So I want to make a Kubuntu fork, so I have to change much in appearance, but I don't know where these files are. I know there are userspecified settings I can change. But I want to make these settings default for every user! I don't really understand the filesystem in KDE and the techbase tutorials don't make me any smarter. So exactly what files do I have to change for changing the default Icon theme from Oxygen to say Emerald ? If there would be a kdeglobals file like in KDE3 it would be much simpler but there isn't. And if I create one it doesn't change anything.

If I recall correctly, upon user creation everything in

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/etc/skel

is copied over to the new user's home directory.
So let's say if you want to change theme options (fonts, icon theme, cursor etc.) for gtk-2.0 applications, you can create a corresponding .gtkrc-2.0 file and put that there:

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/etc/skel/.gtkrc-2.0

The same goes for KDE config files. Just think of /etc/skel/ as a universal template for the ~ directory of new users.
I guess you'd have to use the same files for the home directory of the live user (if you plan to provide a live image) as well.

Please note that I don't know if other forks handle it this way or if this is the 'standard' way to do it but it may be worth a try.

Good luck with forking

Run this to find out what directories KDE searches for config files:

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kde4-config --path config

On my openSUSE system:

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kde4-config --path config
/home/wolfi/.kde4/share/config/:/usr/share/kde4/config/:/etc/kde4/share/config/

And the openSUSE specific default configuration is located in /etc/kde4/share/config/. (/usr/share/kde4/config/ contains the upstream files)

If you put config files in one of those system directories (outside of /home), they are real defaults. They are still respected when the user deletes the config files in his /home (copied over from /etc/skel/ e.g) or clicks on "Defaults" in a config module.

Btw, kdeglobals does exist in KDE4 as well (and even in Plasma5), and the icon theme is indeed set there, by something like:

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[Icons]
Theme=oxygen

wolfi323 wrote:Run this to find out what directories KDE searches for config files:

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kde4-config --path config

Gives me

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/home/michel/.kde/share/config/:/etc/kde4/:/usr/share/kde4/config

wolfi323 wrote:Btw, kdeglobals does exist in KDE4 as well (and even in Plasma5), and the icon theme is indeed set there, by something like:

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[Icons]
Theme=oxygen

I have exactly 3 kdeglobals two for both gtk2&gtk3 and my user specific kdeglobals file. So where should this one be located?
I found this: https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread. ... n-KDE-4-14 I guess it's you and you said the kdeglobals file should be in /etc/kde4/share/config but there aren't even the share/config directories. And if I create them and the file with configurations nothing changes. (I create a new user everytime I try).

okabekudo wrote:

wolfi323 wrote:Run this to find out what directories KDE searches for config files:

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kde4-config --path config

Gives me

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/home/michel/.kde/share/config/:/etc/kde4/:/usr/share/kde4/config

Ok, so you could put your custom default configuration files to /etc/kde4/.

wolfi323 wrote:Btw, kdeglobals does exist in KDE4 as well (and even in Plasma5), and the icon theme is indeed set there, by something like:

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[Icons]
Theme=oxygen

I have exactly 3 kdeglobals two for both gtk2&gtk3 and my user specific kdeglobals file. So where should this one be located?

What do you mean with that?
What's a kdeglobals for gtk2&gtk3 and where are they located?

Create a file /etc/kde4/kdeglobals with the above content (change the theme name of course), and that icon theme should be the default.
A user's kdeglobals will override it of course, so remove that to see any effect.

I found this: https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread. ... n-KDE-4-14 I guess it's you and you said the kdeglobals file should be in /etc/kde4/share/config but there aren't even the share/config directories. And if I create them and the file with configurations nothing changes. (I create a new user everytime I try).

Again, /etc/kde4/share/config/ is the location in openSUSE. According to your posted output, you'd have to put it into /etc/kde4/ directly.

And yes, that was indeed me...

Sorry for my late answer. I just did the skel thing as that was pretty much faster and more effective. Thanks!