Matthias Ettrich (born 1972) is a German software developer who founded the KDE project in 1996. His vision of a consistent, user-friendly desktop environment transformed Linux from a programmer’s tool into a viable desktop operating system.
Founding KDE
In 1996, as a student at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Ettrich posted his “New Project: Kool Desktop Environment” message. He identified the problem: Linux had no consistent graphical environment, with applications looking and behaving differently.
Choosing Qt
Ettrich chose Trolltech’s Qt toolkit for KDE, a decision that influenced the project’s success. Qt provided professional-quality widgets and a consistent programming model.
KDE’s Impact
Under Ettrich’s initial leadership, KDE:
- United Linux applications under a common interface
- Made Linux viable for non-technical users
- Created essential desktop applications
- Built a large volunteer community
Trolltech and Qt
After KDE established itself, Ettrich joined Trolltech (later acquired by Nokia) to work on Qt directly. He contributed to Qt’s development and helped maintain the relationship between KDE and Qt.
LyX
Before KDE, Ettrich created LyX, a document processor that uses LaTeX for typesetting but provides a graphical interface. LyX remains popular in academic communities.
Legacy
Ettrich demonstrated that open-source communities could create polished, user-friendly software. KDE’s success showed that Linux could compete with commercial operating systems for desktop users.