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Author Topic: transparent taskbar  (Read 3890 times)

Offline ff103

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transparent taskbar
« on: October 15, 2009, 01:54:50 PM »
Hello Everyone: Is there a way to make the taskbar transparent in kde4 as I could in kde3? ( right click on the task bat, "configure panel", "appearence" then check "enable transparency" and then "advanced options" and slide the tab to "Min") Thanks for any help.
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Offline Roc4fun

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2009, 02:28:46 PM »
Hi ff103,  I'm still fumbling my way with kde4, but  many items are changed as part of a theme.

If you right click your desktop - folder view settings - Desktop theme, you can change to a theme with a transparent taskbar... I'm using Glassified.

OTOH, if you only want to change the taskbar... click on Configure your Desktop - Advanced Desktop Settings - Desktop Theme Detail...  Here you can change individual elements of your desktop theme.

For sure the Glassified taskbar is transparent.

HTH,

Dave
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Offline Animal

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2009, 02:38:08 PM »
I think that if your graphics card support compositing then transparency is default.
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Offline ff103

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2009, 05:10:23 PM »
Thanks for the replys, I tried the Glassified theme , but the task bar is still not fully transparent. It went to kind of a mist color but not transparent. I'll keep experimenting with it and see if I can find a solution that suits me. Thanks for the help.
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Offline Rudge

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2009, 06:59:05 PM »
I for one, have not found a way to adjust the transparency "level" of that panel. I have looked quite a bit for it.

Please post if you find a way but I don't think you can do it like you could in KDE3.

Good luck.
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Offline Archie

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2009, 07:44:46 PM »
 
Quote from: Roc4fun on October 15, 2009, 02:28:46 PM
I'm still fumbling my way with kde4, but  many items are changed as part of a theme.


Hmmm... me neither. I still need to locate the config files that sets all the desktop themes.

However you do not need to select a particular theme just to set transparency on your panel. Stick with whichever theme you like. The secret is "Customized".

After setting the your preferred theme, on KDE Control Center, navigate to Advanced User Settings > Desktop Theme Details. You will notice that the name of your theme is displayed. Click on the drop-down arrow and scroll to the top of the list and select Cusomized.

Next , choose the theme for your Panel Background. Oxygen Panel Background is more transparent than most of the default themes.

Click Apply. Nothing will probably happen. The next step is the really annoying thing about KDE 4.3.2. The changes should have taken effect on clicking Apply but you'd need to go to either your Folder View or Desktop view mode.

Right-click anywhere on the desktop > Desktop Settings/Folder View Settings > (Appearance for Folder View) > Desktop Theme > select Customized > click Apply and voila!

HTH
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Offline Rudge

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2009, 07:53:24 PM »
Nice tip Archie.

Still, was great to be able to make that panel completely transparent in KDE3. It really looked cool.
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Offline Archie

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2009, 08:16:14 PM »
Quote from: rudge12000 on October 16, 2009, 07:53:24 PM
Nice tip Archie.

Still, was great to be able to make that panel completely transparent in KDE3. It really looked cool.

I am sure that this is a simple thing to do in KDE 4.3. There's probably a theme already with a completely transparent taskbar. Theme transparency should be one of the things on the KDE Devs list of things to do.

In the meantime, using the procedure on my previous post, try Oxyzone Panel Background. This theme is close to being totally transparent. If you don't have it installed > Synaptic.
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Offline greywolf

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2009, 08:30:03 PM »
I am by no means an expert on this. I too used to use transparency in kde3, but, I have been happy living with some of the "lovely" default themes in kde4.

One thing I do know that may (or may not) help this discussion (from KDE site):

"The panel in KDE 4 can only be transparent if compositing is enabled."

To turn on kde4's own compositing ( ie NOT Compiz) you go:

Configure Your Desktop (tray icon)
---> Look & Feel
------> Desktop
--------> Desktop Effects
------------> Make sure the tick box next to "Enable....etc" is ticked.

You can only then turn on transparency for apps & desktop features. I now only use it for Konsole terminal app. You may need to check this before following the other detailed advice in this thread is all.

Please also note, that PCLOS is the only version of KDE4 I have come across that is defaulting to full screen Folder View. All others are using Desktop View with a small Folder View plasmoid on the desktop showing contents of either the users Desktop or Home folder. The only reason I mention this is that what you get when you right click on things can vary between the two views ( I personally chose Desktop View as default) so advice you get from others, especially other forums & Google, may have to take this fact into account to avoid confusion.

Hope this helps,
Greywolf.
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Offline Texstar

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2009, 08:36:57 PM »
Quote from: greywolf on October 16, 2009, 08:30:03 PM
I am by no means an expert on this. I too used to use transparency in kde3, but, I have been happy living with some of the "lovely" default themes in kde4.

One thing I do know that may (or may not) help this discussion (from KDE site):

"The panel in KDE 4 can only be transparent if compositing is enabled."

To turn on kde4's own compositing ( ie NOT Compiz) you go:

Configure Your Desktop (tray icon)
---> Look & Feel
------> Desktop
--------> Desktop Effects
------------> Make sure the tick box next to "Enable....etc" is ticked.

You can only then turn on transparency for apps & desktop features. I now only use it for Konsole terminal app. You may need to check this before following the other detailed advice in this thread is all.

Please also note, that PCLOS is the only version of KDE4 I have come across that is defaulting to full screen Folder View. All others are using Desktop View with a small Folder View plasmoid on the desktop showing contents of either the users Desktop or Home folder. The only reason I mention this is that what you get when you right click on things can vary between the two views ( I personally chose Desktop View as default) so advice you get from others, especially other forums & Google, may have to take this fact into account to avoid confusion.

Hope this helps,
Greywolf.


This is not accurate. KDE 4 on PCLinuxOS has a transparency patch to allow for taskbar transparency without resorting to using KDE 4 Desktop Effects. I am using the Glassified theme with full taskbar transparency as my video card doesn't do Desktop Effects. I also know of two other distros who default to Folder View so the users have similar settings to KDE 3.5.x.
 
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Offline Archie

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2009, 08:42:44 PM »
Excellent advise, greywolf.

I must confess that I have always assumed that a degree of the topic and procedures are understood by the forum members requesting such assistance.

Thanks, Tex for your clarification regarding compositing and transparency. It is incredible to note that our distro applied a transparency patch. Does it work on all graphic adapters?

Quote
Please also note, that PCLOS is the only version of KDE4 I have come across that is defaulting to full screen Folder View. All others are using Desktop View with a small Folder View plasmoid on the desktop showing contents of either the users Desktop or Home folder. The only reason I mention this is that what you get when you right click on things can vary between the two views ( I personally chose Desktop View as default) so advice you get from others, especially other forums & Google, may have to take this fact into account to avoid confusion.

Worth to remember such things as the above.
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Offline Rudge

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2009, 09:59:25 PM »
Quote from: Archie on October 16, 2009, 08:16:14 PM
Quote from: rudge12000 on October 16, 2009, 07:53:24 PM
Nice tip Archie.

Still, was great to be able to make that panel completely transparent in KDE3. It really looked cool.

I am sure that this is a simple thing to do in KDE 4.3. There's probably a theme already with a completely transparent taskbar. Theme transparency should be one of the things on the KDE Devs list of things to do.

In the meantime, using the procedure on my previous post, try Oxyzone Panel Background. This theme is close to being totally transparent. If you don't have it installed > Synaptic.

 I will check out Oxyzone, thanks.  For now, the Glassified theme is transparent enough for me.
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Offline greywolf

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2009, 02:14:22 AM »
Quote
This is not accurate. KDE 4 on PCLinuxOS has a transparency patch to allow for taskbar transparency without resorting to using KDE 4 Desktop Effects. I am using the Glassified theme with full taskbar transparency as my video card doesn't do Desktop Effects. I also know of two other distros who default to Folder View so the users have similar settings to KDE 3.5.x.

Oh well, like all forum stuff, just trying to add a bit from within my own experience. Maybe some of it was useful? I stand corrected & better informed.

Greywolf.
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Riki

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2009, 03:06:11 AM »
Adding my bit. When I change the theme and Apply/OK the system hangs (black screen) and I have to turn off manually.
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Offline Neal ManBear

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Re: transparent taskbar
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2009, 07:29:52 AM »
Riki,
Check your graphics card driver and its settings. That may be the cause of your problem.

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