[kde-linux] 20090825KL -- REVIEW: Putting A File On The Desktop

[Bruce MacArthur]

On Wednesday 26 August 2009 07:19:32 am Anne Wilson wrote:
> On Wednesday 26 August 2009 09:00:54 Bruce MacArthur wrote:
> >
> > It shows up as "Appearance Settings" -- and works very nicely!  
THANK
> > YOU!!!
> >
> > Now I have one question.  There are several items put on the desktop
> > that I don't really need on the Desktop; can I "Delete" them, as
> > represented by icons on the Desktop withOUT deleting the files
> > themselves?  If the answer is "No," is there another way to produce 
a
> > similar result?
> >
> > I REALLY APPRECIATE all the outstanding instruction I am receiving 
on
> > this matter -- my most sincere THANKS to one and ALL!!!!!
> >
> You are looking at a directory called Desktop.  If you open Dolphin, 
you'll 
> see it inside your home directory.  Anything you do with a normal 
directory 
> you can do with your desktop, with the same consequences.  So, just 
like in 
> windows, if you remove a shortcut no harm is done.  If you delete a 
file 
> you've lost it - at least into the Trash can.  However, as it *is* a 
> directory, there's nothing to stop you moving a file that you want to 
keep 
> into another directory, after which it will not show up on the 
desktop.
> 
> The other solution that you were offered - putting a folderview onto 
the 
> normal desktop, gives you quick access to anything that is in the 
directory it 
> looks at.  By default it is set to look at Desktop, so you can resize 
the 
> folder (I like mine small), keep the convenience of easy access, but 
still 
> keep a pretty clean desktop.
> 
> In fact I don't want access to Desktop, but I have two folderviews 
open on my 
> desktop, each looking at different partitions on my server box.  I make 
them 
> just wide enough for one icon to show, and long enough for 4.  They 
have 
> scroll arrows, and, since 4.3, they even let you look inside a folder, 
just by 
> hovering, and pick a file without opening any file manager.  Wonderfully 
> convenient.
> 
> Hope it helps you understand your options a bit better :-)
> 
> Anne
> -- 
> New to KDE4? - get help from http://userbase.kde.org
> Just found a cool new feature?  Add it to UserBase
> 


Hello, Anne (and several others!) --

The first thing that I did last night was to apply Anoop's suggestion and 
directions.  It worked wonderfully!  When Farhad presented an alternate 
approach, I decided to try it --  and it ALSO worked wonderfully.  There 
is a sense in which my first preference was to get away from the 
plasmoids and have a cleaner and more traditional look-and-feel.  But 
then several comments (especially the message from Duncan) gave me to 
look at -- and to understand -- the plasmoids much better.  Eventually, 
I chose to go the plasmoid way.

"Meanwhile, back at the ranch," I had a bunch of icons scattered all 
over my desktop.  I was (rightfully!!!) concerned about simply deleting 
them because I suspected that they are NOT like "short-cuts" -- and I'm 
still unsure which of them I really need to keep.  Two people -- Anoop 
and Anne -- verified my suspicions and concerns.

What I did about it was to use Dolphin to make a new directory or folder 
which I called "DesktopBUp".  Then I populated it with copies of 
everything (Tere was really very little.) that was in "Desktop".  At 
this point, I could SAFELY "Delete" the icons that I really didn't want 
on the actual Desktop, and that is what I did.  I then re-made the 
plasmoid, just as Anoop had directed me to begin with, and THEN I 
applied a filter to select only HTML (or HTM) files -- since there was 
only the one file, of that type, that I wanted to access from the 
Desktop.  This has produced almost EXACTLY the effect that I want.

If I become REALLY petty about it, I think I might prefer to make this 
plasmoid just a bit smaller and display the name a little more neatly -- 
but this really is NOT important.  I really LIKE the way things both 
look and work at this point.

MOST importantly, however, I have LEARNED far more that I would expect 
to learn in any one evening!  Believe it or not, I spent some time a few 
weeks ago to see if I could learn a bit about plasmoids from whatever 
documentation I have on my system.  I frustrated myself and learned 
nothing.  Obviously I did not go about it correctly, but I could not see 
what the correct way IS.  Now I have a screen-shot of some of Anne's 
desktop features and all kinds of instruction from several VERY well-
informed people.  I have even done a little bit of "playing around" to 
educate myself -- and have not yet created an irrecoverable blunder!!!

I have been simply STUNNED by both the number and the very high quality 
of the responses to my posted inquiry.  I feel that there is "a quantum 
leap" in my appreciation for the features of even KDE 4.2.2 -- let alone 
the supplements of 4.3+++.  I can hardly express my thanks to so many 
for so much excellent knowledge that is aimed VERY specifically at the 
REAL issues I was facing.  THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge so 
freely and helpfully.  Each of you is MOST appreciated!!!!!!!

Bruce   Mac Arthur