Well, I'm still trying to figure out KDE4. I'm using PCLinuxOS with KDE4. Pager and the Activity Bar do not agree as to which desktop will be viewed. I'm not sure both should be on at the same time.

Plus, I'm not sure I have all the controls for ZUI. There's no 2X setting and I don't always get a large red "X" to remove desktops in ZUI.

Do Pager and ZUI conflict with each other? Is there a way to reset all this?

Looks like if you set up different desktop activities and place a plasmoid activity bar (desktop switcher) on each desktop, there's no need for the Pager. Or am I mistaken? or do these cooperate with one another?

Is there any info in this forum which gives a more detailed tutorial on how to use ZUI?

Pager controls virtual desktops, which basically are groups of windows. For example, you can have Dolphin and Amarok on virtual desktop 1, Konqueror on virtual desktop 2 etc.

ZUI and Activity Bar control activities. At the moment it only includes the desktop - wallpaper, desktop type and plasmoids you have on the desktop (but not panels).

It's possible to link those to get one activity on each virtual desktop. In KDE SC 4.3.x it's done like this:



It'll be easier in 4.4, where you can find the setting in System Settings. This way, all you need is a pager.

A short introduction to activities can be found here: http://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/#Activit ... _.28ZUI.29

To remove an activity, you have to unlock the widgets first. Also note that you can't delete the activity you "zoom out" from.

If I would explain the difference between activities and Virtual Desktops you would probably understand even less than you did before. So I'm letting userbase do the hard work. (That's what it's for anyway)
Activities and the ZUI
Virtual Desktops
Activities
FAQ: What is the ZUI

That should make most things clear. Feel free to ask more questions

I think I understand. Let me see if I can sort this out...please tell me if I'm incorrect.

If I'm running one Desktop (let's call it Desktop One) in Pager, I can tie multiple activities to this one desktop. Zooming out, I could have four, five or six activities tied to Desktop One. Each activity could have its own widgets, folder views and wallpaper. This all originates from Desktop One.

Opening Pager allows me to create new desktops, but these new desktops are not tied to Desktop One's activities.

Is this correct?

Close.

By default, activities aren't tied to virtual desktops in any way. Virtual desktop (pager) = windows, activities = widgets, desktop type and wallpaper.

If you enable the option I linked to above, you get one activity on each virtual desktop. For example:
virtual desktop 1 - activity 1
virtual desktop 2 - activity 2
virtual desktop 3 - activity 3
virtual desktop 4 - activity 4

etc.

By default you have
virtual desktop 1 - activity 1
virtual desktop 2 - activity 1
virtual desktop 3 - activity 1
virtual desktop 4 - activity 1

If you switch activity with e.g. the activity bar (which you can put in a panel), you'll have
virtual desktop 1 - activity 2
virtual desktop 2 - activity 2
virtual desktop 3 - activity 2
virtual desktop 4 - activity 2

that is, the activity is independent of which virtual desktop you're on (and vice versa). You can switch to any activity, they aren't tied to any virtual desktop.

Hans,

I think we're saying the same thing...

Desktop one can have activity 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
Desktop 2 can have activity 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, etc.
Desktop 3 can have activity 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, etc.

Now, if I use Pager to switch to desktop 2, when I zoom out, I should only see activities for desktop 2 (1a, 2a, 3a, etc.)

If this is correct, then, that's where I may be having the problem. Zooming out and seeing activities and not desktops.

If this is not right, please let me know.

Or maybe I'm just confusing the issue.

Just for the sake of keeping you up to date - ZUI will be replaced with something else in 4.5 (we hope it will be finished for 4.5)

ivan wrote:Just for the sake of keeping you up to date - ZUI will be replaced with something else in 4.5 (we hope it will be finished for 4.5)

I like ZUI. I'm just trying to understand it and how to properly use it.

georgetoon wrote:Hans,

I think we're saying the same thing...

Desktop one can have activity 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
Desktop 2 can have activity 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, etc.
Desktop 3 can have activity 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, etc.

That's where we differ - activities aren't tied to desktops in that way.
Virtual desktop 1 can have activity 1, 2, 3...
Virtual desktop 2 can have activity 1, 2, 3...
Virtual desktop 3 can have activity 1, 2, 3...

and so on. They're independent of each other.

If you enable "different activity for each desktop":
Virtual desktop 1 shows activity 1
Virtual desktop 2 shows activity 2
Virtual desktop 3 shows activity 3

Each activity is directly tied to a virtual desktop.

Hans wrote:

georgetoon wrote:Hans,

I think we're saying the same thing...

Desktop one can have activity 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
Desktop 2 can have activity 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a, etc.
Desktop 3 can have activity 1b, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b, etc.

That's where we differ - activities aren't tied to desktops in that way.
Virtual desktop 1 can have activity 1, 2, 3...
Virtual desktop 2 can have activity 1, 2, 3...
Virtual desktop 3 can have activity 1, 2, 3...

and so on. They're independent of each other.

If you enable "different activity for each desktop":
Virtual desktop 1 shows activity 1
Virtual desktop 2 shows activity 2
Virtual desktop 3 shows activity 3

Each activity is directly tied to a virtual desktop.

Okay, so when I zoom out, am I looking at an activity or a desktop? That's the question.

Let me express it another way. I'll use Pager and close down all virtual desktops. I'll just have one desktop. Desktop one.

Now, when I zoom out, I should only see one desktop with one activity. If I add an activity, it's still tied to desktop one. This new activity can have a widget a new wallpaper, a new folder view, etc.

One destkop with now two activities.

Now, if I open Pager, create a second virtual desktop, zoom out, there should be no activities tied to it, correct? I should only see one desktop.

Or do I see desktop one and its two desktop activities?

Why not try it out?

As said, by default activities and virtual desktops aren't tied in any way. When you zoom out, you see available activities - it doesn't matter if you have one or hundred virtual desktops, you'll see the same activities.

Now, if I open Pager, create a second virtual desktop, zoom out, there should be no activities tied to it, correct? I should only see one desktop.

If you've created two activities, you'll see two activities. You don't see your virtual desktops in the ZUI.

Hope that made it clearer.

Hans wrote:Why not try it out?

As said, by default activities and virtual desktops aren't tied in any way. When you zoom out, you see available activities - it doesn't matter if you have one or hundred virtual desktops, you'll see the same activities.

Now, if I open Pager, create a second virtual desktop, zoom out, there should be no activities tied to it, correct? I should only see one desktop.

If you've created two activities, you'll see two activities. You don't see your virtual desktops in the ZUI.

Hope that made it clearer.

Yep. I understand now.

I'm currently running four virtual desktops with an activity on each. I just may get rid of Pager and go straight to using one desktop and multiple activities.

Thanks again!:)

I'm just curious as to why I'm not always getting a 2X zoom or an option (Red "X") to remove an activity.