KDE is an international technology team creating user-friendly free and open source software for desktop and portable computing. KDE’s software runs on GNU/Linux, BSD and other operating systems, including Windows.
If you encounter a bug, proceed to https://bugs.kde.org/, check whether it has been reported.
If it hasn't, report it yourself.
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Developers do not look for reports on social media, so they will not see it and all it does is clutter up the feed.
Opt out? Opt in? Opt Green!
50% of consumers buy new devices due to unsupported software, while the "tsunami of #eWaste" continues to rise.
#FreeSoftware #OpenSource can keep those devices in use and out of the landfill. Today!
Say hello to the new #KDEEco project "#OptGreen: #SustainableSoftware For Sustainable Hardware".
https://eco.kde.org/blog/2024-05-29_introducing-ns4nh/
You don't need new hardware for a secure, up-to-date device; you just need the right software!
@be4foss @kde
As hardware progress continues to slow down, computers last longer and longer. But commerical companies don't like this, so they introduce arbitrary system requirements. Linux saves the day and you guys are running a good cause.
I'm happy I don't have to throw away my perfectly find 12 year old computer.
Really appreciate everything you and the entire #FOSS community are doing. I've used Linux for decades now, and it just keeps getting better. I recently installed Linux on a 10+ year old laptop that was barely running Win10, and it's back to totally functional, and even snappy! #KDE is of course the best DE ever :)
Fairphone is offering a solution to this by designing devices that are repairable and have guaranteed software updates, though it requires some compromises.
@NaibofTabr OK, this is awesome. If the company doesn't go down and holds up to what they promise, the phones are actually not pricey at all - 5 years warranty? 8 years of SW updates? Replaceable parts? All my phones went away because of SW, battery, or display glass. All that can be replaced with Fairphone. I love the concept, thanks for the link! <3
They are not pricey but have the specs of a phone 1/3 the price. But I still find them worth the price.
Because: 1) fairtrade, 2) less revenue from selling you a new device in two years once this one gets obsolete, 3) costs of long-term maintenance, 4) small volumes.
You ever compared a price of fairtrade coffee vs normal one? Yeah, x2. Why? No slave labor, no burned forests, sustainable water usage. But ofc, why would you buy it? It's double the price.
Yeah, it's a good concept and I'd like to see more options like it on the market, but it kind of runs against the current consumer electronics profit model and the way the electronics supply chain is structured.
It does seem like consumer awareness is changing, and there's more and more demand for sustainable and long-life products. Hopefully that continues. I think "vote with your wallet" applies to this sort of thing.
@edison23 @NaibofTabr still on the FP3 here I bought when it came out in 2019. Upgraded the camera replaced the battery once, now about to install the 3rd battery and new USB port. Note, that the battery was probably worn out quicker as I'm not using the Google notification service, so each App keeps their own sync connection. Still doing it's duty and planning to use it for the next years.
@nubesik @NaibofTabr Thanks for the review! You ordered the replacement parts from the maker directly? How hard was it to install them? And lastly, do you possibly know how much you paid for the replacement parts cumulatively? Thanks again :)
@edison23 @NaibofTabr the repairs for an estimated 7-8 years lifetime are another 80€, assuming nothing else breaks. Then the camera upgrade was 60€ on top. I bought everything from the official shop.
@edison23 @kde You may find some helpful information from the "Upcycling Android" project from @fsfe
https://fsfe.org/activities/upcyclingandroid/howtoupcycle.en.html
@be4foss @kde @fsfe Thanks for the link. The info there _is_ useful but I don't think it addresses the main issue with flashing (and thus upcycling with free SW) Android phones - it's very complicated, risky, and you forfeit the ability to use the phone for banking and such because the apps only support Android/iOS. And yes, I realize it's not within the powers of the FOSS devs to solve this; I guess they'd have to be EU/US government lol :/
@edison23 @be4foss @kde @fsfe Interesting! Just yesterday, I was contemplating the use of banking apps on mobile devices. Then my thoughts materialized into this: https://freeradical.zone/@jdoe/112519866801858421
Fortunately there are several brands now offering android updates for 5+ years.
Google is also offering 7 years of support
So, are there any plans to reduce the bloat in KDE, maybe even make a lightweight version (like LXQt) that's suitable for older PCs with limited resources?
Edit: Video proving that what you are saying is not correct:
https://tube.kockatoo.org/w/g9p72nNRHi6bArN4ABtSQM
I think that what you are calling "KDE" may be "Plasma", since you are comparing with another desktop environment.
To answer your question, yes, and the process started some years ago. It sounds like you may be a bit out of the loop, as Plasma now weighs more or less the same as XFCE, or thereabouts (these things are harder to measure than one may assume). I personally installed Plasma 6 on a Dell XPS PP25L from 2008 and it works flawlessly.
Edit: Screenshots proving that what you're saying is not correct:
I'm not talking specifically about Plasma, I'm talking about the "DE" part of KDE in general; and particularly in this context of repurposing and extending the life of old PCs.
I find it a bit ironic for KDE to be pushing this message, when it's a heavy DE (relatively speaking) - it's NOT what anyone would have in mind when when selecting a DE for an old PC.
For instance, take LXQt - run the default/recommended file browser, terminal and text editor, and compare it with KDE + equivalents - you'd see a significant difference in resource consumption. On a system with low RAM, that extra bit of free memory makes a big difference, as it could mean avoiding the penalty hit of the swap file, which you'd invariably run into as soon as you fire up a modern Web browser. So it's vital that the DE use as little resources as possible on such a machine.
I'm afraid you are definitely out of the loop: Plasma is the DE. That is what it's called: Plasma, not KDE. KDE refers to the organisation, the community and all the software the community produces, which includes Plasma (the DE), but also all the apps, frameworks, widgets, etc.
I find it a bit ironic for KDE to be pushing this message, when it’s a heavy DE (relatively speaking)
You didn't seem to read my message. Allow me to repeat the gist here: Plasma (the DE) works fluidly on a machine bought in 2008 which comes with an Intel Core 2 Duo running at 1.8GHz. This machine has an onboard Intel GMA X3100 GPU and 2GB Memory. I doubt a heavy/bloated environment like you are imagining would even be able to display the log in screen on that.
I would advise you stop repeating third-hand FUD, as it is not true, and you tried the software out for yourself. I am sure you will be surprised at how light Plasma (the DE) is.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but this #OptGreen project isn't talking specifically about Plasma, is it? They don't mention Plasma anywhere on the page they linked.
In any case, that's irrelevant, also, I don't doubt that KDE can't run at all under the specs you mentioned - that's not the issue. The question is, how much free/usable RAM do you actually have on that machine - let's say with no apps open first, and with then check again with Konsole + Dolphin + KWrite/Kate open? And for fun, fire up Konqueror as well and check again.
@d3Xt3r @Bro666 These are, in fact, good examples of how Free Software makes it possible to extend hardware operating life. Though the "Opt Green" project falls under the KDE umbrella, the driving force of the project is that the inherent virtues of FOSS make it possible to support hardware for years and even decades after official support ends. And transparency and user autonomy mean you can contribute to make KDE/FOSS even better! That is simply not possible with proprietary software.
KDE Plasma has been reported to work well on computers up 15 years old, and other FOSS projects run on devices even older than that!
At our stand in April at the Umweltfestival, we had a Dell computer from 2003. Debian with LXQt ran on it, but the BeOS-based Haiku ran even more smoothly ... and many KDE apps have been ported to Haiku. So we could demo GCompris to families with kids on a device that is 21 years old.
That is the power of transparency and user autonomy!
Yeah, tell that to the phone companies. I have a perfectly good iPhone 6s that I can only use for the one game that still works. Apple killed that phone for everything else through lack of support. Some for my iPad Mini. My Android phones are all made with flimsy USB connectors that always break and sometimes within literally weeks. The phones are still good but killed by bad USB ports.
For what it's worth, there's the Upcycling Android project by the #FSFE.
@Bro666 Dosn't that need the phone to be unlocked by the provider in order for a new OS to be installed?
Probably. I would imagine they look to help you do that, though.
@Bro666 The annoying thing is most phones would work really well if it wasnt for the flimsy usb and the spyware. Most phones are truly bogged down with it, straight from the Chinese manufacturer
True
The trick with Android phones, I've found, is to charge wirelessly whenever you can. Otherwise the USB port does wear out quickly.
@floofloof Yes - if you phone has wireless charging. Most do not. My current phone has an almost totally broken USB port. I'm considering cracking it open to add wireless charging capability. Or I could just find another cheap phone.
@be4foss @kde Do you mind replying to https://diaspodon.fr/@krop/112331009754812504 ?
When will KDE relocate their servers to a country that doesn't heavily rely on coal for their power production?
Hetzner is getting nearly all of its electricity from hydropower https://www.hetzner.com/unternehmen/umwelt
Edit: wording
@MageInBlack @kde Some background: KDE Eco has funded projects supported by the KDE e.V. and community. The name is derived from the website eco.kde.org, originally created for the FOSS-oriented project "Blauer Engel For FOSS" (BE4FOSS). Since 2021 we've been in contact with many FOSS projects/communities as well as people working on measuring software's energy consumption, digital sustainability, etc. Much is still work in progress and as newsworthy things happen we make sure to post about it.