Version: 3.0.1 (using 4.0.1 (KDE 4.0.1) "release 7.1", compiled sources) Compiler: gcc OS: Linux (i686) release 2.6.22.9-0.4-my First: the option: "Use spaces instaed of tabs" is disabled. But Kate makes two spaces instead of one tab when pressing the Tab-key.
The problem has to do with with the Settings for indent-depht and tab-width. When pressing Tab, Kate makes an indent with the given ident-depth and uses as much Tabs as possible. Exaples: 1. intent-depth 5, tab-width: 2-> When pressing Tab you get 2 tabs and one space 2. indet-depth 6, tab-width: 6 -> 1 tab 3. indet-depth 2, tab-width: 8 -> 2 spaces Possible solution: Kate/krwite indents tabs to the given indent-depth; always And only if "use spaces instead of tabs" is active, kate/kwrite makes n spaces, where n ist the given tab-width.
This problem is away with the new settings for indentation/edit in KDE 4.2's Kate, still there is now the issue of inserting tabs, if you have enforced spaces, but thats Bug 145664.