KDE 4.1.3 questions, new user (upgraded from KDE 3.5)

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#1

Hi,

I am new to KDE 4.1.3, having just installed it alongside KDE 3.5, on openSUSE 11.1 Linux.

Had a few questions as this release of KDE is much different than the 3.x series:

  • What is the plasmoid (cashew-shaped thing near the right-side of the panel and top right of desktop) ? How can I get rid of this extra ‘plasmoid’ functions and revert to the ‘classic looks’ KDE 3.5 desktop (with which I am familiar)

  • The Panel: I find that I cannot move widgets (previously called applets/application launchers). The small widget/app-launcher icons are stuck to their locations.

  • Also can’t seem to add new app launchers (want to add shortcuts for kysmonitor, Thunar file manager, kedit, etc). This was very easy in KDE 3.5.x.

Thanks,

#2

kde 4 presents a different look and feel. Go to K Desktop Environment - Be free. And also the user forum to learn more about the widgets and everything else.
That’s my best advice.

#3

I went back to 3.5 (i like kde4 but i’ll wait for a stable 4.3), but i used 4.1.3 for some weeks. What i remember (i did these things at installation day):
-right click on desktop or panel and unlock widgets
-right click on panel and choose settings: if you point the mouse cursor on icons you will see a cross shaped cursor. Click and slowly drag icons where you want. You can remove icons, right clicking them and selecting remove.
-you can add app launchers by selecting their icons in menu and dragging them on the panel.

Sorry if i don’t remember well. Surely someone will help you better.

#4

Am I right in thinking you had a run with 4.2 also?

kde4 is a totally different concept and trying yo make it like kde3 is kind of defeating the objective. Why not just use kde3?

The kde4 ‘Desktop’ is not a desktop as you know. To correctly have desktop icons in kde4 the correct policy is to add the Folder View widget and configure it to the location ‘Desktop’.

FYI: That cashew shaped thing has gone from kde4.2 now

#5

Yes, actually I was trying to install KDE 4.2, but on logging-in, it crashed and so I wanted to ‘downgrade’ to KDE 4.1.3 … mentioned in different thread. Assumed KDE 4.1.3 would be stabler (perhaps it is, compared to 4.2, but much less stable than KDE 3.5, IMO).

I was about to do away with the KDE 4+ line completely, but chanced upon a thread that seemed to have a workable solution. That, plus the advice you gave in an earlier post, finally brought on KDE 4.1.3, without having to do a reinstall… what I did to re-enable KDE 4.1.3 is mentioned here.

kde4 is a totally different concept and trying yo make it like kde3 is kind of defeating the objective. Why not just use kde3?

Now that I have been using KDE (since last night), I realize what you mean. However, there are a good pluses to KDE 4.1.3 as well: newer and more no. of apps, better GUI, more options for customization, etc. Though I still feel more comfortable with KDE 3.5, as that is what I have used in the past 2-3 months of Linux use (all on oS 11/11.1), now that there is a working KDE 4.1.3 desktop, I will try using KDE 4.x more & more, as that is the way forward for KDE with openSUSE & other distros (eg Fedora 11 will not have KDE 3.5 & I’m not sure if oS 11.2 will have the full KDE 3.x either -looks doubtful). So it makes good user sense to stay on with and learn KDE 4.x.

The kde4 ‘Desktop’ is not a desktop as you know. To correctly have desktop icons in kde4 the correct policy is to add the Folder View widget and configure it to the location ‘Desktop’.

FYI: That cashew shaped thing has gone from kde4.2 now

The Desktop and Panel organization in KDE 4.x, with the widgets seem confusing, reminds me of the first (and only) time I used a Mac, at the IT Support Helpdesk of the Univ I used to be in…the GUI and effects are also of the ‘fancy’ type, kindof like a Mac for an only-Windows user.
Hopefully, should be able to catch up with use.

#6

You can’t; it is fundamental to the design of KDE4.

It is yet to be implemented - perhaps in KDE4.3, perhaps later.

Right click on any application that you wish to add to the Desktop or the Panel and you will find an option to do so.

If you have or want a folder open on the desktop, it can be the Desktop folder, as in KDE3, or it can be another folder. Right click on the desktop folder to alter this (and other aspects of the folder appearance).