Missing configurability in KDE4

[Joshua J. Berry]

It sounds to me like you're not aware of the path KDE 4 development has 
taken.  I've been following it fairly closely, so I'll try to summarize 
(well, as best I can, not being a KDE dev myself).

KDE 4 has both revolutionary and evolutionary components.  The complaints 
you have raised are cases where devs looked at what was in 3.5 -- Kicker, 
KControl, the K menu, etc. -- and decided that from a technological 
standpoint, those components were evolutionary dead ends.  No more useful 
improvements could be made without doing exactly what has been done -- 
ripping out the old and starting fresh (with System Settings, Plasma, 
etc.).

This is not a case of developers purposefully removing functionality (though 
it appears that way to the end user).  This is a case of replacing what was 
there with something totally new.  It takes time to get the new components 
back up to the same level of feature-goodness as the old ones.

In short, the old components had to go.  They were holding KDE back and 
continuing to invest effort in them would have been futile and frustrating.

To the rest of your complaints, all I can say is: Suggest something better.  
Complaining, by itself, accomplishes nothing.

-- Josh


On Wednesday 20 February 2008 12:58:20 Sverre Moe wrote:
> Are KDE4 going to get the same level of configurability as KDE3.5?
>
> I have a few areas to pick on that could/should be improved.
> 1. The System Settings. Its fine that the developers are trying to
> simplify it, but please do not remove any configurability. KDE4 is
> supposed to be an upgrade, not an downgrade, so build on what is and not
> strip it down. Another thing is it would be easier to keep an overview of
> the settings and where you are with a tree view.
>
> 2. The start menu. Its caotic, crampt, small, irritating to scroll og
> click back and forth. Could you not improve om the flow layout instead of
> circumcising it. I have heard that the old menu could be used. Old menu!
> Why could the developers not improve on this one too?
>
> 3. Customization of the panels could be better. Don't hate me for saying
> it, but I like the way I have configured my menu in Windows og would like
> to have it likewise in Linux(I was able to do so in KDE3.5). This was
> impossible in KDE4. I like my panel with the application shortcuts above
> and all the opened applications below while the system tray remains at
> the right with complete time and date. I achieved this by creating a
> second panel where all the opened appliactions layed on while the other
> panel was on top.
>
> So please improve all you like, but do not cut down on what already is
> possible and what made KDE great.
>
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-- 
Joshua J. Berry

"I haven't lost my mind -- it's backed up on tape somewhere."
    -- /usr/games/fortune