Hello. I'm running Kubuntu Intrepid (4.1) and would like to have different widgets on the dashboard than the desktop. As I understand it, I need to decouple the dashboard from the desktop. I've seen a few posts here saying they've got it going, but I'm having trouble doing it.

I'm using this HOWTO to attemt it. But I can't figure out where the toolbox is, or the correct syntax for the plasma-appletsrc file. I saw this thread with directions how to configure it for that user, but when I put that into my plasma-appletsrc file, it does nothing. I assume this is because I either haven't added a new activity, or because I haven't used the right settings for DashboardContainment. Could anyone assist me with setting this up? Here is my slightly edited plasma-appletsrc:

Code: Select all

[KPropertiesDialog]
Height 800=438
Width 1280=459

[PlasmaAppletBrowserDialog]
Height 800=399
Width 1280=399

[PlasmaViews][1]
Alignment=1
Offset=0

[PlasmaViews][5][Sizes]
lastsize=1280

[PlasmaViews][5][Sizes][Vertical800]
max=38,800
min=38,800
offset=0
size=38,800

[Theme]
name=Elegance

[Theme-amarok]
name=Amarok-Mockup

[ViewIds]
1=2
3=1


right, so go to the upper right corner of your desktop and click on the pasma logo thing (aka "toolbox", aka "the cashew"). you'll get an option to zoom out, and then you can select the "Add Activity" button that appears (this is slightly easier/nicer in 4.3, btw). you should then have two "desktops" showing. zoom back in on one of them and then follow the directions in that howto on my blog.

aseigo wrote:right, so go to the upper right corner of your desktop and click on the pasma logo thing (aka "toolbox", aka "the cashew"). you'll get an option to zoom out, and then you can select the "Add Activity" button that appears (this is slightly easier/nicer in 4.3, btw). you should then have two "desktops" showing. zoom back in on one of them and then follow the directions in that howto on my blog.

I only have Add Widgets and Lock Widgets there. Same if I go to the dashboard. That's why I didn't add one before. In the Add Widgets GUI I can add a new widget from a file, either a plasma or a dashboard. Does it have to do with that? I also have upgraded to 4.2 from the PPA on my desktop, but still no zoom feature there in Kubuntu that I notice.

Is there any way for me to add a dashboard from the terminal or in a config file? I know that I can't find any way to zoom out, (maybe it's there, but I just can't find it) but shouldn't I be able to do that some other way?

EDIT
So from this post here it seems that in Intrepid the zoom out feature was removed. Does anyone have an idea how to do that from CLI or a way to skip that step but still get the decoupled dashboard? If I understand it right, doing as the blog suggests adds another activity. But would it be possible to just change the current activity? I really don't want or need two running, just one that has the dashboard decoupled.

Please use the instructions available on the Kubuntu website to upgrade to KDE 4.2. The Zoom out functionality was completely removed from the interface in Intrepid, and is not accessible from the command line ( because Plasma lacks a full D-Bus interface at this time )

bcooksley wrote:Please use the instructions available on the Kubuntu website to upgrade to KDE 4.2. The Zoom out functionality was completely removed from the interface in Intrepid, and is not accessible from the command line ( because Plasma lacks a full D-Bus interface at this time )

Thank you very much. I have 4.1 on my laptop, but I've updated to 4.2 on the desktop and until the updates I got today I hadn't had that zoom out option in the cashew. I appreciate the help and I'll try not to be a bother anymore.