KDE CVS is going into freeze for beta2

Today (thursday Feb 3) I will create a KDE_3_4_BETA_2 tag and with that being done, KDE CVS is in temporary freeze until the tar balls are reviewed. As I made snapshots before and tested them, I'm sure that this shouldn't show major problems and I expect the freeze over tomorrow already (Friday the 4th - 6pm CET unless said differently on this list).

Even beyond that time, there is now a message and feature freeze active for KDE 3.4. This means: no new strings, no changes to existant changes unless approved on kde-i18n-doc@kde.org and no new features even if listed on the KDE 3.4 Feature Plan.

From now on it's time to do bug fixing and translation updates.

So please everyone: double check your app/code and if in doubt: send your patch to kde-core-devel@kde.org and let it review. I will update the tag tomorrow, but try to review all incoming commits.

Translation and code commit outside of the released modules are allowed all the time, but I will take the translations of this morning in any way.

I would also like to remind all application maintainers, that today is a good time to update the version number and take a brief look if all features marked correctly on http://developer.kde.org/development-versions/kde-3.4-features.html

My dream is that we may get that beyond the 80% completeness one day -- and that day may be the point where we can really ask people to use WhatsThis "?"-cursors to display them a short and comprehensive help text. (The way it is now, I am not particularly keen in pushing that, because it embarasses me very much to watch people clicking for WhatsThis in vain... and have them discover a corner of KDE that more looks like a quarry-pit than a polished desktop environment.

Changes since 1.2-beta3:

• Multiple result selection for Amazon cover downloading
• The loader is now more robust and should always find the main binary.
• The search-browser has been integrated into the file-browser.
• OSD can have fake translucency and new fancy shadow.
• Fix crashes when writing tags. (BR 95344)
• CoverManager updates its status display correctly.
• Automatic crash report generator, sends backtraces to amaroK HQ.
• Beginnings of a script-plugin framework
• Playlist2HTML, a script for playlist exporting. (BR 96199)
• Improved statusbar, with extra fanciness, and feedback
• New background-task progress display system
• Alarm script, starts playing music at specified alarm time.
• Script-Manager for DCOP script extensions is now functional.
• Attempts to make amaroK more accessable to new users
• Runtime DB-backend selection (MySQL or sqlite)
• Fabulous new amaroK icon "Blue Wolf", made by Da-Flow.

Please see our new wiki (http://amarok.kde.org/wiki/) if you want to get started writing a script plugin! Also please tell us what functionality you need so you can write the world's best script, and we'll try to cater to your needs.

Please download, enjoy and direct any feedback at our IRC channel or mailing-list (details below), we need all the bug reports you can throw our way to make the next release absolutely great! Thanks :-)

The amaroK team
---------------

amaroK is a soundsystem-independent audio-player for *nix. Its interface uses a powerful "browser" metaphor that allows you to create playlists that make the most of your music collection. We have a fast development-cycle and super-happy users. We also provide pensions and other employment-benefits.

"Easily the best media-player for Linux at the moment. Install it now!"
- Linux Format Magazine