Icons with question mark

[Riki]

I know that this query has been answered before but I still don't quite fully understand the reason for so many icons with question marks in KDE4. Are they obsolete ex KDE3? Some of them won't even open and when they do the question mark doesn't change as someone said it would. So, my question now is can one delete ALL icons with a question mark or do they still have a function in KDE4?
Will KDE4.4 alter these icons? Will PCLOS2010 make any changes? I've googled and done a search but I am none the wiser.  It seems I am not the only one confused by this issue.

[muungwana]

an icon with a question mark is an icon that takes place of a non existing icon. The only way to get rid of them is to install the icon the program is calling for or change the program to call a different icon

You seeing too many such icons means you are using a theme with incomplete icon set, you dont have appropriate icons for the theme installed or the system cant locate the icons.

What theme are you using?

[AndrzejL]

Hi Riki.

Let me try to answer Your question as I have been wondering about it to and I came to some conclusions.

In KDE3 (very stable / very mature) DE all was good. All was non-problematic. All was just like expected. So when I was sorting my files and folders (and I like to keep the nice and tidy) every folder got its own icon to tell me whats inside that folder. Same thing was done for a specific file extensions. Video file had smplayer icon and so on...

Then KDE4 showed up. Its not as mature and stable as KDE3 used to be right? So I bet developers were pretty busy setting it up. I bet that top priority for them for now is to get KDE4 to be stable. In the meanwhile they dropped some of the packages to the bottom of the list. I bet that the extra fonts and icons were not at the top of the list... I bet what they did was packaged some of the basic icons and fonts (basic as in the most wanted / needed - not simple and ugly) and they said OK once we reach stability they will get more icons.

I bet that's why my home folder and my documents and backup folders were full of ? icons. I used hundreds of icons that are no longer in the system. Desktop Environment could not find them so they were replaced with a ? so You would take a notice and change them to something else. I had to change them to the ones that are now available.

Some extra icons are available in the repository. Install them via Synaptic and be patient. I bet more icons will be packaged soon enough. If You find any great package with Icons start a thread in Package Suggest section (but remember to read the rules first) and I will prolly +1 it myself.

Hope this answers Your question.

Andy

EDIT: Muungwana! Doh! You beat me to it.

[Riki]

an icon with a question mark is an icon that takes place of a non existing icon. The only way to get rid of them is to install the icon the program is calling for or change the program to call a different icon

You seeing too many such icons means you are using a theme with incomplete icon set, you dont have appropriate icons for the theme installed or the system cant locate the icons.

What theme are you using?

The icon theme I am using is Oxygen.

[Riki]

Hi Riki.

Let me try to answer Your question as I have been wondering about it to and I came to some conclusions.

In KDE3 (very stable / very mature) DE all was good. All was non-problematic. All was just like expected. So when I was sorting my files and folders (and I like to keep the nice and tidy) every folder got its own icon to tell me whats inside that folder. Same thing was done for a specific file extensions. Video file had smplayer icon and so on...

Then KDE4 showed up. Its not as mature and stable as KDE3 used to be right? So I bet developers were pretty busy setting it up. I bet that top priority for them for now is to get KDE4 to be stable. In the meanwhile they dropped some of the packages to the bottom of the list. I bet that the extra fonts and icons were not at the top of the list... I bet what they did was packaged some of the basic icons and fonts (basic as in the most wanted / needed - not simple and ugly) and they said OK once we reach stability they will get more icons.

I bet that's why my home folder and my documents and backup folders were full of ? icons. I used hundreds of icons that are no longer in the system. Desktop Environment could not find them so they were replaced with a ? so You would take a notice and change them to something else. I had to change them to the ones that are now available.

Some extra icons are available in the repository. Install them via Synaptic and be patient. I bet more icons will be packaged soon enough. If You find any great package with Icons start a thread in Package Suggest section (but remember to read the rules first) and I will prolly +1 it myself.

Hope this answers Your question.

Andy

EDIT: Muungwana! Doh! You beat me to it.

Thanks Andy. Presumably those that don't open are no longer necessary and can be deleted.

[denoobifyme]

The question is, when kde4 tries to call those icons again and can't find them, will it re-create the hundreds of ? icocns?

[AndrzejL]

Thanks Andy. Presumably those that don't open are no longer necessary and can be deleted.

Can You define "those that don't open"?

I wouldn't like You to remove something important...

The question is, when kde4 tries to call those icons again and can't find them, will it re-create the hundreds of ? icocns?

Look into the DEVICE section of the icons... Those are brand new icons... 40 maybe 50 of them... I bet developers of the KDE have some team of graphics which work on themes / wallpapers / etc... I bet those guys will work on Icons when time allows. OR maybe some crazy skilled dude will work on them? I dont know. Time will tell ...

Andy

[Riki]

Can You define "those that don't open"?

I wouldn't like You to remove something important

Andy, I have been deleting them from Favourites and at the moment I can only remember boot.ini

[AndrzejL]

Are You dualbooting??? Boot.ini sounds like a MS Windows Boot tool stanzas... Are You sure they are not needed??

Andy

[Riki]

Are You dualbooting??? Boot.ini sounds like a MS Windows Boot tool stanzas... Are You sure they are not needed??

Andy

 

Yes I am running a dual system. BTW I meant "deleted from Recently Used", not from Favourites.

[AndrzejL]

Are You dualbooting??? Boot.ini sounds like a MS Windows Boot tool stanzas... Are You sure they are not needed??

Andy

 
Yes I am running a dual system. BTW I meant "deleted from Recently Used", not from Favourites.

hope You know what You're doing LOL! That would make one of us!

Andy

[Riki]

Smiley hope You know what You're doing Cheesy LOL! That would make one of us! Cheesy

Andy

  It was only a shortcut No harm done 

[Duvid]

I was never sure why it was happening, but when it did I handled it this way. Right click the question mark icon....left click the word  icon setting. This will open up a box, and in the left hand corner of that box will be the question mark icon . Left clicking that will open a menu of icons for applications. Usually you can find the icon that corresponds to the application, or you can use the drop down menu to add to your choices. In some instances by clicking other icons setting will give you the choice you need. If you can't find what you want, I have used a substitute of my liking.
 
              P.S.   The above is used for KDE4, in KDE3 just double click on the question mark and change the icon in the same manner.