[kde-linux] Sidux uses Kubuntu KDE version for desktop

[kap4lin]

On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:55 AM, denis <fprckq at shaw.ca> wrote:
> Hi all
> I tried Steven's suggestion but must have got it wrong, I made another $HOME
> directory and tried transferring the home over but system wouldn't let me
> login. Perhaps I misunderstood and should have added a new user that I could
> unpack the Kubuntu home into, and then transfer across the home files one by
> one. But if it managed to mess up the Desktop at some point could I back out
> without having to start over again?
> Anyway, it looked impossible so I started over again.  I've with a new Sidux
> install on one disk that I want to hold the home data files from a tarred
> Kubuntu home directory on another disk.
> Somehow, the created mess has properties of it's own. which are neither
> Kubuntu or Sidux.
>  The point before it does the Kubuntu desktop, there's a prompt for something
> about using KDE3 setting being used in KDE4, and as soon as i agreed, the
> desktop wallpaper went blue.
> I think I'll try Duncan's suggestion next and drill down deep into the bowels
> of the home directory, There must be something in the Kubuntu home data files
> that is corrupting Sidux KDE setup. I deleted everything having to do with KDE
> that I could find before I tarred the home directory, and it apperared all that
> was remaining was program data files, but somehow it's still managed to affect
> the Sidux KDE.
> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> cheers
> Denis
>
>
>
> On Monday 15 March 2010 17:26:00 Duncan wrote:
>> denis posted on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:24:36 -0700 as excerpted:
>> > yep you're correct, I reloaded the home from Kubuntu into Sidux. I will
>> > copy all the important stuff into a new home directory as you suggest. I
>> > tried that already yesterday and copied what I thought was only program
>> > data files over into a separate directory which I then tarred and copied
>> > to a separate disk. Then I wiped the Sidux disk with Dban, reinstalled
>> > Sidux, unpacked the home directory and when prompted to use the KDE3
>> > settings for KDE4 the screen went to the kubuntu desktop again. What a
>> > mess.
>>
>> Well, the desktop (activity) wallpaper's definitely a per-user (and per
>> activity and/or desktop) setting.  So it'd logically be stored in plasma's
>> application settings.  KDE stores application settings in two places,
>> depending on whether the app uses only one or two config files
>> ($KDEHOME/share/config) or an entire subdir of files
>> ($KDEHOME/share/apps/<application>).  $KDEHOME defaults as shipped by kde
>> to $HOME/.kde (where $HOME is the user's home dir), tho various
>> distributions change the .kde slightly, to .kde4 or the like.
>>
>> Can you take note of the setting when using the default sidux install, and
>> put the same selection back in after you restore your user settings?  For
>> kde 4.4.x, look under Desktop Activity Settings, Wallpaper.  But it looks
>> like it may not list enough info about it (the path info) in ordered to be
>> able to reselect it, if it's not in the default location.  (I'm using
>> wallpapers in the default location, so I don't know how it shows others.)
>>
>> Meanwhile, back to the config files.  FWIW, in KDE they're all generally
>> human readable (and editable) text files.  I just checked the apps dir.
>> The only plasma related subdirs there seem to be plasmoid related.  So it
>> looks to be in the config dir.  I actually see about a half-dozen plasma*
>> config files there.  Now, which one of those?
>>
>> Found it!
>>
>> Look in $KDEHOME/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc .  It's a slightly
>> modified *.ini file format, sections denoted with [] (slightly modified as
>> multiple [] labels define a section), followed by keyword=value pairs.
>>
>> However, as you're just upgrading, you'll likely not have a whole lot
>> customized, and can simply rename or delete the entire file (as usual,
>> recommend rename/move until you know you're not losing other settings you
>> want to keep, then delete).  Note that it's best to do so while kde or at
>> least plasma-desktop is shut down.  So do it either from a text console,
>> no kde running, or enter killall plasma-desktop (or
>> kquitapp plasma-desktop if you prefer the kde method) in a konsole window
>> or krunner, then do the file rename/delete, then restart plasma-desktop
>> using krunner or whatever.
>>
>> If it turns out that there are other settings there that you want to keep,
>> just check the GUI settings for the name of the currently selected
>> wallpaper, do a search for it in that file to get the correct section
>> (which looks like [Containments][<number>][Wallpaper][image] , here, I
>> have two such sections as I've two activities setup).  The key should be
>> Wallpaper= , with a value similar to </path/to/wallpaper/> , something
>> like /usr/share/wallpapers/<name>/ for the system defaults.  Note that
>> kde4 uses individual wallpaper subdirs by default now, with each one
>> containing a collection of images in different resolutions, so an
>> appropriate one can be chosen.  If you download additional wallpapers from
>> kde-look using the kde kgetnewstuff gui, those will likely be wallpaper
>> packs as well, but they'd be stored in $KDEHOME/share/wallpapers instead
>> of the system dir.  Of course, individual images can be chosen as well,
>> and that's likely what you'll have there with settings imported from kde3.
>>
>> As with the above file rename, I'd suggest editing this file with kde or
>> at least plasma-desktop shut down, again using krunner or konsole to do
>> the shutdown and restart before and after your editing.
>>

[BTW, try not to top-post]

Duncan's instructions was indeed very specific. I'll add a few more
(broader) spices to confuse you ;)

1. Make sure that the /home partition specs in /etc/fstab are correct
(someone talked of 'mounting $HOME')
2. Become root and add another user (using adduser. see man adduser)
3. DO NOT COPY /home/olduser/.kde YET. Login to kde as newuser and
make sure sidux looks fine.
4. As root: Copy /home/olduser/whatever to  /home/newuser/whatever.
Try not to copy .kde .qt or any of the hidden files first. Remember:
4.1 Anything in /home/olduser/... will taste like Kubuntu, so copying
it will not make it taste like sidux. So, be very very picky in what
you copy. If anything is system/kde/gnome/gtk specific avoid copying
it. If it is YOUR document then do copy.
4.2 You should NOT overwrite anything in /home/newuser/...
4.3 As root: chown -R newuser:newuser /home/newuser (give all the
copied files proper ownership).

Just a few tips. Good luck.
-- 
Regards
Kap4Lin
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