So, howdy Nixers'n'Nixettes, this one sounds simple:

How would you switch to KDE4.2 on a 12.2 production machine that heavily relies on KDEPIM, Kate, Konqueror. (but nothing else actually, I run Enlightenment DR16 as WM).

-current is enabled, I can "see" kdebase-runtime-4.2.0-i486-1 and kdebase-workspace-4.2.0-i486-1.


Cheers. Sound simple; may not be.

Jean-Philippe

First check the Current ChangeLog.

Then do this to mirror all KDE4 packages and dependencies:Then cd to kde4 and install what you need. But first look at the script remove-kde3.sh and execute it.

[EDIT]Backup your whole ~/.kde directory before you begin.

That part is a weekly one - all mails, you know.

Thanks, I will digg in the "remove-kde3.sh" script and come back here if more questions arise. Before I hit return.

Cheers

Jean-Philippe

and also backup /etc/kde, just for protection

And (re)move your ~/.kde because the old KDE3 settings will be incompatible with your new KDE4 desktop, potentially creating serious stability issues.

Eric

I understand that the KDE 4.2.0 packages for -current are compatible with -stable. My question is: What may I expect for the future? Will there be patches the preserve this compatibility? Or will I be forced to either switch (i. e. "upgrade") to -current or remove KDE 4.2.0 some day?

Because I am conservative on the one hand, but since I saw KDE 4.2 on OpenSuSE I want it on Slackware.

Is it possible to answer this, now, at all?

Thanks,

gargamel

The answer is in the Changelog for Slackware Current. For now it is compatible but there is no guarantee that it will stay so. But wait till Eric comes back, he knows about that as he is the packages' author

Meanwhile I am happy with Fluxbox

Yes, I saw the the changelog. Which actually is the reason why I ask this question.

I'd grab KDE 4.2.0 now, if I could be sure that it will be compatible with Slackware 12.2 at least until the next Slackware release (12.3 or 13.0, who knows). This means, that I would like to get security patches for KDE 4.2.0 on Slackware 12.2, too. I just would like to avoid running -current, for a while, only to have KDE 4.2.0. Worst thing would be having to "downgrade" to KDE 3.5 in a few weeks.

gargamel

If you grab thew KDE 4.2 packages from the slackware-current tree and install them on Slackware 12.2, it will work. But do not expect to see updates to KDE 4.2.x packages that are specifically meant to work on Slackware 12.2. The fact that they do now, is just your luck. When we see the next update to gcc and glibc in slackware-current, this will likely be the point after which new slackware-current packages will be incompatible with Slackware 12.2.

If you want to use KDE 4.x and keep using it, you are going to have to upgrade your Slackware in the end. Period.

Eric

Thanks, Eric, for clarifying this. Just to make sure: When you refer to Slackware 12.0, this includes 12.2, too, right?

Thanks,

gargamel

Hm..... I meant 12.2 where I wrote 12.0 actually. My apologies for not checking what I typed before I hit "Post". The KDE 4.2 packages in slackware-current are incompatible with Slackware 12.0.

Eric

Thanks again. For the time being I'll stick with KDE 3.5, then. But I am really looking forward to the next Slackware release, because of KDE 4.2.

gargamel

Yep, I "chicken" out too: Read the Readme in the FTP download for 4.2, and re-read this thread: the title says "production".

I will happily jump to Slack 13 asap, but feel not that keen to stay on the -current repos and see stuff starts breaking down, or loose whatever extra app I compiled myself that relies on qt3.


I am not saying troubles described in the readme or explained here cannot be (easily) overcome, just that I, well, feel like not doing it now. Much thanks AlienBob and Didier for the accurate answers.

Readme is here:
ftp://slackware.mirrors.tds.net/pub/...es/kde4/README

Jean-Philippe
PS: the FTP mirror for KDE4.2 is 778.6 megs; poor connections beware!