KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

[Mordac85]

So why is it nothing from ~/Desktop shows on my 'Desktop' and things I copy there have those damn widget controls on the side? Is this some kind of dock that now replaces a normal desktop or what? And when I click on the red X/close icon it disappears, never to be seen again (that I can tell).

I know this is a terribly n00b-ish question, but can someone tell me, or point me to, a simple explanation for this odd behavior?

[dibl]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

Your title says it all.

In KDE 4, "Desktop" is just a folder under /home/user. Actually, it is that under KDE3.5 also, but in KDE 4 it acts differently.

So, click the "Cashew" in the upper right corner of your screen, choose "Add Widget" and add the "Folder View" widget. Set it to show the ~/home/user/Desktop folder, and you will have something roughly comparable to what you are accustomed to.

[Qqmike]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3099993.0

You don't have to read this how-to per se, but checkout the comment on Desktop toward the end and checkout the references, which sort of, kind of explain some of these changes. BTW, you are not alone with your questions
Personal opinion: I resisted the new KDE 4 changes ("paradigm shifts") at first. Now, after a week working in KDE 4/8.10, I can't imagine returning to the confines of the old Desktop model.
Best bet: Have fun with it for now, and watch it develop and evolve. As dibl is telling you, your new "Desktop" is nothing more than another element in Plasma, which you can use or not, and, in fact, you may even use it the old way.

[LinuxIsInnovation]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

If you liked the old way, you may just choose to drop your application icons from KMenu to the desktop. That will not make use of ~/Desktop folder but you can use the whole desktop.

[Mordac85]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

I knew there would be a learning curve w/KDE 4 but trying to find a good resource for the differences is 'challenging'. Thanks for the info, and the link. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and stay so I can learn what's new, where things are heading and how to use them. So it looks like I need to learn about Plasma so I can get the most out of my Desktop which is not a Desktop. Just learning what the new parts are called is a chore sometimes.

[Qqmike]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

Start with my "how-to" (such as it isn't! but it does give some terms), and each link while sitting at your Plasma screen. Click around, experiment, remember to use right-click, and if you are moving things (widgets), remember to click the cashew at top right and unlock widgets (to get a "handle" on each widget) or do the same on the Panel (bar at the bottom of screen), right-click, unlock widgets. Worst case, you might have to reinstall--So what! But I don't think that'll happen, and we do have some Plasma experts around. You have your Live CD in case you need to boot with it and use Konqueror browser to access the forum. Many of us dual boot and so have, say 8.04 and 8.10 to experiment with. I think you'll like the flexibility and possibilities with KDE 4 versus the boring rigidity of KDE 3. IMO. (I'm new at this, too, but am now already sold on it.)

[MoonRise]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

I can't imagine returning to the confines of the old Desktop model.

I agree. I've also read somewhere that in KDE4.2 there will be a choice now? Old style or New. Don't know if that is true or not, but as Q said, I couldn't really go back to the old style.

[rusty]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

Hi, I have made the changes as suggested and it works
BUT
If the desktop is not the desktop and the folder view gives the 'desktop' view, just what is the current 'desktop' on the screen? The screenview when I open the PC only shows some of the items which I expected as the 'desktop' but I have not yet found a way to show the screenview as part of the /home/username structure. I hope this makes sense but I have no other way to explain the problem. Is the screenview a virtual page with no basis in the tree structure and what is its proper name?
Rusty

[kubicle]

Re: KDE4 Desktop not a desktop?

I can't imagine returning to the confines of the old Desktop model.

I agree. I've also read somewhere that in KDE4.2 there will be a choice now? Old style or New. Don't know if that is true or not, but as Q said, I couldn't really go back to the old style.

It's true, you can set 'Desktop Type' in Appearance Settings for an activity, If you choose 'Folder View', you can get an old type of desktop (As it is related to activity, you can also create a 'new type of desktop' and 'an old type of desktop' and switch between them easily.

Is the screenview a virtual page with no basis in the tree structure and what is its proper name?

Well you could probably call it a Desktop (or Plasma Desktop Activity or something). Semantically, the 'new desktop' is much more a 'Desktop' (an empty space you put things you work with on), than the 'old desktop' (which is basically just a directory on your file system).

The new Desktop shows plasma applets, one of which is the folder view (you can set which folder to show on each 'folder view' applet in that folder view's settings.