[kde-linux] KDE 3 Beta

[John Layt]

On Saturday 27 October 2007, Ben Kevan wrote:
> This IS a _BETA_ release. Are you not sure the true meaning of a Beta
> release? On another note does anyone know if RC was tagged for release on
> the 30th?

It's tagged, but looks to now be called Beta 4, with the Dev Platform release 
at RC1 instead of final release.  We'll keep rolling out Beta's until it's 
ready for an RC.  That's KDE's traditional labelling.

For those wanting to play, I'd strongly suggest using the live CD, or your 
distros packages if they are reliable and complete (i.e. openSuse). If 
compiling from svn then please include extragear and playground before 
drawing conclusions on Plasma, as half of it is still in those modules until 
they are deemed ready.

KDE is more than just the Desktop, and is more than the 'official' project.  
Lets make it clear, there's 5 areas progressing in parallel but not always at 
the same rate:
1) The Dev Platform
2) The applications in core modules (over 150 of them)
3) the applications in koffice/extragear/playground (e.g Amarok, Digikam)
4) The applications outside svn
5) The *nix Desktop

Note that the apps are built on top of the Dev Platform and not the Desktop, 
but the Dev Platform needs the apps for feedback.  The Dev Platform has been 
at RC level for a few weeks now, most apps in the core modules are clearly in 
beta as well by anyones standards, koffice/extragear is futher behind as they 
have their own release schedules, and outside apps we have no influence over.  

The sole area of contention is the Plasma Desktop where the core plasma 
library stuff is beta but is missing some of the user visable stuff which 
will come quickly now thanks to the stable and powerful set of libs.  Makes 
sense really, you don't start putting on the roof and painting the house 
before you lay your foundations and build the walls.

A myth we need to dispel is that come 4.0 everything will be perfect, 
everything will be shiny new, everything will be finished.  That's not how 
open source works, that's not how KDE works.  This is not Vista or Leopard 
where a box ships and sits on the shelf largely unchanged for 5 years bar the 
odd SP or security patch.  

Release Early, Release Often: 4.0 is a base on which we will continue to 
build.  There's a lot of stuff that won't make it until 4.1, there's stuff 
that won't even make it until 4.2, there's outside apps that will never be 
ported.  We don't wait around for everything to be done or we'd never get a 
release out.

John.
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