Somehow I got my desktop into an activity. I would like to get back to a normal desktop interface. I upgraded from Fedora 21 to 23 and got Plasma 5.5.3 as part of the upgrade. With the activity session, every time I logoff and log back on all of my desktop icons get switched back to rows and alphabetical.

I want a view where I group my icons in places around the screen and they stay put when I logout and log back in. I like the multiple desktops. I haven't yet had any good experience with activities. I tried to set one up but I can't figure out how to create a new application link inside the activity panel.

Can I go back to KDE 4.3?

sounds like you have the Folderview layout so: right click on the desktop (or click the 3 bar icon on top left of desktop) -> Desktop Settings -> Wallpaper -> Layout -> Desktop

"Activity panel"? you mean the desktop? To add an app link drag an app from the launcher (note: dragging from Launcher search result will not work).

Hi vhradice,

Can you post the screenshot and explain what you want?

Activities have nothing to do with icons on the desktop.

I guess plasmashell starts with a new activity on each login.
@vhradice, compare the ouputs of

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qdbus org.kde.ActivityManager /ActivityManager/Activities CurrentActivity


after each login.

google01103 wrote:sounds like you have the Folderview layout so: right click on the desktop (or click the 3 bar icon on top left of desktop) -> Desktop Settings -> Wallpaper -> Layout -> Desktop

"Activity panel"? you mean the desktop? To add an app link drag an app from the launcher (note: dragging from Launcher search result will not work).

Wallpaper layout was Desktop.

Is dragging an app from the Launcher the only way to add an activity? What I was able to do from the desktop was Right click-> Create New -> Link to application.

This allowed me to create a new link and add parameters to the command that invokes the application. I can't do that in the activity window.

ivan wrote:Hi vhradice,

Can you post the screenshot and explain what you want?

Activities have nothing to do with icons on the desktop.

Please see the response to google01103 about adding to the activity window.

Sorry, I still need a screenshot. It is always difficult to get to the issue when users and us have different terminology for the same things - and pictures help.

> Is dragging an app from the Launcher the only way to add an activity?

When you set the desktop layout to be a 'folder view' (right click on the desktop -> settings -> layout -> folder view), you get shown files and folders inside your Desktop or home folders (or whatever else you choose). In that case, you have right-click on the desktop -> create new -> link to application.

If the layout is 'Desktop', then you either drag an application to the the desktop (creating an icon applet that launches the application, not an activity), or you can add the 'folder view' as an applet to the desktop (or more than one).

Here is the screenshot of a desktop set to have a 'folder view' layout:

http://ibin.co/2W7dQZmlXca5

Here is a screenshot of the desktop that shows a few 'folder view' applets in it:

http://ibin.co/2W7dLtQH0Y9t

p.s. I've just noticed that you wrote you upgraded from 4.3, and not from 5.3. Plasma 5 does not transfer the configuration from the old Plasma 4.x, so you unfortunately have to setup your desktop from scratch. That is most probably the reason why you lost the icons.

Somehow I got it fixed. How do I close this?

you can mark it solved by clicking a post's "accept this answer" button