Transparent Menu Help Plz

[bipolaric]

Hello everyone, I have just made the jump to Linux (Kubuntu 11.10) to be exact.
I am wondering if I can make the menu (not just the bar) more transparent.
I can't find anything in the menu's that will do it. Is it possible ?
Please bear in mind, that whilst I am not afraid of using the terminal, I don't have much experience.
So if anyone can describe how to do this in 'laymens' terms, it would be very much appreciated.

Many Thanks - Mark (bipolaric)

[SecretCode]

(Assuming your video driver supports 3D acceleration of course)

System Settings > Desktop Effects > All Effects > Translucency > enable it and go to its settings - there you can set translucency for either all kinds of menus or each separately.

[bipolaric]

Transparent Menu Help Plz.....Thank You For Your Help

(Assuming your video driver supports 3D acceleration of course)

System Settings > Desktop Effects > All Effects > Translucency > enable it and go to its settings - there you can set translucency for either all kinds of menus or each separately.

Thanks

[bipolaric]

Hello Again,

I gave what you said a try, and still it wont make the menu bar transparent, 'the menu with 'Applications & Computer' ect ect. I can't seem to make it transparent. It's the menu 'when you click the 'K' that I want transparent.

Any Ideas ? ......... Thanks Again - Mark

[SecretCode]

I don't think you can make the white area (with the lists of applications) transparent. The background (e.g. where it says Search: ... User (user) on host ... kubuntu) should be transparent.

[bipolaric]

Okay, bit of a bummer that, I think it'd look quite nice.
Thanks for all your help.

Mark

[OneLine]

Transparent Menu/Launcher

The KDE menu is a plasmoid / plasma-widget : http://userbase.kde.org/Plasma .

There are many alternatives for the default menu.


Part of the official KDE release: plasma-widget-lancelot.

Description-en: lancelot widget for Plasma
Lancelot is an application launcher menu (or ALI) for Plasma designed to
provide a place from which all your jobs begin. It provides quick access
to applications, places, documents, contacts and system information.
.
This package is part of the KDE Plasma addons module.
Homepage: http://plasma.kde.org/

From the KDE-Look.org: http://kde-look.org/content/show.php...content=146098

Description:
This plasmoid shows a menu of the installed applications, similar to Lancelot but much simpler. The purpose of the simpleness is to have a faster plasmoid which also loads faster. The plasmoid also has a list of favorites and you can search applications by application name. There are "Lock Session", "Leave" and "Switch User" buttons.

The plasmoid can be completely manipulated with the keyboard only except for the buttons at the bottom wich must be clicked with the mouse. The menu can be browsed with the arrow keys, a favorite can be added with the + or = key and removed with the - key, to search an application by its name, just start typing the name.

This plasmoid is entirely written in QML + JavaScript.

Note: this plasmoid requires KDE 4.8.0 or higher.

Also from the KDE-Apps.org: http://kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=144078

Description:
Takeoff is a full screen menu inspired in the aspect of Slingshot and the OS X Launchpad menu but adapted to the KDE users in a plasmoid.

Binaries can be found from the PPA: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ppas?n...widget-takeoff

[bipolaric]

Thanks, that looks AMAZING !!!!! , What Version Of Kubuntu Uses KDE 4.8.0 or higher ?
Please Let Me Know So I Can Download.

Mark

[SecretCode]

The first one, Lancelot, runs happily in current versions of Kubuntu ... I can't remember why I'm not currently using it and I'm a bit surprised I forgot about alternative menus when posting back to you!

If you prefer that second launcher, 4.8.0 is standard in the next version of Kubuntu, 12.04 "Precise". Many posters here are running the beta with few problems (I was going to say no problems but there have been a few - browse the threads in the relevant forum). I also think you can backport 4.8.0 to 11.10 "Oneiric".

[bipolaric]

oops sorry, I just read you post properly, my apologies, I was trying to sort the kids out.

Many Thanks - Mark

[bipolaric]

Thanks OneLine,

I updated Kde, but it looks no different, could you be a little more specific as to how I install these 'plasmoids', I am a noob after all.
Also, I have another question about something that has been really troubling me. When I first saw the latest 'Kubuntu' online I
immediatley wanted it, because it showed these 'plasmoids' you have pictured, and I was a little perplexed as to why they were not
there, and I wondered if I had done something wrong. However, you have cleared that up for me. Once I know how to install and use
these 'plasmoids', my PC will look great. Now for the troubling bit....I recently bought a Laptop of ebay, and the Graphics were not as
powerful as it stated in the 'review' online. I will give you the exact specs in a minute. When I installed Kubuntu 11.10 everything seemed
to boot up okay, but the windows 'decoration' 'Max/Min/Close' did not appear, and this I think was the Graphics not being up to scratch.
The Spec of the Laptop Is.......1.4Ghz Mobile Celeron
736mb RAM (Soon To Be Upgraded To 1 Gig)
40Gb Hard Drive (Also Soon To Be Upgraded)
Intel 855GMA (Intergrated) 32mb

What I really 'REALLY' want to know is, is there any way at all I can have Kubuntu 11.10, with Kde 4.8 (And Plasmoids) working ?
If I need to 'tweak' graphics through the terminal, if anyone can tell me what to type at the prompt, I will gladly do it, I wish that someone
could please help me with this issue, as I don't really want to have wasted my money. I will take 'ALL' the help I can get.

Thanks Again - Mark

[Jonas]

The Spec of the Laptop Is.......1.4Ghz Mobile Celeron
736mb RAM (Soon To Be Upgraded To 1 Gig)
40Gb Hard Drive (Also Soon To Be Upgraded)
Intel 855GMA (Intergrated) 32mb

Ok, first off I have none to little experince with Intel GPU chips, *so this is my small warning/heads-up*, you possibly would like to read up some on drivers and stability with effects such as transparency and KDE. Once done or confirmed here on KFN, below is the how-to CLI way

Thanks OneLine,

I updated Kde, but it looks no different, could you be a little more specific as to how I install these 'plasmoids', I am a noob after all.
Also, I have another question about something that has been really troubling me. When I first saw the latest 'Kubuntu' online I
immediatley wanted it, because it showed these 'plasmoids' you have pictured, and I was a little perplexed as to why they were not
there, and I wondered if I had done something wrong. However, you have cleared that up for me. Once I know how to install and use
these 'plasmoids', my PC will look great. Now for the troubling bit....I recently bought a Laptop of ebay, and the Graphics were not as
powerful as it stated in the 'review' online. I will give you the exact specs in a minute. When I installed Kubuntu 11.10 everything seemed
to boot up okay, but the windows 'decoration' 'Max/Min/Close' did not appear, and this I think was the Graphics not being up to scratch.

To add one of the default plasmoids; right click your desktop and unlock widgets(if they're not already) right click again and add widget/plasmoid, you should get a horisontal bar at bottom of the screen with the default plasmoids/widgets, drag-n-drop and you'll get them on the desktop. Same procedure on a panel will add them to the panel.

You can add plasmoids that aren't there or that you find on kde-look, those considered stable enough are in the repositories but for other reasons not installed by default. To install these they have the syntax "plasma-widget-name-of-widget".

To install 4.8 KDE to your 11.10 Kubuntu you could use the backports repository to add this CLI way is;

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

Type in your password *this will not show* and confirm with enter. It'll grab the key and add backports to your repositories.

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

Log out/in to have the new install going, or reboot if needed.

Ok, so far the KDE 4.8, not yet the transparency.

We need to add another repository for that as it's not (yet) implemented as default. (*NOTE* There was a bug, in oxygen-transparent Oneiric Ocelot, but it should be gone by now*)

Sumski have a excellent and up to date ppa with all those goodies!!

same as before

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:hrvojes/kde-goodies

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install kde-style-oxygen-transparent

So now you have transparency in the settings, go to - system settings > application settings > Style > Graphical component (my translations not sure it's the correct EN-US/UK naming) Mind add transparency in the config menu.

What I really 'REALLY' want to know is, is there any way at all I can have Kubuntu 11.10, with Kde 4.8 (And Plasmoids) working ?
If I need to 'tweak' graphics through the terminal, if anyone can tell me what to type at the prompt, I will gladly do it, I wish that someone
could please help me with this issue, as I don't really want to have wasted my money. I will take 'ALL' the help I can get.

Thanks Again - Mark

Extra note - As I find Muon and apper not really up to the task to add especially plasmoids, I prefer it the CLI way. Though I never remember the exact names of the packages, aptitude have a better search function then apt-get, I use aptitude to search and apt-get to install/remove to add aptitude;

sudo apt-get install aptitude

Now you can search without the full name of a package with

aptitude search plasma-widget

*list of all plasmoids in the repository*

Hope that helps, B.R

Jonas

links to ppa's
https://launchpad.net/~kubuntu-ppa/+archive/backports
https://launchpad.net/~hrvojes/+archive/kde-goodies