Customizing the desktops

[pwabrahams]

Under KDE3 I was able to use kcontrol for a host of customizations: cursor behavior, desktop colors and wallpaper, and others. Where is that hiding in Karmic?

The simplest thing I'd like to do is to have different desktops in different (plain) colors.

[vinnywright]

Re: Customizing the desktops

I think most of the thing's you are looking for can be found in system settings and the wallpapers are a rite click of the desktop away in desktop setings.

VINNY

[bobcollard]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Under KDE3 I was able to use kcontrol for a host of customizations: cursor behavior, desktop colors and wallpaper, and others. Where is that hiding in Karmic?

The simplest thing I'd like to do is to have different desktops in different (plain) colors.

Try this site: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/452/ Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to change the desktop setting so when you are back to your desktop you can set each one up different, color, pictures, slideshows many different things. The settings for the different screens then will be found by right clicking the desktop and changing the desktop settings.

[pwabrahams]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Try this site: http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/452/

Alas, that's an idea, not a current feature. I wish it was there.

Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to change the desktop setting so when you are back to your desktop you can set each one up different, color, pictures, slideshows many different things. The settings for the different screens then will be found by right clicking the desktop and changing the desktop settings.

That changes all the desktops, not just the current one.

[kubicle]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to change the desktop setting so when you are back to your desktop you can set each one up different, color, pictures, slideshows many different things. The settings for the different screens then will be found by right clicking the desktop and changing the desktop settings.

That changes all the desktops, not just the current one.

If you want different settings for different desktops, you need to link activities to desktops (this will give each desktop it's own activity, which also means each desktop will have it's own set of widgets...you can of course put the same widgets on all desktops if you wish), this thread should get you started: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3100408.0 (the steps to take depend on which KDE version you are using.

[vinnywright]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to change the desktop setting so when you are back to your desktop you can set each one up different, color, pictures, slideshows many different things. The settings for the different screens then will be found by right clicking the desktop and changing the desktop settings.

That changes all the desktops, not just the current one.

Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to configur plasma and make shure "diferent activity for each desktop" is checked then zoom in to the desktop you zoomed ot of .

now witchever desktop you'r on when you use desktop settings will have watever wallpaper setings you give it .

like so

[img width=400 height=300]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/vinnywright/desktopmoon.png[/img]



VINNY

[drumkitcat]

Re: Customizing the desktops

that is so cool looking!

[pwabrahams]

Confusion

Now I'm confused. When I did the "zoom out" I got 4 individual desktops on my screen (I have a total of 10 desktops). There was no obvious way to zoom back in, or even to associate those desktops with the main ones. And where can I find an explanation of what an "activity" is?

[vinnywright]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Now I'm confused. When I did the "zoom out" I got 4 individual desktops on my screen (I have a total of 10 desktops). There was no obvious way to zoom back in, or even to associate those desktops with the main ones. And where can I find an explanation of what an "activity" is?

when you zoom out is thare not a tab under eatch of the 4 desktops you see?

thare is a magnafine glass with a little + in it on the tab under the desktop you click it to zoom back in.

wile looking at the zoomed out view is thare not a menu in the upper left of the screen?

you may not see all 10 of the desktops at once (or at all) but you can drag the zoomed out screen around (click hold and drag) to see

hear I'm on Karmic-9.10 KDE-4.3.3 if you'r versons ar diferent it may be some what diferent for you as kubicle pointed out.

VINNY

VINNY

[toad]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Thanks for that vinny - now I can have a special desktop with folder view. Also just noticed the "fancy panel" option

toad@deskarch 947\24 ~ > kde4-config --version
Qt: 4.5.3
KDE: 4.3.4 (KDE 4.3.4)
kde4-config: 1.0

[vinnywright]

Re: Customizing the desktops

@toad

OOO sweet 5 sided

Also just noticed the "fancy panel" option

what's the one you got at the bottom............?

VINNY

[toad]

Re: Customizing the desktops

yep, that's the one - like OSX God, I've been waiting for that, but daisy and peach never cut the mustard...

[pwabrahams]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Or click on the plasmoid in the upper right corner, zoom out and use the subsequent menu to configur plasma and make shure "diferent activity for each desktop" is checked then zoom in to the desktop you zoomed ot of .

now witchever desktop you'r on when you use desktop settings will have watever wallpaper setings you give it .

Apparently the plasma-desktop process is very demanding of system resources, particularly the CPU. When I tried to follow your advice, I got as far as being able to move the desktops around with the "hand", but very slowly. When I clicked on the plus to zoom in on a particular desktop, the machine just hung. Maybe my poor laptop (an Acer Aspire 3100) just can't keep up. I tried using top in a different terminal (Alt-F2) and found that it was using something like 94% of the CPU.

Just giving different colors to different desktops shouldn't be that hard.

[KeithZG]

Re: Customizing the desktops

Hmm. Where is it that you folks are seeing this "fancy panel" option?

And, heh. On my main desktop I had been looking forward to the "different activity per desktop" option for awhile (ever since KDE4 first came out and plasma desktops were "activities", in fact) but it leads pretty directly to crashing. In fact, even on the desktop I'm on right now enabling the option crashed KWin, but ctrl-alt-backspace (anyone else hate how it's disabled by default now?) fixed that. On my main desktop, however, since I'm using TwinView there's two screens per virtual desktop, and thus for each virtual desktop there's an activity for screen 1 and an activity for screen 2. In practice what this means is that it crashes, haha, since apparently that's not a usage scenario that it's prepared for. Admittedly the last time I tried it was 4.3.0, perhaps I should give it a shot again.

[toad]

Re: Customizing the desktops

@ KeithZG

If you want to add a panel you get the choice of whether you want a "normal" or a "fancy" one

And I don't even get your two screens per virtual desktop Sounds mind boggling to say the least!

@ pwabrahams

Just giving different colors to different desktops shouldn't be that hard.

Did I read the "should" word? There should be no global warming, petrol should be cheaper, all transport should be free and I should lose a couple of pounds. And it is all true, you know, don't you know!