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155 lines
11 KiB
155 lines
11 KiB
<?php
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include("../tde-head-and-foot.php");
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doHeader("Introduction", "Documentation", "FAQ", "../");
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?>
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<STYLE>
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.question {font-weight:bold;}
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TD {padding-top:10px}
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</STYLE>
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<table width="100%" class="header"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="navLeft" width="33%"><a accesskey="p" href="about.php">Prev</a></td><td align="center" class="navCenter" width="34%"></td><td align="right" class="navRight" width="33%">
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<a accesskey="n" href="getting-tde.php">Next</a></td></tr></tbody></table>
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<p class="chapter" lang="en">
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<p class="titlepage">
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<p>
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<p><h2 class="title"><a name="introduction"></a>Chapter 2. Introduction</h2>
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<p class="qandaset"><dl><dt>2.1. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487999026864">What is TDE?</a></dt><dt>2.2. <a href="introduction.php#idm140488007142368">On which platforms can I expect TDE to work?</a></dt><dt>2.3. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998950448">Why should I use TDE?</a></dt><dt>2.4. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998946848">Is TDE a window manager?</a></dt><dt>2.5. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998940368">Is TDE a CDE, Windows or Mac
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OS clone?</a></dt><dt>2.6. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998932336">On what platform is TDE based?</a></dt><dt>2.7. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998929824">Is TDE free software?</a></dt><dt>2.8. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998919136">Why the rebranding and renaming efforts? Why not continue calling the software KDE?</a></dt><dt>2.9. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998915472">Why the change in version numbers?</a></dt><dt>2.10. <a href="introduction.php#idm140487998912448">How is Trinity different from KDE4?</a></dt></dl><table border="0" summary="Q and A Set"><col align="left" width="1%"><tbody><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487999026864"></a><a name="idm140487999026544"></a><b>2.1.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>What is TDE?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>TDE is the Trinity Desktop Environment. The project was initiated
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by Matthias Ettrich in 1996 and originally called the K Desktop Environment.
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The aim of the TDE project is to connect the power of the Unix-like operating
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systems with the comfort of a modern user interface.</p><p>For additional information about TDE, check the Trinity web site at
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<a href="/about.php" target="_top">About Trinity</a></p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140488007142368"></a><a name="platform"></a><b>2.2.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>On which platforms can I expect TDE to work?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>TDE is a Desktop Environment for all flavors of Unix-like systems.
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While most TDE developers use Linux based systems, TDE should run
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on a wide range of systems. You might need to tweak the
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source code a bit to get TDE to compile on different variant
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of Unix-like systems, or when not using the GNU development tools, in
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particular the <strong class="command">gcc</strong> compiler.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998950448"></a><a name="idm140487998950128"></a><b>2.3.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Why should I use TDE?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>TDE provides a traditional computer desktop that is snappy and
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responsive. A project goal is to provide a highly customizable
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desktop without forcing any particular feature or effect on users.
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TDE comes with many software tools to provide a productive and enjoyable
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computer desktop system.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998946848"></a><a name="idm140487998946528"></a><b>2.4.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Is TDE a window manager?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>No, TDE is not a window manager. While TDE includes a
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sophisticated window manager (TWin), TDE is much more, providing
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a full integrated desktop environment. TDE includes a web browser,
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a file manager, a window manager, a help system, a
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configuration system, many tools and utilities, and many
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applications, including but not limited to mail
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and news clients, drawing programs, a PDF and a DVI viewer
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and so forth.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998940368"></a><a name="idm140487998940112"></a><b>2.5.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Is TDE a CDE, Windows or Mac
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OS clone?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>TDE is not a clone. Specifically TDE is not a
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Common Desktop Environment (CDE) or Windows clone.
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While developers have and will continue to glean the best features from existing
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desktop environments, TDE is a unique environment that has and
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will continue to go its own way.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998932336"></a><a name="idm140487998932080"></a><b>2.6.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>On what platform is TDE based?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>TDE uses C++ and the <a href="licensing.php#qt">Qt C++ crossplatform toolkit</a>.
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The TDE development team now maintains the Qt3 toolkit, renamed TQt3.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998929824"></a><a name="idm140487998928608"></a><b>2.7.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Is TDE free software?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Yes, TDE is free software according to the GNU General
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Public License. All TDE libraries are available under the
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LGPL making commercial software development for the
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TDE desktop possible, but all TDE applications are licensed under
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the GPL.</p><p>TDE uses the <a href="licensing.php#qt">Qt C++ crossplatform
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toolkit</a>, which, since version 2.2, is released under the
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GPL.</p><p>Both TDE and Qt can be made available on
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CD-ROM free of charge. No runtime fees of any kind are
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incurred.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998919136"></a><a name="idm140487998918816"></a><b>2.8.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Why the rebranding and renaming efforts? Why not continue calling the software KDE?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>The "KDE" name, various logos, and related efforts are trademarked by the KDE
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Foundation. Since the Trinity project is not affiliated with the KDE Foundation,
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legally we can't use their trademarks.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998915472"></a><a name="idm140487998915216"></a><b>2.9.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Why the change in version numbers?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Trinity evolved from the last KDE 3.5 release, 3.5.10. Subsequent Trinity releases
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followed that numbering scheme. Release R14.0.0 marks a turning point in Trinity history
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because a great deal of the code infrastructure was changed. While those changes do not
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effect the usability or look-and-feel of the desktop that users enjoy, Trinity developers
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believe a change in the version scheme distinguishes when those changes occurred. An
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original project goal by users was to retain the flavor of the original KDE 3.5 desktop.
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That goal remains intact. To reflect that original goal, the last number in the original
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version scheme is retained in the new version scheme but is now the primary version number.
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While the infrastructure has changed, the desktop itself remains the same as the original
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KDE 3.5. This new version scheme indicates a modest divergence from the original KDE 3.5
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series and that Trinity is now its own desktop environment. The new version scheme reminds
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users that Trinity retains the original KDE 3.5 design, but is moving forward as a separate
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desktop project.</p></td></tr><tr class="question"><td align="left" valign="top"><a name="idm140487998912448"></a><a name="trinity-vs-kde4"></a><b>2.10.</b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>How is Trinity different from KDE4?</p></td></tr><tr class="answer"><td align="left" valign="top"><b></b></td><td align="left" valign="top"><p>Both desktop environments share common roots to KDE 3.5.10, which was the last
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official release of KDE in the 3.x series. Many KDE developers wanted to break
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from that code chain and tool sets to start afresh. Thus was born KDE4. In
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addition to moving to the Qt4 tool set, the KDE developers revamped the
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underlying KDE code set.</p><p>KDE4 and Trinity have different philosophies about work flow preferences.
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KDE4 developers want to support certain work flow concepts and techniques.
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Trinity developers want to maintain a "traditional" desktop environment.</p><p>For example, KDE4 offers the following tools:</p>
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<p class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Semantic desktop through Nepomuk</p></li><li><p>PIM (Personal Information Management) data caching through Akonadi</p></li><li><p>Desktop file searching through Strigi</p></li><li><p>Activities, a computer desktop metaphor for managing tasks and activities</p></li></ul><p>Whereas TDE offers the following:</p>
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<p class="itemizedlist"><ul type="disc"><li><p>Desktop search through the locate:/ tdeio-slave and Beagle</p></li><li><p>Integrated PIM suite with plugins</p></li><li><p>Related task management using multiple desktops</p></li></ul><p>The KDE developers support alternate desktop interfaces, such as those used
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with netbooks, tablets, and smart phones. TDE provides a single interface that is
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optimized for the mouse/keyboard HCI (Human-computer interaction) model.</p><p>Both desktop environments provide an excellent choice for various work
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flows but differ in approach. Trinity leans toward user expectations of how
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desktop environments have functioned traditionally. There is a sense of
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familiarity with that environment many people like. Similarly other users prefer
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the work flow features offered by KDE4 because those features match their
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expectations of how they want their computer to behave. The difference between the
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two environments does not mean one is better, buggier, or slower — only that
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they are different and appeal to different types of people. Although sharing a
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common heritage, both desktops appeal to different groups of people. As always
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with free/libre software, there is a choice.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><table width="100%" class="bottom-nav"><tr><td width="33%" align="left" valign="top" class="navLeft"><a href="about.php">Prev</a></td><td width="34%" align="center" valign="top" class="navCenter"><a href="index.php">Home</a></td><td width="33%" align="right" valign="top" class="navRight"><a href="getting-tde.php">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="33%" align="left" class="navLeft">About this FAQ</td><td width="34%" align="center" class="navCenter"><a href="index.php">Up</a></td><td width="33%" align="right" class="navRight">Getting TDE</td></tr></table>
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