My standard desktop has 11 icons of various file types (text, image, executable).

I established 2 virtual desktops. When I switch between them, the same icons appear on the new virtual desktop #2 as are in #1. I thought the #2 virtual desktop would be empty, to which I could add a few widgets that would otherwise take up space on desktop #1.

I guess I don't understand how to achieve a 2nd 'desktop' that begins empty and can have different items placed there as I want.

Virtual desktops do not have unique icons, or widgets sets, etc. They are more like extensions of your desktop, a way to manage application windows

You want Activities for that. Those manage workflows act ....activities. Unique widgets, menu Favorites, pinned applications, wallpapers, etc
Heck, if you want to, and Latte Dock works for you properly, you can even have unique panel, styles, positions and layouts per-Activity

To confuse things even more, an Activity can be seen a collection of virtual desktops, so both can be used together.

@claydoh, With respect, it's probably my fault for not specifically asking HOW I achieve what I'm looking for. All the online docs for KDE & Plasma sound strikingly like comment. Telling what's possible, not how to get there. I've spent well-over 4 hours (at one point) resolving why my shortcuts that were on the desktop vanished, yet they still appear in /home/username/Desktop folder... I had to resort to re-installing KDE desktop & Plasma. I'm gun-shy at this point to try virtual desktops, Activities, switchers and etc.

I'm kindly open to looking at any text or video tutorial that explains, and doesn't rapidly show what the person knows. Appreciated.

gandsnut wrote:why my shortcuts that were on the desktop vanished, yet they still appear in /home/username/Desktop folder... .

THIS is likely from differing desktop 'layout' options available. There is the 'Desktop' and the 'Folder View', accessed via the right-click on the desktop. and selecting 'Configure ...."
The 'Desktop' layout, which used to be the default in previous Plasma releases, is widgets-only. No files, folders, etc. So any application icons would be widgets, not shortcut or .desktop files.

The default for a while now is the 'folder view' layout, which uses the ~/desktop directory us you are used to, with files and folder on the desktop.

There generally is no need to wipe and reinstall an entire OS for this sort of thing, but not knowing which parts of the user's $HOME to delete or reset, nuking the whole /home/username might as well be a reinstall.

I'm kindly open to looking at any text or video tutorial that explains, and doesn't rapidly show what the person knows. Appreciated.

That may be difficult. Plasma , being such a highly complex beast compared to all other desktops, unfortunately lacks the people willing to volunteer the time to make such content, at least in an easily discoverable manner found in one place.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAI2NDJadDM
This is from a Plasma developer, who makes a lot of video content, but not much in the how-to area (Far fewer people watch those, believe it or not)
You might not see the right-click desktop option for Activities until you create a new one in System Settings first, depending on your Plasma version.

Still, this does not go deep enough for your purposes. at all

If you are concerned about trying new things, just create a new user account, and explore things there. if things get messy, you delete the account, and nothing touches your normal user settings. Most things are imo easily discoverable overall, though there will be a lot of digging, diving, and right-clicking


I wish I had more

@claydoh,

Good info, & thanks for it... I've set up a brand-new /home identity specifically for KDE experimentation. So if that environment gets jazzed-up, I can just remove and re-create.
I'll also review the YT video you gave, the first time through went pretty fast. Appreciated.

@claydoh,

I've got the 'Activities' mechanism working as I want, in my main Home environment. Pretty much just what I wanted. Thank you. Have a great 2023!

gandsnut wrote:@claydoh,

I've got the 'Activities' mechanism working as I want, in my main Home environment. Pretty much just what I wanted. Thank you. Have a great 2023!

Glad you got it working!

@Claydoh. Myeah, rather NOT the ~/Desktop you are used to since the issue with certain servicemenus not working still isn't solved. No matter if it is set to Desktop or Folder view.
For instance, copy/move doesn't work. It doesn't appear in desktop icons, only in Dolphin itself. Had to make a servicemenu myself, using a kdialog, in order to have that functionality.
Some other stuff will not appear either, nore will keybinds work ( that "show in directory" entry for example). Has been like this since, as for kubuntu, since 20.10-ish. https://imgur.com/a/1Ff5hF4
There is a clear functionality difference between Desktop/Folder View and ~/Desktop and ~/ in Dolphin.