Is Kubuntu Caught in a Downward Spiral?

Kubuntu has been my favorite Linux distribution since the very first release. It was made specifically for us KDE fans, branded with beautiful Kubuntu-specific artwork and themes, contained the best Qt-based software, and dared to be different. In a world ruled by Ubuntu, it’s given us KDE fans something to root for. Unfortunately, Kubuntu later became known as Canonical’s third wheel, and each release seems to steadily diminish in quality. What’s responsible for its current status, and what should be done to improve it?

Is Kubuntu Canonical’s “Blue Headed Step Child”?
The phrase “Blue Headed Step Child” has been used to describe Kubuntu for quite some time around the blogosphere, and the debate on whether or not the term has merit is never ending. This descriptor has originated from the idea that Kubuntu has never seemed to receive as many features as each Ubuntu release, and some of the most noteworthy features in Ubuntu often do not make the cut. It also has to do with Canonical not giving Kubuntu equal treatment in the release cycles.

Let’s be fair though, Ubuntu is Canonical’s main distribution, not Kubuntu, so that should be expected. Kubuntu is a “flavor” of Ubuntu that uses a different software set that caters to those that prefer the KDE environment. However, the amount of features that Kubuntu users miss out on is staggering, and should definitely be considered a problem. So, is Kubuntu the blue headed step child of Canonical? It would seem so, considering the lack of support Kubuntu seems to get and a severe lack of feature parity.

Kubuntu 8.04: LTS Status Stripped Away
The second blow to Kubuntu’s reputation was its LTS (Long Term Support) status being stripped away in version 8.04, supposedly caused by Kubuntu 8.04 being released around the same time as the big switch to KDE4. It was announced as follows by Jonathan Riddell:
Since KDE 4 is a major change to the platform, it is not currently at one of these natural rest points so would not be suitable for long term support.” He went on to say: “Instead, due to the very high interest, development efforts will be directed towards KDE 4 and releasing Kubuntu 8.04 with the option of using either KDE 3.5 or KDE 4.”

At first, I was actually happy with the decision, because I believed that not having to do an LTS release would take pressure off of the developers and allow them to give us the best KDE4 implementation they could. However, the more I thought about it, the less sense stripping away the LTS status seemed to make. For starters, KDE4 wasn’t even the default desktop, so why would it make the difference of 8.04 being an LTS release or not? In addition, the KDE4 implementation we received in the “KDE4 Remix” CD was not only terrible, but virtually completely unchanged from the sources. (There was no polish at all).

With that said, it’s easy to see that the LTS status of Kubuntu 8.04 being stripped away in vain was yet another serious blow to Kubuntu’s reputation.

Boring, Unaltered KDE4 Implementations Are Now The Norm
Unfortunately, each subsequent Kubuntu release from that point forward changed from having beautiful custom themes, wallpapers, and a login screen to having virtually no polish whatsoever. Sure, themes aren’t normally that crucial, but to Kubuntu it kind of is, as the reputation is already tarnished by the lack of feature parity with Ubuntu and no current LTS release, so having less polish certainly won’t help sway that opinion. The default themes in the KDE4 series are all great, though you can get the default anywhere. Kubuntu needs to stand on its own, like it used to.

From Kubuntu 8.10 and on, the custom themes and polish are gone, and the distribution has moved from a distro with a purpose to being merely ubuntu-minimal with KDE and Qt apps thrown on top. That’s not to say of course that the developers don’t do anything meaningful since they do give back to the KDE code as a whole and make it better for everyone else, but a lack of polish shows a lack of effort to an untrained eye.

With Ubuntu getting new wallpapers and GDM themes with each release, it’s a shame that Kubuntu cannot get that love too.

Wireless? Who Needs Wireless?!
Version 9.04 was quite possibly Kubuntu’s ultimate low, containing (again) an unpolished KDE environment, and an all new problem: Completely broken wireless. With all the complaining regarding broken wireless all over Launchpad, I’ve nicknamed 9.04 as the “Epic Fail” release and I consider it to be one of the worst distribution releases of all time.

So, what exactly happened? Well, it’s simple: If you use a laptop and think you’re going to browse the net wirelessly after installing Kubuntu 9.04, think again. It just doesn’t work. In my experience, the only way I could connect to my two wireless networks at home was to disable my wireless security altogether. I’ve tried WEP, WPA, you name it. I wasn’t alone, as this problem affected just about everyone trying to use Kubuntu wirelessly. The worst part of it is that this problem was known well before the final release, and hasn’t been fixed to this day. The only other way I found to connect to protected wireless networks was to install WICD. In retrospect, with Ubuntu 9.04 I had no problem connecting to any wireless network I tried, even on the same systems.

Of course, Kubuntu is bleeding edge, and problems are to be expected here and there. However, breaking wireless access for just about everyone is inexcusable. Why was such a failure allowed in a stable operating system? The world may never know.

The Future: Kubuntu 9.10
As soon as Kubuntu 9.10 was announced, I held my hopes up high that it would mark Kubuntu’s return to glory. Version 9.10 is definitely good so far, but still far from perfect.

When it comes to feature parity with Ubuntu, Kubuntu 9.10 will suffer more than it ever has before. Ubuntu is getting all kinds of neato stuff this time around, such as a new “Software Center”, a new login theme, icon theme, an edited GTK theme, and a bunch of really slick wallpapers. As you might have guessed, Kubuntu 9.10 will get none of that love.

Even worse yet is Ubuntu’s “One” file sharing service, which will allow you to store files in the cloud and sync them between your computers. It would totally rock if that feature was bundled with Kubuntu as well, since that’s a feature us KDE fans would love to have I’m sure. Unfortunately, like most other things, it’s specific to Ubuntu and us Kubuntu fans won’t be getting it any time soon. Do we not deserve it? Who knows. In addition, Ubuntu 9.10 even got a new XSplash boot theme which I’m told is pretty slick. Unfortunately, we won’t get that either.

Kubuntu 9.10 still suffers from wireless problems, but thankfully not as bad. In that aspect, it will be something of a required upgrade for users that suffered with wi-fi problems in 9.04. If that’s you, you’ll definitely want 9.10.

Other than Ubuntu stealing all the spotlight yet again, Kubuntu 9.10 is at least a step in the right direction, and could very well be the beginning of its return to fame as the KDE4 implementation feels solid for the very first time.

The Community Assumes Kubuntu
Another problem that Kubuntu suffers from is that people assume you’re using Ubuntu when asking for help or filing bugs. Often when I ask for assistance in the forums, I have people type fix instructions to me as if I was using Ubuntu, even though I specifically said which distro I was using. In fact, when the bug reporting system was changed recently, the instructions for filing bugs on Launchpad ignored Kubuntu altogether, I had to add a link to the Kubuntu instructions myself.

I’m hoping that the community will keep Kubuntu in mind which in turn will help it get ahead by quite a bit.

What Can Be Done?
I honestly believe that in order to get fully ahead, Kubuntu should sync with the KDE release schedule, not GNOME’s like Ubuntu does. Just like the Ubuntu developers give back to the GNOME codebase, Kubuntu developers give back to the KDE codebase which helps everyone else. Since Kubuntu syncs with the GNOME release schedule, it must be pretty hard to manage this.

Secondly, the community should not automatically assume Ubuntu in requests for help. Often, it’s specifically stated that the user is using Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, or whatever other *buntu right in the problem description.

Third, Kubuntu needs custom themes. It’s not that the themes that ship with KDE are bad, its just that you can get those themes anywhere, and all rolling releases ship with them. Kubuntu should stand on it’s own with at least a custom wallpaper and KDM theme. With Mandriva and SUSE customizing the environments quite a bit, it makes Kubuntu appear out of place as a KDE desktop. Even Ubuntu, it’s very own brother, gets customised themes each release.

Fourth, quality assurance needs to be improved. Reason being, serious bugs (such as wireless not working in 9.04) were reported months before release, yet never even fixed. That is not okay no matter how you look at it. Drastic regressions call for drastic solutions, even if it means foregoing a planned feature. Failures such as the wireless problem should be given the highest priority. Imagine a student such as myself missing a few days of homework due to not being able to get online while travelling. Not fun.

Fifth, Kubuntu needs feature parity with Ubuntu. These days, it seems the only features Kubuntu users get are the ones that are provided by default from having the latest KDE. How about Kubuntu having “One” support just like Ubuntu does? Why is the “Software Center” only in Ubuntu? This should be fixed.

Finally, Kubuntu needs more developers. If I was a developer, I would be thrilled to help out. More developers can put Kubuntu on the map as the best KDE distro out there, so I encourage all developers to lend a helping hand.

Conclusion
With all of the examples I’ve given, it’s easy to see why Kubuntu has earned a reputation of being Canonical’s third wheel, or blue headed step child. It doesn’t seem to get the attention it needs to reach its full potential, and the situation is getting worse, not better. As a huge fan of Kubuntu myself, I really hope the project turns around and reaches its full potential. Here’s hoping for a wonderful Kubuntu 10.04!

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About the Author

Jeremy is a Certified IT Technician that blogs at ITNewsToday.com in his spare time. He has over ten years of industry experience, and studies the IT industry every single day. Jeremy has become an open source enthusiast over time and is studying for his Linux+ certification. He lives in Waterford MI with his wife Krystal and son Alan. If you enjoyed this article, please consider buying him a pepsi.