The blue version of Linux Mint comes in a KDE flavour, but is there much point to choosing it over Kubuntu
The cycle for the Linux Mint release has become fairly standard now, with the standard version coming shortly after the initial Ubuntu release, followed some time later by the Xfce and KDE versions. While both KDE and Xfce are actually initially available to the original Mint release, these versions are tweaked to work just that little bit better in Mint than the Kubuntu or Xubuntu Desktop package available in the repos.
Linux Mint KDE comes on top of the same Ubuntu 12.10 base as the standard Linux Mint 14, which works using Linux kernel 3.5, and includes a lot of updated cloud compatibility. One of Mint’s big projects, the MDM Display Manager, is not present in this release; instead it relies on KDM for the windows manager. However, the software manager uses a similar base. As in the normal Mint, the software manager no longer uses Aptdaemon and instead has its own Apt client now.
This is a good thing, as the previous version’s software manager had the propensity to crash or freeze every now and then. Installation of the distro is different from the usual Ubuntu affair, with a draklive-esque installer that takes you through all the necessary setup for the system. Installation is pretty quick and the process allows you the usual customisation options to make sure your PC is configured to your liking.
Like Kubuntu, Mint KDE is on KDE 4.9. Compared to the last version, there are a lot of updates to Dolphin, KDE’s file manager, which includes new navigation buttons such as backwards and forwards, improved search, and better displaying of metadata. There are some other general improvements aswell, with increasing support for the Kickoff menu and betteractivity integration in the desktop.
As usual, KDE is a prettygreat desktop environment to use, with a lot of stylistic flairto the design allowing for some interesting features such asthe customisable desktop folder and activities menu. Thecustomisation for KDE is absolutely fantastic, allowing you toconfigure just about every part of the desktop to your exactspecification.
Context-sensitive settings menus attached toeach element of the desktop UI let you tweak to your heart’scontent: icon size, font size, border, displayed content etc. However, these same features are available in Kubuntuand have been for months before Linux Mint KDE came outOnce again we’ve come to the question – is Linux Mint KDEworth it over Kubuntu?
The best use case we can come upwith is if you switch a lot between Cinnamon and KDE on LinuxMint and don’t like it when installing the kubuntu-desktoppackage starts messing around with Plymouth and otherboot-time displays. It also fits a little more neatly in with theMint 14 aesthetic, having access to the same themes as thenormal version.
Also, you can easily start with Mint 14 KDE which arguably has a better login manager, and then install Cinnamon alongside it. This doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the distro, though. It’s still fantastic and great to use, and is probably a better way to use KDE and Cinnamon together. But if you’re a fan of KDE, you’ve likely been using Kubuntu for a few months before it’s even released. Although at least the software manager is much better in Mint than Kubuntu .
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