Device Notifier Problems with KDE 4.xxx

[nickt1862]

What is it that when I insert a music CD and Device Notifier pops up that only a meager 2 to 3 options/applications there show up verses the rest of the Multimedia apps that are already installed in the OS.

As of KDE 4.3 there is a "supposed" way to edit this, and as of this time even after going into I believe it's called "Device Actions" Under System Settings/Advanced I still cannot get it to work correctly no matter what distro with KDE 4.3 I try INCLUDING KUBUNTU 9.10. The application command is there and the rest but still no good.

Maybe there's bugs, but I'm open to suggestions and or any feedback.

This has to function correctly for me if I'm ever to use KDE4.xxx.

I like KDE4.xxx but this problem is stopping me from doing so.

As of now the 18th day of August 2009, I'm not using any Linux distro with KDE 4.xxx till or if this problem is resolved. Back To KDE 3.5.10 for now.

Thanks so very much.

Nick

[doctordruidphd]

Re: Device Notifier Problems with KDE 4.xxx

The settings for this feature are found in:

System Settings > Advanced > Device Actions

[Rog131]

Re: Device Notifier Problems with KDE 4.xxx

With the KDE 4.2 it is possible to make own "Device Actions":

> Open with Kaffeine, SMPlayer, VLC, ...
> Play Audio CD with Kaffeine


The KDE 4.3 has a gui to make this a bit easier ( is it ?). The "solid-actions" KDE control module is working with the KDE 4.2.4 > A notifier for the blank CD and DVD

.

Officially it is a part of the KDE 4.3.X.

[nickt1862]

Re: Device Notifier Problems with KDE 4.xxx

With the KDE 4.2 it is possible to make own "Device Actions":

> Open with Kaffeine, SMPlayer, VLC, ...
> Play Audio CD with Kaffeine


The KDE 4.3 has a gui to make this a bit easier ( is it ?). The "solid-actions" KDE control module is working with the KDE 4.2.4 > A notifier for the blank CD and DVD

.

Officially it is a part of the KDE 4.3.X.

I was there with KDE 4.3 and that didn't work at all after I tried exactly that what's shown in your photo.

[Rog131]

Re: Device Notifier Problems with KDE 4.xxx

I was there with KDE 4.3 and that didn't work at all after I tried exactly that what's shown in your photo.

Did you get ?

An error message:

Invalid action - System Settings

It appears that the action name, commad, icon or condition are not valid.
Therefore, changes will not be applied.

or

No error messges but no "Device Actions" ?

The KDE is reading the "Device Actions" at the KDE start. You need to log-out and log-in.


or something else ?


This is with the KDE 4.3.0 (the KDE 4.3.1 is released soon, september 1, maybe it is a bit userfriendly)


Device Actions with the gui

Video DVD default actions (4 - at here):

Play DVD with Kaffeine
Download Photo with digiKam
Open with Video Player (Dragon Player)
Open with File Manager
Do nothing

An example: Adding the VLC player to the Device Actions.

System Settings > Advanced > Device Actions


After n:th try :

Action Name: Play DVD with VLC
Command: vlc dvd://

All of the conditions must match:

Restriction type: Compare Value To
Device type: Storage Volume
Value name: Ignored
Equals: false

Restriction type: Compare Value To
Device type Optical Disc
Value name: Available Content
Equals: 'Data|VideoDvd'

Check:

ls ~/.kde/share/apps/solid/actions/

Play-DVD-with-VLC.desktop

and the Play-DVD-with-VLC.desktop has:

[Desktop Action open]
Exec=vlc dvd://
Icon=/usr/share/pixmaps/vlc.png
Name=Play DVD with VLC
X-Ubuntu-Gettext-Domain=desktop_kdebase-workspace

[Desktop Entry]
Actions=open;
Type=Service
X-KDE-Action-Custom=true
X-KDE-Solid-Predicate=[ StorageVolume.ignored == false AND OpticalDisc.availableContent == 'Data|VideoDvd' ]

Log-out and log in and DVD in. Now there are 5 options:

Play DVD with VLC
Play DVD with Kaffeine
Download Photo with digiKam
Open with Video Player (Dragon Player)
Open with File Manager
Do nothing

An example: The easy and fast way

The Kaffeine has working set of the "Device Actions". Using them as templates.

Making a directory:

mkdir -p ~/.kde/share/apps/solid/actions/

Copying:

cp /usr/share/kde4/apps/solid/actions/kaffeine_play_dvd.desktop ~/.kde/share/apps/solid/actions/vlc_play_dvd.desktop

Of course you could use the Dolphin/Konqueror and drag&drop.

Changing the "Desktop Action" from the Kaffeine to the VLC:

kate ~/.kde/share/apps/solid/actions/vlc_play_dvd.desktop

Changing kaffeine to vlc (+ Exec=vlc dvd://). Now vlc_play_dvd.desktop has:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Service
Actions=PlayDVD;
X-KDE-Solid-Predicate=OpticalDisc.availableContent & 'VideoDvd'

[Desktop Action PlayDVD]
Name=Play DVD with VLC
Exec=vlc dvd://
Icon=vlc

Log out - log in. Now there are 5 actions...


That "Exec=..." line

With the gui or if you are editing the .desktop file directly you need to know how the apppication is started from the commandline.

There are man files:

man man

NAME
man - an interface to the on-line reference manuals

SYNOPSIS
man [-C file]...

With the VLC:

man vlc

NAME
vlc, qvlc, svlc - the VLC media player

SYNOPSIS
vlc [OPTIONS] [ITEMS]...
...
ITEMS
VLC recognizes several URL-style items:

*.mpg, *.vob, *.avi, *.mp3, *.ogg
Various multimedia file formats

dvd://[<device>][@<raw device>][@[<title>][:[<chapter>][:<angle>]]]

DVD device (for instance dvd:///dev/dvd). The raw device is optional and must have been prepared beforehand.

The application could have build in help. With the VLC:

vlc --help

Usage: vlc [options] [stream] ...
You can specify multiple streams on the commandline. They will be enqueued in the playlist.
The first item specified will be played first.
...
URL syntax:
[file://]filename Plain media file
http://iport/file HTTP URL
ftp://iport/file FTP URL
mms://iport/file MMS URL
screen:// Screen capture
[dvd://][device][@raw_device] DVD device
....

About the "Device Actions" gui

- It doesn't have help-file.
- There is a generic error messge: "action name, commad, icon or condition are not valid." or the pixies are pissed...


So the easiest way at here is to use the available device actions as template and use text editor to make new.