snap desktop icons?

[babag]

i just put some ln's on my desktop and am trying to figure out
how to get them to align to a grid spacing. tried right clicking
the desktop but didn't see such an option. how do i get these
icons to align in a systematic way?

kubuntu 11.04, btw.

thanks,
BabaG

[oshunluvr]

Re: snap desktop icons?

If you using the desktop folder, right-clicking in it brings up the icon alignment options. In KDE 4 icons don't reside on the desktop per se.

[Linkmaster]

Re: snap desktop icons?

I don't think there is a way to grid align desktop icons on the actual desktop, other then a careful hand with the mouse.

What I do know is that you can align the icons in the desktop folder, which I used to use extensively. If you got rid of it, heres how to get it back:

Unlock widgets, and the open up Dolphin. Drag any old folder onto your desktop, and click 'folder view'. Once the folder comes up, click the little wrench that'll appear on the side, and a window will come up. On the 'Location' tab on the left, click "Show the desktop folder" so that it'll be empty, and you can put your links there. Before you close it, go to the 'Display' and you can change your sizes and stuff, as well as choosing "align to grid" and "lock in place" which will keep everything still.

That is the best way that I can think of for what you're asking, and I hope it helps

[Rog132]

Re: snap desktop icons?

As mentioned there is the "classical" Folder View desktop.


There is also the KDE-Look "Grouping Desktop" > http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=116926.

The "plasma-containment-grouping-desktop" is

Description: an additional plasma containment to group plasmoids.
This is an activity containment that adds to the desktop the ability to group
your widgets inside frames in various arrangements.
.
After the installation: Right click the desktop > Desktop Settings > Activity.
Pick the Type: GroupingDesktop

[img width=400 height=132]http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/8052/image20110618202128.png[/img]


---edit add-----

From the repositories. Package: plasma-containments-addons

additional containment plugins for Plasma
This package contains additional Plasma containment plugins. This package is part of the KDE Plasma addons module.

It has the Grouping and Grid desktops.

[img width=400 height=258]http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/725/griddesktop.png[/img]

[babag]

Re: snap desktop icons?

wow. this is really annoying and disappointing. i hate extra steps to get something
done. don't think i've used anything without this ability for years. seems like one
ought to be able to have things aligned without having to enter a folder first.

how about this: can i add links to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen? how do
i do that? i just want to be able to have a clean setup with as few steps as possible
to get into the main apps i use.

thanks for the pointers so far.

BabaG

[dibl]

Re: snap desktop icons?

I put my 8 or 10 commonly-used packages on the panel:

1. Unlock widgets (use the cashew in the upper right corner)

2. K > navigate to the package

3. Right-click the package name, and choose "Add to Panel"

4. Lock widgets.

[babag]

Re: snap desktop icons?

thanks for that. couldn't get 'add to panel.' only showed 'add to favorites.'
was able, though, to just drag the icon to the bar once the widgets were
unlocked. having trouble reordering the icons i put there, though. guess
i should have preplanned the order i wanted them before i started grabbing.

thanks again,
BabaG

[dibl]

Re: snap desktop icons?

having trouble reordering the icons i put there, though. guess
i should have preplanned the order i wanted them before i started grabbing.

That's easy to customize:

1. Unlock widgets

2. Right-click the panel, and choose "Panel Options > Panel Settings"

3. Hover your cursor over an icon that you would like to move, and carefully slide it right or left. Other icons will move to open a place and you can drop the icon that you are dragging into a new position.

4. Lock widgets when you are done.

This is KDE 4.6.3 on Debian -- your menu choices may be slightly different.

[babag]

Re: snap desktop icons?

doesn't work that way here. i don't get 'panel options--->panel settings' choice
if i unlock widgets. if i don't unlock widgets, i can only move the entire panel.

if i unlock widgets, i can hover over an icon and i get a hand symbol but, when
i try to drag the icon to a new position, nothing else moves over for it and it stays
where it was.

i seem to be able to move the whole panel but not to be able to individually move
the icons i've just placed in it.

thanks,
BabaG

[oshunluvr]

Re: snap desktop icons?

Whether or not you get the "Panel Settings" option is highly dependent on exactly where you right click on the panel and widgets have to be unlocked to get the option. Moving too is dependent on locations.

Also, if you're referring to the System Tray (the smallish icons grouped together) rather than the Panel you'll not get the same options.

re: dibl's post: The Add to Panel and Add to Desktop options are for Kmenu and Kickoff and only when widgets are unlocked, but do not appear at all if you're using Lancelot. There might be a Lancelot setting to do this somewhere but I haven't seen it.

Also, different versions of KDE might behave slightly differently. dibl (I believe) and I are on 4.6.4.

[dibl]

Re: snap desktop icons?

I have KDE 4.6.4 on my Kubuntu 11.10 installation (a VM). My Debian has KDE 4.6.3, which is what I used when writing above. I just checked the "arranging icons on the panel" procedure on KDE 4.6.4, and the only difference is that, with widgets unlocked, if you choose "Panel Settings" you go straight to the panel utility which will let you hover your cursor over the icons and drag them around.

[babag]

Re: snap desktop icons?

i have whatever kde comes with the current (non lts) cd download. just recently
installed and have not yet updated. (shouldn't the kde version be readily viewable
someplace? couldn't find it.)

<edit>
checked and i have kde 4.6.2
</edit>

tried hovering over all parts of the bar:left, right, system tray, icons, between icons,
above things, below things.

after unlocking widgets, a right click on the center, emptiest part of the bar gives me:

task manager settings
unlock widgets

opening task manager settings has allowed me to change things somewhat, though
in a deeply klunky manner. the task manager settings window has options to group
and sort. i set each to 'manually.' this allows me to drag my icons to the right, past
all of the other icons i have added. when i do this, the icon being dragged does move
all the way to the right end of the bunch of added icons, the gap closing when the
move is made. it does not allow me to move the icons to the left, creating space for
the new placement as suggested earlier. this being the case, i suppose i can keep
dragging things to the right to create the new order.

just tried that and then locked the widgets. i have an icon for dolphin on the bar and,
when i opened it and closed it again, it relocated itself to the end of the icon group,
changing the position i'd just given it, this, even when i'd locked the bar.

you know, i think i brought up some things like this on a kde list a couple of years ago.
will look into it. nope, that was something else: grading the desktop from one color to
another. they did get around to that. anyway, thanks.

BabaG

[Rog132]

Re: snap desktop icons?

> KDE Userbase
> Plasma/GroupingDesktop

• Grouping Desktop
• Grid Desktop
• Grouping Panel

With the Kubuntu - Package: plasma-containments-addons