Task bar window switcher won't animate cube, open programs not visible..

[t20racerman]

Hi there

I run PClinuxOS 2010 fully updated on a newish desktop and an old laptop. I have been very happy with both, although I must admit to finding it tricky to get my head around KDE4 - I find it really hard to get it how I want it and have about given up to be honest. However, I do want to fix a problem that has recently cropped up on my laptop.

Since the last update (or since I last fiddled with KDE Desktop settings...) the window switcher on the task bar no longer rotates the animated cube when switching desktops by clicking on one of the four little squares. I could live with that (although I don't want to!) but what is driving me mad is that open programs no longer have an icon showing on the taskbar unless you are actually on that desktop. In other words, if I have Firefox, Dolphin, Gimp and OOo open on 3 desktops, if I'm on the 'empty' desktop, none of these programs have the icon and bar showing on the taskbar. Making this even worse still is that the 4 small boxes of the window switcher remain empty and you can't see what desktop something may have on it, or even if you have a program running!

I use separate desktops all the time as I find it makes life far easier and quicker, but now I feel like throwing my laptop out of the window! My desktop still works fine without any of these problems. What have I done wrong?

On a similar note, I can't set 'separate widgets on each desktop' to work on my laptop. I can tick the box in the 'Desktops system settings' but it makes no difference.
I'm running Compiz on both desktop and laptop.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[menotu]

on the taskbar unless you are actually on that desktop. In other words, if I have Firefox, Dolphin, Gimp and OOo open on 3 desktops, if I'm on the 'empty' desktop, none of these programs have the icon and bar showing on the taskbar

Lets try this one first t20racerman

It looks like somethings changed in your Smooth Tasks; Right click on the panel near to your icons until you see Smooth Tasks Settings and select it.

Now on the first General Tab have a look at the Filters section and see what you have selected - and change as required.

[menotu]

Since the last update (or since I last fiddled with KDE Desktop settings...) the window switcher on the task bar no longer rotates the animated cube when switching desktops by clicking on one of the four little squares. I could live with that (although I don't want to

On this one lets first try:

Configure Your Desktop >> Workspace Appearance & Behaviour  >> Desktop Effects >> General

Now have a look at the section that says "Effect for Desktop Switching" and make sure it set to Desktop Cube Animation

If its not that you may need to come back to this area, but this time instead  of the General Tab select All Effects and go down the bottom and you'll see some options for Cubes etc....

[t20racerman]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. 

1st suggestion: Smooth task switching. All the filters are UNticked.

2nd suggestions: Desktop cube animation is already selected. I've fiddled with some of the settings already on the 'ALL effects' tab but found no differences.

Another odd thing - On my laptop, I press Ctrl Alt and Left click and can quickly move the desktop round as long as I hold the buttons down and move my mouse. On my desktop, I can't do this with the mouse.

I'm confused! 

[menotu]

So it can discount be discounted, have you rebooted after the update?  

Edit: another thing to check

Configure Your Desktop >> Workspace Appearance & Behaviour  >> Default Applications >

and make sure KWin is set as your default

[t20racerman]

Yes, have rebooted after update. 

I went to default settings and KWin is indeed set as my default. I do find it odd that both Kwin and Compiz seem to work side by side.... ??

[menotu]

Have/had you been using Compiz?

[t20racerman]

Have/had you been using Compiz?

Yes - Compiz is installed. In the PCC>>Hardware>>Configure 3D Desktop effects, Compiz Fusion is enabled. If I disable it so that 'no desktop effects' are enabled, then all effects stop and the graphics revert to two desktops, different window theme and a basic graphics setting.

[menotu]

Running out of ideas  One other thing I can think of - I guess you have Fusion Icon installed? If yes, run it and then right click on the icon and double check which Window Manager is enabled.

[t20racerman]

Running out of ideas  One other thing I can think of - I guess you have Fusion Icon installed? If yes, run it and then right click on the icon and double check which Window Manager is enabled.

No sign of any Fusion Icon - sorry. I remember having one in the old system where you could switch between Compiz and other window Managers, but I no longer have that.

Thanks for your help - much appreciated. You and me both have run out of ideas! KDE4 seems to have far too many settings that you can change all over the place - and isn't very intuitive either. As a long time Linux user I'm strongly considering switching to Gnome now instead as for all the great potential of KDE4 I just can't seem to get my head around it. Default settings are fine I suppose, but I like my PC to look and run how I want it too! Too many widgets, panels, window managers, settings.... I must be getting too old for this computing lark. Bring back KDE3.5! 

Ho hum.... 

[menotu]

Okay - if you can't see the Fusion Icon in your main KMenu >> More Applications >> Configurations section, install it from Synaptic and run it (can't recall whether a desktop restart is required)

Once you have it running then do as mentioned earlier (right click on the icon and double check which Window Manager is enabled)

If you have still 3D enabled in PCC you may want to try disabling it, and restarting the desktop.

Then go to Configure Your Desktop >> Workspace Appearance & Behaviour  >> Desktop Effects >> All Effects and restart your Desktop Effects

For KWin effects you don't need the PCC > 3D Compiz enabled so it may be interfering (BUT I have noticed KWin still works if the 3D is left enabled after using Compiz)

[ThirdOfSix]

This may not apply.

I was having some problems on one of my two normally open systems and all settings seemed the same.

I knew that it was not behaving as indicated by the settings as shown on one machine.

I turned out that I had to change the settings in the area with problems to something else and then leave the setup window. Then when I came back and changed them to what they needed to be, they worked.

So, you might want to try just changing everything, reboot and then set them back to what you want.

Who knows, it might work. This assumes of course that the settings and actions that you are trying to achieve did work on the machine in the past and have just gone awry.

[Aradalf]

I have this problem on my laptop running PCLOS KDE fully updated. It is exactly as t20racerman described. This problem only exists on one of the 2 users (other than root) that I have on the laptop, though. In addition, when I use Ctrl-Alt-Left Click to rotate around the desktops, it works correctly, and all open programs display on the task bar. But, when I do that, it doesn't seem to change the desktop I'm on in the bottom left corner, and the only way to change desktops correctly for me is to use Compiz's desktop Cube plugin or Expo plugin.

Edit: I have LXDE on my desktop, so this problem doesn't affect my desktop.

[14four]

Had same problem a while back. I tracked it down to a conflict between KDE's desktop effects and Compiz. I resolved it by  un-checking 'Enable Desktop Effects' in System Settings, then right clicking the Compiz Fusion Icon and choosing Compiz from the Select Window Manager menu entry.