New KDE Linux shell gains polish

The KDE Project has issued a new version of its desktop user interface for Linux distributions. Version 3.3 of the KDE desktop features a handful of new applications, integrates some desktop components, and offers a number of enhancements for usability.

KDE 3.3 is available for free download now, and will also feature in future Linux releases from vendors such as Red Hat and Suse. In this release KDE's Kontact personal information manager (PIM) fully integrates client functions for the Kolab open-source groupware server. Additionally, KDE's Konqueror web browser and file manager application now has improved support for messaging.

New applications in KDE 3.3 include KThemeManager, a control centre module to globally handle KDE visual themes; KSpell2, a spell-checker library that fixes shortcomings in the previous Kspell tool; a new paint program called Kolourpaint; and Kimagemapeditor and Klinkstatus, which provide useful web design functions.

A number of enhancements have been made to various KDE applications, including a search bar and scrollwheel to switch between tabbed views in Konqueror. The Kmail tool now features anti-spam and antivirus wizards, automatic capabilities to handle mailing lists, and improved support for cryptography. Altogether over 7,000 bugs have been fixed, and over 2,000 items on users' wish-lists have been fulfilled, according to KDE.

KDE and rival Gnome are the most common open-source desktop environments for Linux distributions. IT managers can download and install KDE 3.3 from the link below, but most users will acquire it as part of a packaged Linux distribution.