KDE is making some changes that to be honest I’m not a fan off like the upcoming 6.4 breaking some of the animations I use. The Kirigami UX choices. And their insistence on hamburger menus (Got into a whole talk with them on this) going forward while neglecting usability when in the context of accessibility. (Only a issue on linux) The future choices coming also rub me a bit the wrong way. As you can see in issues here. Some changes are nice while others…
I know you can’t make everyone happy but for me, I’m slowly losing functionality with each 6.# release.
So I wanted to take a poll with some options I am considering. All sadly involve dropping nix which has me quite sad but cant be helped.
I have been full time running linux since about 2018, And had played with it since 2005. So I don’t make this choice lightly. Was a OSX user prior an still use it for music creation. Honestly I am kinda ready to drop tech as a whole as I just don’t care for where its going as a whole. You may ask why the choices have install kde then do x. It’s because I would install garuda and as a base I’d take kde with its faults over any of the other options.
Desktop Change
Stay with KDE as it slowly becomes less usable.
Install KDE and install Trinity Desktop on top. And use it.
Install KDE and install Wayfire on top and use it. (Hardest choice)
there are many window managers in the market. It doesn’t have to be strictly KDE. Maybe its time to look at the other shiny stuff out there.
But I thought KDE offered extensions to customize all the UI/UX you want? haven’t used it for over a year now so I am forgetting things about it but I remember it being quite easily customizable.
Are the animations you use not actively maintained anymore or something?
I’m in the camp of really not liking window managers. For me they are unusable most of the time. Accessibility wise I need a nearly traditional desktop. As a keyboard is something that’s not always usable especially shortcuts/macros.
They do but they have been slowly removing options or making things not as removable/changeable. In truth they kinda have to come out an say what the intent is. Cause future ux choices are pretty much “Use what we provide or pick none” but in terms of basic themes they are sill #1 in that regard for the normal desktop.
As I have tried see if I could change things this choice here brakes a lot
for pop ups.
While the kinetic animations I use are maintained. They are mainly only made to be compatible (i.e doesn’t break under plasma 6). But the the option to select is gone. So it wont matter anyway. Since they are wanting to move more things from desktop effects and put them behind a checkbox that where you lose choice. But the main issue is Kirigami UX moving forward. It’s design philosophy breaks how apps and the over all desktop is for getting real work done especially if you are limited in movement or have vision issues. In a nutshell there stance is we would like to help but it would make some users mad to keep the functionality even if its behind a toggle even if it was properly funded. I already had to go out and buy some macs for those I help cause linux no longer worth the effort for them.
What the KDE-Team is doing, develop further, is my mind unfortunately useless and a endless discussion for us as user. ( i think on the confused config files for the settings inside home folder or where ever). But it´s open source and very customable.
Osx, for me, it´s a “fixed” distro and not much customable + most important the obligation,
the associated coercion and not open source.
It´s only the user with his own decisions what he like, need, nice to have or what is a must-have. I read in your thread that you focus is music creation + your own look and feel
inside the DE. You can find in the great www some Multimedia Distros and i mean not Ubuntu studio, perhaps there you can find also an additional alternative. (if, sorry for garuda) ..perhaps AV Linux (not kde based)
This one is hard to advice or to even take a blind vote. Cause at it root it purely depends on the user itself and the usage you are looking for.
Comparing to myself. I am gaming oriented, and from what I see and think KDE is for gaming currently the best experience, when we include features like HDR for example, possibility to enable disable VRR per specific game etc.
So just from this, if I would give you my vote it would be assumed “STAY ON KDE”.
However there is no proper answer, you need to satisfy your own needs. As it looks like you are not sure about the answer either, maybe in that case take a chill period and let it relax a bit, maybe than you will be more sure of what is the correct path for you
I have about 100k in audio gear an pugins that are not linux compatible theirs no switching for it. Also due to latency osx will always be my choice there. but for a day to day desktop qt is the only ux on linux I’ll use as the rest come with there own issues and lack of control.
The reason I say osx is it already has all the ux changes I would make an more accessibility features. It’s not about open source for me. As long as its not MS I’m fine.
But the main point here is of the choices what would some one else do? As this has been something ive been thinking on since 6.1
Now I understand the note sign in your personal Garuda “G” logo
I find too many logos for a “brand” rather counterproductive, and the “G” should actually replace the eagle’s head, but there are many nostalgics who don’t want to do without it
Now we have two, that should be enough.
By the way, I think the other avatar is nicer than the “green-blue” one you’re using.
Latency it´s not a problem for the linux kernel / linux os (in the past it was). Current, only the default settings and the default kernels inside the distro are not the best for this.
Dependent from hardware / equipment example which default kernel i use or handmade kernel, the alsa limits config and of course some more)
Myself use AP Linux only for a bit-accurate music playback → dac / pre-amplifier → active ls. Result between default distro and optimized distro + handmade stuff to listening to music is huge.
It was unintentional at first then I looked at it an thought oh its a eighth note. haha.
I fully agree here. It was mainly for learning the shape and combining tools or path? As inkscape calls it.
Funny you should say that I was thinking the month of may would be a good time to swap it back to the dark one for a while.
While true I have no time or desire to play with that. Thing is if you have a workflow and plugins your unlikely to even bother. While there are tools and i even made a write up on this topic to get windows compatible ones working. It again is not worth the investment and down time. Unless your doing work for yourself and can afford the time an energy to deliberately make things harder then its just a matter of doing it. If you use mainly live kit this is much less of a issue for the most part. Tell it comes to mastering.
I have been only a Linux/KDE user for so long that I couldn’t possibly imagine switching to anything else. I do however agree with @elite, that while they claim to support accessibility features, things are in reality going backwards for those with disabilities using KDE.
I am expecting another huge step backwards with the advent of KDE 7. I’m pretty sure they’ve already announced they intend to drop support for X11 in the new upcoming v.7. This massive change is far too soon IMO. I use X11 because of programs that still don’t work properly in Wayland yet. As far as accessibility support on Wayland, I think it’s a joke that Wayland doesn’t even have a full featured onscreen keyboard yet. From the sounds of things a useful OSK for Wayland is not even a priority for KDE devs. I find it very doubtful there will be a decent OSK available in time for the release of KDE 7, as the devs claim implementing this with Wayland is too complex and time consuming.
I appreciate they’re trying to modernize their desktop, but it shouldn’t be at the cost of long time KDE features. I’ve lost some very useful features over time that I still really miss. If they are caving to criticism from Windows refugees that find KDE’s configuration options overly complex then dumb them down for them, (not for long time Linux users).
They should have a System Settings for dummies control panel with a limited number of essential options for novices. Then like VLC media player have a toggle switch that only shows all the advanced configuration settings for users that understand what they are doing. Simply ensure there is a big red “revert to defaults” button for Windows users that just had to play with the advanced configuration settings anyways, and screw their systems up.
Got to admit, I’m not a big fan of many KDE decisions of late. I just don’t see any other viable alternative for myself.
But do these programs work fine in XWayland? That’s the bridge till old programs get fixed.
I agree about dumbing down configuration
If I go off KDE, it’ll probably be to a tiling WM, perhaps Cosmic DE even.
At the least kde 7 should be around the official death of x11 in 2035 when red hat no longer has to maintain it.
If the QT wish list kinda changes are to be believed then you might not be to far off the mark. Though lately they have had to roll back on some choices due to push back but there all for really weird but useful things.
I fully agree, considering how wayland started on some unrealistic dream of how people user a computer then thanks to weston was aimed more at the automotive and digital signage and such, at least for automotive you would think they would make a baseline OSK protocol. But with valve having got fed up with them at least things are kinda moving faster then a 7+ year turn around. In truth id kinda like if they just use the steam deck OSK as a base an ship that.
In plasma 5 they had just that though it was modeled after macos’s I have to admit it was faster then the current menu an it was behind a toggle. but with 6 it went poof. Whats sad is it was better on the surface for touch with a little TLC it could have been a nice simple version they want. Though I can understand how it may lead to some help tickets, I feel it was a minimum amount. I do agree the need a over all “set to default” button that just sits next to the search box or in the quick settings when you pull up the settings menu. Also a save you own custom layouts. As its been asked for for 15+ years.
Honestly other then Trinity (TDE) There really isn’t much I’m not sure how long nix is going to keep supporting plasma 5 but if it was for several years after EOL it could be a option but since 3rd party add ons are dead there its not the best option if you use any long term for security reasons. LXQT could be a bit of a option depending on the wayland base used or could just stick to x11. Which ever I switch to I’d kinda like to one day maintain a garuda community spin if I got knowledgeable enough. But I’m far from that at this point ha.
Not all play well depending on its age and how complicated it is. and to be fair most wont get a wayland version. will see if that changes in 2035 but most science related apps or accessibility apps wont be changing do to missing protocols. Though a few protocols have been merged to help with that recently but I don’t see a lot of them being re written they are far to complicated and its not cost effective.
In terms of kde to cosmic at least feature wise. Depending on what ones you use its a major step back. And they have been pretty vocal at things the wont include. Not saying its a bad DE or choice its just if you are a more advanced user you have to be ready for some concessions and depending on how you work that my or may not be possible. But again its not a bad DE.
I should also state kde did recently hire Ritchie Frodomar for accessibility so it might have a positive impact going forward. I have talked with them and they have a lot of neat things they are working on or want to.
Exactly my problem. Every point update breaks something. Last one broke moving items on panel for a long time which for me - I like to change my desktop layouts every so often because I get bored with them, is kinda unusable. I was literally on gnome and now I’ve installed hyprland and will be using gnome apps on that (kinda because I like their ui a bit)
Regarding your options, the best is try to stick with it. I know the CRAZY levels of customisation you do on top of kde so moving to something else like cosmic, xfce is not even in your list so then thats the only best option.
I’ve been messing in a vm with lxqt with wayfire as the wayland compositor and it gets me the QT ux elements i like with the wayfire modding so i can do a lot once i learn a bit more on it. I’m going to install it on my test system this week and see what I can do. Base wayfire has to much gtk in it for me. Though I played with trinity today again an in truth it has the global menu which none of the other DE’s offer(other then kde). and my fave aqua mac like theme and proper window elements. So if I’m feeling lazy lol I have that option too.
