After an entire lifetime of Windows use I recently decided to give Linux a full-time shot. Not just playing around with a live CD, but a full blown install and some much needed time away from M$. After settling on a Linux Mint KDE distro, I have found myself using Windows less and less every day. I was drawn to KDE for the customization options and so far haven't been disappointed... (at least in the actual operating system).

I do seem to struggle quite a bit finding relevant and current information regarding the latest version: 4.6.2. While there seems to be an abundance of information around the web, very little of it applies to the specific challenges I seem to be faced with. ie: I still can't seem to enable "Desktop Effects" on my machine. Plenty of fixes and "solved" forum posts for people with Nvidia cards, but not so much for us poor Ati users=(

Anyways, what I'm looking for are any other resources that I may be over looking to help me with a few desktop customizations I'd like to try.

Number one being: Are there any places with tutorials or guides on creating Icon packages for KDE? I have no problem making new icons for applications and short cuts, but I'd like to create full themes if possible. My biggest struggle right now is with replacing system Icons with my own custom ones. Eventually I'd like to be able to contribute themes of my own to the community. So any guides that help explain the creation, packaging, and distribution of Icons would be appreciated.

Number two: Help with the "Search and Launch" desktop. I see so much potential with this desktop, I'd love to customize it a bit more. Mostly change out the category icons and default colors of the top launch bar panel. I have been using the KDE tech base website, running through the plasma desktop tutorials, trying to decipher which .svg files actually affect certain elements of my desktop. Unfortunately so many of the specific references on the website don't exactly match the files/folders of my particular system, its been a bit of a challenge. But I'm gaining on it. Googling "customizing KDE search and launch" gets you a lot of opinions about that desktop, but no references on how to customize it.

As you can probably tell I am a complete "newbie" when it comes to Linux, but I am willing to learn. I have spent a good chunk of time these past few weeks trying to familiarize myself with the command line interface and basic Linux 101 practices. But for the time being I'd like any information or reference materials (websites/books) that are more catering to the beginner crowd if at all possible.

While I don't consider myself totally tech illiterate, these past few weeks of ironing out the small kinks in my Linux system install have shown me that I know very little about life outside of Windows. I'm not looking for all of my questions to be answered in one specific venue, I'm just looking for any advice in navigating the seemingly endless maze of out dated and obsolete forums. "All I need is a map!?!" I guess this is me stopping to ask for directions.

Well, thanks to any who took time to read this entire post and thanks in advance for any advice, opinions, and/or suggestions.

Generally, KDE does not have roadmaps; it operates more loosely than some projects.

Re Number one, all new KDE icons are svg.

Re Number two, you may be better joining the developers' forums and asking them.