Howto: KDE4.1 on Kubuntu Gutsy

KDE4 is an entirely different desktop that is accessed through the Login Manager under sessions. It works very differently from Kubuntu Gutsy with a version of KDE3. (I had planned to post several captures over the many different areas of KDE4 but found that kde.org have an excellent visual guide right here: http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.0/guide.php.)

The most noticeable changes for users are the new icons, theme and sounds provided by the Oxygen Project. These represent a break from previous KDE icons and graphics, which had a cartoonish look. Instead Oxygen icons will opt for a more photo realistic style. The Oxygen Project builds on the freedesktop.org Icon Naming Specification and Icon Theme Specification, allowing consistency across applications. The Oxygen team will be using community help for better visuals in KDE 4, with both alternate icon sets and the winners of a wallpaper contest held by the Oxygen project being included in KDE 4.^[5] There will also be a new set of human interface guidelines for a more standardized layout.

Plasma is a rewrite of several core KDE applications, like the desktop drawing and most notably the widget engine. Plasma will allow for a more customizable desktop and more versatile widgets.

KWin, the KDE Window Manager from KDE 3, now provides its own compositing effects, similar to Compiz. Compositing is disabled by default in 4.0.

– Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDE_4

A note of observation ( I know that many of you have had this question, including myself):
I have been working on the KDE 4.1 desktop for a couple of days now and have not noticed any problem with applications (software) that I used in KDE 3. To mention a few of these: Amarok, Manslide, Mozilla Thunderbird, Indywiki, Flock, Songbird, Yakuake, FotoWall, Firefox, Last.Fm, Kitty, GIMP, Google Earth, ManDVD, Kirocker, LMMS.

Here is how to install KDE 4.1 on Kubuntu Gutsy Gibbon (it it very simple, no big process):

1. Remove previous KDE 4 packages, they are not compatible:

• apt-get remove kdelibs5 kde4base-data kde4libs-data

2. Add deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu gutsy main to your /etc/apt/sources.list. Open up a terminal, paste the folowing line and hit enter:

• sudo kate /etc/apt/sources.list

Paste the following line at the bottom of the list:

• deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/kubuntu-members-kde4/ubuntu gutsy main

• Save

( if you do not have permission to the sources.list, paste the following command into a terminal: sudo chown yourusername /etc/apt/sources.list and then save it)

• Close.

3. Install kde4-core, note that PPAs aren’t authenticated so you will likely get a warning when installing, ignore the warning. Install through the Synapic Package Manager for example. Just enter a search for it and mark for installation and Apply.

4. Logout your session and select to login on the KDE4 session.