Why do all KDE4 distributions look the exact same way by default?
I am serious here, I have one big issue with KDE4 based distros and its the fact they all come with the exact same basic default scheme:
The oxygen theme
The oxygen color scheme
The oxygen icon theme
I never really got this, sure most KDE4 distros do use different panel configurations, and make them fit that distros goal.
Look at the initial differences between the default PCLinux setup: http://www.pclinuxos.com/photos/kdedesktop.jpg
Imagine what would happen if Linux distros had different default themes - what would one understand by a “default” theme? It would be kinda messy to search the Internet for a specific “default” theme.
And, of course, it might have something to do with the GNU project.
More…it’s up to you, not to the developers, to set the preferences. Why should each distro have a different theme? They give you a ‘hint’ (the ‘default’ theme) which should be the same for most of the distros (because they all are Linux and use KDE), but they do not impose to you the ‘absolute’ theme. The sense of community is completely lost if they start changing even the ‘default’ features of the applications, which are not even so important as you think.
I think this question can only be answered by the packagers responsible for
the KDE packages. So you should ask them separately at Ubuntu, Debian, Mint,
openSUSE … on their mailing lists or whatever medium they prefer.
This is not sarcastic!
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.2 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.0 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
riderplus wrote:
> And, of course, it might have something to do with the GNU project.
>
KDE is no GNU project and never was one.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.2 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.0 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
> I wasn’t talking of KDE in particular, but of Linux in general. This is
> not sarcastic either.
>
The way you wrote it gave me the impression it is about KDE. In fact nothing
stops anyone who makes a distro to choose whatever they like as a default or
even to create their own customized shiny new default KDE theme.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.2 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.0 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
Heres the thing, most distros do have their own theme if they dont use KDE.
Most distributions that come with Gnome2 for example look completely different then eachother.
Ubuntu looks completely different then openSUSE, Linux Mint and fedora when you use the gnome desktop.
Heck even the upcomming lxde is getting different themes on certain distros, look how nice the new lubuntu does by default. There are screenshots of it at omg ubuntu I linked to here as the main lubuntu site seems down.
For me the new lubuntu is kind of a beauty.
I also remember back to the kde3 days when distros used to come with a custom kde3, now with kde4 they all look the same.
I assume it is, because in standard mode it looks best.
Take the fonts for example. Any other font might not look as good anymore. I noticed that some fonts look only good in the preview.
I am ok with the default since it looks, good.
But i think i know where you coming from. The nice little touches that distinguish the distribution from one another.
Every distro has firefox loaded, even though i like Opera right now more.
But i think it is indeed best, to be a member and vote on such things. I don’t see how it will change for worst or better.
It’s kinda frustrating and monotonous, but you can always downgrade to kde3 or to another desktop environment if you really want a different default theme. I mean, what else can be done?
On 04/29/2011 12:06 PM, DancingmadRB3 wrote:
>
> Why do all KDE4 distributions look the exact same way by default?
> I am serious here, I have one big issue with KDE4 based distros and its
> the fact they all come with the exact same basic default scheme:
maybe it is because the package managers in the various distibutions are
not so much attuned to how it looks, but rather how it works…
anyway, not all but most major distros have input to the decisions of
how the basic KDE4 looks…so, why then change it before inclusion? what
would be the point in changing the look?
From my view, Linux is about choice but there must be first a default choice because without it the distro would come up with a blank screen with maybe a simple command line entry box and a hint so you could step through a bunch of command line utilities to define background, theme, character fonts, actions, etc. just to get to where a GUI could take over and customize to your liking. Better to have a basic default easily recognizable as a starting point. One could think about Windows where each new major version has one choice … their’s with a few tweeks here and there.
At least with Linux:
Gnome … variable default look depending on distro … Some like, some live with, and some hate choosing to distro hop or desktop hop.
KDE … quite similar default depending on distro … Some like, some live with, and some hate choosing to change it, distro hop, or desktop hop.
Lxde … quite simple default depending on distro … Some like, some live with, and some hate choosing to distro hop or desktop hop.
Of the three above, Only KDE allows me to make changes that are actually remembered between boots without having to re-tweek some of the settings.
So thank heaven there are defaults, choice, and freedom to use what you want.
On 05/03/2011 12:06 AM, DancingmadRB3 wrote:
>
> Well to make the distro stand out more.
> You have wallpapers, to make the distros unique why not tweak the whole
> shebang?
there are only so many hands and of hours to “tweak” the software…and
my personal opinion is i would much rather the hands and hours be used
to make the system more stable, reliable, dependable, and predictable
than to change what looks “just ok” (or better) to something ‘unique’…
what a giant waste of time it would be to deliver a fully tweaked whole
shebang unique KDE that didn’t work!
now, by going to SUSE Studio what can do is begin with a fully patched
and updated 11.4 with whatever version of KDE you wish and fully tweak
whole shebang to your own personal best looking desktop EVER, and you
can change the branding from openSUSE to the “DancingmadRB3 Distro”,
download the iso and put it on the net for others to use…and, watch it
zoom up the charts in DistroWatch . . .