Adding Widgets

Stephen P. Molnar s.molnar at sbcglobal.net
Sun Nov 22 13:41:53 GMT 2009


On 11/22/2009 12:24 AM, James Tyrer wrote:
> Stephen P. Molnar wrote:
>   
>> On 11/21/2009 03:06 PM, James Tyrer wrote:
>>     
>>> Stephen P. Molnar wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> KDE 4.3.1/OpenSuSE 11.2.
>>>>
>>>> How does one go about adding non-KDE widgets to the task bar, as
>>>> was the case in kde 3.x?
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> We have a semantics problem here.  KDE-3 had a TaskBar which is now
>>>  called the TaskManager.  But, you can't add widgets to it.  I
>>> presume that you are using 'task bar' as it is used for MS-Windows.
>>> IIUC, it means Panel.  If there is a 'desktop' file for the applet
>>> (widget) you should be able to simply drag that 'desktop' to the
>>> Panel after you "Unlock Widgets".
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> Yoiu're correct, as far as a semantics problem is concerned.
>>
>> The question becomes one of how do I add an applet to the desktop?
>>
>>     
> Perhaps you misunderstood.  But the answer is the same for adding a
> applet to the DeskTop.  You unlock the widgets: "Unlock Widgets" in the
> DeskTop context menu -- right click.  Then you need to find the applet 
> in the menu and drag it to the Panel or the DeskTop (or if going to the 
> DeskTop, you can find the *.desktop" file and directly drag it to the 
> Desktop).  When you drop the file, a context menu might appear (I say 
> 'might' because this  appears to have been eliminated from the current 
> 4.3 BRANCH SVN).  If it does, choose "copy" or "link".
>
> A problem might be that you are going to need to find the "*.desktop"
> file for the applet if it isn't on the menu.
>
> Note: GNOME applets (I prefer their character picker) do not have
> "*.desktop" files -- at least I can't find them.  You will find the
> executables in: "/usr/libexec" (if GNOME is installed in "/usr").  To
> add these to the Panel, you will have to create a "*.desktop" file.
> Right click: "Create New -> Link to Application" and fill out the forms 
> and select the icon.
>
> Now, we come to the serious bug.  You can not put the "*.desktop" file
> on the panel unless it is in the menu -- that is in the directory 
> "/usr/share/applications" (although you can put them on the DeskTop).
>
> The other problem is that (unlike KDE-3) the icon on the Panel is only 
> linked to the "*.desktop" file.  This means that there needs to be a 
> copy of actual "*.desktop" file.
>
> So, it would appear that if you want an applet on the Panel and don't 
> want it in the menu that first you need to move the "*.desktop" file to 
> the "/usr/share/applications"; second drag it to the Panel -- it will be 
> in "Lost & Found"; third, move the "*.desktop" file somewhere else (e.g. 
> "/usr/share/apps/panel_icons/"); forth, change the URL in 
> "$HOME/.kde4/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc"; and finally, since 
> I can't find any way to force an update of Plasma, you will have to 
> restart Plasma.  Open a Konsole and:
>
> 	killall plasma-desktop
> 	plasma-desktop
>
> I find this a bit unsettling since I get several error messages.
>
>   
Thanks you for your detailed response to my, rather misworder, request. 
I'm sure that there are a number of folks out there that are just as
confused as I.

It's rtehr a kick in the head, isn't it?

-- 
Stephen P. Molnar, Ph.D.       Life is a fuzzy set
Foundation for Chemistry      Stochastic and multivariate
http://www.FoundationForChemistry.com

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