How to change default desktop view for all users?

[thiagoaderaldo]

Hello Kubuntu friends,

I'm using Kubuntu 12.04 with diferent users. So I would like to know how can I apply Folder View in Desktop Appearence for all users. It is possible? How to?

[dibl]

About a year ago I happened to need to do that, and I made a note for future reference. I can't guarantee every step of this is still applicable, as it was a Debian system and earlier KDE 4.x version, but I just took a look at my Kubuntu 12.10 VM and I think this stuff is still mostly the same. However, note that it is necessary to do this immediately after installation, and prior to setting up user accounts, because the user KDE desktops are configured at their initial login.

#How to set KDE Plasma Desktop system wide
1. Set up one user ("guest", for example) with desktop activities settings, folder view, wallpapers, other widgets, default browser and panel icons, etc.
2. Make a new directory /etc/skel/.kde and in that make the /share/config subdirectory
3. Copy the original user's configuration files into the /etc/skel/.kde/share/config subdirectory

Terminal commands (you will need to "sudo" these, since you don't work as root in Kubuntu):

mkdir -p /etc/skel/.kde/share/config
cp -r /home/guest/.kde/share/config/* /etc/skel/.kde/share/config
chown root:root /etc/skel/.kde/share/config/*

#Then you must edit (as root) the file /etc/skel/.kde/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc
#- find the stanza at approximately line 297 that contains the line "url=file:///home/guest/Desktop"
#- delete "file:///home/guest/Desktop", so it reads "url="
#- save and exit
COMMENT: this last bit appears to be unnecessary in later versions

Then use kuser to set the new user accounts, and make sure the "Copy skeleton" item is ticked.

Good luck with it!

[thiagoaderaldo]

Hello dibl,

before you post this right awnser, I read a same solution in a brazilian forum. I costumized a guest user and copy .kde to /etc/skel and go throw the passes.

Thanks for this real great post!