Version: (using KDE 3.5.9) OS: Linux Installed from: SuSE RPMs Gentlemen, With the surge of early releases of KDE 4 to several major Linux distributions, wisely or not, I would like to voice my concern and that shared by many others (at least on the openSuSE list) that KDE 3 continue notwithstanding the development of KDE 4. From my experience, the two are so wildly varying that they don't simply reflect a continuation of a single desktop, but represent more of a fork from both an desktop interface and platform development requirement standpoint. Simply put they are two different beasts. KDE 3 is by far the most polished, flexible, robust and elegant desktop ever delivered and is far from having run its useful course. KDE 4 no doubt will, in time, shine as brightly in it own right. From a planning/development standpoint, KDE 3 should continue as a separate desktop standing alone once KDE 4 is beyond beta and not simply be relegated to an unsupported bit of history. One of the primary benefits of KDE 3 now and in the future is the ease of use as a development platform with modest application requirements for simple development and installation of applications into the KDE 3 environment. In contrast, the requirements for application development and deployment of applications for KDE 4 is anything but simple or modest. The community and installed user base cannot be discounted when deciding on the future for KDE 3. It must continue as a desktop and be available on all or for all major distributions for at least two years beyond the second full release of KDE 4 in which KDE 4 offers all the same applications and functionality of the present KDE 3. Never throw the baby out with the bath water.....
The KDE project has generally not enough resources for maintaining more than an unstable and a stable release (currently being resp KDE 4.2 and KDE 4.1.x). If KDE would have more resources, then this could be thought more. Proof of that? If you find KDE 4 still incomplete for you, that's also the reason. And if there were more forces to do that, at this point it is better to head for improving KDE 4.2 and provide a better desktop enrironment for everybody. And beside that, the KDE bugzilla is not the place for discussing such stuff. Please use the kde-core-devel@kde.org mailing list (that's also the reason why this bug is being closed, pointless being here).