Hello!
There was a post at Kubuntu Forums about NetRunner, so I did some searches and found that it also is being suported by Blue Systems so, thought I’d check it out because Blue Systems is supporting it. 
First:
My “props” to Blue Systems for supporting NetRunner and Kubuntu.
I was wondering “why”, and this is probably “not the reason” but…
To me, it would seem that Blue Systems is maybe trying to “address at least a couple of different user lifestyles".
Here are some comments for new users: (and please developers, if I have mis-interpreted something feel free to so post.)
A) There is a “read me” on the desktop! Bravo! I have many times advocated such, it opens FF to the site news section. Good job!
B) There is a “nod” to the informed user on the desktop with the network manager.
C) There is a “nod” to the new user from MS with the “my computer” which, actually does a better job at what would “be important to the new user” than MS and with a more visually pleasing message window.
D) Appearence: fundamentally it uses the “classic menu” from a normal KDE install but the “appearance” has been tweaked, the lines, text, etc. are a “tad bolder” and go along with the overall theme which, to this user strikes a nice balance between the “DARK POWER USER” and the “dramatic”…
Surprisingly, and this is just ME… it really does remind me of…
the ….”feel”…of…the .”Afterstep” X window manager!
I know TALK ABOUT A STRETCH!!! lol…I don’t know…just a thing that popped into my mind.
NETRUNNER DESKTOP …… right click/desktop settings/ this is enabled by default, the “normal” KDE desktops are also there.
However…the desktop SEEMS to be a kind of “hybrid” of the “Gnomish thiing”…you can have a link to an app on the desktop that looks kind of ……”Xpish”… and also have the “cashew” down in the right hand corner, kind of “buried”…
again…seems to be an attempt to “hit all bases”, maybe having the “Xpish” experience for new folks but also… introducing, slowly the “KDEish way”… lol
AN EXAMPLE BEING…that “save as” of a document “to desktop” places a linky on the desktop as in the “Xpish” way… lol
E) Install, pretty much run of the mill for a modern KDE for a 64 bit, I carefully enabled the wireless internet on live cd, which some distros require for initial setup, to download the codecs, etc. I don’t know if it is “needed” but I tend to play safe. If the mods have a comment on whether they have gone to lengths on wireless setup in install or if the codecs, are all onboard the DVD, they may so comment… or not!
F) Updates. First thing for me is to always do the updates first.
Muon Updater did not work, I did the sudo thing, and after those then Muon Updater pulled 205 updates which went normally.
G) Noveau video driver is enabled by default, setup of the Nvidia 304 driver for my Nvidia 6600 card went fine, with a very small “niggle” the “restart” button on the progress window did not work, I had to do a restart using the restart button in menu.
HOWEVER… don’t know…the video driver, is just a “tad” laggy… same machine as for Kubuntu…so I don’t know …
H) Network manager has a little “airplane” icon which when clicked disabled the network, and re-enables, both very quickly. There is also a “bars” icons which did not seem to work.
I) Krunner( a search bar for new users) is in panel.
J) Widgets, and windows and stuff. My particular install did not show any particular change from the normal KDE stuff.
There is a review of “Display” which intrigued me that is supposedly invoked from right click/Netrunner desktop settings in which “display” provides a “view” …
the fourth tab
which provides a view of things that seems to be somwhat like some kind of “hybrid” with the Unity desktop, or something like that maybe. Don’t know.
Anywhoooo…there is no “fourth tab” called “display” in my particular setup.
K) Applications:
Mail/contacts, etc. is a kind of “hybrid” between the Gnomish way of doing things, and KDEish way of doing things.
The UPSHOT is that mail is done with Thunderbird while “contacts” and “calendar” are “enabled” parts of Kontact.
Okaaay… that works, and I can see the point, maybe wanting to have an “XPish” appearance/workspace and also…get contacts and calendar.
However, ……and this is just my opinion.
a) the “new person” to computing might have a problem getting a “calendar” set up, or a set of contacts set up unless the particular mail app, probably Gmail, for most, would pull them. Yahoo is a…problem in any case…
So don’t know.
b) HOWEVER…if one wants to set up the full Kontact install, all one needs to do is enable the components.
c) Of concern to “minimalists” would be “CPU useage" by Akonadai/strigi/all that KDEish stuff … but then, probably “minimalists” would not be using NetRunner or any other non-minimally-tweaked distro.
d) new apps to me:
I ) emoticon heaven!! lol since the whole social thing is enabled! Woah! NEVER saw that many emoticons! Lol
Kicker/ settings / system settings / emoticons.
II ) Vokoscreen:
I had never heard of this app and am quite intrigued, since I presently record “video lectures” for the college using the college software, at the college of course, which is a hassle, so I’ll be looking into this… seems that the devs really ARE trying to fit into the “modern social me, me, me, me, me…ALL ABOUT ME… scene!” Lol ……just KIDDING!!
III) the games that are included…are the GOOD ones… the “real good” Tron sim… “gltron” also Frozen Bubble, and Steam is in the games menu.
e) Oddments:
---- > Video Download Helper is already ON Firefox! not…NOT…a bad idea! Tres kewl!
----> ALSO…QMMP!!! BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO…hearkening back to the 'good old days”…I cut my teeth on xmms all the way back at Xandros…
So…very MUCH bravo to the devs!
AND FOR NEW FOLKS TO LINUX…”it used to be”…one app for one job…none of this…modernish way of throwing everything into one bucket!
which is what Clementine does…and very well by the way.
f) Facebook all that stuff is…curiously enabled… kicker/ settings / system settings / Social Accounts.
This ONLY allows one to “IM/chat” with Facebook people that are on the Facebook account.
It does not “show the FB page”…which is ok…just saying…
There is also Google setup.
SUMMARY;
Great job folks… a little for the “classicist”…a little for the “cutting edge”…a little for the “new to Linux”…a LOT for the new “social media person.
I think that Blue Systems ……may just have something going here! ( speaking Kubuntu / Netrunner wise! )
woodsmoke
