First KDE 4.2 Beta Emerges as Caterpillar
Nov 27, 2008
KDE 4.2 Beta1 (a.k.a. "Caterpillar") provides a new user experience: messaging, wallpaper via plug-ins, and Vi input mode for KWrite and Kate.
Gossip: Users can leave messages on locked screens via new Plasma applets. Artists: Wallpaper galleries have a plug-ins to bring in slide shows, Mandelbrot fractals, etc. Vi fans: Input to KWrite and Kate editors. And: Password-protection of Ark archives via a file manager context menu along with mobile device control via the PowerDevil management tool.
Details on Caterpillar are here, with sources available here.
Precompiled packages are currently available there for openSUSE only. The Novell openSUSE project also released a "KDE Four Live" CD image to demonstrate the Beta1 capabilities.