7 Instances of KDE Appearances On The Silver Screen

Published on December 3, 2009 in Apps, Eye Candy by Rami Taibah

I don’t know about you, but when ever a computer screen appears in a movie or series I instantly focus on the interface, trying to glean what they have installed on the device. Even better, when possible, I pause and try to analyze and read the damn thing. We dugg up 7 instances of KDE appearances on the silver screen. Two of which are very recent: “The Big Bang Theory” and “Lie To Me”

Did we miss any? Are there any other GNOME or Linux appearances out there? Please tell us in the comments.

1-The Big Bang Theory

If KDE were to appear on any show, then where better than KDE’s geekastic show “The Big Bang Theory?” In the latest episode “The Vengeance Formulation,” Leonard is proudly wearing a Konqueror shirt.

The-Big-Bang-Theory-Leonard-KDE-Linux-Konqueror1

The-Big-Bang-Theory-Leonard-KDE-Linux-Konqueror2

2-Lie To Me

Somebody over at Fox seems to be a KDE developer by night. In the latest episode of “Lie To Me,” the Lightman Group, a group that aids law enforcement in their investigations, run KDE on one of their machines. Not only that, but Kmail also appears with folders labeled: KDE Release Team, KDE Commits, KDE Plasma, and KDE Core Devel!

3-House MD

KDE4′s Oxygen icons appeared in an x-ray shot on House MD (click to enlarge)

oxygen-KDE-house-MD

4-Dexter

A KDE 3 desktop in a 2006 episode of Dexter

Kde-Linux-dexter

5-24

It seems that in the aim to improve security, CTU (the Counter Terrorist Unit) have switched operating system from MacOS. This can be seen in this shot from episode one:

24-kde-linux

Jonathan Riddell,  who first noticed this, asks an interesting question:

Interestingly, although KDE 3 has been out since mid-2002, the screenshot is of a 3-year-old KDE 1.x desktop. These older icons are made available under a public domain license. If a GPL’d set of icons had been used, would we now be legally able to modify, sell and distribute the episode under the terms of the GPL over the internet?

6-Alias

alias-kde-Linux

7-Lord of The Rings

To the surprise of many, KDE turns up unexpectedly on the extended DVD edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

kde_gollum-linux-lord-of-the-rings

kde_gollum-linux-lord-of-the-rings2.png

o the surprise of many, KDE turns up unexpectedly on the extended DVD edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

About

Rami Taibah the founder of The Linuxologist and a self proclaimed geek and Linux aficionado. This fall, he will be pursuing an MIMS degree at UC Berkeley, California. You can follow him on Twitter @rtaibah.

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  • mutex023

    You missed Bourne Ultimatum, in the scene where Julia Stiles uses her laptop, its KDE , you tell by the icons.

  • http://www.pingbrie.com briealeida

    I can't believe I missed Leonard's Konqueror shirt! That's awesome!

    Nice post, Rami! :+)!

  • http://www.pingbrie.com briealeida

    I can't believe I missed Leonard's Konqueror shirt! That's awesome!

    Nice post, Rami! :+)!

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    I saw the episode and didn't pick it up either! Found out while researching the topic :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    I saw the episode and didn't pick it up either! Found out while researching the topic :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Great, will look for that. Maybe if I gather enough examples, I'll do a follow-up blogpost

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Great, will look for that. Maybe if I gather enough examples, I'll do a follow-up blogpost

  • http://96th.myopenid.com/ 96th

    I am extremely satisfied.

  • http://96th.myopenid.com/ 96th

    I am extremely satisfied.

  • codeman38

    One of the first series episodes of Heroes had Niki using Kopete for instant messaging, if I recall.

  • codeman38

    One of the first series episodes of Heroes had Niki using Kopete for instant messaging, if I recall.

  • dunkelstern

    I don't know if you know the movie Nicotina http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337930/ All computers used there use KDE.

  • dunkelstern

    I don't know if you know the movie Nicotina http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337930/ All computers used there use KDE.

  • RandomPixels

    neat! i wonder what KDE is chuck norris running :)

  • RandomPixels

    neat! i wonder what KDE is chuck norris running :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    I think I remember that. The girl that connects to the Internet with her mind right? Cool I'll probably dig that up :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    I think I remember that. The girl that connects to the Internet with her mind right? Cool I'll probably dig that up :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    KDE5 ;)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    KDE5 ;)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Great keep em coming! Looks like there will be a follow-up blog :)

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Great keep em coming! Looks like there will be a follow-up blog :)

  • codeman38

    Actually, that was the girl with multiple personalities, though I'm sure there are other cases of KDE being used…

  • codeman38

    Actually, that was the girl with multiple personalities, though I'm sure there are other cases of KDE being used…

    And here are screenshots: http://www.eikehein.com/kde/heroes/

  • sammyjankis6

    Who cares about chuck Norris anymore? His memehood is gone, he is now just a ginger and believes that global warming is a new world order.

  • sammyjankis6

    Who cares about chuck Norris anymore? His memehood is gone, he is now just a ginger and believes that global warming is a new world order.

  • anon2323243

    What program is used in the lord of the ring screenshot?
    http://linuxologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009…

  • anon2323243

    What program is used in the lord of the ring screenshot?
    http://linuxologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009…

  • anon2323243

    What program is used in the lord of the ring screenshot?
    http://linuxologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009…

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Mplayer. Very powerful

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Mplayer. Very powerful

  • http://twitter.com/dnovotny dnovotny

    Thats Maya, previously by Alias, currently by Autodesk.

  • http://twitter.com/dnovotny dnovotny

    Thats Maya, previously by Alias, currently by Autodesk.

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Lol man, totally misunderstood. Wouldn't really know anyways.

  • http://linuxologist.com Rami Taibah

    Lol man, totally misunderstood. Wouldn't really know anyways.

  • davidbarbier

    Haha! Funny. I just said to my girlfriend when we were watching the Big Bang Theory: “Oh my god, that's Konqueror's icon!” :)

  • davidbarbier

    Haha! Funny. I just said to my girlfriend when we were watching the Big Bang Theory: “Oh my god, that's Konqueror's icon!” :)

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    I don’t know about you, but when ever a computer screen appears in a movie or series I instantly focus on the interface, trying to glean what they have installed on the device. Even better, when possible, I pause and try to analyze and read the damn t…

  • hiro24

    You missed antitrust.. featured several times in that movie.

  • http://tecnohappy.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/kde-aparece-en-muchas-series-te-has-dadon-cuenta/ KDE aparece en muchas series… te has dado cuenta? « Tecnohappy

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  • nongeek

    They use KDE because it has a more modern look than any windows version, giving an impresion of really advanced technology (and it really is)

  • haldrik

    Que chimba parce.

  • http://twitter.com/boss_limbaw boss_limbaw

    I could be wrong but this ScreenCap of Heroes i made awhile back , looks like KDE
    http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/9264/shot005…

  • kroon78

    Thats impressive that hollywood actually managed to figure out what KDE is.

  • http://www.facebook.com/yasith Yasith Vidanaarachchi

    I was going to add it as a comment :D It was the only one I have noticed so far.

  • https://launchpad.net/~flimm Flimm

    Is there a similar article about GNOME? KDE's awesome, but GNOME is my desktop environment of choice.

  • fatbuttlarry

    Slightly off-topic, but Sunglass Hut uses KDE for a desktop for their retail software. Next time you are at a Kiosk, ask to see the computer screen. It's version 3.x I believe.

    I've been watching Criminal Minds trying to figure out what the character “Penelope” uses. Definitely looks like Compiz is running. Also, the theme reminds me of Ubuntu's human theme, but hard to tell. Skip to 0:39. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbzPSsGHHrY (Sorry the video is not in English)

    -Tres

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    [...] to analyze and read the damn thing. Here, I dugg up 7 instances of KDE appearances on the silver read more [...]

  • schumanfu

    I'm assuming so many shows use it because they do not have to pay for it like they would if they used Windows or Mac?

  • http://bigbangtheory.download-tvshows.com/ big bang theory episodes

    nice!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i have missed some of the episodes of this show.

  • http://twitter.com/boss_limbaw boss_limbaw

    Caught KDE on 24, seems like it's running in windows on one screencap

    http://yfrog.com/0iscreenshot2731201005032rpx

  • http://twitter.com/andrewjamison Andrew Jamison

    It make sense for them to use KDE or linux in general as it has alot less overhead involved when you use an opensource project instead of one of the big 2

  • http://danielgrosvenor.co.uk Daniel Grosvenor

    Can’t believe you didn’t mention the big one: The Social Network.

  • http://andrew842.myopenid.com/ an842

    …

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MECZK45I3PAHRSA3QMBBHH46D4 Jonni R

    i like KDE but lately gnome is it for me.

  • http://orangebugs.net/wordpress/2010/02/01/kde-movie/ ??????KDE

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