Workarounds to various KDE 4.5 problems

[Zero Angel]

This is a compiled list of workarounds to various common problems that have came with the KDE 4.5 update:

Normal desktop (folder view) not accessible upon update to KDE 4.5

A common problems on desktops which were heavily tweaked prior to update. One of the simplest solutions to this is as follows:

• Rightclick on desktop, Select 'Activities'
• Disable and delete activities until you get your desktop back
• Once you have found the correct activity, it is safe to delete the remaining ones.

Enabling KDE Compositing crashes plasma-desktop

This is due to the fact that the KDE 'blur' plugin does not properly support Intel chipsets. Disabling this may resolve the issue:

• Click on 'Configure your Desktop' (alternatively, you can run the command 'systemsettings')
• Go to 'Workspace Appearance and Behavior' ->  Desktop Effects -> All Effects (tab)
• Uncheck 'Blur'
• Enable or start compositing

Missing 'subfolder preview' on Desktop

Subfolder preview is no longer automatic, it must now be invoked by hovering your mouse onto the icon and then clicking the small icon right underneath the plus sign.

On many themes, this icon will not be present; but the functionality will still be there. Simply click a few pixels below the 'plus' symbol and folder preview will work.

This post has a geekier way to re-enable the 'folder preview' arrows on plasma themes that do not yet display them

Image previews do not work on Desktop

This can be resolved with the following method:

• Right click on desktop, and click on 'Folder View Settings'
• Navigate to the 'Location' menu, and select 'Specify a Folder'
• Have the specified folder point to /home/<YOURUSERNAME>/Desktop
• If your shortcuts lose their individual icons, then also navigate to 'Display' -> Previews -> More Previews. Uncheck 'Text files'

[OleWilly]

Hi

How to delete acivities ?

A common problems on desktops which were heavily tweaked prior to update. One of the simplest solutions to this is as follows:

    * Rightclick on desktop, Select 'Activities'
    * Disable and delete activities until you get your desktop back
    * Once you have found the correct activity, it is safe to delete the remaining ones.

OW

[uncleV]

Thank you, previews are back.

Image previews do not work on Desktop

This can be resolved with the following method:

• Right click on desktop, and click on 'Folder View Settings'
• Navigate to the 'Location' menu, and select 'Specify a Folder'
• Have the specified folder point to /home/<YOURUSERNAME>/Desktop
• If your shortcuts lose their individual icons, then also navigate to 'Display' -> Previews -> More Previews. Uncheck 'Text files'

I had to Unlock Widgets for this to work properly.

[Zero Angel]

Hi

How to delete acivities ?

A common problems on desktops which were heavily tweaked prior to update. One of the simplest solutions to this is as follows:

    * Rightclick on desktop, Select 'Activities'
    * Disable and delete activities until you get your desktop back
    * Once you have found the correct activity, it is safe to delete the remaining ones.

OW

Click on the "stop" (square) symbol to close them, at which point it will change to a red "X". Click on the red X to delete the activity.

[OleWilly]

Hi Zero Angel

Thank You very much for info. Finally I can delete the activities. I do not know how they got there in the first place. This Plasma has been confusing to me. 

OW 

[aguila]

Another workaround for Intel onboard graphics:

My problem was that the short info window previews were completely mangled, almost all white.

Disabled "Direct Rendering" under Settings > Dektop Effects > Extended.

Solved it for me.

Aguila

[parnote]

Another workaround for Intel onboard graphics:

My problem was that the short info window previews were completely mangled, almost all white.

Disabled "Direct Rendering" under Settings > Dektop Effects > Extended.

Solved it for me.

Aguila

OMG, Aguila! Thank you for that tip!! I was having that problem and couldn't figure out how to fix it. It was a very annoying issue. Now, things are back like they should be, instead of the "big white blob" that it had become.

parnote

[Jag]

Thanks Zero Angel!
A 'must go through' post for all KDE users.
Solved almost all issues ,except 'booting-up in Desktop-2'.
Now can dare to delete the KDE 4.4.5 remastered iso after creating KDE 4.5.1 iso.

[anchorschmidt]

Wow, nice post! Especially, the folder view bit.

[russell.eberhardt]

Thanks a bunch.  Solved most issues for me.

Solved almost all issues ,except 'booting-up in Desktop-2'.

I have one machine that boots up on Desktop 1 and one that boots up on Desktop 2 - can't figure out the difference though

Russell

[uncleV]

Just re-number your desktops in 2-1-3-4 order and you'll boot to 1.


Joking.
But if you always run a program (may be browser) you can set it to autostart in a desktop of your choice, except you are using Compiz, and you should land to this desktop..