15 November 2009

Kubuntu 9.10 / KDE 4.3.3 first impressions

  • Upgrade installer choked on finding out that python2.6 was already installed. Had to fall back on hardcore dpkg commands to fix it. I understand most "upgraders" had similar issues. -1
  • Keeps complaining that it can't find my uid-identified partitions straight away (slow HAL?). Considering it eventually manages to mount them just fine (and that the uid scheme was forced upon me by a previous Kubuntu), it just seems stupid. Any idea how I could stop the nagging? Meanwhile, -1
  • Sluggish. Maybe because KWin would crash on ATI drivers and I had to switch back to the free ones. -5
  • Eyecandy is fabulous, and very consistent. Much better than Vista.+1
  • Managed to recreate my old desktop setup almost flawlessly. Most 4.0 regressions due to Plasma have finally been addressed. +1
  • Many (most?) widgets are useless. Only few of them "get" what Plasma is about. I guess this will be fixed in time. +0
  • The Widget Dashboard, once you "get it", is fantastic. Makes things like Quick Launcher absolutely redundant. +1
  • Configuration utilities have been somewhat cleaned up, in a long-overdue effort. +1, but for the love of God stop with the Gnome-like zealotry.
  • Looks like KNetworkManager won't properly manage my wifi. Somewhat balanced by forcing people (me) to rediscover the joys of full-speed cabled access. Still, -1 (and I'm being generous)
  • KPackageKit finally gives us a Qt-based alternative to Synaptic. +1
  • the gmail-plasmoid. Never found a decent counterpart for 3.5. +1
  • UI to Power Management features is finally as good as anything in the Windows world. Maybe better. +1
  • Shortcuts every-flipping-where. One day, I might even use them. +1
  • Lots of good repositories for fresh software, without having to jump through hoops. And the ppa/apt-add-repository combo is a winner. +1

Total: +1. So I guess it was all worth.

(posted with this newfangled Bilbo / Blogilo thing. Could this be the day I get a decent blog-writing application?)

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