MX Linux Forum

The only version of KDE I know of in wheezy, (the default repos setup with MX14) is 4.8.5. Other versions can be installed with synaptic by enabling other repos, which is not covered in the install manual and I suggest should not be.

I missed that nicety when I reviewed it, and read it as synaptic could be used with the appropriate repos added.

<never mind>

Do you mean a list of what packages are installed?

No, I mean an instruction how to right-click packages in synaptic to get a list. It's very easy to install recommended and suggested packages that way.
Henry

Utopia wrote:

Do you mean a list of what packages are installed?

No, I mean an instruction how to right-click packages in synaptic to get a list. It's very easy to install recommended and suggested packages that way.
Henry

I guess I do not fully understand. That technique is not specific to KDE, and I am not sure how it would fit in with that section. Do you think we should list recommended KDE packages, like the K3b suggestion, or Gimp, etc.?

One important consideration for KDE installs is the default display manager, not for loading KDE from a fresh boot or restart, but for correctly rendering the login screen after logging out of an active desktop session when a basic driver is used for a graphics chip that needs a proprietary or specific driver to function properly.

Some chipset based nvidia and ati chips fail to render the kdm login screen after logging out of an active session and the user is left with a black screen with nothing but a cursor. The contents of the KDM login/greeter are still there, but they are not rendered. It is possible to find the entry fields by moving the cursor to where the user name and password fields should be, (the arrow changes when it passes over a text input field) type in a user name, press tab type in the password and hit return to login to KDE again, but it could be quite unnerving for some and they would think their system has crashed.

To avoid this, during the kde installation, I recommend the user choose lightdm instead of kdm when asked what default display manager (or greeter, can't remember exactly) should be used. When the correct graphics driver is loaded, this behaviour never happens and I have never seen it on an Intel graphics build.

Also, the blurb about 4.8.5 being older than the current stable 4.14.3 for wheezy is a bit confusing. Do we not have 4.8.4 and Jessie has 4.11.11?

I guess I do not fully understand

I meant that after installing KDE, people should check that they have all the packages needed. You get a very basic kde with limited capabilities unless you get recommended and suggested for your most used apps.
This was meant for newbies.
Henry

Utopia wrote:

I guess I do not fully understand

I meant that after installing KDE, people should check that they have all the packages needed. You get a very basic kde with limited capabilities unless you get recommended and suggested for your most used apps.
This was meant for newbies.
Henry

Understand. Perhaps more clarity should be added regarding the versions. KDE standard gives quite a full KDE version. I used the guide to install the standard version and have a "full" KDE install. Beyond that specific packages one may want, like Gimp are totally up to the user as is the case in most KDE distros.

KDE Lite is the basic version, but I assumed people who choose that have an understanding of what additional packages may need to be installed.

I would not be sure what specific KDE package in Synaptic would need to use the technique you suggest for recommends and suggested for the Lite version. Perhaps someone else does.

Do you think we should list recommended KDE packages

Difficult to write a list as the users have different needs. Only wanted a reminder in the manual, that if they can't do exactly what they want in KDE, they should look among the recommended and suggested packages.
Henry

Edited the how to to read, which will be posted later today,

The options for installing KDE4 using MX package Installer are
kde-standard package, A debian selection of common applications
kde-lite package, This is a minimalist plasma desktop install. You have to install all end-user applications later.(this is not recommended for newbies to KDE4)

The options for installing KDE4 using Synaptic are,
kde-full, package, The standard/upstream Debian release
kde-standard, package A debian selection of common applications
kde-plasma-desktop, package. This is a minimalist plasma desktop install. You have to install all end-user applications later.(this is not recommended for newbies to KDE4)
kde-plasma-netbook, package. This is a minimalist plasma netbook install. You have to install all end-user applications later.(this is not recommended for newbies To KDE4)
(kde-plasma-netbook also makes the Search & Launch Desktop available in a kde-standard and kde-plasma-desktop install)

@Danum. This is a better explanation of the options.