Unity-like launcher plasmoid

[luisfpg]

I was a loyal Kubuntu user for years, but started using Unity, and really liked the launcher.
The problem is everything else
So, I was wondering whether an Unity-like launcher could be developed for KDE as a plasmoid, with support for launchers, running applications (at least), and optionally the other Unity-specific features (quick lists, count badges, progress bars).
I think it would be nice for Canonical to develop such a launcher, the same way a global menu plasmoid was developed, as it would allow another Unity's concepts (besides global menu) to reach further.
Is there any chance of that to happen in the (near) future?
Where is the best place to suggest such a thing?

[Rog132]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

About Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Canonical

Here is a good blog > Apachelogger's Log . There is an explanation of the relationships between the Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Canonical > Kubuntu is not Ubuntu.


The fastes way aka When you have an itch...

There are many more ideas than there are developers. The fastes way to implement your idea is to read the documents and make the application yourself.


Brainstorms

The KDE way > KDE Brainstorm: Get Your Ideas Into KDE!:

In an effort to bridge the gap between users and developers, the KDE Community Forums have launched a new initiative to coordinate feature requests. A new "Brainstorm" section has been created in the KDE Community Forums: users are encouraged to post requests there.

The Ubuntu way > Ubuntu Brainstorm:

Ubuntu brainstorm provides a simple way for anyone to contribute ideas for improving Ubuntu. All ideas are voted on by the user community and the most popular ideas are brought to the attention of the development teams.

[oblivion]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

I was a loyal Kubuntu user for years, but started using Unity, and really liked the launcher.
The problem is everything else
So, I was wondering whether an Unity-like launcher could be developed for KDE as a plasmoid, with support for launchers, running applications (at least), and optionally the other Unity-specific features (quick lists, count badges, progress bars).
I think it would be nice for Canonical to develop such a launcher, the same way a global menu plasmoid was developed, as it would allow another Unity's concepts (besides global menu) to reach further.
Is there any chance of that to happen in the (near) future?
Where is the best place to suggest such a thing?

AFAIK, there is no KDE equivalent for Ubuntu's Unity, but there is the "Lancelot" plasmoid, which you can use in a similar fashion.

http://wstaw.org/m/2011/05/11/plasma-desktopgp1838.jpg

Ok, it's not exactly the same, but it looks and acts pretty.

Regards.

[luisfpg]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

@Rog132
It was more or less what I imagined...
But as the global menu was already implemented (and even pushed into QT / KDE) by Canonical, I had a hope the same could happen with the unity launcher...

@oblivion
Mostly, my main intention is to have launchers and task manager combined. That would be like the task bar on the left of the screenshot you sent, except that the icons you have pinned to the launcher don't disappear when the application is closed. Only unpinned applications could make the icons move.
The closest plasmoid to it is smooth tasks, but it's still a task manager, not a launcher.
And the current approach KDE 4.6's task manager uses for launchers ("add a launcher when the application is not running") is not ideal, because the laucher keeps appearing / disappearing when the application closes / launches. By what I understand from http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=101586 is that it's going to implement the same launcher scheme than in KDE 4.6's task manager. And, before you think it's a minor detail, once you get used with, say, the Unity launcher, or Windows 7 superbar, it just seems a natural way to handle applications...
Least, Lancelot, in the screenshot you posted, is playing the role of the Unity dash.

[oblivion]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

@Rog132
It was more or less what I imagined...
But as the global menu was already implemented (and even pushed into QT / KDE) by Canonical, I had a hope the same could happen with the unity launcher...

@oblivion
Mostly, my main intention is to have launchers and task manager combined. That would be like the task bar on the left of the screenshot you sent, except that the icons you have pinned to the launcher don't disappear when the application is closed. Only unpinned applications could make the icons move.
The closest plasmoid to it is smooth tasks, but it's still a task manager, not a launcher.
And the current approach KDE 4.6's task manager uses for launchers ("add a launcher when the application is not running") is not ideal, because the laucher keeps appearing / disappearing when the application closes / launches. By what I understand from http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=101586 is that it's going to implement the same launcher scheme than in KDE 4.6's task manager. And, before you think it's a minor detail, once you get used with, say, the Unity launcher, or Windows 7 superbar, it just seems a natural way to handle applications...
Least, Lancelot, in the screenshot you posted, is playing the role of the Unity dash.

Did you try the daisy ("plasma-widget-daisy" packet, on natty), which is a very powerful and configurable plasmoid? It combines launchers with the tasks manager, so that you can use the launcher as a task manager too (very similar to unity launcher).

Regards.

[luisfpg]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

Yes, I've tried Daisy.
It supports this use-case, but in a rather poor way.
For example, there is a little dot below the launcher to indicate whether it's running / current app / requesting attention...
There's also some extra spacing, which requires a huge panel to make it appear entirely inside the panel.
Also, for example, chromium is never detected to be running - it always starts new instances.
Daisy tries to do too much things...
I really miss a plasmoid which mixes the existing quick launcher with the task manager...

[woodsmoke]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

Hi Luis, I dunno, but it might just be that the Unity "launcher" on the left is just a "panel" that is on the left with which you cannot ineract except in the few ways that are allowed which are in the two iterations that I have seen:

a) "remove" from favourites"
b) "add to favourites".

Fundamentally, the people who "make a distro" can grant different "permissions" to the panel.

The normal ones are kind of like "add to panel" "properties" "new panel".

So.....let us take "new panel" as an example.

Go to the panel and click "new panel" and you get a new panel, usually on the bottom. It is rather plain, etc.

Click properties. And in it, click somehow "left".

It will now be on the left.

The size is "usually" set at "24 pixels". Change it to say... 50 pixels.

it is now about the size of the left panel, "launcher/favourites" thing in Unity.

Click "add to panel"...start a program, let us say "clock". It will appear in the panel.

Go back to add to panel, and click "application launcher". Click "forward" and you will be presented with the applications that are in your menu, pick one, say GIMP. Click Add and it appears.

Close the add to panel and go back to panel properties.


DEselect "expand" and you will see the panel collapse to hold the clock and the symbol for GIMP.

You can adjust different properties such as in the background.

However, if you click "autohide" and auto hide buttons you can not only let it "autohide" you can also autohide it up and down!

Now...to get it autohide when you move a window over there, like with Unity, that would take a script and that is where the people who develop and OS are MUCH smarter than moi!!

Now, it "may" be that there is something buried in "settings" that will allow you to do that with a click but I don't know about that...

Also the function of "add to favourties" is also a script.

You.....might be able to find out how to do such a script...and oh my golly......we could soon be seeing KUluisfpgBUNTU!!

GO GO GO.....GO GO GO!!!! for it!!

me..I need a rum 'n coke after all that expostulating!

woodsmoke

anyway...you, too, can have a panel on the left.

[abear]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

Have you tried Cario Dock? It had a good level of control and you can place it any where on the screen you like. Just be sure that you have the main menu in "Launcher Style" this allows you to drag any application icon to the launch bar.

[luisfpg]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

I found Icon Tasks (http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php...content=144808) which does exactly this.
Just in case someone else is looking for it...

[woodsmoke]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

It does look cool, but it will require compiling since it is a source tar and not a .deb which will probably put off almost all folks from using it.

woodsmoke

[x-shaney-x]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

I have been using icontasks for a good few weeks.

Normally I HATE compiling anything and normally won't do it at all but I wanted to give this one a try.
I have to say it's worth the effort. Absolutely brilliant and even has things like email counts for thunderbird, media player controls in thumbnails and copy/move progress bar for dolphin.
This is how the KDE taskbar should be in my opinion.

[kubicle]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

You can probably find icon-tasks somewhere in the ppa repositories as well (if you don't wish to compile yourself)

[notabug]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

I've found a ppa @ (https://launchpad.net/~hrvojes/+archive/kde-goodies)

I have the the Icon Tasks widget added to my desktop and I think I'll like it. Thanks for the idea luisfpg.

[woodsmoke]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

Hi x-shaney-x,

i'm glad that the dingus is working well, and your report is very intriguing and possibly indicative that others would like to try it.

If it would not be TOO much trouble...ya gotta remember that I'm not too bright about all this Linuxy stuff...

could you give a very simple, and step by step, so that even I...could understand it.... a how to on how you compiled this particular dingux?

And I really DO mean step by step, no jargon or "just do this"...i'm not too bright.

woodsmoke

[Snowhog]

Re: Unity-like launcher plasmoid

Hey wood, you just need to read the README contained in the downloaded package to find out what to do.

Installation
============

To build and install:

1. mkdir build
2. cd build
3. cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=`kde4-config --prefix`
4. make
5. sudo make install


The following options may be supplied to cmake:

-DICON_ENABLE_DBUS_DBUG=true
Enable the dbus debug interface.

Of course, before one tries to build/compile anything, you need to ensure that you have the required packages installed in order to compile applications from source. build-essential is one - there are a few others.