FOSSPicks
FOSSPicks

We explore KDevelop 5.1, Riot.im, Cursynth, QMapShack 1.8, KWipe 2.1.3, Rapid Photo Downloader 0.9, Kakoune, VPG 0.2.8, Anbox (alpha), Terasology Alpha 7, and Mudlet 3.0.
Development Environment
KDevelop 5.1
We should have covered KDevelop earlier. The major milestone of version 5.0 was passed in 2016, representing the successful completion of a journey for this long-standing programmer's development environment. KDevelop had an auspicious beginning back in 1999. It was the only graphical development environment for Linux that could make sense of the mess of makefile dependencies, and many developers found themselves using it. It was even popular outside of the KDE/Qt community because it used the best parts of the Kate text editor with Vim-like keybindings, syntax highlighting, and latterly, code completion.
But like KDE itself, KDevelop seemed to be completely rewritten just as one version was becoming stable. The poor reception of KDE 4.0 and the release of the excellent Qt Creator seemed to be double blows, and KDevelop development ground to a halt. Consequently, KDevelop 5.0 is the result of considerable effort over two years to bring the project back, moving the code from KDE 4 to KDE 5 and away from CMake to a new QMake project manager back end. Other languages and frameworks are also featured, with better support for QLM, Python, and PHP, alongside essential updated support for C++ 11 and KDE 5.
That KDE 5.1 comes only six months after 5.0 is the best possible indication that development is back on track. The move from internal code analysis to Clang in version 5.0 has started to pay off, with the addition of Cppcheck for static analysis of C/C++ code, and the general quality of the syntax highlighting and code parsing is absolutely fantastic. If you're a Python programmer, this new update may also make KDevelop a compelling alternative, with new support for Python 3.6 syntax and semantics. KDevelop is a great option for beginners, too, as obvious mistakes are highlighted and even solutions suggested. It does take up more CPU than Vim, but if you're programming all day, you sometimes need all the help you can get.
This release also adds OpenCL language support. This is the Open Computing Language that's typically used to write code executed on your graphics hardware (GPUs). As GPUs are vastly superior at parallel code execution, OpenCL and its Nvidia counterpart, CUDA, are already having a huge impact when working with Big Data. KDevelop's CUDA support is reportedly incoming, which firmly puts this IDE at the cutting edge of development technologies.
Finally, you can switch color themes on the go, much like you can in applications like digiKam. Appearances are often superficial, but many developers rely on schemes with varying contrast for different times and lighting conditions. The latest version of Qt Creator does have a dark theme, but you still need to edit its CSS if you want to take customization further. KDevelop offers KDE's usual plethora of color options, which are many. This feature may not teach you more about your code, but it may save your eyesight.
Project Website

Federated Chat
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Migrates RHEL from Xorg to Wayland
If you've been wondering when Xorg will finally be a thing of the past, wonder no more, as Red Hat has made it clear.
-
PipeWire 1.0 Officially Released
PipeWire was created to take the place of the oft-troubled PulseAudio and has finally reached the 1.0 status as a major update with plenty of improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Rocky Linux 9.3 Available for Download
The latest version of the RHEL alternative is now available and brings back cloud and container images for ppc64le along with plenty of new features and fixes.
-
Ubuntu Budgie Shifts How to Tackle Wayland
Ubuntu Budgie has yet to make the switch to Wayland but with a change in approaches, they're finally on track to making it happen.
-
TUXEDO's New Ultraportable Linux Workstation Released
The TUXEDO Pulse 14 blends portability with power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
-
AlmaLinux Will No Longer Be "Just Another RHEL Clone"
With the release of AlmaLinux 9.3, the distribution will be built entirely from upstream sources.
-
elementary OS 8 Has a Big Surprise in Store
When elementary OS 8 finally arrives, it will not only be based on Ubuntu 24.04 but it will also default to Wayland for better performance and security.
-
OpenELA Releases Enterprise Linux Source Code
With Red Hat restricting the source for RHEL, it was only a matter of time before those who depended on that source struck out on their own.
-
StripedFly Malware Hiding in Plain Sight as a Cryptocurrency Miner
A rather deceptive piece of malware has infected 1 million Windows and Linux hosts since 2017.
-
Experimental Wayland Support Planned for Linux Mint 21.3
As with most Linux distributions, the migration to Wayland is in full force. While some distributions have already made the move, Linux Mint has been a bit slower to do so.