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Trolltech today released Qt 4.1.2, the second maintenance release in the Qt 4.1 series. The changelog lists a large number of bug fixes to various areas of the library and its tools. Open source downloads here. (Update 22:06: the bug in 4.1.1 causing toolbar icons to go black when activated has been fixed.)
Version 0.6.9 of Smb4K, a Samba (Windows SMB) share browser for KDE, has been released. This version adds French and Czech translation, a bug fix concerning Samba 2.2, and a user-interface correction (see KDE Apps page for details). Screenshots here, downloads (source, SUSE RPMs, Slackware, links to Fedora, Debian Sarge, Ubuntu Breezy) here. A beta of Smb4K 0.7.0 has also been released; a RC is expected in two weeks.
A fourth release candidate of version 1.2 of QSClient, a multi-protocol internet client for Linux and Windows, has been released. New features include a SSH key export GUI, a Netcat binary and a Linux network menu; for more, see the home page. Downloads (a shell-script installer for Linux and a Windows installer) are also there.
A first release candidate of KOffice 1.5 has been issued. The main difference in this release is improved OASIS OpenDocument support; the details are in the announcement along with links to source downloads and to binaries for SUSE 9.3 and 10, Ubuntu Breezy and Dapper, and Debian Sid.
The first official release of DesktopBSD, a FreeBSD derivative desktop operating system, has been released. This system has KDE 3.5.1 as its main desktop, and is based on FreeBSD v5.5 pre-release; the full changelog is here. Screenshots here, download (PC DVD, PC CD, AMD64 DVD) here; mirrors are in Canada, France, Germany (two), Greece, Norway and Switzerland, with a BitTorrent option as well.
A new development release of the Qt-based open-source desktop publishing application Scribus, version 1.3.3, has been released. Improvements include enhancements to the EPS importer and PDF exporter, a new barcode plugin, support for multiple scrapbooks, Word file imports, and a lot more - see the KDE Apps page for details. Screenshots here, downloads (source, SUSE 10 RPM, Windows and OS X binaries) here. Uses Qt 3 (free on Windows under special dispensation from Trolltech). Stable version is 1.2.4.1.
KDE 3.5.2, the second maintainance update of KDE 3.5, was released today. This is a general maintainance release and most of the changes are bug fixes; changelog here. Source downloads are available here with links to binaries below.
Version 0.2.0 of KeePassX, a Linux port of the Windows app "Keepass Password Safe", has been released. This version is a new port to Qt4 and includes translations and many usability improvements, including faster encryption, and bug-fixes. Screenshots here, downloads (source, various binaries including OS X) here.
Version 0.9 of Protoeditor, a KDE app for interactively debugging PHP scripts, has been released. New features include an argument toolbar to quickly set script arguments, and various user-interface improvements and bug fixes. Screenshots here; downloads here at SourceForge (source tarball only). Requires KDE 3.3.
A fifth release candidate of KPowersave, a KDE front-end for the Powersave daemon, providing "battery monitoring, suspend/ standby triggers and many more features for KDE (and GNOME)", has been released. This is the last RC before the stable 0.6 is released next week - new feature list on the page linked above, along with source and binary download links (SUSE 10, FC4, Ubuntu, Debian and Mandriva).
Version 0.5 of KBlogger, a KDE Kicker applet for posting to weblogs using the Blogger and MetaWeblog APIs, has been released. This release restores support for the Blogger API v1.0, adds support for categories, "a new backend from the kdepim/blogging resource", adds a new icon and new documentation, and various fixes including to the configuration dialog. Downloads (source and Ubuntu Breezy DEB) at the homepage; screenshots at the KDE Apps page.
Version 1.5.1 of NetFilterStatsBuilder, a Qt-based app for analysing log files (like /var/log/messages) to provide info on such things as how many times the host has been scanned and from which IP addresses, has been released. This is described as a bug-fix release ("because of serious bug found, update is really advisable"). Downloads (source, Slackware and Fedora) and three screenshots at the KDE Apps page (no link to a homepage).
Version 4.6d of Bibble, a commercial Qt-based "Professinal Workflow and RAW Conversion" app for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X, has been released. This release includes the NoiseNinja library, removing the necessity for a separate download, and an "updated BPTLens plugin". It also contains various bug fixes and stability improvements. The pro version costs $129, the lite version $69; feature list, with differences, here. A free download is available; see the home page.
Stable version 1.0.15 and development version 1.9.27 of Gambas, an open-source BASIC development system for X11, have been released. The stable version has fixes for endianness problems, the Picture.Flush() method which previously crashed, and large database tables (full changelog here); the development version adds an experimental (and probably temporary) MDI interface, a better pseudo-random number algorithm, and improved FreeBSD support necessitating a new executable file format (full changelog here). All downloads, and links to various sources for binaries, here; screenshots of stable version here.
Riverbank Computing reports that it has released version 3.16 of PyQt and version 4.4 of SIP on which it depends. PyQt 3.16 can now be installed alongside PyQt 4, which is in development; it "also includes better QString interoperability with Python strings and some bug fixes". Source downloads for PyQt here and for SIP here.
Version 0.8.0 of kdesvn, a KDE client for Subversion, has been released. New features include the use of SVN 1.2 API with the option for 1.3, the reduction of the binary by making the SVN wrapper a shared library, "display in working copy view when there are newer files in repository", and some bug fixes. Screenshots here, download (source, FC4 and FC5 RPM) here.
Version 0.8 of Protoeditor, a KDE app for debugging PHP scripts, has been released. This version adds support for Gubed and various bug fixes and user-interface improvements. Screenshots here, source download here.
Via KDE Dot News, Jose Cuadrea has published an introduction to his QewExtensibleDialogs classes which "provide dialogs that can be nested with no limits and provide centralised control for accepting or rejecting the whole stack". The article "describes the use cases, the general design pattern and his Qt implementation".
Version 0.6 of KPodder, a configuration front-end for BashPodder formerly known as BPConf, has been released. New features include "sub directory types and individual feed intervals"; full list at KDE Apps and on the homepage; screenshots, source download and installation instructions on the home page.
Version 0.6 of Piklab, an IDE for applications based on PIC and dsPIC microcontrollers, has been released. This version adds support for the pic30 toolchain and for PICC-Lite, PICC and PICC-18, and a number of user-interface improvements and bug fixes; for full list see the KDE Apps page or the homepage. There are three screenshots at these places also. Downloads (source, Mandrake RPM) here, requirements list here.
Version 2.0.0 of KBarcode, a KDE application for barcode and label printing, has been released. New features include printing from data sources including SQL queries, CSV files and the KDE address book, JavaScript support, new barcode formats, batch printing configured through a wizard, and a rewritten PDF manual. Downloads (source, SUSE 10 and FC3 RPM) here, screenshots here. Requires KDE 3.3.
The annual KDE world summit, Akademy, will be held at Trinity College in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, from 23rd to 30th September. The event will consist of a contributors' conference, the KDE e.V. AGM, and a five-day hacking session with workshops (26th-30th). The conference will be organised by Marcus Furlong who has organised a GUADEC in Dublin in the past and "contributes to KDE by taking a sh*tload of work on him".
Trolltech has released version 3.3.6 of Qt. This version adds support for Windows Vista and the Mac/Intel architecture, various translations contributed by Novell, and among many bug fixes, a fix for compilation on GCC 4.1 on the X11 platform. The download is available at the Trolltech FTP site here; as it is Qt 3, there is no free Windows version.
Trolltech - Trolltech Releases Qt 3.3.6
Trolltech has also released new versions of QSA (Qt Script for Applications): version 1.2.1 for Qt 4 and version 1.1.4 for Qt 3. Both are mostly bug fix releases; the changelogs can be found here: 1.1.4 and 1.2.1.
Announcement: Trolltech Releases QSA 1.1.4 and 1.2.1
A second beta of Kexi, the KOffice database, has been released. This features a new CopyCenter script package, much "usability polish" and various stability and data handling fixes. Released as part of the recent KOffice 1.5 beta (announcement here; full changelog here. Binaries currently available for SUSE 9.3 and 10, Kubuntu and Debian Sid; full details at the announcement link above.
Version 2.3 of Luma, a "tool for easy and userfriendly managment of LDAP data and a platform for developing custom LDAP applications", has been released. The new version has several new features and a substantial number of fixes and improvements - see the KDE Apps page. Screenshots here, source downloads and requirement details here. Written in Python (2.3 or later) and so requires PyQt (3.10 or later). Also requires Qt 3.2.
QTM, a Qt 4-based client for Movable Type weblogs (and others supporting the same interfaces) has been released. New features include support for custom RSS excerpts, a redesigned entry settings panel, and some bug fixes. Screenshots are at KDE Apps; downloads (source only at present) there and at SourceForge.
Protoeditor is back in development after an 8-month hiatus, and version 0.7 has been released. It is a KDE-based editor for debugging scripts (currently only PHP) interactively using the free DBG debugger or Xdebug (see this page for details). This version now allows executing and debugging local scripts, improves Xdebug support, and fixes various bugs. Screenshots here, downloads (source only) here.
Jasmin Blanchette blogs that the Qt 4 version of his and Mark Summerfield's well-known Qt 3 book is due for release this June and that the final manuscript has been submitted to the publishers. It includes three new chapters and an appendix, on item view classes, writing plugins, embedded programming, and introducing C++ to Java and C# programmers. The book has been updated for Qt 4.1, not just Qt 4, and concentrates on explaining how to program rather than "rehashing or summarizing Qt's extensive online documentation".
A second beta of KOffice has been released, featuring a new charting engine donated by Klarälfdalens Datakonsult (Matthias Kalle Dalheimer's company) and "an initial implementation" of the OpenDocument format. Announcement, with more details on major improvements, here, full changelog here, download links here (there are also binaries for SUSE Linux). The final release is due in April (contrary to the K.N announcement).
Also, OpenOffice.org 2.0.2 has been released, featuring the KDE AddressBook Connector and an icon set based on KDE's Crystal icons (not yet complete; the announcement points anyone who might want to help to the status page, which loads the entire icon set into the browser, so be warned).
A third release candidate of QSClient (English page here), a Qt-based general internet client which currently supports 27 different types of internet service, has been released. This version can be installed on a USB stick and features a SSH agent to activate keys on Windows and Linux; there is also improved documentation and various bug-fixes (see changelog on KDE Apps page). Screenshots and downloads (Linux and Windows installers, Windows source) at KDE Apps.
A beta of version 0.12 of Kopete, the KDE multi-protocol chat client, has been released. The new version features support for Adium window themes as opposed to the old XSL-based ones, a new Yahoo protocol implementation which is also in use on Groupwise and Jabber, experimental Jingle voice chats on Jabber, offline Jabber messages, Jabber Transports, and AIM chatroom support (details here). This version requires KDE 3.3 or later. Screenshots (last version 0.10) here. Downloads (source, Debian Etch, Ubuntu Breezy & Dapper, SUSE 32- and 64-bit RPMs, and Archlinux package) here. The stable version is in the kdenetwork KDE package.
Version 4.6 of Bibble, a Qt-based shareware RAW graphics app, has been released. The new features include "Advanced Noise Reduction with Noise Ninja Technology", making this, according to the KDE Apps page's author, the only Linux software supporting sophisticated noise suppression; it also features faster Canon RAW conversion and a cleaner and more configurable UI interface. Single screenshot on the KDE Apps page. Shareware downloads here; the "lite" version costs $69, the pro version $129. Works on Windows, Mac and Linux.
KDE won the LinuxQuestions.org "Best Destktop Environment of the Year" award by a convincing majority: 64.86% (1,253 votes) against GNOME's 25.67% and XFCE's 8.8%. Konqueror won for Best File Manager with 51.25% (Nautilus 15.93%), Quanta for best web development editor (44.31%), and amaroK for best audio multimedia app (41.86%). KDevelop also came a very close second, after Eclipse, in the best IDE stakes. Summary here, full results here.
South African Free Software magazine Tectonic published a preview of KDE 4. Written by AJ Venter of South African distribution OpenLab the article describes how the KDE developers are going to "rewrite the desktop rules with KDE 4" with technologies such as Plasma, Solid and of course Qt 4. The article concludes that "when KDE4 comes out, it will spell the end of the traditional way of using a computer".
Trolltech announces that it is to be present at VON Spring 2006, at the San Jose Convention Center in San Jose, California. Their booth is #115; Benoit Schillings, their CTO, will participate in the Open Source Panel: Open Source Service Provider Solutions, March 14, 4 pm.
Version 0.4 of Kuartet, "a completely customizable desktop shell built on top of KDE using Superkaramba and Python", has been released. This version features a restructured directory layout, a new sidebar applet, a cleaned-up appearance for Manager, and new DesktopBar and Taskbar applets, and various minor fixes. Requires SuperKaramba 0.38, KDE 3.5.1, Python 2.4 and PyQt. A download link and two screenshots can be found on the KDE Apps page, along with install instructions.
Version 1.4.0 of LyX, a Qt-based TeX document processor, has been released. New features include an "improved user interface", change tracking, character styles, frames and boxes, enhanced notes, a word count facility, various small enhancements and bug fixes, and a whole lot more (changelog at KDE Apps). It uses Qt 2.3 or 3 (I couldn't find out which exact version) and runs on all Qt desktop platforms; full requirements here. Downloads here; the screenshots page failed to load any graphics.
The winner of the KOffice 2 design competition has been announced as Martin Pfeiffer. His entry is in this PDF and details of the other entries are here:
Some general trends were clear across the entries: a palette-based interface was a recurring theme, for instance. That's something we've seen before in the Adobe applications or on NeXTStep, but not generally applied to Office software. Something to be considered for KOffice 2.0! Not all suggestions were entirely practical or even feasible, but that was exactly the intention of this competition: to break through the familiar mold and get fresh ideas.
Version 0.8 of QtiPlot, a Qt-based free clone of the data plotting app Origin, has been released. New features include "multi-peak fitting with Gaussian and Lorentzian profiles", two major dialog improvements and a number of bug fixes. Screenshots at KDE Apps; download (binaries for a minimum Euro10 donation, or source free) here. Requires Qt 3 and a number of other libraries; see home page.
A second beta of amaroK 1.4, the music collection app and media player for KDE, has been released. Among the many changes is the removal of aRts and Gstreamer engines as they are obsolete. There are also several bug-fixes and minor improvements. Screenshots here, downloads here (source only for 1.4).
Version 1.1.2 of Tellico, a personal collections database manager for KDE, has been released. This adds a Brazilian Portuguese translation and there are a number of bug fixes also. Screenshots here, downloads (source and various binaries) on home page). Requires Qt/KDE 3.2, libxml2 (from GNOME) and libxslt1 1.0.19 or later.
Trolltech has released edition 16 of the Qt Quarterly to the public. Five articles have been posted: one about third-party testing tools Squish and KD Executor, one about dynamic signals and slots, one about extending Qt 4 Designer, and two about effects introduced in Qt 4.1.
Zack Rusin, KDE graphics and X developer, has appeared on the Linux Link Tech Show, discussing "the latest developments in X and how we can make best use of the up-coming new technologies in KDE". The episode is #125 and can be downloaded here; his bit is 27 minutes in.