KDE facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
KDE

Founded	14 October 1996; 28 years ago (1996-10-14)
Founder	Matthias Ettrich
Type	Community
Focus	Free software
Products	KDE Plasma, KDE Frameworks, KDE Applications, Calligra Suite, Krita, KDevelop, digiKam, Amarok, Kirigami, and many more
Method	Artwork, development, documentation, promotion, and translation.

KDE is a group of people from all over the world who create free and open-source software. This means the software can be used, changed, and shared by anyone. KDE provides tools and resources that help people work together on these software projects. Some well-known things they make include the Plasma Desktop, which is like the main screen you see on your computer, and many useful programs. These programs, like Amarok (for music), digiKam (for photos), and Krita (for drawing), can run on different computer systems, including Windows and Android.

How KDE Started

Matthias Ettrich, who started KDE

KDE was started in 1996 by Matthias Ettrich. He was a student at the University of Tübingen in Germany. At that time, Matthias noticed that computer programs on Unix systems didn't look or work the same way. He also felt they were too hard for regular people to use.

To fix this, he suggested creating a desktop environment where all programs would look and act consistently. This would make them easier to use. His idea quickly gained a lot of interest, and that's how the KDE project began.

The name KDE was a playful twist on "Common Desktop Environment" (CDE), which was another computer environment for Unix systems. The K was first thought to stand for "Kool," but later it was decided that the K didn't stand for anything specific. For a while, KDE stood for "K Desktop Environment." However, in 2009, the name was officially changed to just KDE. This was to show that KDE is more than just a desktop; it's a whole community of people creating software.

Matthias Ettrich chose to use a special set of tools called the Qt framework for KDE. Other programmers quickly started making KDE programs using Qt. By early 1997, some programs were ready. On July 12, 1998, the first full version of the desktop environment, called KDE 1.0, was released.

After 2009, what was known as KDE 4 was split into three main parts:

• KDE Plasma Workspaces (the desktop environment)
• KDE Applications (the programs)
• KDE Platform (now KDE Frameworks, the building blocks for the software)

Since then, the name KDE refers to the community that creates all this software.

Software Releases Over Time

K Desktop Environment 1.0

KDE Software Compilation 4

What KDE Creates

KDE Plasma 5.26, a modern desktop environment

Krita 5.0.0, a popular drawing program

The KDE community works on many free software projects. The main parts of what used to be called "KDE" are now:

• KDE Plasma: This is the graphical desktop environment. It's what you see on your computer screen, with customizable layouts and panels. It also supports virtual desktops and widgets. Plasma is built using Qt and KDE Frameworks.
• KDE Frameworks: This is a collection of special tools and libraries that help developers build KDE software. Think of them as building blocks.
• KDE Gear: These are the actual programs and tools, like Kdenlive (for video editing) or Krita (for digital painting). Many of these are built using KDE Frameworks and are part of the official KDE Applications releases.

Other Cool Projects

KDE neon

KDE neon is a special software collection that uses Ubuntu LTS as its base. It gives users the newest Qt and KDE software very quickly. Other parts of the operating system update at the normal Ubuntu pace. KDE says it's not a full "KDE operating system" but rather a way to get the most up-to-date KDE and Qt programs.

Subtitle Composer

Subtitle Composer is a free and open-source program that helps you create and edit subtitles for videos. It works on Linux and Microsoft Windows. It supports many subtitle formats, lets you preview videos, see audio waveforms, and even helps with speech recognition and translation. It became part of KDE in December 2019.

WikiToLearn

WikiToLearn, or WTL, is a newer KDE project. It's a wiki (like Wikipedia) that lets people create and share free online textbooks. The goal is to build a huge library of textbooks for anyone to use and contribute to. It started at the University of Milan with students who wanted to share notes. Now, it's an official KDE project supported by several universities.

Who Helps KDE

Developing KDE software is mostly done by volunteers. However, some companies, like Novell and Blue Systems, hire developers to work on different parts of the project. Many people contribute to KDE in various ways, like writing code, translating, creating artwork, or helping with promotion.

The KDE community communicates through mailing lists, chat rooms (IRC), blogs, and conferences. They also have a Code of Conduct to ensure everyone behaves respectfully.

How Development Works

The KDE community uses a system called Git to manage their code. This helps many people work on the same project at once. They also use a tool called Phabricator for managing tasks and keeping track of what needs to be done.

In 2009, KDE announced that they had reached one million "commits" to their code. A commit is like saving a change to the project. This shows how much work has gone into KDE software.

The Core Team

The overall direction of KDE is guided by the KDE Core Team. These are developers who have contributed a lot to KDE over a long time. They discuss important decisions, but there isn't one single leader who can make all the choices. Instead, the core team, made up of many contributors, makes decisions through discussions.

Developers also work in smaller teams focused on specific areas. For example, the KDE Edu team creates free educational software. These teams often work independently and have their own ways of communicating.

KDE Patrons

A KDE Patron is a person or organization that supports the KDE community by donating money. As of early 2024, there are several patrons, including Google, SUSE, and The Qt Company. Their support helps KDE continue its work.

KDE Community Life

Mascot

The KDE community's mascot is a friendly green dragon named Konqi. Konqi's look was updated when Plasma 5 was released, based on a design by Tyson Tan.

Katie is a female dragon who was introduced in 2010. She is the mascot for the KDE women's community.

Other dragons with different colors and jobs were added to Konqi's family as part of the redesign. Each dragon has special antlers that show their role in the KDE community.

Antlers that show different Konqi professions

Kandalf the wizard was an earlier mascot for KDE. He was used during the KDE 1.x and 2.x versions.

KDE e.V. Organization

KDE e.V. is a German non-profit organization that handles the money and legal matters for KDE. It owns the KDE name and logo. It also accepts donations, helps run the computer servers, and helps organize conferences. However, it doesn't directly tell developers what software to create.

Local Communities

Many countries have their own KDE groups. These can be informal groups or official organizations, like KDE France. These local groups manage regional websites and organize events, such as meetings for contributors and social gatherings.

Identity

KDE has special guidelines for its community identity. These help make sure that KDE has a unique and appealing design. The official KDE logo is a white K-Gear shape on a blue square.

Many KDE programs have a K in their name, often as the first letter. Sometimes, the K replaces a "C" or "Q" sound, like in Konsole (console) or Kaffeine (caffeine). Other times, a common word just gets a K added to the beginning, like KGet. However, newer programs sometimes don't have a K in their name at all, such as Spectacle or Dolphin.

Working with Others

Wikimedia

Amarok showing information from Wikipedia

In 2005, KDE and the Wikimedia Foundation (the group behind Wikipedia) started working together. Because of this, you can now see Wikipedia content within some KDE programs, like Amarok and Marble (a virtual globe).

Free Software Foundation Europe

In 2006, KDE e.V. became a member of the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). They work together to promote free software. In 2009, KDE e.V. and FSFE even moved into shared offices in Berlin.

Companies That Help

Several companies actively help KDE, including Collabora, Blue Systems, and The Qt Company. These companies often hire KDE developers to work on the projects.

For example, Nokia used parts of Calligra Suite for their "Office Viewer" app on their mobile phones. They also hired KDE developers to help with their projects.

Other Collaborations

KDE works with freedesktop.org, which is an effort to make different Unix desktop environments work better together.

In 2009 and 2011, KDE and GNOME (another desktop environment) held their main conferences together under the name Desktop Summit.

Many Linux operating systems and other free operating systems help develop and share KDE software. This includes companies like SUSE and government-funded groups like the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey.

In 2018, Red Hat announced that it would no longer directly support KDE Plasma in future updates of its main Linux product. However, Fedora, which is related to Red Hat, still makes KDE Plasma available to users through another project.

KDE Events and Activities

The two most important conferences for KDE are Akademy and Camp KDE. These are big events that bring people together from all over the world.

Akademy

Akademy 2008 logo

Akademy is KDE's yearly global meeting, held in Europe each summer. The main goals of Akademy are to build the community, share what they've achieved, and work with partners. It's also a place for people to meet, write code, and discuss specific projects. The KDE e.V. helps with organizing the event.

The first KDE conference was held in Germany in 1997. Since 2003, the conferences have been held once a year, and they were named Akademy starting in 2004.

At the yearly Akademy conference, they give out Akademy Awards to people who have made great contributions to KDE. There are awards for the best application, best non-application contribution, and a special jury's award.

Camp KDE

Camp KDE is another yearly conference for KDE contributors. This event gives people in North America a chance to meet and share their experiences. It's free for everyone who attends. The KDE e.V. helps with travel and accommodation for speakers and important contributors.

The first Camp KDE was held in Jamaica in 2009. It included presentations, meetings, and coding sessions. Camp KDE 2010 took place in California, and Camp KDE 2011 was held in San Francisco.

SoK (Season of KDE)

Season of KDE is a program where students can work on KDE projects. They get mentors from the KDE community who help them complete their projects.

Other Community Events

conf.kde.in was the first KDE and Qt conference in India. It was held in Bangalore in 2011. The event had talks, tutorials, and coding sessions. Over 300 people attended the opening talks.

Día KDE (KDE Day) is an event in Argentina focused on KDE. It includes talks and workshops. The goal is to share information about free software and the KDE community in Argentina. It's a free event for everyone.

A Release party is a celebration held when a new version of KDE software is released. KDE also takes part in other conferences about free software.

Where KDE Software is Used

KDE software is used in many places around the world:

• Brazil: Primary schools in Brazil use computers running KDE software. This means over 42,000 schools and nearly 52 million children use it. The main system they use is called Educational Linux, which is based on Kubuntu. Many university students in Brazil also use KDE products.
• Portugal and Venezuela: KDE software is used in schools in these countries, reaching 700,000 and one million systems, respectively.
• Turkey: Many parts of the Turkish government use KDE software through a local Linux system called Pardus. This includes the Turkish Armed Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• CERN: The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, uses KDE software.
• Germany: German embassies around the world use KDE software on about 11,000 computer systems.
• NASA: NASA used the Plasma Desktop during the Mars Mission.
• Steam Deck: Valve Corporation's handheld gaming computer, the Steam Deck, uses the KDE Plasma desktop when it's in desktop mode.

See also

In Spanish: KDE para niños

• KDE Projects
• List of KDE applications
• Free software community
• Trinity Desktop Environment
• GNOME