Changing the Defaults: Dolphin

[Rog131]

Changing the defaults: How to set Dolphin's default mode when you open a directory first time.

The Dolphin has setting: Remember view properties for each folder / Use common view properties for all folders.

Settings are saved to the hidden .directory files:

[Dolphin]
ShowPreview=true
Timestamp=2009,7,24,12,30,48

[Settings]
ShowDotFiles=true

If the "Use common view properties for all folders" is set on then the Dolphin is writing/reading the settings to/from ~/.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/global/.directory.

If the "Remember view properties for each folder" is set on then the Dolphin will write/read the settings to/from the local .directory file. If the Dolphin can't write the local .directory file then the local .directory file is saved to the ~/.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/local/... Dolphin can't write the (.directory) setting file if it doesn't have write permission (root owned directories etc) or the saving is not physically possible (cd/dvd rom).


With the KDE 4.2/4.3 Dolphin default directory opening mode is fixed at the build moment. The KDE is using .kcfg files > Using KConfig XT:

The main idea behind KConfig XT is to make the life of application developers easier while making the administration of large KDE installations more manageable.
...
kconfig_compiler - which generates C++ source code from .kcfg and .kcfgs files. The generated class is based on KConfigSkeleton and provides an API for the application to access its configuration data.

The Dolphins dolphin_directoryviewpropertysettings.kcfg has lines like:

<group name="Dolphin">
<entry name="ViewMode" type="Int" >
<label context="@label">View Mode</label>
<whatsthis context="@info:whatsthis">This option controls the style of the view. Currently supported values include icons (0), details (1) and column (2) views.</whatsthis>
<default>DolphinView:etailsView</default>
<min>1</min>
<max code="true">DolphinView::MaxModeEnum</max>
</entry>

<entry name="ShowPreview" type="Bool" >
<label context="@label">Show preview</label>
<whatsthis context="@info:whatsthis">When this option is enabled, a preview of the file content is shown as an icon.</whatsthis>
<default>false</default>
</entry>

You need to change false to true or value to the 0/1/2 and rebuild the Dolphin if want to change Dolphins default behaviour.


Links:

> FAQ: Installing from source
> KDE/kdebase/apps/dolphin/src/README

[Rog131]

Re: Changing the Defaults: Dolphin

Someone elses defaults

This is with the Kubuntu Karmic Koala alpha 3 , KDE 4.3 RC3,


The Kubuntu developers have turned the "Preview" on as default with the Karmic Koala:

kdebase (4:4.2.85-0ubuntu6) karmic; urgency=low

[ Anthony Mercatante ]
* Add kubuntu_14_dolphin_preview_on.diff:
- turns on dolphin preview by default

Here that isn't good option:

a) I want to decide when i turn options on.

b) The KDE and the KDE programs generate preview thumbnails in the ~/.thumbnails. When you move or delete original file, KDE just forgets that there is already a thumbnail. There are no cache size limit / expiration date for these thumbnails. These old thumbnails became obsolete waste. There are tools/ways to clean:

• kleansweep, File cleaner for KDE
• sweeper, history and temporary file cleaner for KDE 4
• or you could use bash files to keep Kubuntu tidy > HOWTO : Cleaning old KDE thumbnails

but it is easier not to mess...

c) The KDE thumbnailers are not bug free. When the brown stuff hits the fan you need kill the kio-thumbnail etc... (> High CPU load with the MPlayerThumbs 1.2)


---------------edit-- Kubuntu 10.04; Lucid Lynx -------------
> [ubuntu/lucid] kdebase 4:4.4.2-0ubuntu1 (Accepted):

kdebase (4:4.4.2-0ubuntu1) lucid; urgency=low
...
[ Harlad Sitter ]
* Remove kubuntu_14_dolphin_preview_on.diff based on the fact that we are not
smarter than upstream and on the following insantly thought up fails:
+ Running on battery, machine is constantly creating previews reducing
the time until you run out of battery.
+ Accessing remote shares (e.g. a ftp share for a website) the patch causes
a constant drain of bandwith. Something users might not even be aware of.
+ It exposes pictures in sub directories of dolphin's default location, which
might be private data that becomes available to other people this way.
For a more graphical example please poke me or Quintasan in #kubuntu-devel
+ Unable to turn off without making Dolphin's settings apply global instead
of per-directory which is quite a trade-off
....

---------------edit---------------


An example how to turn the "Preview" off.

Downloading:

• kdebase_4.2.98-0ubuntu1.diff.gz
• kdebase_4.2.98-0ubuntu1.dsc
• kdebase_4.2.98.orig.tar.gz

At the same directory as the diff.gz .dsc and orig.tar.gz /3/:

dpkg-source -x kdebase_4.2.98-0ubuntu1.dsc

gpgv: Signature made Thu 23 Jul 2009 03:25:40 PM EEST using DSA key ID DD4D5088
gpgv: Can't check signature: public key not found
dpkg-source: warning: failed to verify signature on ./kdebase_4.2.98-0ubuntu1.dsc
dpkg-source: info: extracting kdebase in kdebase-4.2.98
dpkg-source: info: unpacking kdebase_4.2.98.orig.tar.gz
dpkg-source: info: applying kdebase_4.2.98-0ubuntu1.diff.gz

/kdebase-4.2.98/debian/control:

Build-Depends: cdbs (>= 0.4.51), debhelper (>= 7), quilt, pkg-kde-tools (>= 0.4.2),
kdelibs5-dev (>= 4:4.2.98), kdebase-workspace-dev (>= 4:4.2.98), libqt4-phonon-dev (>= 4.5.1),
libqimageblitz-dev (>= 1:0.0.4-2), libsmbclient-dev, libusb-dev, libxkbfile-dev,
libraw1394-dev, libstreamanalyzer-dev (>= 0.6.3), libxrender-dev, zlib1g-dev, libglu1-mesa-dev,
libpci-dev, libxt-dev, libxext-dev, pkg-config, libglib2.0-dev

Installing:

• build-essential /1/
• fakeroot /2/
• dpkg-dev /3/

... more to install (from Build-Depends):

sudo apt-get install cdbs debhelper quilt pkg-kde-tools kdelibs5-dev kdebase-workspace-dev
 libqt4-phonon-dev libqimageblitz-dev libsmbclient-dev libusb-dev libxkbfile-dev libraw1394-dev
 libstreamanalyzer-dev libxrender-dev zlib1g-dev libglu1-mesa-dev libpci-dev libxt-dev libxext-dev
 pkg-config libglib2.0-dev

/kdebase-4.2.98/debian/patches/series /4/:

kubuntu_04_hide_kfind.diff
kubuntu_05_konsole_colour_scheme.diff
kubuntu_06_simple_aboutpage.diff
kubuntu_10_konq_scans_nsplugins_at_startup.diff
kubuntu_12_folderview_retry.diff
kubuntu_13_fix_phonon_include.diff
kubuntu_14_dolphin_preview_on.diff
kubuntu_15_fdo_notifications.diff
kubuntu_16_fdo_notifications.diff

Removing line: kubuntu_14_dolphin_preview_on.diff

Konsole at the /kdebase-4.2.98/

dpkg-buildpackage -us -uc -rfakeroot

=> Lot of .deb packages

When right clicking dolphin_4.2.98-0ubuntu1_i386.deb > GDebi

Warning:
Same version is available in a software channel.
You are recommended to install the software from the channel instead.

Pressing "Reinstall Package"

...and the Dolphin will start without the "Preview" on when opening directory first time.


What is

/1/ build-essential
If you have this package installed, you only need to install whatever a
package specifies as its build-time dependencies to build the package.

/2/ fakeroot
This package is intended to enable something like:
dpkg-buildpackage -rfakeroot
i.e. to remove the need to become root for a package build.

/3/ dpkg-dev
This package provides the development tools (including dpkg-source)
required to unpack, build and upload Debian source packages.

/4/ > Debian Package Build Tools

quilt

quilt is (in my perception) the current leader in Debian in patch build systems. quilt isn't Debian-specific; it's a set of scripts for managing a set of patches that was originally developed to work on the Linux kernel. Used in a Debian package, it keeps all patches to the upstream source (anything that touches files outside of the debian directory) in the debian/patches directory. The order in which those patches should be applied is controlled by debian/patches/series.

[Rog131]

Re: Changing the Defaults: Dolphin

On - Off - On

(With the Kubuntu 10.10; Maverick Meerkat)

> About kubuntu-devel >> Dolphin config in Kubuntu:

Jonathan Riddell
Wed Jul 14 13:16:58 BST 2010

Hi Peter

I'd like to make a few config changes to Dolphin in Kubuntu for our
next release.

Firstly, turn on file previews by default. Since Dolphin seems to
detect between local and remote files now that stops it being a
problem downloading large remote files. Is there a reason this isn't
on by default? There doesn't seem to be a way to change this globally
without patching the code unfortunately.

Secondly turn off the search toolbar by default. We are turning off
Nepomuk Strigi indexing by default so this follows. Have you
considered having it show the search toolbar based on whether Nepomuk
Strigi indexing is turned on?

Finally turn on the information panel by default, it's just too useful
not to.

Jonathan

A blog > Peter Penz

[Rog131]

Re: Changing the Defaults: Dolphin

... and the developers thoughts > Fwd: Re: Dolphin config in Kubuntu.


a pick:

...
Regarding changing it globally without touching code: It would be possible by
adding a corresponding .directory file into
.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/global. To get the .directory file:
Just use a view in Dolphin that matches your defaults and take the .directory
file from there.
...

=> Open the Dolphin in the ~/.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/global/ (*1) and turn the Icons/Details/Columns/Preview/... on/off. The settings are saved to the ~/.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/global/.directory file and used as the global defaults - IF the local folder does not have own .directory file with the overriding settings.


KDE .directory file:

The .directory file is a KDE folder view properties file. It contains the folder viewing settings for a directory in KDE. It includes settings such as icon positions and view mode (icon, list, etc.). Automatically created when the view settings of a folder are modified. Hidden by default.


(*1) If the ~/.kde/share/apps/dolphin/view_properties/global/ directory does not exist, you could make it.

[Rog131]

Re: Changing the Defaults: Dolphin

On - Off

> Maverick Changes >> [ubuntu/maverick] kdebase 4:4.5.0-0ubuntu1 (Accepted):

kdebase (4:4.5.0-0ubuntu1) maverick; urgency=low

[ Jonathan Riddell ]
* Add debian/patches/kubuntu_22_dolphin_previews.diff turn on previews
by default

> [ubuntu/maverick] kdebase 4:4.5.0b-0ubuntu3 (Accepted):

kdebase (4:4.5.0b-0ubuntu3) maverick; urgency=low

...
[ Harald Sitter ]
* Drop kubuntu_22_dolphin_previews.diff since it makes every folder
default to preview, which is dragging down performance big time.
Additionally turning it off by default will not work recursive. Meaning
if the user turns off the previews for a in a/b/c/ and enters b they will
be on again, leading to the user turning them off again...
Instead an upstream solution should be implemented that only previews in
folders where it makes sense (e.g. XDG_PICTURES_DIR)