Introduction

With version 3.2 the KDE project, one of the most popular graphical user interfaces for Linux and other UNIX derivatives has made a huge leap forward. While with version 3.1 today everyday features such as tabbed browsing have kept moving into KDE, version 3.2 has a lot of really new. Often accused free software to create, but only abzukupfern no innovation. If you read the following sections, will see that this argument can not to be held. We will enter into preferred on the most important in our view new features and programs and can therefore not on each individual improvement, like for example the greatly expanded IMAP functionality of E-Mail client KMail or that finally the resolution and refresh rate changing in KDE what has been a limitation of XFree86 but in fact, may, be taken further. The most interesting new features are however we illuminate and respond also to generally notable features and take a look at the future.

Test system

Even if it not so much does much to the point about a software review, such as a hardware test, we want to be the system configuration does not completely unmet. The following table to give a rough overview of the used system, in particular the performance critical components:

• Software
  • KDE: Version 3.2 CVS / RC1
  • Distribution: Gentoo Linux (ACCEPT_KEYWORDS = “~ x 86″)
  • Kernel: Linux 2.6.1 (Preemptible kernel, NPTL)
• Hardware
  • Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz (100 MHz FSB)
  • Memory: 768 MB Rambus (800 MHz)
  • Hard disk: Maxtor 6Y080P0 (7200 RPM, 8 MB cache)
  • Graphics card: GeForce FX 5200 (standard XFree driver)

KWallet (password safe)

A change with far-reaching consequences is the introduction of KWallet, a digital wallet, what would most commonly be called password safe. The user name and password combinations are used for surfing the Internet, login via FTP, as well as to store the login information of Instant Messenger Kopete. The stored data is encrypted with a master password, i.e. without the knowledge of this password, the stored data can be unable to decrypt. The associated disadvantage is that you in addition once again have to enter a password (master password for KWallet) to login at boot time, to open the wallet. Depending on how you configure KWallet, you are asked also then still often, whether you want to allow an application access to the passwords. Although this concept of security terms considered completely correctly is, it can be annoying in the long run, constantly demands to answer whether you trusted a particular application, easily seducing to loosen restrictive defaults

One may now ask why one couples the master password in the password to the normal login. On the one hand, one more hurdle would eliminate thus so that when successful spying of the system password at the same time also the sensitive passwords of the user would be in the wrong hands. At this point you have to wonder however if not most users anyway use the same password in both places. On the other hand is the reason for the absence of the possibility of the KWallet password to the system password to pair, probably not last one technical hurdle. Finally, we would have to password pass the login manager leave and thus a further component trust pay, so that they could theoretically therefore also access to all stored passwords. At the moment is still unforeseeable, whether such an addition in one of the next versions of KDE is entering.

Spelling checker

A feature that have yet to get not the large publicity seems, is an extension of the spelling checker on input fields in Web browser Konqueror. This works, as we know it from various word processors automatically, i.e. practically after every new character spell-checking is performed. Strangely, seems the thing but still not quite about to run, so just a spelling error appears, for example, when typing this text, even though when manual spell-checking via the context menu same criticised some of the words. Like the idea very, even if it still falls short on implementation. The same way of the spelling checker has been integrated into KMail by the way, i.e. during the typing spelling errors are marked there too red. If you click with the right mouse button on such a red highlighted word suggestions appear immediately, you can take with a single click.

System-wide mouse gestures

The system-wide implementation of mouse gestures is a feature which was silent so far at most to the bet. Once of the Norwegian browser maker Opera for easy navigation to Web pages, these are in KDE 3.2 available globally. This means you can both perform standard tasks, such as the forward and backward scrolling through the list of visited Web pages, also open to however many further options. So could prove it extremely handy, by a simple mouse gesture, it doesn’t quite matter which window is currently in the foreground to jump, instead of doing this in the traditional way to the next song in the playlist. Although many keyboard manufacturers have additional buttons for frequently while surfing or music now used actions listen to their Hackbrettern housed, but the view is when you perform a mouse gesture on the keyboard completely. Since setting up the mouse gestures is unfortunately not very einsteigerfreundlich resolved and something requires technical understanding, we out in the annex to dwell and first proceed with the more exciting part, presenting new features and applications, at this point.

Universal sidebar

From the sidebar, which is home to virtually any file manager to the hierarchical representation of the folder tree, a universal sidebar has become practical in KDE 3.2. She can be used independently of Konqueror, so that you can you can show for example separately and constantly visible on the desktop. This is achieved with a right click on the taskbar in KDE kicker called, where one selects the following entries: Add > Panel > universal navigation pane. The sidebar can be either on the right or left of the screen place and hide for more space. The following tabs are available by default:

• Browser bookmarks
• Browser history
• Personal folder (the folder tree structure)
• Media playback
• Network
• Home folder (the root of the tree structure)
• KDE services

On request, you can show multiple tabs at once by activating the setting “Multiple views” by right clicking on the free area. Also, you can integrate your own folder as additional tabs, and on the other hand, you can show as in Mozilla, Opera and to a limited extent in IE of sidebars of websites. To this end, a sidebar button is located on computer base under the menu.

On closer inspection revealed some weaknesses of the sidebar. On the one hand, the button to the new Hervorholen is still so large that she will almost completely obscured the window titles or the buttons to the minimize, restore, and close a window ausnutzenden the entire screen size depending on the positioning in the collapsed state. The individual tabs can also unfortunately not separately for the browser and the FileManager mode configure, which is to be possible but supposedly in KDE 3.3.

But also the individual views of the sidebar have unfortunately their weaknesses, often in detail. The developers seem, for example, to have thought that one takes a drap & drop files on the media bar, because otherwise it seems to be no way to open these files. This should be communicated if necessary the user in any way, using a short text. In addition, it works in principle play videos using drap & drop, in this case, you hear only the sound and looks absolutely nothing. As a temporary solution should thought be to launch a separate application for video playback, though a video preview in the sidebar would certainly have their charm in this case. With these small defects of the sidebar is unnecessarily very much potential is giving away.

Convince can, however, the services view. It provides direct access to the existing disk partitions, various removable media such as floppy and CD drives, existing printers and installed fonts. Would it be practical at this point, directly by drap & drop on the respective printer paper to be able to bring a file. The LAN browser requires the LISA deamon with which you can access Windows network environment. Although Konqueror can deal with Samba as a general rule, this option at this point is not supported.

New applications

KDE 3.2 comes along with some new applications, in turn, some legacy applications into the black hole have disappeared. We want to present some of the new entries in the following. The selection does not claim to be complete, so we have renounced including a detailed descriptions of KGPG, a new front end for GnuPG encryption program. Since the KDE applications have often meaningless name, the change in the start menu is the description first and then in parentheses the name of the application output, to be welcomed. You could set this so far already in the Control Panel, but this is now the factory default for new installations of KDE.

Contact (personal information manager)

Contact is the equivalent to Outlook, the personal information manager from KDE, virtually but with some special features. So, contact is actually a collection of numerous programmes, which are with already longer in KDE from the lot under one common user interface with the aim of the increase in productivity. In previous versions of KDE, there was the email client KMail, KOrganizer appointment management, contact management KAddressbook, the newsgroup client KNode or the note tool KNotes. With contact, these all are United in a program, the so-called KParts technology makes it possible. Because the applications are still individually, it is so anyone on the egg-laying wool milk sow contact to the simple sending and receiving e-mail. Who on all’ these individual programs has however been individually used, will probably quickly convinced of contact be as switching between the individual components is done very simply and quickly and is also an overview is supplied folders, as well as the birthday and anniversary of the people in the address book, depending on the enabled components with lots of further information with the E-Mail.

As a bonus, so to speak a RSS newsreader integrates also with which it is possible to read the news feeds from Web pages. So you can for example news overview view the five last computer base, to be always up-to-date. Unfortunately one can call the functionality of this plugin, which represents a new trend in the Internet after all, only minimalist. One looks in vain for the option next to the heading to read also the introductions or generally better to organize the news.

Kopete (Instant Messenger)

Kopete is also new in KDE 3.2, although it served friends before many Instant Messenger, because it also separately available available for download. Kopete supports so-called Metakontakte such as Trillian, i.e. persons who for example both have an ICQ as a MSN account, treat as a contact, you can. Completely free to create the appearance of messages, also you have the choice of ten sets of smileys. The program can be extended via numerous modules, so the last words fallen in the previous session in grey can be for example with the help of the course module when you start a chat show. The following protocols are supported:

• AIM (AOL Instant Messenger)
• ICQ
• IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
• Jabber (free instant messaging standard)
• MSN Messenger
• YIM (Yahoo Instant Messenger)

JuK (jukebox)

A name that says far more about its meaning contrary of most recently presented the programme, was powered this Jukebox. Similar to programs such as Apple’s iTunes not to assign, so in particular is quite similar. It is handy that you either in a portion of the window of the meta info editor can show which e.g. editing the ID3 tags of MP3 files is possible without, as usual in other programs to have to go through the context menu. In addition, you can rename the files, and optionally set the ID3 tags of file name patterns automatically. The rename file is playing may be just, JuK does not bother it.

On a panel at the top, you can search the meta-information, where the audio files is updated after each typed character. If you would like to can create new playlists based on this criteria. In an upcoming version of JuK you can listen likely after also Internet streams which is unfortunately still not possible at present.

Konqueror

Not quite so diplomatically as its Windows counterpart, the name of the KDE Web browser and file manager was elected. He is similar to the Windows (Internet) Explorer to surf the Internet, as well as for managing files responsible. As for any modern browser is also for Konqueror since version 3.1 tabbed browsing no longer. In addition, a popup blocker is with on board, which intelligently suppressed popups instead of shoot all pop-ups it taking into account whether a popup is the consequence of a user action and blocks them only in all other cases. As you will see the following sections, however, Konqueror can significantly more than the average file manager. In addition, KDE 3.2 offers the possibility to load an instance of Konqueror on KDE startup, so that the open Konqueror in addition still faster proceeding to the several times confirmed subjective impression that KDE 3.2 is generally faster than its previous versions, in the store. Should make sense jedich almost exclusively on relatively slow systems this function, because Konqueror also so very quickly starts.

Web browser

The component to the display of Web pages has increased incredibly in KDE 3.2, compared with the previous versions. So Konqueror prepares a the height of the time is implementation of Web standards not only almost all websites now correctly display, but persuades consistently in terms of speed. Dramatically, the speed of the page building to its knees is however many form elements in the form of buttons and similar represented must be what is noticeable especially when scrolling. Occasionally one notices but also in other places, that there is still work, so the performance when you view goes various JavaScript ticker part part in the knee and the non-existent implementation of while not standards-compliant, but often for ticker used marquee day, falls on some places also uncomfortable. If the Konqueror development progresses however with the current pace, is this application on the best way to be a very good browser.

Remain unmentioned in no case shall Apple’s work you in this context. In the spring of last year, shortly before the release of KDE 3.1 Apple announced KHTML on the technical basis for the presentation of Web pages in Konqueror, called, to develop an own browser named Safari. According to the license terms, Apple must disclose all changes to KHTML and KJS (the JavaScript implementation) and has so far also kept. However, the pace can left be the integration of these changes in Konqueror to wishes. Apparently, a consequence of the fact that parallel course, also the KDE KHTML developers develop, and both therefore have some incompatibilities, because they differ too much. It may be interesting to see how this will develop in the future, especially since the development of Safari from comparatively quickly move forward the perspective of the author of these lines seems.

Web shortcuts

At this point noted on a feature, which has been inexplicably still in no other browser entry and one similar to simply no longer want to miss as tabs after a short introductory period. There is talk of the Web shortcuts, whose Nützlichkeit can be most easily demonstrated using an example. Usually, surfing, a search engine such as Google or AlltheWeb to to search on the Internet, and there enters the searched term. With Konqueror step falls away number one completely, because is there a such as the following in the address bar instead of a URL otherwise: “gg: computerbase”

The letters “gg” are so a just mentioned Web code, telling Konqueror, accordingly reformulate the URL, in this case, we run a Google search. The search term followed by the abbreviation after a colon. You will reach after the pressing of the Enter key directly to the result page, ohnedass first the front page of Google is loaded. The time savings may be minimal, has you are accustomed but once, caught one is in other browsers always going to want to use this practical code to then determine that you initially to have surfing the desired search engine.

Naturally you can set up your own keyboard shortcuts. The corresponding options can be found in the Konqueror settings submenu “Web access keys”. You can confirm enter following data after clicking on the “new” button to search through the keyboard shortcut “cb” on computer Base:

• Search providers: computer base
• Search URI: http://www.computerbase.de/suche/?search={@}&sortbydate=on
• Cb URI shortcuts:

Update 31.01.2004:Christoph Boecken has attention made us that current version support Opera for shortcuts. Which browser they first implemented, we can say with certainty. The feature exists in Konuqeror not only since version 3.2, but ultimately is what browser first had it it also hardly relevant.

Update 03.02.2004:Helge Hielscher has us attention made that even Mozilla custom keywords supported, which makes the statement that no other browser Web hot key knows, in the first sentence of this section, probably finally lapses.

File management

As a file manager, Konqueror can convince. So, for example, PDF files directly in Konqueror can be viewed, ohnedass to a separate application must be opened. The same applies to videos, and other file types. An interesting feature is the ability to make use, even when using Konqueror as a file manager tabs as well as is possible while surfing on the Internet. You should even have trying and suddenly remember several Konqueror to work in instances, you can copy the tabs by drag & drop between the Konqueror Windows back and forth. Who don’t like the tab approach, can the window split either horizontally or vertically and thus view multiple directories at a glance. That is very useful if you want to load files, for example, via FTP to a server, finally you can reproduce virtually an FTP client in this way – Konqueror’s thank the versatility!

Konqueror seems to dominate both the HTTP and FTP protocol also what virtually every other Web browser also can. But there are still more so-called KIO slaves (KDE input / output subroutines) for other protocols. The big advantage of this system-wide available subroutines is that any KDE application automatically benefits from them. So, you can open as any file directly from a remote computer, so that when you save the file it is dropped automatically there again. The open and save dialogs allow therefore for example direct access to one on a FTP Server stored file. You save through various programs such as an FTP client by many system-wide protocols are supported natively!

As KIO slave there, for example, one for the server message block protocol, with which you can access Windows network environment. Prerequisite for this is that on the local computer Samba or the LISA deamon is installed, because these applications to provide the basic functionality on which KDE is built. Another interesting KIO slave the confusing name “fish” and allows access to a computer that is accessible via SSH. SSH (secure shell) is a protocol which allows the logging onto computers over the network (usually the Internet) via command line and it encrypts the entire data transfer including the critical phase of authentication so that SSH is very well suited to the administration of servers accessible only via the Internet. In this way, you can copy files securely, without having the data stream can be decrypted by an attacker, which is then called SFTP (secure FTP) or SCP (secure copy). Therefore, the SSH-KIO slave (fish) enables secure copying of files between two computers connected over an untrusted network. Why this poignant sftp and not simply named, remains a mystery of the developers probably, this name certainly would be easier to understand.

Update January:As Kevin Krammer has submitted to us, KIO-slave named SFTP one already exists. It is because that also fish KIO slave is there a, that it requires only a SSH daemon without built in SFTP functions on the server by the actions to be implemented in console commands. Thus, our criticism with regard to the naming has proven to be obsolete!

Usability

Partially, it has exaggerated it but clearly with the choices. Best example of this the context menus are, what is already implied, actually contextual actions to show its name. Discussions subject unfortunately, this is often not the case, which totally crowded and were thus confusing context menus, in particular of Konqueror, violently during the development phase of version 3.2. And although it in many places significantly to reduce the number of entries of the shortcut menus, by one is no longer confronted with security-related entries, which are actually relate to the page as a whole and thus are not in the context menu for a link, for example, if the right click on a link.

But not everywhere it has scheduled, let alone arrived at the destination. You tagged for example on a Web page text and opens the context menu, then this offers possibilities to open the currently-displayed page in other applications and ways to forward or back in the course. The user could jump but almost in the triangle until he locates the possibility to copy of the just selected text, which should be the most obvious action probably obvious. That is the “Copy text” entry not immediately noticed, may be reinforced, that this is even if it has tagged no text on the shortcut menu appears. In this case, it is only gray background, which shows little effect in the low-contrast copy icon. Is to be hoped that greater attention is paid to this topic in the future, because Mozilla shows that are primarily as these usability traps to solve user friendly.

That this hope is not unfounded, is another example. Because currently Konqueror knows although different modes, namely the browser and FileManager mode, but not then aligns the icons in the toolbar. This means also in browser mode you get offered icons for cut, copy, and paste although they are hardly needed. On the other hand, a symbol of the rules of the font size in file management mode appears inappropriate, with which one the icon size can fix at this point, a setting that should find refuge somewhere in the settings. As indicated at the beginning of this section, here will be however, KDE 3.3, if not possibly KDE 3.2.x will do allow because no later than something, to configure the toolbars for each mode, i.e. Web browser and file manager, separately.

Update 03.02.2004:Helge Hielscher us pointed out that the context menu entry is used probably only by newcomers, because the text finally at select thereof is automatically copied to the Clipboard. The fundamental criticism that this entry should be constantly present and the context menu for selected text should offer only relevant actions, this however does not alter.

Kate (K advanced text editor)

Kate has been for some time part of KDE, however has made significant progress in the version included in KDE 3.2. The new features as well interesting longer existing features as solen in this section are illuminated. As the advertised name “K advanced text editor” says, Kate is intended for programmers. There is a good syntax highlighting for virtually any language. There is also a feature that can significantly simplify mainly working with large files. This is called Code Folding, i.e. you can collapse certain code areas, such as functions or while loops, using small icons next to the line numbering, so that they take up no more screen space.

Handy is also the sidebar, which you can e.g. quickly open files through the file system browser or view the currently open files in an overview. Here, you print search result in this sidebar also can let would be interesting to, thus you would have a quick overview how many occurrences of your search term in the file exist and could easily jump back.

Also at the bottom there are fold-out bar. On the one hand there is the not spectacular ability to search multiple files at once. On the other hand, there can show a simple console, which can be very useful if you would like to test various scripts directly, because you must start the console, not in this case.

There are two more text editors in KDE, KEdit or KWrite alongside Kate. While the latter as Kate, but used without sidebar and some more advanced functions therefore comes, may be the same editor component we with KEdit exaggerated told not make more enter as text as well as to save it, and print. The reason that KEdit KDE still is 3.2 of the lot, is that he comes along the three editors with support for bi-directional text only. With KDE 3.3 also the other two editors to master that, so that KEdit will then probably disappear from the scene.

Eyecandy

Since the release of KDE 3.0 a lot in terms of eyecandy has done, there are new themes and many fresh symbols. While KDE 3.0 visually very similar to the previous versions have had, some in movement continued with the release of KDE 3.1. The ceramic-theme could provide in conjunction with the new Crystal symbols a stir and was declared to be the default theme in KDE 3.1. Strictly speaking there are no themes while under KDE, but you can distinguish the window edge between window decorations, practically and in first place in the design of the window title, as well as the styles which may affect the appearance of each element of the UI, so including buttons,. What is more, that are various color profiles to choose from, which have effect on the window decoration, as well as the styles. Because you can create color profiles also by hand, no one can complain about lack of choices.

The ceramic style and the associated window decoration was minimal change in KDE 3.2, understanding has not changed however. New is the highly acclaimed by many plastic style that also comes with an own window decoration and color profile. There were many voices, the default in KDE 3.2 to make plastic, since many ceramic seems simply too powerful and puffed up. This impression is caused above all by the manifest 3D effects, in contrast to plastic is almost already extremely sparingly and restrained. In return can make it by dividing lines for a clear distinction between menu bars and toolbars, what part is faulted on ceramic. It is because that in KDE 3.2 ceramic however remains the default style, that you would like to replace the default theme with every release. Also, the aspect that some documentation at the time of the recording of plastic screenshots were made already and you again would have to make them, has spoken against a change of the default style.

As mentioned at the beginning of this section, a lot has happened in the symbols or icons. The Crystal icons with KDE 3.1 introduced were nearly completed, meaning that you will encounter icons right in the image hardly not right, for which no crystal-version is available. Even if the icon set now is called “Crystal SVG”, the icons are available after character in the PNG and not in SVG (scaleable vector graphics) format. In other words, there are still several versions of icons for the different sizes. The confusing name should probably suggest that the icons in the SVG format have been created, but then were exported as PNGs. Total Crystal can in any case fully convince the icons there are almost always suspend anything. So among other things in this article in some sections to relief are used icons from the Crystal set. Currently compete but prakktisch two different versions of Crystal, because the symbols included in KDE 3.2 are some fundamentally different over those in the separate archives. If you would like to make the desktop for kids appealing, should view more precisely the children or kids set, which strongly to Crystal remembers, was created by the same artist and completely new to KDE 3.2 is.

However it is incomprehensible why some of the icon sets supplied with KDE work rather old and also it. There are some other sparkling and Noia fresh alternatives. The same applies to the styles, there is a very wide range, but many are simply not more up to date. This statement must be interpreted in no way, that special high-contrast styles for visually impaired people to be removed, but a shot deserved beispielsweiseAlloy probably more than the ratings of users on KDE-look effect.

View

At this point, we want to dare a view of upcoming events, even if they do not directly have anything to do with KDE, because they may affect the future UNIX desktop all of them.

Separate KDE PIM release

A KDE release include many and especially complex applications. At some point of time where no new features added, but only fixed are allowed, so that there are not many problems with the new version comes. The KDE-PIM needed but still a bit more time package, to fully implement all the new features. Therefore a separate KDE PIM will be likely to in the may release, which then some interesting features are to be supplied, including the following:

• KMail: HTML mail composing, client-side IMAP filters, spam filter Setup Wizard, full-text search index
• KPilot integration in Kontact (synchronization between Palm and KDE calendar and address book)
• KitchenSync (calendar and address book synchronization between several PCs)
• Kolab (groupware software, i.e. emails, calendar etc. are centrally on a server for multiple clients made available)

The ability to create HTML email in KMail, is the most geforderte feature at all at the moment. That it so far not been implemented, is probably in the first place because that many developers of think that text messages are sufficient and preferred implementing known features, which you yourself would like to use or where you can see at least some sense. The implementation will look like this, that in addition to the HTML version, a plain text version of the message in the email is sent so that really no one can complain.

New Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin, which simply was stamped in the German translation by KDE as a trash can is a theme which would attention recently on one of the KDE mailing lists. Because currently, the common KDE trash can has a glaring weakness. Namely, he can accommodate two files with the same name, because he simply is a normal folder like any other. On the mailing list, a developer announced to want to program an application with basic functionality for a “real” Recycle Bin. It should be expected also used by GNOME, so that one may expect desktop cross-uniform trash features what would mark a further step in cooperation between KDE and GNOME. At the moment is however still no telling whether this innovation as planned can be implemented in the next release of KDE.

Fuse KIO

What did you imagine this obscure name again? Anyone who has read the file management section, will know what a KIO slave. Again for the record, it is so to speak, subroutines which allow all KDE applications, access to all files, regardless of whether they are local to the hard drive, via HTTP, FTP, SSH or otherwise accessible. As far as the theory in practice is it however often with applications be confronted, based not on the KDE libraries, such as StarOffice, Mozilla, or the GIMP, to name three prominent representatives of this Guild. A fuse KIO slave is what the advertised prefix “Filesystem in userspace” suggests, a background daemon which provides access to KIO-slaves among others from the just mentioned applications and contrary to all other file systems not directly directly in the kernel is built. So you can make/home / [username] / myftp/FTP Server refer to, for example, the directory, ohnedass that to accessing applications or processes this noticed adapted even to KIO-slaves be or would have to. The integration of non-local directories to work already, because the implementation is only appeared within the last few weeks, there was no chance more to include them in KDE 3.2. If you would like to inform about the exact procedure to set up and advanced features, should lead to this website to read.

Segusoland

Behind this very strange name hides a very interesting concept, should prevail there, that could disappear from the traditional desktop image. Currently it is however worth to be mentioned as separate application realized and is probably still the ideas behind it moreover are far from its final State.

Segusoland sets with a frequently encountered problem, namely that computer users organize of their files in folders either are overwhelmed or simply spend no time want or can. No one soon takes off in the resulting chaos that almost all of the files like they still to be different, be frolicking in the same folder, the personal folder of the user,. Segusoland combat this not the cause, but sought the consequences as tolerable to make.

The principle pursued thereby, intelligent option narrowing, works as follows. You select from a list of installed programs such as the the GIMP image manipulation program. Then, all files that are not images, be sorted out in the list of existing files. You selected a picture from this list, now you can see the possible actions, such as opening or printing in a third list. By selecting a program, so only still the relevant files are displayed by selecting a file to enable the execution of actions. The other way around works as well, you can, for example, first a file or select an action, whereupon the irrelevant entries are removed from the other collections.

There are also two other, less important, but equally useful lists. On the one hand, that would be the list of devices, in which can be achieved by selecting the printer for example, that all programs that nothing can be printed out, kicked out of the program listing. So, the opportunities offered by Segusoland, correspond to the forms of reasoning of the human brain. If you would like to print somewhere existing thumbnail, it makes sense, first select the printer, this excludes many coming to print out of the question files from vorherein and is therefore a less extensive list must root and fast reach the goal. Alternatively, you could also first select the file, and then select the print action, it just depends on how it is believed to be able to get the job done faster.

The fifth and final collection contains several times, by default, the entry “Now” is selected there. You select for example “in 15 minutes”, one can plan actions in advance, for example, in 15 minutes the computer off automatically, to hear something to music up to that time during the Einschlafens. Should establish the concept itself likely further application possibilities are apparent.

The concept sounds so very interesting and could make managing files with the computer a lot easier. Questionable attempts however, is what role just folders and files you want to play to circumvent the problem of Segusoland. So no doubt currently apparently still whether and how much folder in Segusoland to play a role. The possibility could be here interesting also to affect the file collection by selecting a folder from a drop down menu. Therefore, the files would be to the user is not forced to organize, but would be open to the possibility and also by pre-selected of folder would be intelligent option narrowing possible!

Another open question is how to integrate Segusoland in KDE. As a separate application, it would get probably not enough attention. Therefore, the suggestion was made to use Segusoland as a replacement for the desktop that is always present in the background, it would be. Perhaps, but also the integration as a kind of couldn’t be would large sidebar so that Segusoland becomes automatically visible as soon as you move the mouse, for example, at the top of the screen. Alternatively could be right next to, or if it makes quite radical the incision instead of the KDE-start button a Segusoland button are placed. The concept of Segusoland sounds at least very promising, even though power users will be averse to any first and still want to manage their files in the classical style. You can find more examples on the Segusoland tutorial page.

FreeDesktop XServer

For years, XFree86 is the only practical way to represent graphical user interfaces. It represents the basic functionalities for desktop environments like KDE. In recent years the reputation has become several times loud for a replacement for XFree86, as this project could no longer keep up with the requirements of modern desktops. One of the most popular features, will be missed until today, is the native support for transparency. Because all transparency effects that you can get on a desktop system based on XFree86 to see nowadays, as it were cheating. Would like an application transparent to make as their background, must she virtually on a regular basis make screenshots of the desktop, draw their interface on this and submit the X server to display. This is not particularly efficient, a server-side solution to this problem would be desirable.

The comparatively high memory consumption has so far spoken against an implementation of transparency. This is easily explained, as you get to see it on the screen because instead of merely a fully composite image that looks, must have also individually in memory the contents of each window the XServer, order to be able to position them then. Finally those applications that are partly or hidden entirely by others, but by moving a window visible, should need to redraw their window content for the uncovered areas not with every movement by a few pixels, although it very probably not changes. At this point, you can see that clearly a weakness of XFree86. Konqueror needs such as the relatively long to redraw the window content. If you move back and forth, another window of Konqueror window is you get to see artifacts, because Konqueror not so often can redraw the window contents, revealed as other areas of the window. The adjacent screenshot shows this.

That a realization is nowadays however no wishful, Keith Packard has demonstrated at the end of 2003 with his developed within the initiative FreeDesktop.org XServer. This supports already window shadow and transparency effects and even if you can the XServer currently at best as experimental, many in it see the future of graphical user interfaces in the UNIX world. As already mentioned, the XServer keeps the content of every single window in addition to the whole image in memory, eliminating the repeated redrawing of the window contents when moving a window. Currently you working among other things, to hand over the composition of each window to a picture the graphics cards, which can this faster than the CPUs much. This one is however dependent on the support of the hardware manufacturers and in particular nVidia has mildly expressed in this regard in the past, shown little cooperative. While there are quite high-quality of the nVidia drivers for Linux, these are available but not in the source code and can thus be adapted not to the needs of XServers. The XServer should establish itself will create nVidia certainly by hand for remedy, at least in part published the specifications to create an open source driver at this stage would be more than desirable.

Because the problem of new XServers is currently the performance. Changing the window size is excruciatingly slow performed and also the speed with which Windows move can is far from satisfactory, especially if you make a window transparent. While small window still liquid move, you will notice a significant delay in larger Windows. It remains to be seen whether at this point more tweaks on the XServer code can make a difference, or whether it is ultimately dependent on hardware acceleration. Due to problems with newer versions of the composite extension, which controls the composition of each window, we had to resort to a relatively old version of the end of November 2003 and therefore can not judge whether now something has happened.

Conclusion

KDE 3.2 is a major step forward towards KDE 3.1 in almost all areas. While Konqueror 3.1 only conditionally categorisation could be referred to as, Konqueror 3.2 with a few exceptions can properly represent all Web pages and is also faster than ever before. Also the desktop as a whole gives this impression, be simply faster responses to user input and add then Linux 2.6 with its UN-hip improvements, you get a very response-minded desktop environment. As can be seen first and foremost on Kopete, Kate and Kontact, the applications for themselves have made taken great progress and opening new opportunities. As regards stability, so can the judgment only positively stand out. To Konqueror, also very rare and not reproducible, no application has crashed.

But there is plenty of room for improvement, which often lie in detail, give away but nevertheless much potential also, attentive readers should have noticed, such as, for example, the global sidebar. The mentioned usability weaknesses must be worked on further, probably at the moment are one of the main arguments against KDE. Because the referred to inconvenience but also in KDE 3.1 were present or were only introduced in KDE 3.2 new applications, upgrade alone due to the speed improvements in each case should be useful for users of KDE 3.1.

As the last sections have shown, that suggests near future a lot of progress, there will be for the first time support for the creation of HTML E-Mails, also the new XServer could improve medium or long term the desktop experience. With Segusoland, an attempt is made fundamentally transforming the management of files. KDE 3.2 can convince largely and the future looks promising also!

Annex

Establishment of mouse gestures

[left][/ left]You can find KHotkeys in the control panel under “regional settings & access AIDS”, both as a separate application, by one enters after the pressing of ALT + F2 in the input field “KHotkeys”. Already predefined mouse gestures in Konqueror are not enabled in the factory and you must activate them all individually, as well as a group. This one simply disabled the “disable” checkboxes for all four activities: back, forward, new load and up and applies the settings by clicking on “Apply”. Now you can test the mouse gestures in Konqueror. To do this, one holding the middle mouse button down and moving the mouse then to the right, and while it still holds middle mouse button down again to the left, thus doing the “back” action.

If this first attempt fails, so it helps may understand how KDE mouse gestures are recognized and interpreted. Internally, KDE stores any defined mouse gesture as a sequence of gestures on a 3 x 3 fields large grid. A number is assigned to each field, as well as is the case on the numeric keypad of any commercially available keyboard. So the gesture is, for example, defined as a movement of the digits 1-2-3-6-9-8-7-4-1 “Reload”. In particular this gesture fails slightly because one is inclined, as the predefined gestures in KHotkeys, described a circle rather than to draw a square on the screen. Here is certainly still room for improvement in next versions of KDE.

Let us but now referred to the input device of an own gesture, to jump to the next song in the playlist. To do this, you click on the button labeled “New action” and gives it a more meaningful name then, for example “Next song”. It leaves the type of action in the overview – “Generic”. Then one enters the “Trigger” tab, click on “New” and selects the entry “Gestural triggers” in the menu that appears. Will appear a window in which to draw the gesture. We choose a movement that leads across the fields of 7-4-1-2-3.

Now we have not defined but still, what action to take. Here is a seemingly infinite number of possibilities and this flexibility comes at a price unfortunately, because for the newcomers, it will be difficult to locate the desired action. All KDE applications communicate internally with DCOP (desktop communication protocol). To get an overview of the possibilities, you start the program KDCOP, by one after you press ALT + F2 ‘kdcop’ in the command field types.

You can see a collection of all running KDE applications, which you can pass using DCOP commands. Including the mentioned Jukebox JuK. There when you open the entry “Player”, and then you all possible commands listed get, among other things the you’re looking for “forward”. Where do you need this newfound information? You will select in KHotkeys, the tab actions, there click on the button “New” and selects from the menu of DCOP call. There, to make the following information, which you can see also the accompanying screenshot:

• Program on third-party computer: juk
• Object on foreign machine: Player
• Called function: forward

Then, you close all open dialogs by clicking on “OK” and can test the new mouse gesture. Should you be, seduced before loud test to skip directly to even the best songs, you could consider similar add a mouse gesture to the jumping back in the queue, what the reader as little challenge to the deepening of the newly acquired knowledge can be seen.