I assume in order to restore a deleted taskbar one has to delete ~/.kde/config. But this is way to difficult for a novice. It is very easy for someone that right-click on an icon on the taskbar to remove it to actually remove the whole taskbar. How then should he get it back? There should be an easy way to restore the taskbar for novices. There should have been a "restore default desktop" maybe with option to choose taskbar, menu, etc. somewhere in system settings.

Which application did you lose the toolbar in? It can likely be restored by removing $(kde4-config --localprefix)/share/apps/<app name>/*ui.rc

Sorry but did you read what I wrote? I am talking about deleting the whole taskbar, start-menu, system tray, application panel. And I am not looking for a cryptic way to fix the problem either, but an easy way to restore to default desktop for a novice. How in the world should I go about to help my poor father to restore the taskbar over the telephone?
There should be, as I said, something like a way to "..."restore default desktop" maybe with option to choose taskbar, menu, etc. somewhere in system settings."

The taskbar is a widget, as is the system tray. Use Add Widgets to replace them

i think i know what you want, you don't only want the taskbar, but also the panel.

So, add a new panel, it will be empty. then add the widgets you need.

There is probably something in the works for kde 4.5 that there will be a similar functionality as the one you asked for.

First off: NEVER delete the config directory unless you want to reconfigure all of KDE - including Kmail, Amarok, Dolphin, Kopete, kmix, and whatever else of the KDE-apps that may be in use.

But until (of if) a "Restore to default" menu-entry makes its appearance I can think of two solutions to the problem. Neither are perfect but may make do.

First, make sure his desktop is setup as he wants it. This of course applies to both solutions.

For solution one, make a backup-copy of ~/.kde/share/config/plasma* to a location where he has no write/delete access so he can't accidentally delete the backups. Say to /opt/plasma-backup. Create a script he can run if he screws up the desktop again. Something like this should suffice:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

kquitapp plasma-desktop
cp /var/plasma-backup/plasma* ~/.kde/share/config
plasma-desktop &&
exit


Make the script executable, save it in an appropriate location and add it to the menu for him and he should be able to restore the desktop to his default easy enough. The major drawback is that it restores everything and not only the panel. And that it may be disconcerting to see the desktop disappear for a while.

The second idea is to make the plasma* files read-only. The drawback with that is he would be unable to even change the wallpaper.

Like I said, not ideal solutions but may work as work-arounds to a current limitation. And you only have to set it up once and after that he should be able to do it himself, no matter what his proficiency level when it comes to computers is.

I am glad I have found this thread. I, too, recently deleted my panel by mistake. Also (and much more stressfully) this happened to someone I know who lives elsewhere - it caused great confusion and distress and was hard to deal with over the phone! I have also had to deal with an accidental deletion of the trash from the desktop, done by a tired person who instinctively clicked on the red cross to empty it.

Please, from a usability perspective, can this issue be reviewed in future releases of KDE 4? Might it be sensible for the deletion of certain key elements like these to require root privileges by default? As other posters have pointed out, experienced users can deal with this but relative newcomers will find it hard - and some of us have discovered that these accidental deletions can happen very easily in a moment's inattention!

In 4.5 you can choose to create a panel with the default widgets instead of an empty panel.

I would also recommend having widgets locked unless you need to change them, to avoid accidentally removing panels or widgets.

In KDE 4.5 you cannot remove a panel unless it is empty.

@TheBlackCat

I've just tested it - you can remove a non-empty panel.

--
@OP

As the posters above said, now you can create a panel with all default widgets in it just by choosing Add Panel -> Default Panel

[quote="Kryten2X4B"]
#!/bin/sh

kquitapp plasma-desktop
cp /var/plasma-backup/plasma* ~/.kde/share/config
plasma-desktop &&
exit
[/code]

My 3 year old granddaughter took away my Task Bar on KDE 4, running on Mandriva 2010. I have spent hours trying to fix it and if I was not bald already I would be now.

I was given the following to re-install the task bar:

kquitapp plasma-desktop rm -fv ~/.kde4/share/config/plasma* plasma-desktop &

It didn't work kquitapp did not recognize -fv. I googled for solutions but have yet to find one that works. Any help would be appreciated.

elder74 wrote:It didn't work kquitapp did not recognize -fv. I googled for solutions but have yet to find one that works. Any help would be appreciated.

You need to separate it onto several lines like this:

Code: Select all

kquitapp plasma-desktop
rm -fv ~/.kde4/share/config/plasma*
plasma-desktop &

Note: doing this WILL reset the desktop to whatever Mandriva has as a default and not just the taskbar.

Kryten2X4B wrote:

elder74 wrote:It didn't work kquitapp did not recognize -fv. I googled for solutions but have yet to find one that works. Any help would be appreciated.

You need to separate it onto several lines like this:

Code: Select all

kquitapp plasma-desktop
rm -fv ~/.kde4/share/config/plasma*
plasma-desktop &

Note: doing this WILL reset the desktop to whatever Mandriva has as a default and not just the taskbar.

Thank you for your assist. In frustration I copied the above from the message and pasted it as it was into the terminal and it did indeed work.
You learn as you go I guess. The great thing about linux is that there are a lot of forums with helpful folk who will help you out.

ivan wrote:@TheBlackCat

I've just tested it - you can remove a non-empty panel.

That's strange, I am pretty sure you used to not be able to.