Currently settled on KDE as the DE that best suits my specific use case, but having a bit of trouble working out if it's possible to get the file transfer dialogs working in the same way I'm used to. What I generally do is use a file manager to set up a lengthy file transfer going and then switch back to the maximized program I was previously working in with the file transfer window set to always on top - this way I can keep working and keep an eye on the transfer without having to stop what I'm doing, and I'll know straight away when it's finished.

This worked fine with other desktop environments where the file transfer dialog is a window and can be set to always on top, but using konqueror under kde (and presumably dolphin as well) the file transfer starts up as a widget, initially docked to the system tray, and there doesn't seem to be any way once it is undocked to set that widget only to be always on top (the show the plasma desktop feature both displays all other widgets when I'm only at that moment interested in the file transfer dialog and also steals focus so I can't keep working while I check in on the transfer).

While leaving it in the system tray does mean I can see at a glance whether it is still going or not I do have to really squint to see how far through it is and I can't tell if the transfer rate has dropped off or stopped completely (happens to me a lot transferring files to and from my phone with it's **** usb support - replugging the cable seems to be the only option in this case otherwise it will sit there without disconnecting (which would be better as I'd at least get a notification) but not actually transferring any data until I do something about it).

So i was hoping there would be some way to either configure konqueror to spawn window-based file transfer dialogs that I can set to be always on top instead of the widget, or some way to set an individual widget to be always on top and not steal focus. A window would probably be the preferred option as I could presumably use kde's special window settings feature to preset file transfer dialog windows to appear as always on top and on the part of my desktop I'd want them at so they don't get in the way of my work.

Thanks a bunch in advance for any help

dals

You can turn off notifications for file transfers in the notifications plasmoid's settings:
Right-click on the plasmoid (it's normally hidden when no notifications are shown, so you probably have to click on the small up-arrow on the right end of the system tray, just left of the digital clock; it's an 'i' in a circle) and choose "Notifications Settings".

Then file transfers should open an old style window-based dialog.

Note that you have to logout/login for that to fully work.

Awesome - exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks a bunch

Only thing that could make it better would be if there was some way to configure konqueror to open the 'more details' part of those windows by default so the file transfer rate is showing when the window is opened - but I wouldn't think there's a way to do that?

dals wrote:Only thing that could make it better would be if there was some way to configure konqueror to open the 'more details' part of those windows by default so the file transfer rate is showing when the window is opened - but I wouldn't think there's a way to do that?

I'm not aware of any way to do that, sorry.