The KDE Project has released KDE 3.1, the popular open source Linux desktop and windowing environment. KDE includes a basic desktop, an integrated development environment, and seventeen other packages (PIM, administration, network, edutainment, utilities, multimedia, games, artwork, web development, and more), and supports 47 languages.

Major Enhancements in KDE version 3.1 include . . .

• Enhanced security (S/MIME, PGP/MIME and X.509v3 support) for the email client (KMail).
  
• Exchange 2000 compatibility for the calendaring client (KOrganizer).
  
• Greatly improved LDAP integration throughout the KDE PIM framework.
  
• A desktop “lockdown” framework which enables system administrators to restrict various configuration settings, such as bookmarks, and user actions, such as launching applications (“KDE Kiosk”).
  
• A desktop sharing framework which currently is ideal for remote technical assistance by a technical support staff (KRfb, KRdc).
  
• Tabbed browsing in the web browser (Konqueror).
  
• A web development platform with support for PHP (Quanta Plus).
  
• A new download manager to simplify and enhance managing downloads using the file manager (KGET).
  
• An original and creative new default style (Keramik) and a contemporary and impressively original new default icon style (Crystal Icons).
  
• A new multimedia player plugin (based on Xine).
  
• A number of new games, including a golf game (Kolf) and a board game inspired by the New Jersey boardwalk (Atlantik).

For further details about what is new with this release, refer to the KDE 3.1 New Feature Guide. KDE, including all of its libraries and its applications, is available for free under Open Source licenses and can be obtained in source and numerous binary formats from the KDE http or ftp mirrors, as well as on CD-ROM.

 
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