Gentoo is in its death throes

Unfortunately, my title seems to be more truth than hype on my part.  Would that it were different.  The very idea of Gentoo Linux in trouble gives me a sick feeling.

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I’m a Kubuntu user, and I love it (I really, really do!).  The simple fact remains that Gentoo was what caused me to fall in love with the GNU/Linux operating system in the first place, and I stopped using it for reasons of personal convenience rather than some philosophical disagreement with the Gentoo Way.

Since my decision to stop using Gentoo, I have periodically checked in to see where the project was headed and what cool new features the Gentoo Geniuses had managed to integrate.  Let’s face it:  if you’re doing anything even slightly odd or if you need every last ounce of speed your system can muster, Gentoo’s your choice.  If I can’t get something working in anything else, Gentoo nearly always provides the answer.

Now it seems that, legally speaking, Gentoo has ceased to exist.  The organizational structure of Gentoo, namely the Gentoo Foundation, has been broken so badly, for so long, that they merely ended not with a bang, but a whimper.  Gentoo’s original founder, Daniel Robbins, has offered to return and revitalize Gentoo.  This seems very Jobs-ian to me, but if it could work for Apple maybe it could work for Gentoo.

The new Gentoo plan appears to be very Ubuntu-like to me:  easier participation from users and developers at all levels, providing them a real voice in Gentoo’s direction.  If you’re at all interested in the future of Gentoo, you may want to sound off and let your thoughts be known about the new offer.  It’s set to expire this Friday, January 18.  I, for one, am hoping that the Gentoo community will rally around to save Gentoo before it’s too late.

Experience the KDE 4 hullaballoo yourself

OK, so my previous post may have left you wondering what, exactly, is so great about KDE 4.

Now you can look at the full release announcement, screen shots, and even download a Kubuntu LiveCD featuring KDE 4.

The countdown is over; the future begins tomorrow

While some hardcore KDE users are probably holding parties tomorrow to celebrate the release of KDE 4.0, I view it as a much more evolutionary step. Not many people will be using it, and it will stay that way for quite some time.

The official release, however, does mean that KDE 4 is finally ready for use on a widespread basis and early adopters — or the merely curious — can take it for a spin without fearing their systems will grind to a complete halt.