FreeBSD/FAQ

FAQ

These frequently asked questions are sorted into groups according to whether they are applicable to all KDE software versions, or particular versions of Frameworks, Plasma Desktop and Applications. In 2021, the only supported configuration is Qt5 with KDE Frameworks 5 and KDE Plasma 5. High-fives all around.

General

What's the difference between ports and packages?

Short answer: ports are compiled locally from source code, packages are pre-compiled binary files. There's also the long answer.

I am having difficulty getting KDE working properly on FreeBSD. Where can I get some help?

The setup page is probably the best place to start from.

If that doesn't solve the problem, try the general FreeBSD FAQs.

KDE/FreeBSD mailing list is another good source of information.

IRC, #freebsd-desktop on Libera.Chat, is usually a good place to find answers to all sorts of questions, but be sure you have checked the first two resources beforehand. If you ask on IRC, stick around: it's not a persistent channel, and it's not instant-answer.

Why doesn't krandomapplication work with FreeBSD, while it works perfectly under Linux?

Unfortunately, some programs have not been written with portability in mind, and as such may not work on FreeBSD. Some APIs (application programming interfaces) that may be used are not supported by FreeBSD, quite often for technical or political reasons.

A KDE application crashed and I want to file a bug report at https://bugs.kde.org, but the backtrace in the KDE crash manager is "useless". What can I do?

To enable debugging support in a KDE port, build it with WITH_DEBUG defined. You can set it on the command line (example: # make -DWITH_DEBUG && make install) or put it into /etc/make.conf (WITH_DEBUG=yes).

Hey, who's in charge here anyway?

We wish we knew. Here's the way the KDE/FreeBSD team is currently organized.

KDE/FreeBSD is pretty nice. How do I help?

The area51 page for the bleeding edge has some ideas. Another good place is on KDE/FreeBSD's own IRC channel, #freebsd-desktop on Libera.Chat. Drop in, hang around, listen to what's going on for a while. You'll soon find all sorts of things that need to be done.

How do I get KDE4?

You don't. KDE4 was removed from the ports tree at the end of 2018.

How do I get KDE5?

You probably mean KDE Plasma Desktop and applications. There is no KDE 5 defined by the KDE community. You can install packages individually, or x11/kde5, which is a metaport for the three main software products (Frameworks, Plasma, and everything from the KDE release service) shipped by the KDE community.