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I'm looking for a distribution that allows you to use KDE to control any aspect of your system. It should also have taken care of things like theming GTK applications so they do not look out of place when run under KDE. It goes without saying that crashes while using KDE should be zero.

In other words, I'm looking for a distribution that feels like it was made with KDE in mind from the ground up. I've tried Kubuntu and honestly, KDE feels like a second class citizen there. I'm talking an experience similar or better than OpenSuse 11.2. I'm talking a KDE distribution with not just the kinks ironed out, but one with polish.

Does this bring any distribution to mind?

asked 11 May '10, 20:21

carleeto's gravatar image

carleeto
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accept rate: 0%

edited 11 May '10, 22:29

olejorgenb's gravatar image

olejorgenb
614

UPDATE: I am now on OpenSuse 11.3. That's KDE 4.4.4 with complete control over your system from within KDE. The bar is now MUCH higher and unless there is something that at least a few people are in agreement that is WAY better than OpenSuse, I'm going to stick with it for now, while keeping an eye on Slackware, Mandriva and PCLinuxOS. Thank you all for your replies.

(01 Jun '10, 22:04) carleeto



12next »

PClinuxOS is super user-friendly, not bloated,easy to install and administer. It runs as a live distribution so you can verify that all your hardware works properly and the install routine runs from the livecd's desktop. It uses many of Mandriva's configuration tools and it is a RPM based distro that uses URPMI to install software while automatically choosing and installing all dependencies in a way, it works very similarly to APT in debian based distro's. PClinuxOS also uses Synaptic for it's software installer, it is a very nice gui based installer that also maintains the list of chosen repositories as well as making it easy for the average user to add repositories.The KDE desktop is very polished and will impress you with the sane decisions That Texstar and his team made when configuring it.

here is the download link for the KDE 4.x version:

http://pclinuxos.com/?page_id=180

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answered 12 May '10, 00:41

madpuppy's gravatar image

madpuppy
1624
accept rate: 10%

Download http://Slax.org and you'll be up and running in 15 minutes - everything plug and play.

(24 May '10, 22:59) tallship

I know many KDE users who swear by Mandriva.

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answered 12 May '10, 21:01

Sander%20Marechal's gravatar image

Sander Marechal
398116
accept rate: 29%

Interesting. Thanks! Funnily, the first distro I tried back in the day was good 'ol Mandrake Linux :)

(18 May '10, 06:41) carleeto

I agree with Sander Marechal. Mandriva 2010 Spring has about the best use of KDE I've seen and I am a world class Distro-hoper Mandriva allows you to make maximum use of KDE and yet can be very Vanilla if you prefer.

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answered 13 May '10, 01:38

FewClues's gravatar image

FewClues
249129
accept rate: 5%

I have to be another that suggests OpenSuse 11.2 KDE. My wife uses it on her Dell Inspiron laptop circa 2003 and it is a smooth, gorgeous experience. I have also run it on my Asus EEE. Rock solid and a great user community. Cheers.

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answered 13 May '10, 02:01

Freshmeadow's gravatar image

Freshmeadow
711
accept rate: 0%

Slackware. Nuff Said.

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answered 16 May '10, 18:16

Bob's gravatar image

Bob
511
accept rate: 0%

yup :) indeed :)

(24 May '10, 23:04) tallship

opensuse, i think is one of the first distros adopting this Desktop Manager...

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answered 11 May '10, 22:41

Jonathan's gravatar image

Jonathan
311
accept rate: 0%

Mandriva is my distro of choice !

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answered 13 May '10, 06:15

Ken%201's gravatar image

Ken 1
311
accept rate: 0%

I think what you're actually looking for is SuSe. Several people have already pointed you in this direction and you even eluded to it in your opening post as looking for something 'similar or..."

Since you've already found the out of the box distro that comes closest to meeting your needs, the only other suggestions I can offer are:

1.) roll your own distro (This will, eventually, provide you with EXACTLY what you are looking for

or...

2.) Use Slackware Linux - which deeply bases its GUI on KDE, and having abandoned direct support for GNOME some time ago.

That having been said, There are GNOME endeavors specifically for Slackware, and integrating the parts of GNOME you want are simple anyway, provided you pick and choose which applications you want to use as part of your platform.

For instance, you can re-roll Slackware with all of the specific software packages that you want (if you're into mass-deployment of desktops) and then simply making that the default install of apps (see: cooking up some slack).

You can remove any of the other window managers, applications you don't want, and include all of the GNOME apps that you do, if they're not already included.

For simple deployment of additional applications, you can create small scripts which will install (via your so-called 'control-panel' within KDE) on the fly across all of the machines you have mass deployed from a central NFS repository, for example, of SlackBuilds - such installations typically take about two to six seconds.

Slackware Linux is available at: http://Slackware.com

or...

3.) Deploy Sorcerer Linux

This is a very unique, and completely self-automating distribution that installs ALL system and application software from the respective actual software publisher's download repositories initially, and then, on a regular basis that you determine, continually updates by downloading, patching, compiling, and redeploying ALL of the software on your system regularly.

Instead of simply downloading KDE, for example, all over again on the day that a new KDE release is available, delta patches are downloaded, considerably reducing the amount of download traffic and accelerating the update process.

Imagine, you go to bed one day and the very next day you wake up with the latest and greatest KDE already downloaded, compiled for the most optimal performance for the particular hardware on your machine, installed, and available. No reboots, no intervention on your part.

installing new software is as simple as typing the following on the command line:

cast kde

In a little bit, the latest KDE is installed.

Sorcerer Linux is available at: http://Sorcerer.Silverice.org

Hope that helps :)

Kindest regards,

Bradley

.

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answered 14 May '10, 21:14

tallship's gravatar image

tallship
390111
accept rate: 20%

I'm not a fan of Kubuntu. It is always bloated and runs slow for some reason on every distribution I have tried. Go with Slackware.

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answered 17 May '10, 01:25

GougeMan's gravatar image

GougeMan
311
accept rate: 0%

I concur wholeheartedly

(24 May '10, 23:02) tallship

Hye,

I'm discovering KDE trough SLACKWARE, and LINUX trought SLACKWARE.

:-) NjB )

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answered 18 May '10, 04:32

NjB's gravatar image

NjB
311
accept rate: 0%

And it's really one of the very fewest ways (aside from Gentoo or LFS) that you're really going to learn UNIX the way it really is :)

Great post!

(24 May '10, 23:01) tallship
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Asked: 11 May '10, 20:21

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Last updated: 13 Jun '10, 20:04

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