KDE Neon is NOW AWESOME, First Impressions/Fixes/Comparison_to_Gnome

[DrGeoffrey]

p.s. KDE- Neon presently has a NEWER Plasma Version, Qt Version, and Kernel than Netrunners last release. So for others, you should know KDE-Neon stays pretty current.
... AWESOME !

Experience indicates wait a week, or less, and Maui will be updated to the newer Plasma version. Neon is very bleeding edge, while Maui prefers to keep systems one step back from the edge. Fewer cuts result, and production systems stay running properly.

[ack0329]

You could try Maui from the Netrunner people. I think it is Neon with more bells and whistles.

Cheers and thanks.

Googling this led me to Wickipedia and a list of differences from KDE-Neon, which I will show here. At least the apps that were not already on my KDE-Neon:
owncloud
gimp
krita
kdenlive
telepathy-indicator
virtualbox


Happy Gaming on Linux, Mark
edit: p.s. KDE- Neon presently has a NEWER Plasma Version, Qt Version, and Kernel than Netrunners last release. So for others, you should know KDE-Neon stays pretty current.
... AWESOME !

[bvpainter]

You could try Maui from the Netrunner people. I think it is Neon with more bells and whistles.

[ack0329]

And for others reading this ...
KDE Neon is built entirely from Ubuntu 16.04 and can use all THE SAME ppas/ commands/ file managers/ driver managers/ app managers etc, so don't be dismayed.

And KDE Neon is much More Lean and Mean than Kubuntu from my understanding! WooHoo. ...
The Best of KDE without the Worst (no bloat or confusing Application Menu) to name just a few key reasons.

Happy Gaming on Linux, Mark

[ack0329]

I just wanted to help other Ubuntu Users choose KDE as it is so much slimmer and smartly efficient than my past KDE Bloated environment, and it is so much more intuitively designed to navigate systems / apps / customization.

Just sharing the good word.

• So here I am writing from Ubuntu's KDE Neon beside Ubuntu-Gnome which allows for a good opportunity for comparison from both an experienced Linux User and from a relatively Newbies Perspective with KDE. This is written with the hopes of helping others with the decision to switch, helping both KDE and Gnome developers with future considered development decisions. Not to mention for FUN.

I'm afraid to tell you that Ubuntu has nothing to do with KDE Neon, bar providing the underlying system(Xenial). The KDE Neon project is entirely maintained by KDE people on KDE infrastructure. They provide a repository, which is installed on top of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. For more details of what KDE Neon is and is not, https://neon.kde.org/faq

[ack0329]

First my Comparison to Gnome
__________________________________________________ _____________
KDE vs Gnome

KDE Neon,

• Preface
• First understand that I think Ubuntu-Gnome is awesome and have been using it without issue for about a year. It has been the best of many Linux Distros that I have used over the past 8-9 years. and think that it is a clean, slick and fantastic DE, combining Form, Flexibility and Function A recent problem and a new Laptop led me to want to try a new DE.
• So here I am writing from Ubuntu's KDE Neon beside Ubuntu-Gnome which allows for a good opportunity for comparison from both an experienced Linux User and from a relatively Newbies Perspective with KDE. This is written with the hopes of helping others with the decision to switch, helping both KDE and Gnome developers with future considered development decisions. Not to mention for FUN.
• And to get one intrigued let me start with a surprising benchmark - All things being equal 90% BETTER Nvidia GPU Efficiency and Functionality. Almost TWICE the FPS using glxgears! Read on .....
  
• Install
• Looks Awesome
• file:///tmp/Spectacle.J18271.png
• Bad
• "No Workspaces to Dock" the most popular and functional Gnome Extension.
• Good
• A Great Solution. A "Cairo-Dock" Addon "Switcher" provides an Awesome alternative. Just detach and stretch it tall.
• Good
• a little slicker
• Setting a Windows Partition does NOT take an unintuitive 2 step process
• Bad
• BTRFS not recognized during install or after

• Applications
• Good
• I tried it a few months back and gave it my 5 hour attempt and said forget it too. But this time it is working quite well. And one of the things I despised about KDE 4-5 years ago was way too many programs (super bloated) and most ALL starting with a "K", and therefore ridiculously even harder to navigate.
• KDE Neon has answered this with install a bare bones but quite completely functional OS and they chose the best apps not just "K" Apps. And great choices !

• Session Manager
• Awesome - WORKS and puts most items back at startup and Most where they were,
• Not so good - Not All Programs come back
• Solution - but for regular used programs in this category, I just added them to KDE's "Autostart"
• Issue - if in autostart and on at time of restart some programs Double:
• ex.s) Cairo-Dock, NVidia Settings.
• Solution don't have programs in autostart that do this, just keep them open at restart/shutdown.

• File Manager
• GREAT - Dolphin is without a doubt the best fully functional and easy to use and multitask with, in my opinion.
• Dolphin also has a refresh button which no other File manager has. It's great for tracking a large files transfer; that's what file managers are for - good common sense.
• Gnomes default "Nautilus" has lost so much functionality, that I had to install Nemo which worked great as Dolphin (a favourite over my 8 years with Linux) was pathetic in Ubuntu-Gnome.

• Graphics Speed and Awesomeness - WOOHOO!
• Now I realize FPS are not everything but it is at least intriguing.
• Using glxgears for the tests. No heavy GPU Apps running.
• Gnome OR KDE With Nouveaux Drivers 60 FPS (basically the refresh rate)
• Ubuntu-Gnome using NVidia 370.28 .... 7-9,000 FPS
• KDE Neon ....
• with NVidia-361 (suggested) 12-13,000 FPS !
• with NVidia-370.28 ..... over 15,000 FPS !, over 15,000 FPS!!!! compared to 9,000! don't get me wrong but AMAZINGLY COOL, and leaves me at the least optimistic.....
• Now for a Game Benchmark Metro 2033 Redux,
• Ubuntu-Gnome, which was NOT playing at all with the steam controller:
• 720p, Medium Graphics, 20-40 FPS to stream functionally to the 55".
• NOW .......................................
• KDE Neon :
• 1080P, High Graphics Settings , 60 FPS and the controller is now working! (was greyed out).
• KDE 3D Gaming Rocks so far
• Update:
• So Boring News Arghhhh,
• Both Systems Benchmarked almost exactly the same with Shadows of Mordor with its awesome Benchmark function
• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• KDE After Install
• 1/ Update
• 2/ Drivers
• sudo apt install kubuntu-driver-manager or just use CLI
• sudo ubuntu-drivers devices (show devices and driver options
• Latest Nvidia Driver
• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
• sudo apt-get install nvidia-361
• or sudo apt install nvidia-370 (15.000 FPS using glxgears)
• glxgears showing 13,000 FPS / compared to 8-9000 FPS Ubuntu-Gnome
• sudo apt-get install intel-microcode
• 3/ Other Software
• sudo apt-get install muon synaptic (Discover was not working at all)
• sudo apt-get install tomboy gconf-defaults-service libenchant-voikko monodoc-gtk2.0-manual libmono-i18n4.0-all libgamin0 evolution
• sudo apt-get install steam glibc-doc:i386 locales:i386 xfonts-cyrillic
• sudo update-apt-xapian-index
• which builds / rebuilds the package search index
• KDE Partition Manager
• To Auto Mount Disks
• "Removable Devices" works and quite a good GUI; replaces gnome-disk-utility
• BTRFS file system not visible
• sudo apt-get install btrfs-tools

• 4/ 1st Install List
• sudo apt-get install audacious btrfs-tools cairo-dock deluge extlinux gdebi gparted gedit hardinfo hddtemp inxi iozone3 lm-sensors lsscsi mesa-utils ntfs-config playonlinux samba steam sysinfo ttf-mscorefonts-installer kubuntu-restricted-extras kubuntu-restricted-addons unetbootin unison-gtk unison winetricks
• kde-runtime
• sudo apt install upstart graphviz upstart-monitor
• shotwell vs gwenview
• nautilus-dropbox pavucontrol paman paprefs pavumeter

OK just a cut and past from Tomboy Noters - I hope trhis enlightrens and helps others