Translations by Marco Ceppi

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About <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>

This document is maintained by the Ubuntu documentation team (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DocumentationTeam). For a list of contributors, see the <ulink url="help:/kubuntu/contributors.html">contributors page</ulink>

A copy of the license is available here: <ulink url="help:/kubuntu/copyright.html">Creative Commons ShareAlike License</ulink>.

This document is an introduction to <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>. It explains the <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> project philosophy as well as its roots, and introduces the <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> desktop.

Introduction to <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>

Welcome to <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> 10.10, the Maverick Meerkat release. <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> is a user-friendly, Linux-based operating system that uses the KDE Plasma Desktop. With a predictable six month release cycle as part of the Ubuntu project, <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> is the Linux distribution for everyone. The entire <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> team thanks you for choosing <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>!

The <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> Desktop

<phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> includes more than 1,000 pieces of software and has access to more than 25,000 other applications to suit your needs. <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> starts with the Linux kernel, version 2.6.35, and includes the core Ubuntu applications as well as <acronym>KDE</acronym> 4.4.2 <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>'s core applications include software for most common needs - browsing the web, email, a word processor and spreadsheet, apps for various types of multimedia files, and more!

The team behind the Ubuntu and <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> projects makes the following commitments to its users:

<phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> will always utilize the solid base of the Ubuntu project plus the latest from the <acronym>KDE</acronym> project. As part of the Ubuntu project and community, <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> will continue to use the infrastructure and support that the Ubuntu project offers. We will strive to be the best <acronym>KDE</acronym>-based Linux distribution available.

<phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> will always be free of charge. There is no extra fee for an <quote>enterprise edition</quote>; we make our best work available to everyone on the same free terms.

<phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> includes the best translations and accessibility infrastructure that the free software community has to offer to make <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> usable by as many people as possible.

<phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> is committed to the principles of free software and open source development; we encourage people to use free and open source software, improve it and pass it on.

Linux is an operating system kernel that resembles the UNIX operating system. The kernel is the main software required for free operating systems such as <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>. Linux has become a leading element of the worldwide movement to embrace free and open source software. The term "GNU/Linux" is another way of referring to the Linux kernel; it was created by the <ulink url="http://www.fsf.org">Free Software Foundation</ulink>, because the Linux kernel was created with many components from the <ulink url="http://www.gnu.org">GNU Project</ulink>.

Find out more about Linux at any of the following websites:

Linux Online

Get GNU/Linux

What is <acronym>KDE</acronym>?

<acronym>KDE</acronym> is an international technology community that creates and supports free software for desktop and portable computing. Among <acronym>KDE</acronym>'s products are a modern desktop system for Linux and UNIX platforms, comprehensive office productivity and groupware suites, as well as hundreds of software applications in various categories including Internet and web applications, multimedia, entertainment, education, graphics, and software development. <acronym>KDE</acronym> software is translated into more than 65 languages and is built for ease of use with modern accessibility principles in mind. <acronym>KDE</acronym> 4's full-featured applications run natively on Linux, BSD, Solaris, Windows and Mac OS X. The KDE Workspace is the default desktop for <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>.

Find out more about KDE at any of the following websites:

KDE

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<acronym>KDE</acronym> for <phrase>Ubuntu</phrase> and <phrase>GNOME</phrase> Users

<acronym>KDE</acronym> is similar to <phrase>GNOME</phrase> in many ways, but there are distinct differences which distinguish <acronym>KDE</acronym> as a desktop environment. <acronym>KDE</acronym> uses C++ as its base with the Qt <acronym>GUI</acronym> toolkit, while <phrase>GNOME</phrase> uses the <acronym>GTK</acronym><acronym>GUI</acronym> toolkit and is written in C. <acronym>KDE</acronym> is the older of the two and puts more emphasis on features and usability. <phrase>GNOME</phrase> prides itself on simplicity and ease of use. The common criticism of <phrase>GNOME</phrase> is that it is lacking in features and applications, while the most common complaint about <acronym>KDE</acronym> is that it has too many features.

<acronym>KDE</acronym> and <phrase>GNOME</phrase> are intended to appeal to different audiences, and are fundamentally different in some respects. The question of which desktop environment is best is a subjective individual judgment. Users who are unsure are advised to try them both. It is very easy to install <phrase>GNOME</phrase> from <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>, and equally easy to install <acronym>KDE</acronym> in <phrase>Ubuntu</phrase>.

<phrase>Ubuntu</phrase> users may think that their favorite <phrase>GNOME</phrase> applications will not run under <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>. That is not the case. Much work has been done to ensure compatibility between <phrase>GNOME</phrase> and <acronym>KDE</acronym>. All <phrase>GNOME</phrase> applications will run under <acronym>KDE</acronym> and vice versa.

While the <acronym>KDE</acronym> desktop is different from <phrase>GNOME</phrase>, all <phrase>GNOME</phrase> applications will be integrated into the <acronym>KDE</acronym> menu system.

Users wanting to try <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase> may be concerned that <acronym>KDE</acronym> will become their only desktop once it is installed. This is not so. While there are good reasons for <acronym>KDE</acronym> to be the desktop of choice, both desktop session types can be run after installing <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>. Furthermore, during the installation, there is a choice between using the <application>GNOME Display Manager</application> (<acronym>GDM</acronym>) or the <application>KDE Display Manager</application> (<acronym>KDM</acronym>) as the login manager. Either display manager will work equally well.

After installation, either <phrase>GNOME</phrase> or <acronym>KDE</acronym> session types can be run, so users are free to try either, switching based on personal preference. The only noticeable difference is the artwork displayed before login.

To install <phrase>Kubuntu</phrase>'s Plasma Desktop, the <application>kubuntu-desktop</application> package must be installed. To install <phrase>Ubuntu</phrase>'s <phrase>GNOME</phrase> desktop, the <application>ubuntu-desktop</application> package is required.