Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

[pwabrahams]

I just "upgraded" from Hardy Heron to Intrepid Ibex, thus also bringing in KDE 4.1.2. And I am not a happy camper.

I can understand and accept the idea that there's a paradigm shift in going from KDE 3 to KDE 4. But when useful facilities go away without any replacement, that's a step backwards. So far I've encountered two instances of that, both very irritating:

1. konsole used to have the ability to create a root shell. Now it doesn't.

2. It used to be possible to use two colors on a desktop and fade (with various geometries) from one to the other. Now it isn't. The idea of using a graphics program for that is very unappealing.

Is there a tutorial somewhere on this new plasma stuff? I feel as though I've just been tossed into the creek without a paddle.

[dibl]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

And I am not a happy camper.

Uh-oh -- somebody should have run the Live CD first! :P

Is there a tutorial somewhere on this new plasma stuff? I feel as though I've just been tossed into the creek without a paddle.

Heh heh -- I was looking for documentation and found this:

http://plasma.kde.org/cms/1109

Don't you love Linux? Reminds me of my teenagers and their promises .....

Maybe if you spend some time going through this material, it will get you out of the creek, and then you'll only be "in the woods without a compass":

http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.0/guide.php

[toad]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

1. konsole used to have the ability to create a root shell. Now it doesn't.

Simply do a

sudo su -

What did you try?

[pwabrahams]

Root shell versus "su -"

Simply do a

sudo su -

I knew that would work, and in fact that's what I've been doing. But having a distinct root shell session is more convenient and also makes it possible to have different appearances for root shells versus ordinary shells.

Of course there are workarounds -- but why remove a perfectly fine feature that was working well? I'm mystified as to why it was taken out.

[pwabrahams]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

[quote=dibl ]
Uh-oh -- somebody should have run the Live CD first! :P
[quote]

Yeah -- but I've been through several upgrades of Kubuntu, and this is the first time when I had problems with the result. So I had faith that this upgrade would be as smooth as the previous ones. In fact, I had downloaded the Live CD and run it, but when I realized that it didn't provide for upgrades, I took a different path and went with the online upgrade. (That was a mistake for a different reason: it would probably have been much faster to create the Alternate CD and then install from that.)

[toad]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

I suppose you are right, pwabrahams. I never used it myself 'cos it seems such a complicated and roundabout way of getting to a root shell - so many mouse miles that it reminds me of Apple

You might want to try yakuake (in case you never heard of it) - sooo much quicker to get to your shell...

My 2cs worth

[Snowhog]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

User console and Root console sessions (from the K Menu).

[pansz]

Re: Root shell versus "su -"

Simply do a

sudo su -

I knew that would work, and in fact that's what I've been doing. But having a distinct root shell session is more convenient and also makes it possible to have different appearances for root shells versus ordinary shells.
Of course there are workarounds -- but why remove a perfectly fine feature that was working well? I'm mystified as to why it was taken out.

If you want a distinct shell, simply press Ctrl-Shift-N and then use sudo -i to enter root shell.

If you want distinct apprearence of root shell, simply set environment PS1 into some different color, you can set it in your /root/.bashrc.

IMO, Ctrl-Shift-N then sudo -i is much simpler so that few people actually use the konsole's built-in root shell.

[toad]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Right on, pansz. But we cater for all tastes

Speaking of which Snowhog - I obviously need some of what is in one your your three pipes 'cos I'm damned if I can find what you're on about

[Snowhog]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Hear is what I put in one of those pipes:

Right-click K Menu, select Menu Editor
Open the System Submenu
Click New Item
General
Name: Root Konsole
Description: Root Terminal
Command: konsole
Advanced
Run as a different user (check this)
Username: root

I changed the icon to a red console (I copied the existing icon to a new name and used Gimp to change the color)

As to the color of the root console in the picture:
Start Root Terminal
Settings > Manage Profiles > New Profile...
Profile name: Root Shell
Appearance > New...
Click on Background then click the color bar to open the color editor. I chose HTML: #FF0000
Set Background transparency: to 10%

8)

[toad]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Oooh yeah!

[Snowhog]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Do that as easily in Winblows!

[pwabrahams]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

User console and Root console sessions (from the K Menu).

Wow! My attempt to do that brought out two more interface irritations:

1. How to view the attached jpeg? (I'm using Firefox.) I can't just view it directly; I have to save it to the desktop. then scroll through the desktop icons to find it, then open it, and finally delete it so it doesn't clutter up the desktop.

2. When I scroll down the K menu, I actually have to click on a tab to see what's behind it instead of having it open when I hover on it. So to locate something if I don't know where it is, I have to open each tab in turn.

[toad]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Well, you are still hanging in there for some reason.

As for your first question - I have no idea, that is firefox specific and I don't know.

The second: there is, of course, a multitude of options open to you.
1. right click on KMenu and select KickOff menu style. Now you can clickety click on Kmenu and start typing the name of the package you are after (if, as you said, you don't know where it may be)
2. install the lancelot widget - a superior clickety click starter
3. press ALT+F2 and start typing in the letters of the package you want to open. After three letters it should have filtered out what you are after and you press enter to start it. By far the quickest option.
4. via quicklauncher
5. and so on...

HTH

[noelvh]

Re: Intrepid Ibex with KDE 4: a step backwards?

Do that as easily in Winblows!

Sorry to say this but it is much easer to run cmd as an admin in windows. Just add a runas statement to a cmd shortcut.

I have about 15 or so runas shortcuts on my work laptop. My company did not want use to use our admin accounts for local logins so I have to runas every thing.

Sorry.

Noel Vh