Slackware 12.1 with KDE 4.1 and Amarok 2 alpha

Based from latest news on slackware official site, developer team has announced that slackware package for kde 4.1 already ported in /testing directory which part of slackware current. Not only developer was happily use it, this euphoria wouldn't complete if I'm not trying it too. Now, here is my slackware desktop's screenshot using kde 4.1 and also with amarok 2 (alpha release) inside.

desktop spesification:
- Cover switch mode ( an alternative alt+tab window switcher ) for desktop effect
- using elegance theme for desktop with field of peace's wallpaper
- amarok 2 alpha release with video applet
- firefox 3.0.1 using KDE 4 theme

What I get that this version is still slower than KDE 3 which is an official version for slackware 12.1 by default. Beside that, there are several problems still appear. some icons on menu applet doesn't show up. Dolphin file manager doesn't do well when handling movie filetype if thumbnail applet enabled. It will break up when I put mouse over that filetype and dolphin will close by itself.

Maybe this major version isn't a stable phase yet and still buggy. The problems also come with amarok 2. Video applet that come with this alpha release sometime can cause amarok hang and not responsible. I think this is not the right time to use it now.

Opening freebsd partition under GUI environment

Previously, I've ever write a note when trying to mount freebsd filesystem using command line. This note just a modified version from that one. while you trying to mount freebsd partition using file manager under desktop environment (GNOME or KDE) in linux, there is an error message showed up. It's look like a message if I mount it under command line using mount tool.

Device manager feature which came with GNOME or KDE is trying to mount freebsd partition using read-write mode instead of read-only mode. But in most linux distro, an ufs module inside kernel doesn't compiled as read-write mode by default because it is still DANGEROUS. Eventhough i've ever try it successful.

Not only that, a default ufstype's option which passed to mount ufs filesystems is old. File manager try to mount the partition using old type instead of ufs2 which is not supported for mounting freebsd native filesystem (UFS/FFS). if you want to mount a partition under GUI (desktop) environment maybe this example bellow can help. Just put this line into /etc/fstab file:

e.g.
/dev/hda2 /media/hda2 ufs user,noauto,ro,ufstype=ufs2 0 0

note:
- /dev/hda2: which is your freeBSD partition
- In the option column from that line is defined to force mounting option to use read-only mode and ufs2 as ufstype.