KDE plasma desktop

[Matthew1980]

Hello all,

Getting fed up with my windows install and the fact that it wont let me format the partitions that I want to, I am intrigued by this KDE desktop because the screenshots look really nice.

I would like to know how to go about getting the 'ISO' image for this; or even the installer for it..

I am a total noob when it comes to anything other than windows based systems, and I want to try something different.

So if someone can tell me how to get the ISO image so that I can overwrite windows, that would be great.

Cheers,
MRb

[dstiles]

Go to the Ubuntu site (if you want a Ubuntu based OS). They not only provide downloads of the two latest versions of Ubuntu (the x.04 version is often preferred over the x.10 version) but they also provide a good Windows DVD writer to burn a DVD for installation.

You can install part or all of KDE on top of the basic OS - I use perhaps a dozen K apps and several gnome ones.

A week or so ago there was a thread that recommended using Mint - I recommend reading that and a few other threads here. I haven't tried Mint but it comes well recommended.

There are other Linux varieties that run KDE but Ubuntu seems to be popular and as a recent Windows user I find it works well for me. Actually, I still have to use Windows but mostly as web servers - I comment on that elsewhere in this forum.

[graeme_p]

Ubuntu and Ubuntu based distros tend not to do KDE desktops well (individual KDE apps work fine).

I have tried the following with satisfactory results. All have pros and cons:

Mandriva
Mepis
PCLinuxOS

There a a few others that sound good that I have not tried.

[Matthew1980]

Hello all,

Well, spent most of today getting this KDE plasma desktop working; I had no idea that it was something that you installed on top of ubuntu, fortunately though now I seem to have got everything working as I would expect it too - the bes thing as I can find though, is the sheer customizability of every little thing, it's a really classy thing IMO.

I would like to know however, I have documents in excel that I need to use, I have heard that open office is the preferred thing, but I can't help but wonder if there is anything else out there that does similar?

Thanks for all the pointers anyway.

I shall see how I get on, but for the moment, I shall remain a dual boot until I am completely satisfied that this is the correct move for me.

Cheers,
MRb

[dstiles]

I do not use Office products much at all but I've read straightforward CSV and Excel files into OO without problems and Word files seem ok - power users may have a different take on this.

My primary use of MS Office is Access database (used extensively for web sites, not for office use). OO does not like these at all. I cannot find any replacement for Access, although I understand OO database works fine with newly created OO db files. I use MDBviewer to look into Access files but that does not solve anything.

[graeme_p]

Open Office is probably the best. Gumeric is lighter but more likely to fail on some files.

Matthew, how did you install? Ubuntu and then KDE on top, or did you install Kubuntu which has KDE by default?

KDE is amazingly customisable and easily so. All the major Linux desktop environments are very customisable but most are more difficult to customise than KDE - especially lightweight ones which require editing config files.

[Matthew1980]

@graeme_p

Well, I got the ISO image from the ubuntu site, followed a tutorial that I found on how to install KDE, and I then learned that gnome/KDE are what as know as 'Sessions', and when I got the KDE plasma desktop from the synaptic package manager/software update center, I just followed the instructions and installed the files that way.

Then when I rebooted, I was given the option of Gnome/KDE - and selected KDE, which I find aesthetically pleasing and very easy to use. I just can't believe as it's free!

I tried to get open office, but for some reason, after I installed it, it's not come up in any menu anywhere, I'm using something called 'Libre' as this is the default option.

Kubuntu is the splash screen I get on boot, so I guess that means I am running Kubuntu which is essentially just Ubuntu with the KDE environment selected.

Makes me laugh now, as the only issue I have had up to yet is: I can't get my phpmyadmin to function correctly, I can't find the correct config.inc.php file anywhere that enables me to state that I have set a main password for the root.

Ah well, sun's out, bank holiday tomorrow, and I don't want to sit in front of my laptop for too long.

Cheers,
MRb

[graeme_p]

Ubuntu ISO followed by installing KDE is not exactly the same as installing from the Kubuntu ISO: there are differences in the applications and components installed.

If you installed kubuntu-desktop you have all stuff installed by the Gnome desktop AND all the stuff from the Kubuntu stuff.

If you installed another KDE package you have the Ubuntu Gnome stuff plus a subset of the Kubuntu stuff.

Not sure of the details because I have not used Ubuntu for a while

[graeme_p]

Libre Office is a fork of Open Office supported by most of the major distros.