[kde-linux] kde 3.5 to 4.?

[Duncan]

Don Hawkinson posted on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:44:35 -0500 as excerpted:

> Under kde 3.5 , I had a desktop icon labeled Devices. The version  of
> kde I just installed 4.? that icon is not present.  The command in 3.5
> was "konqueror --profile devices media:/" without the quotes. That
> command does not work for me in kde 4.?  -  what changes do I need to
> make?

There's a couple ways to handle devices in kde4.  Take your pick.

1) There's a device notifier plasmoid.  You can add it to the desktop or 
a panel as desired.  I think that's the kde intended way to deal with 
removable storage devices, now.

2) kde4 file management works a bit different and has different defaults, 
but you should still be able to set it up somewhat like it was, if you 
wish.

I'm honestly not sure whether what you describe was kde3 default or 
simply the default of your distribution, whatever it was (or if you 
yourself customized it at one point), because I'm a HEAVY customizer and 
haven't run with defaults in that regard in a very long time.  Thus I 
can't give you specific instructions on how to get the same or close to 
it as I don't know what I'm aiming at.  However, here's some general 
information that should help.

a) The KIO protocols mostly still work, tho I'm not sure about media:/ .  
I don't tend to use these that much personally, so won't say anything 
else about them.

b) kde4's default file manager is now dolphin, not konqueror, tho you can 
still use konqueror for browsing files and even set it as the default 
file manager, if you wish.  In kde 4.3, the choice of default is in 
system settings (kde4's name for kcontrol), personal, default 
applications (dialog), file manager.  In earlier versions it should still 
be in system settings but may be under something else in system settings.

c) konqueror still has profiles, tho because it's not the default file 
manager the focus isn't on file management profiles any more.  But you 
can use an existing profile or modify one and create your own out of it, 
if you wish.  Presumably, if you chose to do so, you could create a 
devices profile and set it up how you wanted.

d) kde4 has a new, or perhaps more accurately, much improved from kde3, 
features, called places.  These appear on the kickoff menu under 
Computer, and can be found in all three of the choices available in a 
default kde install for file manager, dolphin, konqueror in file manager 
mode, gwenview, as well.  I presume they're also available in krusader 
and possibly other kde4 based file managers as well, tho I don't have 
them installed so don't know.  It's possible to add any directory, 
including the one your distribution and local configuration normally uses 
for temporary mounts, probably /media/ in your case, /mnt in perhaps more 
traditional distributions.  These would then be available in places 
throughout kde4 -- at least the four places I've already mentioned 
(kickoff menu, dolphin, konqueror in file manager mode, gwenview), plus 
file dialogs and the like.
 
> Also, the termainal  - konsole - had a Sesions menu that does not seem
> to be ther any more.  Did I make an installation choice that changed
> sometong?

konsole sessions, now called profiles, are still there, but there's just 
the single "normal" profile there by default now, so no reason to show 
the UI for it until you add more.  I think they decided that most folks 
didn't need or use more than one anyway, so the extra functionality was 
just confusing for them, and the "advanced" folks that did actually use 
the functionality, by virtue of being advanced enough to use it, were 
also advanced enough to figure out how to customize it, adding profiles 
as they found necessary.

So play around with the profiles a bit, as found under the settings menu, 
and see if that does what you had in mind.  If not, post back with a bit 
more detail.  Maybe I misunderstood what you're referring to.

One kde3 konsole feature that is NOT in kde4 konsole yet, is the ability 
to add your own image as konsole window background wallpaper.  I don't 
know if or when that's returning, but we did have one poster mention that 
specifically as a missing feature he really liked and would love to have 
back, thus the reason I know about it.  (I never did use it myself, as I 
prefer the traditional Linux Colors scheme, so I ONLY realized it after 
that poster mentioned it.)

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman