A Qt Blog

Linux Magazine has been released; it appeared in (at least some) WH Smith branches yesterday and arrived at my house today. It has SUSE Linux 10 on the cover DVD (and contrary to the assertion on the cover, it's not the full version, lacking Eclipse, KDevelop and XFce among probably many other things). There is also an interview with Klaus Knopper of Knoppix fame and a feature on the Kat desktop search tool. The main focus is on viruses and how concerned Linux users need be about them.

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The KDevelop team have announced that version 3.3 of their KDE-based multi-platform Integrated Development Environment has been released along with KDE 3.5. The main focus has been the improvement of the debugging facility and Qt 4 support; it now supports 15 programming languages. Binary downloads here, source downloads here, screenshots here, full announcement here, full changelog here.

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From KDE Look:

There is now a port of the GTK theme Clearlooks for KDE, ported by Joerg Koenig. Screenshots and downloads of the theme, currently at version 0.9.3, are available at the KDE Look link above. There are also RPMs for SUSE 9.1 through to 10, courtesy of "Guru", and packages of version 0.9.2 for Slackware.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 2.0.2 of KDbg, a KDE front-end to the GNU Debugger (gdb) which allows setting of breakpoints etc. through a GUI, has been released. This is a bug fix release; changelog is here. Screenshots here, source downloads and a link to a place with Debian packages here. Requires KDE (and obviously Qt); the site does not say which version.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

KDE 3.5 has been released! Major changes, according to the official announcement, include an ACID2-compliant Konqueror which also blocks adverts, SuperKaramba (a facility similar to OS X's Dashboard), and MSN and Yahoo webcam support in Kopete. A complete guide to new features, along with screenshots, can be found here. Packages are available for Arch, Kubuntu, Slackware and SUSE; it can also be built from source using Konstruct.

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Trolltech today reported on its website that from next Monday (5th December) it will be in new premises; its new mailing address will be Trolltech AS, Sandakerveien 116, PO Box 4332 Nydalen, NO-0402 Oslo. Their phone and fax numbers will remain unchanged. They say they have grown out of their current premises. Contact details for the new site will be found here as from the 5th.

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From KDE Apps:

An intermediate snapshot of KRadio has been released following the third beta, which provides bug-fixes for "nerving bugs like the tooooo big configuration dialog and high memory consumption". There may be more snapshots before the first release candidate (the author says he is very busy on other work). Screenshots here, downloads (source and out-of-date SUSE RPMs) here. Qt and KDE 3.2 each required; full list here.

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Trolltech today announced the release of Qtopia Phone Edition 2.2, described as "the first Linux-based Voice over IP (VoIP) software solution for mobile and wireless phones and converged media devices". Besides Qtopia's usual features, this version includes "a reference integration of an open source VoIP application using session initiation protocol (SIP) and a framework that gives customers flexibility in their choice of SIP stack". It also now includes dual display support, applicaiton transparency, GUI animations, additional SMS (text message) and email capabilities, live MP3 streaming and media player performance improvements, and extended language support. Qtopia home page is here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 0.4.2 of Twinkle, a SIP-based IP-telephony application, has been released. New features include microphone noise reduction, a system tray icon which shows phone state and enabled services, a call history option added to the system tray menu, and two major bug fixes. Screenshots here, downloads here; requires Qt 3.3 or later and can compile with or without KDE support. For Linux only currently; builds for a number of Linux distributions are available.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The DesktopBSD website reports that a third release candidate of DesktopBSD 1.0 has been released. Changes include an update to FreeBSD 5-STABLE, KDE 3.4.3 and an AMD64 version. Full changelog here. Screenshots here, downloads here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

A new development version of Gambas (Gambas Almost Means BASIC), a BASIC IDE which currently uses Qt (although GTK support is planned), has been released. Version 1.9.22 adds a PDF support, 64-bit integer support in databases, and updated OpenGL support. Full changelog here. Latest stable version is 1.0.13. Downloads here, screenshots here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Trolltech is supporting a one-day event in Beijing on the 29th of this month called Chinese Mobile Phone Leadership: Leveraging Linux, at the Kerry Centre Hotel. It's "an exclusive conference which will bring together key stakeholders in the Chinese wireless phone market to discuss the strategic importance of Linux-based phones". Participants include MontaVista, Opera Software, Pollex, Teleca, Intel and a number of Chinese mobile phone companies. The event is organised by the China Academy of Telecommunications Research (CATR) of the Ministry of Information Industries (MII). Information in English about the CATR and registration links here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 3:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From Trolltech's web site:

Trolltech have released the first release candidate for Qt 4.1. New features include integrated SVG support, a PDF backend, dynamic user-interface building, and a Scribe-based flexible syntax highlighting class. Full change list here, source downloads here, documentation here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

A second beta of TaskJuggler 2.2.0 has been released, which is said to be "very close to final" but is still a beta nonetheless and the developers want your bug reports. The application is for "serious project managers" and its approach claimed to be "far superior to the commonly used Gantt chart editing tools". The latest stable version is 2.1.1. Downloads here, screenshots here; requires KDE 3.4.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

The KDE "e.V." are seeking locations for next year's aKademy, which isn't just a social geek get-together but is KDE's annual general meeting. There is a list of requirements, among them proximity to a major international airport and visa requirements which would not exclude a contributor; most contributors are from the USA and the EU. Previous events have been held in Nove Hrady, Ludwigsburg and Malaga. Concrete proposals are to be sent to the e.V..

Posted by Indigo Jo at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

The first release candidate of KDevelop, the multi-platform IDE for KDE, has been released. This update features a "much improved debugger" and improvements to Ruby support and the user manual. Downloads here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

A minor update has been released for VariCAD, a commercial CAD package for Windows and Linux. The Linux version requires Qt 2.3 or later, KDE libraries and hardware OpenGL support. This release (1.15) introduces STEP (3D) file support. Screenshots and other details available on the VariCAD home page; downloads for Fedora, SUSE, Debian, Mandriva and Red Hat Enterprise Linux on the KDE Apps page.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

A website for Oxygen, a set of SVG-based icons for the upcoming KDE 4, has been launched. Oxygen is part of the Appeal Project whose goal is "to promote KDE related projects and to push the open source desktop to another level". The icons are to be "full SVG vector images, using alpha channels, translucency, embedded bitmaps to allow complex three dimensional effects, with highlights and shadows"; samples here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Riverbank Computing have announced bug-fix releases for SIP and PyQt. SIP is a tool used to produce Python bindings for C and C++ libraries, including PyQt. Version numbers are 3.15.1 for PyQt and 4.3.2 for SIP. Downloads: PyQt, SIP.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

KDevelop 3.3 rc1 was issued on the 11th along with the RC for KDE 3.5. The release contains 11 bug fixes over beta 2 (18th Oct) and a number of fixed application templates, but no new features. Interactive version of the changelog here.

(Bit late, I know.)

Posted by Indigo Jo at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Andreas Aardal Hanssen has posted a report on the San José Developer Day on the Qt Developers' Blog. Not much detail but a few photos. Also, Ariya Hidayat has drawn attention to a Blogspot with details of fixed KDE bugs; it's auto-generated with a Python script.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Developers:

Christian Tibirna reports that he is to give a presentation on KDE at SQIL (Semaine Québécoise de l'informatique libre - Quebec's Week for Free Computing), on invitation from Québec City Linux Users' Group (LINUQ. The talk will be in French, titled "Trucs et astuces avec KDE" (Tips and Tricks with KDE), and given on Sat 19th November at 2pm local time, in one of the conference rooms of Palasis-Prince Pavilion at Laval University. Any more tips and tricks are invited at the KDE Developers entry linked above.

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Trolltech are to hold two breakfast seminars at the upcoming Linux World Expo in Frankfurt. The seminars are on 17th November; there is a welcome speech by Elvind Throndsen, Qt Product Manager, at 8am; a speech by Qt Developer Harald Fernengel on "Linux Development with Qt" at 8.15am, and one by Scott Collins on "Shaping Thinking with UI" at 9am. The event is free, but there are only 45 places, and registration (at link above) will close on 11th November.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The developers of PC-BSD have released the first release candidate of version 1 of their FreeBSD-based KDE desktop. This version is the first to be based on FreeBSD v6.0 and not one of the version 5 series, providing "a much needed UI performance boost, and now works with much more hardware", according to the changelog. The big changes, apart from the FreeBSD version upgrade, are "a graphical Language / Keyboard selector at beginning of installation process", a Network Manager utility, pre-installed Linux Binary Compatibility, an upgrade of KDE to 3.4.3, anti-aliasing enabled by default, and Greek added to the selection menu. ISO downloads here, release notes here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 5:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Developers:

Stephen Binner (Beineri) has drawn attention to links in the tech media that Novell has given into all the feedback they got from their customers, and reversed their decision to axe KDE from their enterprise desktop package. The only innovation, one of the reports says, is that GNOME will be the default desktop.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

KDE Developer Kurt Pfeifle has announced that a number of new questions and answers can be found on the Klik Users' FAQ, on the topic of "Usage". The new entries can be found on the blog entry as well. Tomorrow's topics are "klik and the Base System" and "klik and Package Management".

Posted by Indigo Jo at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

A first release candidate of KDE 3.5 is out, and the developers say it's almost finished, and they'd appreciate if people test the system by downloading the sources, which they may build using the Konstruct script, and then reporting any bugs. Binaries are available for SUSE Linux and Kubuntu Breezy.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 1.9 of FracturaLUX, an "Enterprise Resource Planning" application, has been released. Homepage is all in Spanish; screenshots and downloads there. Requires Qt 3.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

As proposed at aKademy 2005, a KDE Marketing Working Group has been formed, with Martijn Klingens, Sebastian Kügler and Wade Olson "taking the lead in coordinating and implementing new practices, such as promoting releases more widely and running more exciting events booths". The Marketing group can be contacted through the kde-promo mailing list.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 1.1.1 of KST, an application for plotting graphs based on data streams, has been released and is described as a bug-fix release with "many stability enhancements". Source downloads and screenshots at the homepage. (Note that the homepage link at KDE Apps is broken.) Requires KDE 3.1.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 9:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

A minor release of Gambas, v1.0.12, has been released, containing bug fixes to the interpreter, the editor and the database components. Source downloads and screenshots at the homepage.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 9:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Brazil Starts Deployment of Low Cost KDE Computers">From KDE Dot News:

A scheme called Computers for All, run by the Brazilian government, will sell up to 10,000 machines with pre-installed Free Software operating systems with "affordable financing" to low-income buyers. Most of the systems will have a KDE desktop with an OEM Mandriva-based KDE desktop.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 2.8 of Eric3, a Qt-based IDE for Python and Ruby, has been released. The changelog is substantial (see KDE Apps link); screenshots on the homepage here, downloads from Sourceforge here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Via OSNews, Mark Shuttleworth announced at the recent Ubuntu Below Zero conference in Montréal that he was a Kubuntu user himself and that "he wanted Kubuntu to move to a first class distribution within the Ubuntu community". The announcement says that Kubuntu CDs should, for the next release, should be available free through Shipit "if the planned Live CD Installer removes the need for a separate install CD".

Posted by Indigo Jo at 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Developers:

A FAQ for klik, a method of easily installing applications from an "image" file similar to the Mac's disk image download, has been published here. Only very limited information is there at present, covering some requirements and what systems currently support it.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

A beta release of version 2.2.0 of TaskJuggler has been released. TJ is an open-source (GPL) project-management tool for Linux and Unix-like operating systems with an approach described as "far superior to the commonly used Gantt chart editing tools". Version 2.2 is a new feature release; the changelog lists all the new features; they include the merger of the two graphical front-ends in order to avoid clashes on the Cygwin platform, and usability improvements, such as the entire interface being keyboard-accessible. (KDE Apps claims it requires KDE 3.4; the documentation seems to think it only requires Qt 3.3 to build.) Screenshots of older versions here.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE FreeBSD website:

KDE 3.4.3 and KOffice 1.4.2 have been released in port form for FreeBSD today. This is too late for yesterday's FreeBSD 6.0 release, however, which features KDE 3.4.2 and KOffice 1.4.1.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From eWeek:

Steven J Vaughan-Nichols makes the announcement that, along with SUSE's recent "downsizing" in which 10% of its staff worldwide are being laid off including many of those working on Mono, Hula, Evolution and Desktop Strategy, GNOME and not KDE is to become its default desktop on its enterprise server and desktop packages. (This seems a bizarre move, laying off people who work on a GNOME application and a virtual machine system which is heavily GNOME-centred while making GNOME the default desktop.)

Among the comments on KDE Dot News (also with links on QtRuby, amaroK, Create and Ging) are one putting it down to "American nationalism" and one which concludes that KDE is now "the alternative", having lost the last enterprise desktop.

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From KDE Developers:

KDE Developer "el" reports on his test of KDE's accessibility to visually-impaired users with Lars Stetten of linaccess, a long-term KDE user who is himself visually-impaired. The test concludes that the system is not usable for the visually-impaired (note that totally blind people are not even in the picture here) without much modification. Also, here developer "seele" reports on a KDE Usability Project poster for Word Usability Day.

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From KDE Dot News:

A "strong KDE presence" is to be found at the Andalusian Free Software Conference (Jornadas Andaluzas de Software Libre), sponsored by the Andalucian regional government and the University of Cordoba, among others, to be held in Cordoba this weekend. Presentations are to be given on KDE's Kiosk feature, Guadalinex, Bulmages (KDE accounting software) and the FreeNX remote desktop software. Schedule here, all in Spanish as is the entire website.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Dot News:

Nokia have announced that they are using WebCore, Apple's web-page rendering engine, derived from the KHTML engine developed by the KDE project for Konqueror, in their new web browser to appear on their Symbian-based S60 smartphone platform. Nokia unveiled the browser at the Nokia Mobility Conference 2005 in Barcelona (Spain); the press release claims that the new browser "is aimed to provide smartphone users with a true Web experience and industry leading performance when browsing full Web pages on the Internet using a smartphone". The associated JavaScript engine is also being used; the press release doesn't say whether or not it will work with Movable Type's and Wordpress's formatting keys (none of the present KHTML family browsers do). Features listed on the press release seem to match those associated with desktop browsers.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 7:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Another minor upgrade to the KDE CD and DVD burning app K3b: version 0.12.7 features three bug fixes, and a backported warning "about following links to folders". Source downloads here, screenshots here and at the KDE Apps link above.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 0.13.0 of [TreeLine], a Python Qt-based outliner application, has been released. One new feature is that "a new option controls the number of files in the recently used list", and bugs in the "display of an edit box when renaming new nodes in a long tree" and some problems with unusual language settings have been fixed. Screenshots here, downloads (source with installer script) here. Linux and Windows versions supplied. Requires Qt 3 and PyQt.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 0.3.0 of KLinkStatus, a part of the KWebDev module which checks hyperlinks for a variety of protocols, has been released. A bug has been fixed which affected export to HTML; there are also new features and usability enhancements. Changelog at the KDE Apps link along with downloads of source and binaries for SUSE and Debian. Can be downloaded as a solo application or as part of KWebDev.

Posted by Indigo Jo at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From KDE Apps:

Version 1.3.4 of KAlarm, has been released. KAlarm is a KDE-based application which allows "personal messages to be displayed, commands to be executed, or emails to be sent, at scheduled times" in the user's chosen font and colour. It can be configured with the GUI or through DCOP. This is a bug fix release with improved translations for several languages. Screenshots here and on the KDE Apps page; source and Debian downloads here. Requires KDE 3.0 (this release fixes a crash under KDE 3.0).

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