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KDE is now my favorite desktop

(kokada.dev)
892 points todsacerdoti | 13 comments | 18 Sep 25 12:17 UTC | HN request time: 0.607s | source | bottom
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Chance-Device ◴[18 Sep 25 13:09 UTC] No.45289205[source]▶
I’ve been using KDE as my personal daily driver for a few years now. At work I have to use MacOS, and it feels like a serious downgrade. Just about everything is easier and more intuitive on KDE. It’s the single best desktop I’ve ever used.
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1. criddell ◴[18 Sep 25 13:26 UTC] No.45289429[source]▶
> it feels like a serious downgrade

What kinds of things are you talking about?

These days I feel like all of the major desktop environments are good enough. 95% of what I do with them is launch applications and move or resize windows and that’s easy enough on all of them.

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2. ajuc ◴[18 Sep 25 13:42 UTC] No.45289601[source]▶
One thing I missed the most from KDE was changing the volume by mouse wheel on the sound volume icon in tray. And in general mouse wheel interactions on tray.

On windows you have to click the icon before you can interact with it. IIRC on Mac too.

replies(3): >>45289765 #>>45290005 #>>45292165 #
3. carlosjobim ◴[18 Sep 25 13:43 UTC] No.45289609[source]▶
If you use desktop environments more to their capacity, you'll start to appreciate more advanced features. Such as how apps can integrate with each other, etc.
replies(1): >>45290068 #
4. saidinesh5 ◴[18 Sep 25 13:54 UTC] No.45289738[source]▶
The window management and dolphin for file management for one. KDE let's you easily pin windows on top, show on all desktops etc .. Dolphin gives you a nice multi tab, split pane file manager along with a terminal that follows you along.

On my work macbook - I can't install third-party software and the default window management is just not there. It has problems restoring windows to correct size when i switch external monitors... The experience just isn't as nice as KDE on my home laptop.

I had to install inputactions to get mac like touchpad gestures on my home kde set up but after that it just feels nicer and smoother than my office mac

replies(1): >>45289894 #
5. vladvasiliu ◴[18 Sep 25 13:56 UTC] No.45289765[source]▶
> On windows you have to click the icon before you can interact with it

Not anymore! This changed in some win11 update I can't remember, but I recall celebrating this improvement.

However, this being windows, of course it's half-assed. This works with the mouse wheel but not by scrolling the touchpad (as of up-to-date 24h2).

6. albertzeyer ◴[18 Sep 25 14:07 UTC] No.45289894[source]▶
Long time ago, that was actually very easy on Mac, via SIMBL (https://github.com/albertz/simbl) and Afloat (https://github.com/rwu823/afloat) and you could hack around using FScriptAnywhereSIMBL (https://github.com/albertz/FScriptAnywhereSIMBL) or Pyjector (https://github.com/albertz/Pyjector).

But that doesn't work anymore since a while (I guess due to SIP).

7. Crestwave ◴[18 Sep 25 14:16 UTC] No.45290005[source]▶
KDE has a lot of really nice little things, like how you can mute specific apps with a single click just like muting browser tabs.

I've used a variety of environments extensively (Windows, macOS, KDE, GNOME, Xfce, i3, dwm, you name it) and this is basically the one feature I find myself regularly missing from another environment.

8. criddell ◴[18 Sep 25 14:22 UTC] No.45290068[source]▶
> how apps can integrate with each other

Can you explain more about this?

replies(1): >>45290580 #
9. carlosjobim ◴[18 Sep 25 15:04 UTC] No.45290580{3}[source]▶
Sure! One example is copy-paste, which doesn't always work as expected in Linux. Another is things in OS X, such as deep Spotlight integration with apps, and a unified scripting and automation language between apps.

You can also use links between most apps, documented here: https://github.com/bhagyas/app-urls

And drag and drop files and stuff onto and between apps, etc.

replies(1): >>45297978 #
10. efilife ◴[18 Sep 25 17:06 UTC] No.45292165[source]▶
there's a great program called EarTrumpet on windows that lets you do that
11. bigyabai ◴[18 Sep 25 23:25 UTC] No.45296241[source]▶
macOS and Windows are both now laden with more marketing and advertisements than actual features. When you step onto GNOME or KDE nowadays, it really does feel like a breath of fresh air.

I reciprocate their comment; 5-10 years ago the cross-OS experience was pretty samey. Now I just feel deeply upset when a relative brings me their Mac/Windows machine asking to make the popups go away.

12. never_inline ◴[19 Sep 25 04:33 UTC] No.45297978{4}[source]▶
> One example is copy-paste, which doesn't always work as expected in Linux.

Give example.

> Another is things in OS X, such as deep Spotlight integration with apps, and a unified scripting and automation language between apps.

I am sure KDE has it too.

One time I needed a shortcut for concat-ing 2 images, and I was able to get the son-of-a-bot Gemini to script me a .Desktop file + .sh script which added it as a context menu option to Dolphin. I didn't even know it was possible. I am sure even more automation should be possible with D-bus.

> You can also use links between most apps

Android has this, and I think it can cause borderline security risks. Anyway its' not as important these days when everything that could use a deep link from another app is a react app in browser anyway.

> And drag and drop files and stuff onto and between apps, etc.

I need it maybe 2 - 3 times a day. I can always use Paths and paste them in the file picker. Its never a deal breaker.

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13. carlosjobim ◴[19 Sep 25 10:15 UTC] No.45299940{5}[source]▶
I'm talking about why hundreds of millions of people use desktop environments, not why you in particular should use a desktop environment. You are of course free to make your own choices.