First post hello, and some questions.

[Sweet Spot]

Hey everyone, nice place you've got here... I've been a member on the regular Ubuntu forums for a couple of weeks now, having installed Linux for the first time, ever. So far, it's been a much better experience than I thought I'd have, and I think I'll be able to work without having to revert back to Windows, which is great.

I'm running w/dual boot XP Pro and Kubuntu Dapper Drake (latest) on the linux side. I've also updated the KDE desktop to the latest version too. I also liked the Gnome desktop, but think that overall, if I can configure KDE to my specifications, I'd rather stick with it, over Gnome. I just like KDE's native applications better (though I know you can run either's on which ever desktoo, and think it's a bit more pleasing aesthetically speaking.

Unfortunately, I've run into a few problems which I haven't been able to solve, and it's been a couple days, still w/no luck. I'm just going to re post what I put up at the Ubuntu forum, which never got an answer because I think that some things are Kubuntu specific.

Interesting problem I've got here. Or maybe not, you guys decide. I've got an external WD HD which when first plugged in while running Dapper 6.06 mounted perfectly, and was able to read everything. It was also able to be removed perfectly, no hitches at all.

The problem started today though, after trying to mount my Kodak digital camera. It showed up on the desktop, and I chose to open in new window, and all I saw was a file named after the cameras model # and decided to open it. All I saw then, was a file which I didn't recognize and chose to try and open it. Nothing happened, and no, I don't remember the name of the file or extention type.

After I tried to unmount it and disconnect it, I tried mounting it again. This time though, I got a totally different screen from within Konqueror, and now I can't get rid of it. Furthermore, when I hook my external HD back up, I get the same screen when I click on the HD icon. Also, it used to be that when I hooked it up, it would mount automatically, which it no longer does. Now I have to right click and select mount.

Also, when in Windows, and I choose "safely remove device", it does so very quietly, but when I do this in Ubuntu, I can actually hear the dismounting of the drive heads, and it sounds pretty nasty, which in time is going to screw the drive all together. One more thing, as you'll see in the screen cap, is that I also get a message that I'm not root when trying to dismount, so I have to unplug the power in order to disconnect it. Not good. Followed by the Konqueror screen I was talking about:






Can someone help me get my things to work as they once did before I did who knows what ? I CAN get Konquorer to read most of the files, and I CAN get rid of that tab by creating a new one, then closing that one, but this is a silly work around which is wasting time, and just isn't how it should be anyway.

Then I bumped it after more problems:

Another bump I guess, but I'm also going to add a few more annoyances which I've come accross in the past day or so. It's the eratic behavior of the desktop environment which I'm experiencing, and it's getting on my nerves a bit.

Besides the mounting issue that has suddenly arisen with my external HD, every time I open Konquorer, it starts in the "about Konquorer" view mode. I always change this to file tree view, but I don't know how to save that view so that after I shut down and restart, it will still be in file tree view.

Next on the greatest hits list, is how suddenly my taskbar seemed to disappear on me. I've now created an "external taskbar" to compensate, and is docked on the bottom of my screen, hidden. But the way it was before, it was integrated with all of the top docks stuff, and each window was layered on top of the next one, so that when the mouse hovered over it, and then I clicked on it, I'd have to choose which application or window I wanted to open. I can't seem to get that behavior back now.

There's more to it than that, but I have to do the laundry so... Next, is Gimp. I started getting familiar with it, and thought I could modify it so that I could get all the windows or tool bars to suit my convenience, which I was almost at. But then at one point, somehting happened to one of the toolbar windows, and I can't seem to recover it. :


As seen here, the window contains tools to work with. The last thing I was doing with a project was using the bucket fill tool, and had access to more functions for it (such as transparency etc..) which I believe was situated below all the tool icons in that window, but is now only an empty section. How can I get those functions back ?

So since that's a lot of reading, especially for a first post, I'll leave it at that. I'd rather not have to re-install kubuntu or Ubuntu, but if I can't get these things straight, that may be my last resort and option. Funny thing is, I want to make my desktop look a bit like the Mac desktop, and I've installed kxdocker to get it that way. But I've not been able to configure kxdocker properly, as it's a pain in the arse.

Any and all help would be SO greatly appreciated ! Thanks a lot.

Best Regards,
Doug

[Sweet Spot]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

Bump ? Anyone ? Anything ? Buler ?

[John Bird]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

Hi
I am quite new to Linux myself but should be able to help with your desktop to get your task back go to K menu>system settings>Panel select the tab for hiding and set up the behaviour of your taskbar now work your way through Appearance, Panel, and Desktop setting your desktop up the way you like it if anything confuses you just reset the Defaults when you have finished that right click the task bar and make any other adjustments you require.
As for your other problem I cannot really help but I think that your problem stems from removing your camera with out unmounting it possibly because it required root to unmount. If you do not get an answer in this forum I suggest that you post your problem with the camera and external HD in the hardware forum

Good Luck John
PS remember its the holiday season at the moment.

[Sweet Spot]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

Thanks John, I really just appreciate your responding to my post. When you say holiday season, I assume that you mean people are away for the summer ?

I've actually been messing around with all sorts of configuration settings from within that menu, which by the way, you don't really need to go into Kmenu for. You can just right click on the taskbar and select configure from there. Anyhow, the biggest problem I have right now, is that I've had to create an "external taskbar" due to the fact that when I minimize applications, they simply do not appear in the main one. Here's a screenshot of what I mean (love the screenshots, can't you tell ?)



What I've done is alt + Tab in order to get to the minimized application, which under normal circumstances (and WAS there before) appears in the same taskbar, separated by a divider. Somehow, I managed to delete that internal task bar line, and can no longer see minimized apps. This creates a problem in that the external one I had to create below, produces redundancies, and wastes screen real estate.

I eventually wanted to have a nice OSX type dock at the bottom (transparent) with only application launchers on it, and have the top taskbar acting as it should normally.

As for my external HD mounting problems, I suppose that I can live with having to mount it manually, but it's just not how it was before, and wouldn't mind having it behave the way it did. And for the camera ? I dunno, I'll have to figure that one out in time.

By the way, I did as you said (set it back to default) and that didn't help. It only restored the bar back to the bottom and took away the transparency effect etc... I thought I would work, but was disappointed. Not your fault obviously, so thanks for helping.

Regards,
Doug

[Sweet Spot]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

I've solved one issue. Somehow I removed the taskbar, and now I've put it back, so all is good on that front. Something else really wier happened though, and I don't even know how to go about explaining what or how it happened, but it's all ok now. My only remaining question for the time being is how I can get Konquorer to start in the tree view mode, rahter than in the about Konquorer mode. Is it possible to save the view upon exit ?

[John Bird]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

Hi again,
select settings>load view profile select Kubutu file profile. You can have different profiles for each short cut to Konqueror also if you hit f9 you can toggle between views

Regards John

[Sweet Spot]

Re: First post hello, and some questions.

Thank you sir. You've been a great help. It's much appreciated.

Best regards,

Doug