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Running KDE4 (Final) on Mandriva 2008

Sunday, 27 January 2008

Linux-Tip has already tested KDE 4 (Preview) in a previous workshop. This month the KDE Community announced the immediate availability of KDE 4.0. This significant release marks both the end of the long and intensive development cycle leading up to KDE 4.0 and the beginning of the KDE 4 era.
We will see major improvements in almost all areas. The Phonon multimedia framework provides platform independent multimedia support to all KDE applications. The KDE 4 desktop has gained some major new capabilities like the Plasma desktop an increased KDE Window manager a lot more. Lots of KDE applications have seen improvements as well. Visual updates through vector-based artwork, changes in the underlying libraries, user interface enhancements and new features and new applications. We will also test the new document viewer (Okular) and the new file manager (Dolphin). This workshop will describe how to install KDE 4 on Mandriva 2008

Step 1: Installing Mandriva 2008.0 without current KDE packages

Let’s start to install Mandriva 2008. It is very important not to install the “old” KDE packages or former release candidates KDE4 (Preview). For that reason, we will just do a fresh basic installation with IceWm as graphical environment. We’ll later install KDE4 (Stable) instead.

Make sure to have the “Main” and “Contrib” sources installed on your system, otherwise you can use the easyurpmi website to get the latest.

Additionally I recommend starting a Software Packages Update. Just use the Mandriva Control Center – Managing Software – Update and install the latest packages.

Reboot your Mandriva box after the installation and upgrade.

Package Group Selection Package Group Selection

Graphical Enviroment Graphical Enviroment

Step 2: Getting the KDE4 Packages

Just open a new console, get root permissions and add a new source using the following urpmi command (all in one line):

urpmi.addmedia KDE4 ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/4.0.0/Mandriva/2008.0/RPMS/i586 with media_info/hdlist.cz

Open your Mandrake Control Center – Software Management and add the packages kdebase4 and kdebase4-workspace. Accept all dependency packages. I had to install 80 additional packages.

To start KDE4 automatically open your Mandriva Linux Control Center again and click on “Boot” – “Set up autologin to automatically log in” - “Yes, I want autologin with this user” – “Default desktop KDE4”. Save the settings and restart your session.

Configure Your Computer Configure Your Computer

Install a new source Install a new source

Configure Media Configure Media

Install KDE4 packages Install KDE4 packages

Downloading packages Downloading packages

Set up autologin Set up autologin

Step 3: Run KDE4 first time

The following flash animation shows how to start KDE4 and to configure it first time. Have fun to discover the new era.

See some screenshots here: