I am still struggling with setting my desktop how I would like it. Now in 15.2, there seems a reduced number of choices, but I still don’t know what controls what. So maybe if I ask one piece at a time. A general vague concept I have is that the global theme sets some defaults, then the other parts sets some pieces of it. And I don’t know if I have to log out or reboot to notice any changes.
First, for the application start icon button at the bottom left, I somehow got it changed to 3 dots and a greater than sign. Where do I go to change it to either KDE or the openSUSE mascot?
That is a basic one. KDE (or any other desktop’s configuration) is done by the end-user. And of course for each end-user separate. So thiis has nothing to do with system configuration and a log out/in is sufficient 9when it does not apply immediatly).
I changed one thing, and it immediately changed the start button.
I changed it back, and no effect, until I logged out and back in. So will be a tedious process attempting to try each possibility and logging out and in to confirm it’s not what I want.
Ok, so next question. Where is it that I can change window borders?
I like to be able to see where the border is, move my mouse quickly to where I see it, and resize the window. But what I have currently is no border at all, just a sharp edge. I have to move my mouse, slow down, move slightly across the edge until the mouse changes, and then resize. Very slow and takes up time.
Maybe I don’t fully understand the question, but the KDE utility [Settings > Configure Desktop] has a “search” field near the top-right corner of the window which allows a particular desktop setting to be quickly located. Most settings have an “apply” button which allows their effect to be seen immediately, and reversed if necessary.
But if you want to change the menu shown by the start button, right-click on it.
I guess my question is, what setting should I search for to change?
For example, what setting do I change to set the start button graphic to a blue KDE icon instead of 3 dots and a greater than symbol?
That is, is it under Global Theme, Plasma, Application Style, Icons, what?
Likewise, which of those do you search for changing the window borders to something visible?
I’ve looked under the “Discover” for themes, and there are thousands. The ones I’ve tried do not change what I want. The example screen images I find useless for indicating what is changed.
Maybe another example is, where do I go to change the maximize button of windows from a up pointing greater than symbol to maybe a square?
Is there a list for what items global themes change, what items plasma themes change, what items application styles change, etc.?
Right-click on the start button and go to “Configure Application Menu…” where the icon can be changed. You might also like to choose the style of application launcher at “Alternatives…” I use the traditional “Application Menu”.
After changing to the “Application Menu” style go to [Settings > Configure Desktop]. As I mentioned previously, there’s a search field near the top-right corner of the window which allows a particular desktop setting to be quickly located. Most settings have an apply button which allows their effect to be seen immediately, and reversed if necessary. However it’s a good idea to go through it all systematically.
I suggest going to [Appearance > Workspace Theme] and selecting those options first. Try the “Breeze” look & feel and the “Air” desktop theme.
Next go to [Appearance > Application Style > Widget Style]. I use the “MS Windows 9x” style which I find simple, clear, and intuitive, and I began using it after moving from Windows over a decade ago. Go to the next item “Window Decorations” to change the window buttons; I use “Plastik” which is essentially the old MS style.
One other thing… If you right-click on the application panel at the bottom of the screen and select “Configure Task Manager” you can change the panel options. I like to sort manually with no grouping so I can move the application buttons to familiar places.
Thank you, I did not know you could do that to the icon. And yes, I had already changed to the “Application Menu”. Much easier for me to use than the other choices.
I suggest going to [Appearance > Workspace Theme] and selecting those options first. Try the “Breeze” look & feel and the “Air” desktop theme.
There is a preview button. What am I exactly seeing there? Is it setting the wallpaper, changing the application launcher style back, …? If I go to get new themes, the first one up (WhiteSure) shows bright red and blue background with an apple icon in the middle. I don’t care for those colors, nor the apple icon. But is it really changing something else that they are not showing?
Maybe if I ask, how do I create my own (and I’m not sure what item goes here, “theme”, etc.), so I can set a border around the windows, and make a scrollbar big enough to click on?
Good question, IMO the theme preview-screen isn’t very clear. However a ‘play’ arrow at top-right of the Breeze & OpenSUSE themes will appear when you mouse over it and clicking on it shows the general layout, with the task bar & its icons at the bottom of the screen.
I strongly recommend first going through the procedure I suggested above in order to get a feeling for how it all hangs together. There are lots of options (including borders) and it shouldn’t be necessary to create a new theme; I’ve never felt the need to find out how to do so.
My internet connection is around 100 KBs. Choosing with guessing by trial by error is a very time consuming process when there is no indication that a certain theme is relevant to what I want. Lot’s of people have different ideas of what looks good, what is even acceptable. Very tedious for waiting several minutes for their sample screen to load and most are their choice of desktop backgrounds with nothing to do with the theme. Then I install one, wait for it to download, might have to log back in, and it makes things look bad. Repeat for how many times with no hope for success?
Is there nowhere I can find in 15.2 what Global themes is used for, what Plasma Style is used for, what Application Style is used for. For application style, it is a little more helpful in indicating it changes buttons, text boxes, progress bars, but one wonders if that’s all or there’s more?
Or is there some software that will allow me to create my own, so I can set the scrollbar width, colors, etc.? 1000s of people have done something like that. How can I be one of those who make my version of “normal”?