Make KDE a one stop shop

Goal

Make KDE a one stop shop. Make it so those that create a plasma based distribution or those that choose KDE plasma for their desktop can get all their basic software needs met within the KDE software library.

• KDE/Goals All about the Apps: We want to refocus on KDE's applications and make them easier to discover and install for our users.

Motivation

The motivation of this goal is to ensure that those who opt for a KDE Plasma system do not need to resort to other non-KDE applications for basic computer needs.
The motivation is that users get a complete KDE ecosystem for core software.
Having a complete package for everyday software will ensure confidence in the KDE ecosystem for potential new users looking for a comprehensive and integrated solution for their basic computer needs.

• KDE Manifesto: End-User Focus to ensure our work is useful to all people.
• KDE/Mission: provide users with excellent user experience and quality
• KDE/Mission: provide a seamless user experience

Many of us who love a FLOSS based operating system love it because we can choose a great variety of software. For new users a unified and ‘branded’ stack of software though can alleviate much confusion and give them a comprehensive experience with a united aesthetic to start their libre software journey.

The Issue

KDE has many applications within its family that already fulfil most basic functions but these are not represented in distributions or promoted as primary choices within the KDE community.
e.g.
Falkon gets subsituted for another web browser.
KDE kmail gets substituted for other mail clients.
Video (kaffeine, Dragon Player) gets substituted for other players.
Calligra gets substituted for other word processors.
Some like Kwave are even almost ‘invisible’ while others like karbon lack comprehensive documentation that make it too obscure for use.

1. Plan
   1. Identify the core stack of applications most users will expect as part of a all-round base operating system.
   2. Ensure those apps that already exist within the Kde ecosystem are at least on par with other alternatives.
   3. Ensure those apps within the KDE ecosystem are interoperable and cross compatible with other KDE apps, so as to allow for seamless integrations.
   4. Invite into the KDE family any missing applications with a QT framework that would fulfil any gaps.
   5. Ensure documentation is comprehensive and current so that core apps can be understood- and therefore not passed over in favour of non-KDE alternatives with better tutorials.
   6. Promote those apps within the KDE family that get looked over in favour of other non-KDE apps and place those apps at the top of categories in software managers; ie Discover.

Community

The community will need to use the above plan as a checklist when identifying, developing and examining core applications.
e.g If Karbon were to be considered a core app (pA) then is it on par with alternatives like Inkscape (pB) and if so is its documentation (pE) comprehensive enough that a user wanting to use it a vector program can do so easily?
Features may need to be identified and added by community members and documentation added.

Risks and needs

Risks include

lack of human resources and unnecessary ‘re-invention of the wheel’.
KDE is a group of individuals that quite rightly focus on their areas of interest. There may not be the interest, energy or resources to ‘float all ships’ within the KDE armada.
Other applications are very well advanced and ubiquitous like LibreOffice. It maybe that diverting energy to programs like Calligra would be a ‘sunken cost fallacy’ exercise – wasted energy.

Mitigation

• Aim for the ‘low hanging fruit’ first. Focus on those applications that require the least amount of work to bring them up to feature parity with other applications. eg. It may be that simply adding plugins for Kwave will make it a go to application instead of Audacity.
• Build upon the momentum that is already happening. ie. Kalendar is being created. Carry over the momentum here to the rest of the KDE PIM suite.
• If certain KDE projects do not have active maintainers then consider inviting others that are QT based into the KDE family. e.g Would Haruna be an appropriate media player if other KDE video players are not being developed?

Reasons not to choose this goal:

It is already a KDE goal (see https://community.kde.org/Goals/All_about_the_Apps) and this is a replication of sorts.

Champion

I am a simple user. I moved from a complete and comprehensive fruity operating system – to Plasma. On the fruit system I enjoyed the in-house apps and their unified and interoperable nature – but not their inflexibility and closed nature. I was looking for a more free and open system but also one that was complete and unified. Plasma, especially with its PIM suite, was the obvious choice.
I would like to see the plasma desktop strive to be as complete and unified as possible. Having KDE as a ‘one stop shop’ for all core desktop applications would contribute to this goal. It would also, I believe, contribute to a sense of community. I would imagine it would be disheartening for a developer to have their project become part of the KDE family only to have it passed over for other alternatives not under the KDE umbrella.

Interest

Sign up and show support for the Goal.
If you are interested to actively join the effort and do the work, add your name below (this does not count as voting for the Goal):