# What does KDE stand for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990 "2001-07-10T21:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/1 "2001-07-10T21:11:35Z")
The official FAQs have been of no help, so I turn to the SDMB to find out what KDE stands for. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/2 "2001-07-10T21:22:32Z")
I don’t know if this is the right context for you, but the most obvious abbreviation I could find was this: [from [whatis.com](http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,289893,sid9_gci509929,00.html) ] > [@](#): > > K Desktop Environment (KDE) is an Open Source graphical desktop environment for UNIX workstations. Initially called the Kool Desktop Environment, KDE is an ongoing project with development taking place on the Internet and discussions held through the official KDE mailing list, numerous newsgroups, and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels. KDE has a complete graphical user interface (GUI) and includes a file manager, a window manager, a help system, a configuration system, tools and utilities, and several applications. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/3 "2001-07-10T21:40:59Z")
I didn’t know there was more than one context for KDE. Yep, it is the Open Source graphical desktop environment for, in my case, Linux, that I’m interested in. Thanks for the help. Why they would misspell ‘Cool’ as ‘Kool,’ and have CDE instead of KDE, is beyond me, but I don’t think anyone but the original developers knows that. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/4 "2001-07-10T22:01:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*I didn’t know there was more than one context for KDE. Yep, it is the Open Source graphical desktop environment for, in my case, Linux, that I’m interested in. Thanks for the help. > > Why they would misspell ‘Cool’ as ‘Kool,’ and have CDE instead of KDE, is beyond me, but I don’t think anyone but the original developers knows that. \*\* Because CDE is the Common Desktop Environment, Sun’s X11 environment for SunOS and Solaris which has been around forever. KDE is supposed to be the Open Source equivilent, (but in reality it’s completely different 🙂 .) In a rather insulting move, Sun has scrapped CDE altogether and is using [GNOME](http://www.gnome.org/) (considered KDE’s biggest “competitor”) now. I’ve always been a KDE fan, however. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/5 "2001-07-11T00:46:16Z")
kool or cool? Friedo has one answer maybe even the correct answer. My answer is that you just would not be l33t hax0r if you went around spelling things like regular people. ---
**Author:** ![Chas.E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/6 "2001-07-11T01:19:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*Why they would misspell ‘Cool’ as ‘Kool,’ and have CDE instead of KDE, is beyond me, but I don’t think anyone but the original developers knows that. \*\* There already was a CDE, the “Common Desktop Environment” which is a product of HP (IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/7 "2001-07-11T07:27:25Z")
[Whatis.com](http://Whatis.com) is wrong. I remember when KDE was being started, and the creators were very specific: the K doesn’t stand for anything. They just thought it sounded good. Here’s some corroboration: [http://linux.bolek.com/kde/kdefaq-2.html#ss2.2](http://linux.bolek.com/kde/kdefaq-2.html#ss2.2) ---
**Author:** ![puk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@puk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puk)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-kde-stand-for/71990/8 "2001-07-11T08:06:51Z")
what **galt** said. hey… it’s in all the books :wally