Github library was used by default in v4. If the installation has been replaced by v5 the library setup remains in the configuration (see Where are the configuration files (settings, library tables)?). That’s a common problem, see I had KiCad 4 installed previosly. Now i updated to v5. Now i have some problems with the library setup.
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This is interesting behaviour also. Half updating upon a new installation. Yeah I have no such experience, I started at 5.1.10, my first install.
Not the best user experience if you don’t know what you are doing. In 5.99 you are given a chance to either keep the old config or start from scratch. Of course you have to know what you are doing even then, but at least you are given information what is happening and chance to affect it easily.
KiCad has matured by large steps from one major version to another. Not only features but also UI and UX are important for the developers.
Yeah I kinda feel a bit lucky having started now, after reading about some of the features that didnt exist before!
@Meat5000, I too was used to designing PCBs without having a schematic to convert (I am old enough to remember being handed a schematic and told to design a PCB from that !). I soon found that if I wanted to use KiCad efficiently I needed to draw a schematic first and that is what I now do, even for simple circuits, one of which was only 1.5" x 1", had a single SOIC8 and 6 other parts (all 1206 and everything hand-soldered). However, the main reason for my comment is you mentioned the components not fitting on to breadboard - CPC (cpc.co.uk, a part of the Farnell group) sell adaptor PCBs so you can, for example, fit a SOT23 or a SOIC8 to Veroboard. Very useful and I know they do some adaptors for some “spider” chips too.
Indeed, I had hoped to take this approach, with regard to the premade PCB adaptors. I came across 2 snags.
Firstly, the PCBs that would fit an 80-TQFP didnt allow enough space between tracks to fit the capacitors required for the power rails. By the time the traces had fanned out enough the maximum distance from the pins had been exceeded.
Secondly, using the MAX11198ATE+ turned out to be a problematic choice as its dimensions of 2mmx3mm in a 16pin TQFN are relatively new and unused on the market and in addition it ‘features’ a bottom footpad for heat etc, also. Premade PCBs for this simply dont exist, although they may in the future.
I’ve encountered another wall in that my printer is simply far from capable of producing such an accurate printout, despite its claims. Total rubbish. I might actually just take it to the printers and have them do that part on a more expensive and capable machine. Itll probably cost less than 50p.
Im also taken a back a bit by recent price hikes. The difference in price of premades on CPC and Farnell made my eyes fall out my head, almost, compared to something one might find on Ebay. And to be honest the difference in quality is not that grand.
I like a challenge, it seems. I’ll resort to Microscope and Scalpel if I have to.
Dropping the GITHUB stuff in 5.0.x was a big plus for me as I only had ADSL in those days and the ping time from KL to the USA could reach a second. Loading was painful. Telcos were known to give priority to ping for marketing reasons and the actual data was stuck with buffer bloat, several seconds deep
I’m currently tethering from 3G. Not quite as painful as your situation but I could easily make a cup of tea on each load as a result 
Consequently, I posted an Issue on GitLabs in which after Id applied GitHub-Null fix I could make the Library loading hang again with some repeatable steps.
I was subsequently asked to install and test an 11/12 version for the same issue. The loading was dismal until such time as I’d Repaired all the ki_mod files which the Loader had flagged. After that the loading is quick and is yet to hang.
Whilst this does not help with the 5.1.10 situation, it does suggest that bad ki_mod files may be the primary reason for all of the slow loading issues.
I’m not a Ki_mod dev at all but it could seem that such loading is performed serially and not in an async fashion or as part of a separate class. Its why the whole program locks up and KiCad hogs over 90% of my CPU attempting to load its data.
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