[PLASMA 5] Any resolution to Activity / Desktop confusion?

[Frank616]

I stuck with 14.04 to the present as I felt that KDE in 16.04 was not ready for prime time yet, and I actually use my machines for real work. However, 14.04 is getting long in the tooth, and my new Dell laptop came with 16.04 installed. Time to move on, I guess.

I have been a KDE user since Xandros 1.0. One of my preferred features is different wallpapers for each desktop. Plasma 5 did away with that. Only way to do it now is to have multiple Activities, which do allow different wallpapers (and multiple Desktops per activity. Wheels within wheels. ) However, Activity switching and use I find really slow and clunky (in 16.04, at least) compared to the easy to switch desktops, and the Activites seem hard-wired to sort alphabetically in the Activity pager, which is not the way I work. Also, from an eye candy standpoint, I have lost the desktop cube switching between Activities.

Do we know if any of these KDE 4 features are back again and working in 5.x as implemented in 18.04?

Thanks.

Frank.

[spacer]

I sure wish this feature would be brought back. Two bug reports that I have bookmarked:

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=341143
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=343246

[Worzel]

Not an answer more an advisory - I have read somewhere recently that Activity is without a dedicated maintainer at the moment. If my recollection is wrong then I shall be more than pleased.

[Bings]

Activites seem hard-wired to sort alphabetically in the Activity pager, which is not the way I work

You can put a number in front of the activity name to sort them how you would wish.

[Frank616]

Bings:

You can put a number in front of the activity name to sort them how you would wish.

Yeah, I figured that out. I had hoped for something better, however.

I have read somewhere recently that Activity is without a dedicated maintainer at the moment.

Ah, wouldn't it be sad if they had to abandon Activities?

Anyway, looks like I will proceed with investigating Xubuntu. It seems that XFCE also allows multiple desktops with individual wallpapers. I downloaded it and installed it on a swappable disk caddy on my desktop machine, but haven't had the chance to pursue it much yet. Would be sad to abandon KDE over this after all these years. However, IMHO, KDE has lost its way much like Gnome did a few years ago, giving rise to Mate, Cinnamon, and of course the rise (and fall) of Unity,

Frank.

[Bings]

Ah, wouldn't it be sad if they had to abandon Activities?

It would actually. Just because you don't use/like it, doesn't mean it's not useful to a lot of people.

If you're looking at XFCE distros, also check out MX Linux

[GreyGeek]

Bings:



Yeah, I figured that out. I had hoped for something better, however.



Ah, wouldn't it be sad if they had to abandon Activities?

Anyway, looks like I will proceed with investigating Xubuntu. It seems that XFCE also allows multiple desktops with individual wallpapers. I downloaded it and installed it on a swappable disk caddy on my desktop machine, but haven't had the chance to pursue it much yet. Would be sad to abandon KDE over this after all these years. However, IMHO, KDE has lost its way much like Gnome did a few years ago, giving rise to Mate, Cinnamon, and of course the rise (and fall) of Unity,

Frank.

And yet there are many of us who have been and are completely satisfied with the direction KDE is going and the power it offers us. I’ve been using KDE since Alpha 1 in September of 1998. There have been many changes, bumps and rough spots along the way but on average the climb has always been uphill.

As the Qt API has evolved so has KDE, and the evolution has only been for the better.

[Frank616]

Bings and GreyGeek:

Good that we have choice in Linuxland.

[Frank616]

It would actually. Just because you don't use/like it, doesn't mean it's not useful to a lot of people.

If you're looking at XFCE distros, also check out MX Linux

I'm listening. What advantages do Activities offer that desktops do not?

Thanks.

Frank.

[Bings]

The main advantage is that you can turn them on and off when you like and what you are working on is there ready. I have a few websites that I work on. For each one I have an activity with Kate there to do the HTML and CSS, a browser widget to preview any work with and two folder widgets where I can transfer files from computer to site with. When I am not working on the sites, I can turn the activity off and use other activities for whatever task I am doing. When I want to work on it, I click the activity on and everything is there ready.

[dequire]

Best answer I've found so far: https://askubuntu.com/a/705835

This should really give you an idea if Activities are right for you. Actually, I love Activities and use them daily. However, whenever people bash them, I have to admit I don't understand the reasoning. After all, you can still use virtual desktops (with our without Activities). Hope that article helps.

[Frank616]

I sure wish this feature would be brought back. Two bug reports that I have bookmarked:

https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=341143
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=343246

Looks like many miss the separate wallpapers, not just me.

Frank.

[dequire]

Looks like many miss the separate wallpapers, not just me.

Frank.

In KDE Plasma, one uses activities to have separate wallpapers and widgets per desktop. And their own individual apps as well. So, for instance, Calligra Writer opens on the "office" activity, and Steam opens on the "game" activity, and so on. Just pick an app, right-click on it in the panel, and pin it to an activity.

[Bings]

I haven't used KDE long enough to remember separate wallpapers and widgets for each desktop. That said, it would be nice to be able to have widgets on different desktops. I'd find that useful. I'm not arguing that. Activities are great though.

[Frank616]

The main advantage is that you can turn them on and off when you like and what you are working on is there ready. I have a few websites that I work on. For each one I have an activity with Kate there to do the HTML and CSS, a browser widget to preview any work with and two folder widgets where I can transfer files from computer to site with. When I am not working on the sites, I can turn the activity off and use other activities for whatever task I am doing. When I want to work on it, I click the activity on and everything is there ready.

So, basically each activity saves a machine state, complete with apps open, data files loaded at the right place, and web pages open where they were when you shut it off? And this would include multiple apps open in each workspace in each activity?

Please confirm. Because, if that is the case, then I can indeed see value in it. And, if I understand this correctly, what a programming nightmare!

Frank.