April 2008

From KDE Apps:

Version 0.9.4 of Smb4K, the Windows/Samba share browser for KDE, has been released. Changes:

• Smb4KGlobal::timer() is now deprecated.
• The core classes now use QObject::timerEvent() instead of a connection to Smb4KGlobal::timer().
• Smb4K will try to launch the wallet manager before it opens the wallet. This should prevent it from hanging on start-up.
• If the digital wallet could not be opened, KWallet support won't be disabled completely but only for the current session.
• Fixed blocking of tooltips in the network browser.
• Fixed invalid check in the network browser's tool tip code.
• Simplified code in smb4k_cat. Bumped version to 0.8.
• Fixed disabled configuration dialog when another user edited the same system file.
• Fixed wrong path when the strings "cifs" or "smbfs" were part of the mount point name.
• Fixed unrecognized authentication error when querying the workgroup master browser for the workgroup members.
• Fixed flickering of items in the shares views.
• Applied patch by Dirk Mueller that installs the configuration dialog as KDE module.

Screenshots here, downloads (source only, with links to third-party binaries) here. Requires KDE/Qt 3.3 and Samba 3.

Mark Summerfield (of C++ GUI Programming fame) has written an introductory article on using the PyQt Undo framework. The four-page feature is at InformIT.

Version 8.04 (i.e. April 2008, codenamed Hardy Heron or just 'hardy' for package management purposes) of Kubuntu, the version of Ubuntu with a KDE desktop, has been released. This comes in two flavours, the mainstream version with KDE 3.5.9 and a "remix" with KDE 4.0.3. Unlike the GNOME-based version, simply called Ubuntu, this does not come with long-term support. Important new features in this version:

• KDE 3.5.9 or 4.0.3
• Easy enablement of Compiz desktop effects in KDE 3
• Amarok v1.4.9.1
• Automatic installation of codecs in Kaffeine
• Wubi, a program for installing Ubuntu like a Windows application without repartitioning (although it runs from the boot menu)
• Ability to encrypt filesystems (other than /boot)
• Support for writing to NTFS filesystems
• User-mountable drive support
• Bulletproof X, a failsafe mode for X11
• A power management module in Guidance (KDE 3)

Downloads are available here or you can buy or order through Shipit; APT upgrade instructions here. The main Ubuntu announcement is here and you can download that here.

Adopt a KDE Util as your baby

KDE Developer Friedrich Kossebau has published a list of KDE Utils projects which are without proper maintainers. Some of them have been ported from KDE 3 to 4 and others are in limbo and won't compile. The former category includes kcharselect (character selector), kdessh (SSH front-end), KFloppy, KTimer (to schedule the execution of a program), KWallet (the password manager) and Sweeper ("cleans unwanted traces the user leaves on the system"), and kregexpedit. Anyone interested should subscribe to the KDE development mailing list and introduce themselves.

Kubuntu Release Candidate announcement

A release candidate of the upcoming version of Kubuntu, the version of Ubuntu with a KDE desktop, has been released. Version 8.04 (Hardy Heron) has a choice of version 3.5.9 or 4.0.3 of KDE and, unlike the mainstream Ubuntu, with a GNOME desktop, will not be a long-term support (LTS) release. Major changes since the beta:

• KDE 4.0.3 (was 4.0.2)
• Amarok v1.4.9.1 (was 1.4.8)
• Power management module in Guidance

For a list of major new features in Hardy, see the announcement linked above; screenshots are there also (and here). The announcement also has download instructions and links.

From KDE Apps:

Version 1.3.1 of Kommander, a dialog authoring application for KDE, has been released. Changes include:

• Now has a snippet database manager on the Tools::Editor menu
• added cut, copy and paste to editor popup menu
• added test geometry function to buttons for popup use
• boolean execute slot for scripts
• several improvements to tree/detail widget
• added "lost focus" signal to text edits and line edits
• bug fixes

Full changelog here. Screenshots here, downloads (source only) here. Requires KDE 3.4.

From KDE Dot News:

The KDE BugSquad are holding a BugDay this coming Sunday (midnight to midnight UTC). Participants should have a recent version of KDE 4 (or 3.5.9) and do not need programming experience. Join #kde-bugs on irc.freenode.net for details. There is also a mailing list.

From Qt Apps:

Version 0.9.5 of QtiPlot, a data analysis and scientific plotting application similar to Origin, has been released. Changes:

• Implemented automatic column values recalculation in tables.
• Improved the behavior of the Fit Wizard. Added a new built-in linear fit without the constant term.
• Improvements to the multilayer plots and to the Python script interface. Now you can create a 3x2 grid of 2D plots with a single line of code: newGraph("Title", 6, 3, 2).
• Fixed crash when importing ASCII to matrices.
• Fixed copy/paste in tables.

Screenshots linked off home page; downloads (source, with binaries for all supported platforms available in return for a maintenance contract) here. Requires Qt 4.2.

Qt Centre have announced their programming contest for 2008, sponsored by KDAB, Integrated Computer Solutions, Trolltech, BitRock, Thorsen Consulting, APress and basysKom. The contest starts today, registration closes 31st May and the contest finishes on 30th September. Categories are collaboration tools (this includes the likes of version control and chat clients), science and education software, project management, automation, products demonstrating Qt, a KDE 4 Plasmoid, and a category for any new application developed for the contest. Rules are here.