Kubuntu 11.10 Finally Released

Kubuntu 11.10 is here! Yay!


But first bit rants about Xubuntu and Ubuntu.


Ubuntu is good. But definetely not for me. I like the interface and the whole idea behind Unity but the other part GTK+ and Gnome underneath is the stuff that puts me off. I can't help it but i just can not stand Gnome idea of desktop environment. Gnome and all programs related to Gnome ecosystem have always felt like cheap plastic toys for me. Although thei are not bad or useless, they always feel less usable than qt/kde counterparts. This is just my opinion and that opinion comes from my needs and my style of using computer programs. So even if Gnome/Gtk+/Unity is not for me, it does not mean that someone else might find it usable or more better for them.


Xubuntu is quite the same as 11.04 but with a twist, this thing is STABLE! 11.10 release is more or less stability and patching round for Xubntu as the next version of xfce should be out in first quarter of 2012. Xubuntu is good solid and really good if you don't want bling or bloat that is in Unity/Gnome3/KDE (not that KDE is that bloated imho)


And my choise for 11.10 round is of course Kubuntu! (And for the record, 11.04 was Xubuntu round for me). Much has been done to Kubuntu and lots of it is just pure gold.


Muon is the new package manager. This is what i have been waiting since the death and demise of Adept. Muon is fast and provides all what i need from good package manager.


Kwin has improved a lot. My netbook has intel chip so xrender is what i must use but it is fast Chrome has never been this fast on this netbook, never! I can even watch 720 videos from youtube no problems! Actually Kwin feels bit faster on my hardware than Xfwm. (No i have no numbers to prove my feelings but mostly i have felt the difference in Chrome scroll smoothness and flasplayer). Firefox still feels like snail on salt patch.


Kubuntu-low-fat package is really good addition to Kubuntu. Bit too good actually. I have netbook with 2Gig ram and 2/4 intel atom so i enabled Nepomuk with no impact on speed or memory. Akonadi on the other hand is disabled but as i can't find how to get Akonadi and Google to play together i just have no usage for Akonadi.


So in the end i have to say good work Canonical and all who contributed towards this release! Meny who use Ubuntu have expressed that Unity is getting there, Xfce is Great as always and KDE just shines in 11.10 release cycle!