuntu base, I think.
Your various aesthetic comments are quickly fixed. KDE is remarkably malleable and that is one of the things I have grown to like about it. BTW, Digicam is the best photo editing software around, short of the heavier GIMP artillery.
Yes, Mint KDE, Mandriva and Suse are all good KDE alternatives. It might not be debian-based, but my own vote goes to Mandriva.
Want KDE on a debian sled? OK, try either Mepis 8.5 or sidux.
I find Mepis to be quite stable and they have a very helpful forum. sidux? Think of it as a hot-rod with attitude.
Kubuntu faces some strong competition, to be sure, but as some of these comments show one of its strengths is precisely that it is not Ubuntu! But you might have a point: It does strike me as a distro living above the garage out back ….
Kubuntu is a second citizen for ubuntu , but as a kde user it is avery good kde distro , if you need ubuntu one or gwiber go with ubuntu 10.04 . I use choqok thats is a very good social twitter client and kopete for all other social networks.
This distro its allways up to date and have a very good community
This guy said it in much more respectful terms than I would. It took 5-6 pages of an 8 page review for useful information to come about. It's quite an accomplishment to write so little and still somehow make it feel long-winded, so congratulations about that. I feel robbed of time first from reading this, and second being so awestruck by the shallowness of this review that I was compelled to waste more time in the form of a response. Seriously, just change the visuals. I hear linux is pretty customizable.
Brian Masinick wrote:
You are correct, you will be hammered by some for what you said. You are incorrect in the "it had to be said." At best this is an opinion piece.
Branding is a matter of choice. Kubuntu is a brand separate from Ubuntu. There is no need for the two to share theming and branding. Indeed the two have never shared branding. So this argument is opinion at best, fallacious at worst.
Next,Gwibber et al. applications "missing". Kubuntu is a JDE based distro, it makes no sense to inclide Gnome applications in it by default. It is the standard for all KDE and Gnome based distros to based their default applications on QT or GTK and not mix for the default install. To install gwibber and other Gnome applications is anathema to this standard and ill advised. Kubuntu is not Ubuntu. Kubuntu is KDE based and thus has QT applications (mostly KDE apps) as the default set.
Software Center would be a nice addition but, again, it is a GTK application. Kubuntu is not given the resources or attention that Ubuntu receives but I am sure that it will arrive in good time. In the mean time the user is quite capable of installing it themselves. I will agree with you that it would be beter if the software center in specific were included by default, preferably as a QT app.
Overall I can find little reasoning, or thought put into this review beyond "it is not Ubuntu" which I am thankful it is not.
Jim, I agree with you about the branding, and especially the complete and total lack of the social media elements that have really set the Ubuntu 10.04 release apart, and of course the software center bit. The decisions made here by the Kubuntu Developer team really make one stop and ponder.
1. Consider that the Window Manager KDE4.4 is nothing at all even remotely similar to GNOME. The two are so dissimilar that none of the elements (libs, etc.) of the one can be used with the other in a resource efficient way. This makes including GTK+ apps like the Software Center and Gwibber problematic for a clean ISO release (CD data size limits). Its also well known that running GNOME apps in a KDE environment is not an optimal way of doing things (increased loading times, inneficient RAM usage, etc). It seems that the team did include some GNOME integration as a prelude for more seamless integration so perhaps some work did go into including these things but it looks to me that a decision must have been made somewhere along the line to not include them in a default install, perhaps for the reasons above. Also, you rushed past all the best functionality improvements of KDE4.4 is your review - snap windows and more, which again points to the observation that this looks like more of a somewhat ignorant and very incomplete review of KDE4.4 based on personal dislike of that Window Manager as opposed to a review of the Ubuntu flavor of KDE4.4.
2. Funny as it seems, most people that use Kubuntu these days (from my experience) are not Linux noobs. To an experienced user, all the things you complain about are non-issues (and in some ways even plusses). The package manager Kubuntu uses (KpackageKit) is fantastic. I have been using it now since 9.10 release, and it is every bit as user friendly as the Software Center AND contains all the functionality of Synaptic to boot. To my mind, there is no reason to include Software Center in Kubuntu because the Kubuntu KpackageKit is superior to it in every way. In fact, I think Ubuntu took KpackageKit as the model when creating the Ubuntu Software Center in the first place.
3. The Music Store and Ubuntu One. Optimally, you would want Music Store integration in Amarok, not Rhythmbox for all the reasons detailed in #1 above. Amarok is by far and above superior to Rhythmox and is a native K app. Did you bother to check Amarok to see if it was there?.. Ubuntu One should also work just fine in Kubuntu 10.04.
4. Gwibber is a GNOME app. There are other KDE based apps for that purpose that are included, but you failed to do the homework and find out what they are. Its not rocket science however, and a little playing around should quickly reveal the culprits, as it did for me.
Conclusion: This is not a good review. Do the homework first and find out what the primary differences of GNOME and KDE are. Next, find out what makes the two different in crucial ways and why integrating them is not such an easy task to undertake. Kubuntu DID do some integration work with this release, but you failed to cover that, instead focusing on petty theme details that distracted your review from objectivity.
A 2.5 seems a tad low for a distro with no obvious major issues. From what I can from the review, it installed normally, ran without issue, and no showstopper bugs were found.
Don't get me wrong, I agree with all of your points. I think that branding is incredibly important, especially when you are trying to get your product known as the true market leader. I also think that they really, *really* need to start integrating all of the unique features and bells and whistles of stock Ubuntu into the offshoots.
I'm not a KDE user, so I can't really comment on the level of quality Kubuntu brings when compared to other KDE based distros. But I can say that it needs to be brought closer in with Ubuntu proper. If they are going to be part of the same family, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu really need to have a shared feature set (relatively) a shared look (to a degree) and a shared level of quality. Mint does this beautifully, despite the fact that their offshoots are technically community editions (a fact that I believe is changing though…) There is no reason Ubuntu cannot do the same.
"What’s your take on this distro? Tell me in the comments below."
I'll sum it up in one word: Mandriva
<blockquote
-title bar buttons on the right
Since all KDE window decorations support custom button positing, easily customized by drag-and-drop in the configuration dialog, it's free for all KDE users to experiment with finding the most user-friendly configuration:-)
No F-Spot is reasonable, rational and not surprising decision, and it has an superior alternative in KDE: ShowFoto/DigiKam. Then again if if Kubuntu fail to include this obvious choice it's rather odd, and actually something to complain about.
I agree with the author. Kubuntu is no where near where it should be in terms of quality and features. I also downloaded and installed it. My first install was on a customers system with the intention of giving them a working Linux system. After finishing the install one of my tasks was a simple copy/paste from a backup folder containing their old Windows data to more appropriate folders in the Kubuntu Home directories. Incredibly "Dolphin" was actually crashing on simple copy/paste operations! :w00t:
That and several other odd glitches convinced me to wipe it off the drive and move to another distro, PCLinuxOS 2010, which works far better than Kubuntu.
Personally I can't stand Gnome nor does the inclusion of Mono based crap in this latest version of Ubuntu sit well with me so Ubuntu holds no interest for me. For those wanting a decent KDE based distro look at PCLinuxOS, Mepis, Mandriva, or Mint. All have done a much better job than Kubuntu.
I have read this article and I found not a single reason why anyone should avoid kubuntu. You don't like the look, you are missing ubuntu one and some other application, you prefer another package management. This has nothing to do with the quality of this distro. I have tried kubuntu as well and I liked it. Installation was easy, its stable, everything worked. No problem at all!
I'm sure that many people like the KDE-look much better than the new ubuntu-look (which I personally like very much).
Why do you advice people to wait for the next Mint release? What exactly will be better? The wallpaper?
I like Mint very much but your artice is just kubuntu-bashing.
Under "pros" you list "Install includes a slideshow to entertain users". Say no more!
Kubuntu has always been a piece of Crap… I thought this version might be much improved since they announced project timelord… pfftttt. think they just did that for a publicity stunt to try and shake off the bad reputation kubuntu has…
I don't understand how the Kubuntu devs even though they have limited resources can't even put out a decent Kde distribution! Even Linux Mint Kde edition blows kubuntu out of the water, and there is only 1 guy working on it!
Kde Fans… I recommend you use ArchLinux, OpenSuse, Mandriva or PClinuxOS
My 2 cents:- I agree with the theming of the ubuntu's. Change window manager and apps but at least keep the same colours, wallpaper and Icons, a little consistency please… and that goes for xubuntu too. I recommend PCLinuOS for KDE. Personally i'll wait for Mint.
My most important things in a distro, and so what I look for when reading a review, are, in approximate order
-ease of installation
-hardware recognition (especially for older machines)
-stability
-ease of use
-performance
As with most Linux users, the default wallpaper and theme are quickly changed, unwanted software is quickly deleted and programs and settings are tweaked. The default looks aren't important and seeing the company name is completely unimportant to me.
Among the software that I quickly deleted when trying Karmic were any IM software, all games and Ubuntu One. I don't care about social networking software. Reasons that I didn't intend to use Lucid included the move of the title bar buttons (and in particular the "not a democracy" comments which while true seemed unnecessarily provocative), the emphasis on Ubuntu One, the increased emphasis on social networking (Me Menu and Gwibber) and my increasing unease with of Mono. A video editor was completely unimportant to me. Much of what I didn't like was just added bloat, of course, and can be changed in Ubuntu.
Reading this review, there is nothing written to complain about ease of installation, little about ease of use and nothing about hardware recognition, stability or performance. What the reviewer disliked were:
-lack of branding (not an issue for me at all-nothing to do with the things I've listed as important to me)
-login screen not branded (no problem here)
-desktop doesn't resemble that of Ubuntu (frankly it looks fine to me, though I'd change it anyway-dull and bland has never bothered me, I used to change what I considered the horrible Ubuntu wallpaper first to a solid blue, then later put pictures up)
-dislikes the blue wallpaper (see above)
-no ubuntu software center (I've always been happy with Synaptic)
-Kpackagekit ugly and non-intuitive (no examples given, no stability problems mentioned, doesn't say anything detailed about how it works-though it has come in for criticism elsewhere as well and some merely install Synaptic)
-software selection -lack of PiViTi (I'd delete it anyway)
-flash not installed by default (it never has been in Ubuntu, either, and that is common in many distros. Wouldn't all Kubuntu users immediately install Kubuntu-restricted extras, or those elements they want if they don't want them all?)
-different desktop theme than ubuntu (I don't understand why that is a problem)
-no F-Spot or Gimp (fine for me, I've always uninstalled both anyway and in ubuntu just used Gthumb-it's easy to install from repositories the program you want)
-no Gwibber, no Ubuntu One (more unwanted software I wouldn't have to delete)
-title bar buttons on the right (where for those who haven't been using Macs, is where they are easiest to use-perhaps Kubuntu, though not Ubuntu, listened to all those complaints about the move and acted in a democratic fashion)
Obviously branding and default looks are very important to the reviewer. Strangely, to me, many of the things the reviewer disliked are things I favour and about which I dislike the handling given by Ubuntu. I agree that the default software selection isn't consistent with saying that there is software for all usual needs, but faced with the problem of getting everything into a CD using KDE, the default choices seem reasonable to me.
Social media apps? KDE4 has plenty of plasmoids (installed and some enabled by default on the desktop by kubuntu) for social media … unfortunately, we've been over-fed with apps, apps, apps for everything and with KDE4, we need to change the perspective a bit and look at the plasmoids too.
Right-click on the panel -> Panel Settings -> Add widgets… -> then add the plasmoids you want or download from the internet (the add plasmoid dialog lets you do this automatically).
Cheers.
I've been using Kubuntu 10.04 since the first alpha release and I found this article boarder line bashing of KDE. Yes, Mr. Lynch we understand you're fascination with ubuntu's radical ideas to implement in an LTS release. Kubuntu and Xubuntu seem to really be the sane releases for a Long Term Support release. I'm rather glad my buttons remain on the right also the "pivotal" branding. Well, in all honesty I'm quite happy its not thrown in my face ever 3 seconds on ever little program I click. Kubuntu is a find example of how an LTS is done. Ubuntu's Radical Design changes and beta state programs (i.e. Ubuntu One,Ubuntu Music Store,Me Menu,etc…) might very well come back to haunt them.
quote: Jim
I suspect I will be hammered for this review by some KDE users. But I said what had to be said. Canonical needs to make Kubuntu its own or stop releasing it altogether and just focus on the GNOME version.
Do you want me to hammer you then? You know better than that. I respect your viewpoint and the viewpoint of others. I do have some issues to take with your review, however.
I respect your viewpoint that Canonical, if it intends to brand itself with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, and Mythbuntu, ought to take branding into consideration. Clearly they did in this release with Ubuntu. However, I am not certain just how many employees of Canonical are a part of the other four projects. I suspect it is not more than a tenth to a quarter as many, and that explains the difference in focus, at least to me.
Jim, the reason that I follow Kubuntu is that it is always the very first Debian based system that has binary packages built for versions of KDE. It is ironic. In Debian, the GNOME distribution is quite stable - and fairly clearly the preferred desktop in the Debian Stable release, but it takes a back seat in Unstable, where it can be quite erratic. Canonical's first significant contribution to the party is that they really flesh out GNOME and help both Debian and Mint, to name two Debian-oriented distributions.
We don't see the emphasis quite as directly with KDE because the Debian KDE packagers only release every 2-4 maintenance releases (in fact, until last night, their last release was KDE SC 4.3.4, which is 3-4 months old now. As of today, KDE SC 4.4.3 - four updates later, is FINALLY in Debian Sid.) In contrast, Kubuntu has been building updates within days of new packages, and is a reference release for KDE. OpenSUSE DEFINITELY gets the crown in this respect - it is THE release that KDE itself uses for Live CD sample releases (not too surprising, given the long time German roots).
My point in this is that Canonical focuses most of its KDE effort on building binaries early and often so that KDE Alpha and Beta testers have a platform to use. Arch, Sabayan, Gentoo, OpenSUSE, and Mandriva are the other leaders, most everyone else lags by at least a month, sometimes six months or more, in this area.
I therefore consider your review this time a bit too strongly tilted to the visual effects, which we all know are easy to modify. I do respect your view on branding, and if they had more time and money to spend, it might be nice to throw more into Kubuntu and Lubuntu. In time, that may happen. Curiously, Xubuntu, while not heavily branded, generally has the best appearance, from an artistic viewpoint, of any of the releases. I've not seen strong branding there, either, though, at least not in the past. I'd like to read your viewpoint on that.
A 2.5/5, simply based on weak branding is not what the average consumer cares about. How does it work? My experience throughout the Alpha and Beta test cycle suggests that this release works every bit as well as Ubuntu. The only thing it lacks are those small points. A 3.5 rating at the least is a more reasonable rating, considering that the installation is trivial, the packages you want to add are omitted only for space reasons to fit on a CD instead of mandating a DVD. Grabbing the Ubuntu Package Manager, or for that matter, low level tools, such as gdebi or aptitude, are only as far away as a kpackage, dpkg, or apt-get installation request.
The English translation for the word Kubuntu is "Krap".
The best KDE-Buntu is Mint KDE Edition. Mint Kde is Kubuntu derivatif with some fine tuning here and there.
@ abhifx:
Actually, Kubuntu 10:04 is 1000 times better than its Ubuntu counterpart for this release. Ubuntu is completely worthless for the next 6 months, and if Shuttleworthlesses ideas for 10:10 are any indication … the next year as well.
Are you seriously complaining about the KDE4 theme? Have you SEEN how many KDE Themes are available? There are like 20 and only about 10 of them are any good. ALL KDE4 based Distros use one of 2 themes. Oxygen or Air, period.
wow. one of the best review i have read. very detailed and still to the point. it seems you have discovered all the flaws in kubuntu and i totally agree with you. canonicle treat kubuntu like step child whom they don't love. there are lots of distros thriving on kde desktop, if same attention could be paid on kubuntu then they can have best of both world (well best of all the world considering xfce and lxde) this is the reason i install kde in regular ubuntu.. its plain vanilla kde so i dont miss a thing.
Hi JD,
No, no relation to Dan Lynch that I know of…but I do have a lot of relatives so you never know! :tongue: :wink:
Thanks for the positive feedback. Much appreciated. :smile:
I agree, CDs are passe to a certain extent at this point. Too small for today's desktop distros, for the most part. Although some of the smaller, light-weight ones are still fine on them.
Hey Jim Lynch! do you happen to be Dan Lynch's Brother? from Linux Outlaws? that would be so cool/awesome!
Anyways a very great review as always it was in-depth and showed everything! Kubuntu sadly seems to have its own mind of what packages they want. (mostly KDE ones?) I'm surprised not to see a video editor installed either they could do Kdenlive if they love kde apps so much.(it's kinda buggy though) but maybe they are running out of space on the small CD they use? so thats not an option.
BTW. Fedora has said they will be using DVDs (Only about 900 MB) from now on to distribute it in KDE and Gnome Edtions Plus the huge multi installer. this means they hopefully won't have to cut out things. I think ubuntu should consider this. CDs are now becoming a limitation sadly.
Hi Jeff,
If you go to the official Kubuntu site and look down, you'll find this text at the bottom of the page:
"Kubuntu and Canonical are registered trademarks of Canonical Ltd. "
And if you look on the FAQ page, you see this:
"What is Kubuntu?
Kubuntu one of the distributions from the Ubuntu family (alongside Ubuntu Desktop and several other variants). Our Kubuntu CDs are made up of Ubuntu's base plus KDE Software Compilation. You can get exactly the same effect by installing Ubuntu and adding the KDE Software Compilation packages (and removing the Gnome packages) from the Ubuntu archives.
Is this a fork of Ubuntu?
No, it is an official part of Ubuntu. All our packages are in the same archives."
All of that means that users are probably going to think that Kubuntu is simply the KDE version of Ubuntu and would be as polished in all respects. Unfortunately it's not, as I indicated in the review.
I could be wrong, but I believe Kubuntu is completely a community project and other than the logo and the repos, the project is not driven by Canonical at all.