Netrunner 15 'Prometheus' is here -- the best KDE-based Linux distro gets better

I'm a GNOME 3 man through and through, but I love KDE too. Quite frankly, you can't go wrong with either desktop environment, but if you are new to Linux, KDE may seem a bit more familiar. Why? It more resembles the traditional "Windows" user interface.

What makes Netrunner the best KDE-based Linux distribution, and one of the best distros overall, is the polish. The team behind it pays close attention to detail, making it a cohesive and positive user experience. It comes pre-loaded with plenty of software and it is drop-dead gorgeous. Today, you can download version 15, codenamed "Prometheus". The most exciting aspect? It has been redesigned and comes with KDE Plasma Desktop 5.2 -- yeah, you want this.

Clemens Tönnies lists just some of the major changes below.

Kernel 3.16.0.30~40
KDE Plasma 5.2
KDE Frameworks 5.7
Qt5.4
Firefox 35.0.1
Thunderbird 31.4.0
VLC 2.2.0
LibreOffice 4.4
Krita ; Karbon 2.8.5
Gimp 2.8.10
Pidgin 2.10.9
and much more…





Source:
http://betanews.com/2015/02/16/netrunner-15-prometheus-is-here-the-best-kde-based-linux-distro-gets-better/

Apps:5 Tips and Tricks to Get the Most Out of Pidgin

Heard of Pidgin? You should have. It’s one of the best multi-protocol instant messaging apps for Windows and Linux, and it’s open source. Pidgin includes some interesting plugins and features that you might not know about.

This article assumes you’re already familiar with Pidgin. We’ve covered Pidgin in the past, so check out our beginner’s guide if you’re just getting started with Pidgin.

Be a Psychic

Psychic mode is arguably one of Pidgin’s coolest plugins. The psychic mode plugin detects those “Your buddy is typing a new message” notifications, even when you’re not already in a conversation with your buddy. It’ll pop up a new window (or tab) when it does. If you’re quick enough, you can fire off a new message to your buddy before they finish typing their own, surprising them!

Just click the Tools menu and select Plugins to open Pidgin’s plugins window.

Source:
http://www.howtogeek.com/102919/5-tips-and-tricks-for-pidgin-users/

Apps: The Beginner’s Guide to Pidgin, the Universal Messaging Client

If you find chatting with multiple chat clients troublesome, then Pidgin is the tool for you. In today’s article, we’ll show you how to connect to popular chat networks, encrypt your conversations, and render mathematical formula in Pidgin.

Pidgin for Everyone

Pidgin is a chat program that lets you use multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on MSN, talking to a friend on Google Talk, and sitting in a Yahoo chat room all at the same time.

Pidgin runs on Windows, Linux, and other Unix operating systems. So no matter what platform you are on, you can use Pidgin as your chat client. Install Pidgin using the right installer from their website. You will see the welcome screen when the installation finishes where you can add your first chat network by clicking the ‘Add’ button.

Source:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/38942/the-beginners-guide-to-pidgin-the-universal-messaging-client/