What is KDE: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:28, 12 January 2011

So, you have installed Linux and have chosen a KDE workspace for the first time. Or maybe you're returning to KDE software after a long odyssey somewhere else. Or maybe you're planning to use a KDE workspace and applications but want to find out more about them first. What is this shiny thing that's staring at you from your computer?

An International Community

KDE is more than just software. It is a community made up of programmers, translators, contributors, artists, writers, distributors, and users from all over the world. Our international technology team is committed to creating the best free software for the desktop. And not only contributors, but users and fans of KDE software can be found throughout the entire globe, giving help to other users, spreading the news, or just simply enjoying the experience.

(Image courtesy of Wade Olson)

A New, Shiny Workspace

KDE started life as a desktop environment. As activities have grown, KDE is now an international team that creates Free and Open Source Software.

What this means in practice is that the many programs from the KDE community work together to give you the best possible computing experience. Does that mean you can't use a KDE application if you don't use the KDE desktop? Not at all. With the help of one or two extra libraries the applications can be used on almost any desktop. What's more, some of that software no longer runs only on Linux - some of the new tiny devices, smartphones and internet tablets, have KDE applications!

There are a variety of programs to suit any user's needs, from simple yet powerful text editors, to rocking audio and video players, to the most sophisticated integrated development environment. Plus, KDE applications follow a consistent look and feel across the desktop, giving you a comfortable and familiar experience when using any KDE program. Every six months a new, updated version of a huge number of applications is released - and that's known as the Software Compilation (SC). Some other applications don't update at the same time, but release new versions independently.

KDE software has several other features that makes it a top-class working environment, such as:

A beautiful and modern desktop
A flexible and configurable system, letting you customize applications without too much editing of text files
Network transparency allows you to easily access files on other networks and computers as if they were on your own computer
A software ecosystem of hundreds, even thousands, of programs
Availability in over 60 languages

Free Software

KDE software isn't just any software. It is Free Software. As a user, this is an important fact, even without getting deep into technical or legal considerations. Why? Because as free software, you are free to use KDE wherever you want and in whatever manner you want, no activation keys and no installation limits. And you're free to share it with others as well! So not only do you have in your hands great and powerful software, but you can also give your family and friends the opportunity to enjoy it, too.

Information

Curious about Free Software? Read more about it on the Free Software Foundation's website.

Components

KDE is a huge community of people who create software. We all have in common that we're building upon an infrastructure we have developed over the years: the KDE Platform.

the Plasma workspace - the user interface element, customized for different devices such as PCs, notebooks, or mobile devices
elements of the KDE Platform - exposes common functionality to applications
KDE Applications - software programs that are written to utilize the platform

More information can be found on KDE TechBase

There's more!

And it doesn't stop there! The KDE community has lots more to offer!

Other Platforms - Some KDE applications are available for Windows, Mac OS X, and portable devices such as Nokia N810.
Office and Productivity Suite - KDE is not only fun, it can help you get productive and organized as well.
Application Development Framework - Dreaming of writing the next killer app? KDE software and community support can help you with that.

Back to the Introduction page

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 So, you have installed Linux and have chosen a KDE workspace for the first time. Or maybe you're returning to KDE software after a long odyssey somewhere else. Or maybe you're planning to use a KDE workspace and applications but want to find out more about them first. What '''is''' this shiny thing that's staring at you from your computer?
-==Una comunitat internacional== <!--T:22-->
+==An International Community== <!--T:22-->
 </translate>
 [[Image:KDE-is-ours.png|left|256px|<translate><!--T:23-->
 KDE is ours, courtesy of Wade Olson</translate>]] <translate><!--T:24-->
-'''KDE''' és més que un programari. Es tracta d'una '''comunitat''' composta per programadors, traductors, col·laboradors, artistes, escriptors, distribuïdors i usuaris de tot el món. El nostre equip internacional de tecnologia s'ha compromès a crear el millor programari lliure per a l'escriptori. I no només els col·laboradors, també els usuaris i fans del programari KDE es poden trobar al voltant de tot el globus, donant ajuda a altres usuaris, difonent les notícies, o simplement gaudint de l'experiència.</translate>
+KDE is more than just software. It is a '''community''' made up of programmers, translators, contributors, artists, writers, distributors, and users from all over the world. Our international technology team is committed to creating the best free software for the desktop. And not only contributors, but users and fans of KDE software can be found throughout the entire globe, giving help to other users, spreading the news, or just simply enjoying the experience.</translate>
 <translate><!--T:25-->
-''(Imatge cortesia d'en [http://wadejolson.wordpress.com/ Wade Olson])''
+''(Image courtesy of [http://wadejolson.wordpress.com/ Wade Olson])''
-==Una nova i brillant àrea de treball== <!--T:4-->
+==A New, Shiny Workspace== <!--T:4-->
 <!--T:5-->
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 <!--T:6-->
-'''KDE''' va començar la seva vida com un entorn d'escriptori. Com la seva activitat ha crescut, el KDE és ara '''un equip internacional que crea Programari obert i lliure'''.
+'''KDE''' started life as a desktop environment.  As activities have grown, KDE is now '''an international team that creates Free and Open Source Software'''.
 <!--T:7-->
-En la pràctica el que això significa és que els molts programes de la comunitat KDE treballen conjuntament per donar-vos la millor experiència de computació possible. Vol dir això que no es pot utilitzar una aplicació de KDE, si no es fa servir l'escriptori KDE? No, en absolut. Amb l'ajuda d'una o dues biblioteques extres les aplicacions es poden utilitzar en gairebé qualsevol escriptori. És més, algun d'aquests programaris no tant sols s'executen en Linux. Alguns dels nous dispositius petits; telèfons intel·ligents i tablets d'Internet, tenen aplicacions del KDE!
+What this means in practice is that the many programs from the KDE community work together to give you the best possible computing experience.  Does that mean you can't use a KDE application if you don't use the KDE desktop?  Not at all.  With the help of one or two extra libraries the applications can be used on almost any desktop.  What's more, some of that software no longer runs only on Linux - some of the new tiny devices, smartphones and internet tablets, have KDE applications!
 <!--T:8-->