KDEnlive not what it used to be

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1

I’ve been using KDEnlive for many years. Currently I’m on v23 using LM 22.1. It used to be KDEnlive was a friendly software to use. Granted some nice features have been added, But, personally I don’t use them.

It used to be that I could decide whether audio and video could be on a single track. Now I cannot!

It use to be that my bookmarks could be saved. Now I cannot.

It used to be that when I opened KDEnlive, the screen would not switch sizes without actually clicking on the size buttons. Now it cannot.

It used to be that when I create a layout and save it, it would stay on the layout without jumping to something else, unless I change it in the menu. Now it will not.

I am sure you have heard all this before. But nothing seems to happen to fix these things.

Audio and video sometimes needs to be on separate tracks. But sometimes it gets in the way of things. For example if I have created an open and close, I don’t need the video on one track and the audio on another. What happened?

I first started editing back with quad tape and a razor blade. I would splash some solution on the oxide to see the sync pulse and then cut on the pulse to do an edit. I’m a retired Licensed Broadcast Engineer. I know how to edit.

It kind of reminds me of an iPhone: full of attitude and argues all the time when it doesn’t matter.

I’m not yelling at anyone. But, I miss the way KDEnlive was when it was easy and actually fun to use.

Cannot you just make it work the way it used to and leave it to each of us if we want the added “cute” features?

Things take four times as long do edit. It shouldn’t be this way.

If this is in the wrong category, I’m sorry. But, I don’t have time. I’m fighting with the software so that I can get my production done. On time and looking the way I want it, not what KDEnlive is trying to do.

Above all, be safe in these troubled times. Think about what I’ve said. Please?

1 Like
2

Currently I’m on v23 using LM 22.1.

Current release is 25.12.2

3

I am confused: Is your comparison (“used to … . Now it cannot”) between your v23 and the latest release 25.12.2, or your v23 and previous versions?

4

Mmh. Kdenlive changed this behavior with version 19.04 (April-2019) due to refactoring and to be able to implement further features. So you had a very old version.

Bookmarks: They are changed to Guides and now they are Timeline Markers which are saved in the project file.

From your description it looks like that you do not use an official Kdenlive version. Please check the Downloads - Kdenlive page.

5

Thank you to everyone for quick replies. In all current instances, the download came from Linux Mint as the source.

I have used downloads as system or Flatpack from Linux Mint. I have several computers. I think the first version I had used was somewhere around 15v on a Debian OS. I think my favorite version of KDEnlive was the 19 series.

When I helped build radio or TV stations I used the same rule that I wished used for me: make it as easy as possible. This way there are fewer frustrations or mistakes.

Over all I use Linux because of the attitude that both Microsoft and Apple add to their software. As an example Many folks prefer the XP desktop layout. There was no reason not to let them have it in every later release as something that could be switched to if the user wanted it.

Apple is even worse for getting in the way of users just because they can. Both have their strengths, mostly from stealing from Linux.

As for KDEnlive, I don’t remember how many times 23v insisted I install voice recognition. Just today I had to jockey around cuts, just because the audio and video were on different tracks. It took about 15 minutes just to get it to work. It happens every time I do editing. I have to figure how to undo something that should not be a problem in the first place.

This is good software and I can tell there is a dedicated team working on it.

This may help. If you are working on a Windows version, use a Windows computer. Apple an iMac, and Linux, a Linux computer.

It will help keep the right mindset. I remember one version of Linux Firefox looked so much like Apple software, it was hard to tell the difference in layout and attitude.

I know I have taken a bit of your time, but hopefully it will be received as I intended it, gentle guidance.

1 Like
6

I am sorry for the confusion I am on 23v now as the latest version from Linux Mint. It may be about 15 years that I have been using KDEnlive. I saw it first getting easier to use and lately harder to use and taking more time to do editing. I can do the editing, it just takes longer to maneuver through everything.

Maybe take it back to the way it was with 19v, and make the new things added packages. Just an idea. Software has never been my area of understanding, except I understand I was not cut out to write code. A soldering iron will not work on code. Does anyone know how to make it work?

7

The versions that come with various flavours of Linux are hopelessly out of date. I am running MX Linux. The latest in the repo is 22.12.3. This makes downloading the latest version yourself basically mandatory, in my opinion.

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8

The versions that come with various flavours of Linux are hopelessly out of date. I am running MX Linux.

Some distros have older packages as a feature (intended). If you want newer maybe Fedora would be better. Here on Fedora 43 the Kdenlive is version 25.12.2-1, build date Feb 05, 2026

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9

The devs have done an amazing job, and Kdenlive has come on massively over the last 2-3 years. To the OP, you really need to get an up to date version. It’s excellent.

2 Likes
10

Hello @superuserlaptop

Perhaps you could start a project again and then ask your questions in a targeted manner.

I now use Debian, and to have the latest version of Kdenlive, I use AppImage 25.12.2 – it runs excellently, much better than all previous versions from the last five years.

11

Aside: I really wish Kdenlive had a way of reporting to the user if it’s an official build of the Kdenlive project or if it’s packaged by a downstream packager. This could save so much misunderstanding.

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12

I use Linux Debian and derivative distributions. If you installed Kdenlive via Gnome Software (.deb) or APT through the terminal. The Kdenlive version will be released close to the year of this distribution’s launch, ideally it has been tested. If you want the latest version, you will have to install it via Flatpak or directly via .AppImage. Stability is not guaranteed if you are using a distro that is not the latest version (even if it is less than 5 years old).

13

So a version of MX Linux (for example) using Debian 12 will have a more dated version of kdenlive showing up in the repository than a more recent version of MX Linux based on Debian 13?

I normally turn off updates for the OS, but in the past I know I was basically forced to upgrade to a later version of MX Linux to fix some issues I was having, so I did find out the hard way that sometimes updating the OS is necessary. Hah.

14

Debian 12 bookworm > kdenlive 22.12.3-2

Debian 13 trixie > kdenlive 24.12.3-2

1 Like
15

Why disable updates? Which update? Update the OS to the latest version?

16

Missing the point here. Avoid using downstream packaged kdenlive. Try to use the Flatpak or AppImage of the latest release.

17

Instabilities. For example, I had the Kdenlive AppImage on an older Debian Stable version, and the Kdenlive software wouldn’t open correctly; it would open minimized and positioned slightly to the left of the screen. Other people experienced instability with the software closing suddenly.

18

Did you report this? I have never had trouble with this, nor seen reports of it here. And I have a beer waiting for you if you can point to the patch that downstream applied to fix any of these issues in the packaged version.

The AppImages have always been more reliable and less buggy.

19

I never update the OS unless absolutely necessary. Here I was basically forced, to keep my sanity: [kdenlive] Unable to create KIO worker. Can not find a KIO worker for protocol 'tags'

Updating is just annoying, time-wasting & I prefer to keep things working on a fixed platform without the possible surprises caused by files constantly changing, so the first thing I do is turn updates off. Anyway, now I know that newer versions of Linux have newer versions of kdenlive in the repository, thanks for that. We should still ignore it though :wink:

20

These conversations are circular:

  1. I don’t want to update my OS but I want to be able to run the latest Kdenlive.
  2. But I can’t run latest kdenlive released by kdenlive because it won’t work on my OS version.
  3. And downstream packagers of my distribution of Linux won’t correctly package kdenlive.
  4. Therefore kdenlive isn’t what it used to be