How to start KDE5? Where are the docs?

[Duncan]

Bernt posted on Tue, 05 Jul 2016 09:32:57 +0200 as excerpted:

> as I did (successfully) with KDE4 I now try to install KDE5 from
> sources.
> 
> I managed to compile and install to ${KDE} frameworks-5.23,
> plasma-5.6.5 and several of the applications-16.04.2 (kernel-4.4.14,
> qt-5.6.1, gcc-5.3)
> 
> Only now, when I try to execute "${KDE}/bin/startkde"
> from a terminal window, no windowmanager or desktopsystem running, the
> only thing that happens:
> the background becomes black and then nothing more...
> (of course there are many log-lines in the terminal)
> 
> So obviously I need to find some docs how to start KDE5,
> like what script(s) to start (startkde?), which environment variable(s)
> to set (and what they mean) and whatever things more to follow.
> Only I was not able to find such a guide/howto/whatever.
> 
> Can someone please point me to the correct place?

FWIW, I run gentoo, and had a similar issue with kde5 aka plasma5 for 
quite some time, tho it's fixed now.

Tho I run startx from a text-VT login with no X running at all, but with 
startkde started (execed) from /etc/X11/Xclients  (which is one of 
several files xsession tries to run if a proper session isn't setup by a 
file earlier in the list, with xsession in turn run by startx...).

Unfortunately, that doesn't answer your question, because I don't /know/ 
the answer, but at least I can post of having a similar problem with 
earlier versions of plasma5, until both upstream kde and gentoo got their 
stuff sorted out.


The other thing I can do, since you're building from sources, is point 
you at the developer docs, which is where most of that sort of 
documentation is, since they don't expect normal users to be building 
from sources.

That used to be at techbase.kde.org, but it appears it's now at 
community.kde.org.  Let's see if I can find a direct link to the build-
from-sources info...

https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Build_from_source

You probably will have done much of the building already, but the 
troubleshooting may be helpful, and you may want to review the build 
steps to see if you missed something.


As for your related questions, unlike with the upgrade from kde3 to kde4, 
they're taking it more gradually this time, and individual projects are 
releasing kde5 versions when they feel ready.  In the mean time, various 
kde-based apps remain kde4-based, and okular is one such app.  That's why 
it's still wanting kde4 stuff.  ATM, a full kde5 environment still 
requires kdelibs in particular, as apps that haven't been ported to kde5 
yet will still use it.

As for kwin5, you'll probably stick with kwin_x11 for now, assuming of 
course you're still running on X.  The wayland port is said to be 
maturing, but not yet ready for normal users.  If you want to try it, of 
course you will need wayland and friends, tho at least here, I ended up 
needing much of that installed as build deps for kwin and friends anyway, 
even if it's not really used yet.

FWIW I've not yet personally explored how to run plasma in wayland, but 
from what I read, yes, you will need xwayland, etc, for anything that 
hasn't been kde-frameworks-5 ported yet, in ordered to run the still X-
based stuff in a rootless X window on wayland.  Of course you'll need it 
for any non-kde X-based apps as well.

There's likely to be more documentation on that sort of thing on the 
above community.kde.org site, tho I'd guess anything that's there will be 
developer oriented, at present.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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