Getting Started

From KDE TechBase


Getting_Started


100%
  • Choose version
  • Choose method of build
  • Troubleshoot
  • Use and Test / switch between versions for use
  • contribute your development back to the system
Overview


Getting the Source


Choose Version and Build Method

There are different KDE branches with different build requirements. For production use, we recommend using a stable version of KDE. You will probably want the latest stable version for which you have the prerequisites.

The TRUNK is the main branch where new features (and prerequisites) are added.

The steps to build most branches are very similar. You can configure kdesrc-build to build most versions. Need link to build kde3 versions

Troubleshooting information is similar between branches as well.

Also consider Project Neon, where you may be able to download recent-enough Trunk Kubuntu packages and build enviornment.

Reading up on CMake may also be of interest.

Manual Steps

Troubleshooting the build

Compile and Linking errors are frequent sources of discouragement. make careful note of the first occurrence of an error in your build process. It could be as simple as a bad environment variable, an unexpected version of a library or missing prerequisite. Please review your logs and do searches for fixes. If you cannot find a solution, try: Build/KDE4/Errors and IRC channel.

Setting up the Environment

After KDE has been built, you'll want a good way to launch apps and perform your regular development tasks:


Contribution

You may not need the latest bleeding-edge KDE to develop with, Much code will be similiar between versions and your patch might work, however Trunk is where major changes are introduced, and branches are mostly maintenance/bug fix.