simple question - can I reset my KDE 4 desktop if I screw it up?

[davexnet]

Thank you Texstar,
your series of commands  has indeed restored the desktop.

much obliged,
Dave

[ruel24]

Also (subject to confirmation) if you rename the hidden .kde4 folder in your home directory to say .kde4OLD the system will recreate a new .kde4 on the next login. However, anything in the old .kde4 folder will be ignored, eg kmail messages.

This actually works. Anytime you wipe an application's corresponding hidden folder (or move it/rename it), the system will create a brand new one with default settings. When your user account starts having troubles, and you can confirm it's the user account only, you can use this method to solve just about anything. In fact, if you really bork it, you can go in from root or a LiveCD as root or user using the root service menu in Dolphin and wipe all of your hidden folders and files and completely restore your user account to default settings as if you just installed the OS. Every application you open will create a new hidden folder with default values. Remember to save your email and favorites when dealing with hidden files for your email client and browser. That's where those things reside, as well.

This is one of the beauties of Linux. Windows can't do this trick. I don't know about Mac, but I doubt it does, either. A system that can heal itself to some degree like this is priceless...

[Germ]

Well, I'm at a loss.  The commands I posted have always worked before.  But I admit I've never used them on a PCLinuxOS install.

[pags]

Also (subject to confirmation) if you rename the hidden .kde4 folder in your home directory to say .kde4OLD the system will recreate a new .kde4 on the next login. However, anything in the old .kde4 folder will be ignored, eg kmail messages.

This actually works. Anytime you wipe an application's corresponding hidden folder (or move it/rename it), the system will create a brand new one with default settings. When your user account starts having troubles, and you can confirm it's the user account only, you can use this method to solve just about anything. In fact, if you really bork it, you can go in from root or a LiveCD as root or user using the root service menu in Dolphin and wipe all of your hidden folders and files and completely restore your user account to default settings as if you just installed the OS. Every application you open will create a new hidden folder with default values. Remember to save your email and favorites when dealing with hidden files for your email client and browser. That's where those things reside, as well.

This is one of the beauties of Linux. Windows can't do this trick. I don't know about Mac, but I doubt it does, either. A system that can heal itself to some degree like this is priceless...

If you want to get really extreme (again, from root or LiveCD), you could rename (mv) your entire home folder (user directory located at /home/YOUR_USERNAME/) to, say, /home/old.YOUR_USERNAME.old, and then

Code: [Select]

mkdir /home/YOUR_USERNAME
chown YOUR_USERNAME:YOUR_USERNAME /home/YOUR_USERNAME(Obviously (or, maybe not so obvious), replace "YOUR_USERNAME" with your user name ) 

log back in as yourself (now with a blank slate), and bring files over selectively from your previous, old folder.

Lots of ways to swim a penguin!

[rickhunt]

texstar@localhost ~]$ su
Password:
[root@localhost texstar]# cp /etc/skel/.kde4/share/config/plasma* /home/texstar/.kde4/share/config
cp: overwrite `/home/texstar/.kde4/share/config/plasma-appletsrc'? y
cp: overwrite `/home/texstar/.kde4/share/config/plasma-desktop-appletsrc'? y
cp: overwrite `/home/texstar/.kde4/share/config/plasma-desktoprc'? y
cp: overwrite `/home/texstar/.kde4/share/config/plasmarc'? y
[root@localhost texstar]# chown -R texstar:texstar /home/texstar/.kde4
[root@localhost texstar]# exit
exit
[texstar@localhost ~]$ exit

This worked great on my main login, but when I log in as root, its still messed up.  Is the command line different for the root then my regular login?

Thanks

[rickhunt]

Update.

I did it!

Both my regular login and my root login are back to default! Yay.

I took a chance, I went in to the repository and went under "Graphical Desktop KDE4" and marked for Re-installation "KDE4-config" and "KDE4-Smooth-Tasks" and hit apply.

then logged out and logged back into the root and my regular login, and both were back to default!

Don't know if I needed to re-install them both, but they both sounded like what I wanted. Smooth tasks relates to the panel bar and widgets

KDE4-Config: Basic KDE 4 Configuration
This package provides default settings for KDE 4.

KDE4-Smooth-Tasks: This taskbar replacement has window peeking similar to Windows 7
This taskbar replacement has window peeking similar to Windows 7 when you use
the kwin 'highlite window' effect. Even if this effect is not used you can
click the tooltip in order to activate the corresponding window.

Maybe this will help someone else.
:-)

[stricktoo]

Secondly, the quicklaunch icons on the lower left.  When apps are opened and minimzed
(such as Firefox) they line up against the aforementioned icons and you can no longer tell them apart.
They have the same icon size and uniform spacing.
Please advise - how can I differentiate these sets of icons? Perhaps set the quick launch icons smaller?  How?

To get a traditional taskbar-like look for your running applications:

1. Unlock your widgets.
2. Right click on the empty space next to the icons for your running applications (i.e. the Smooth Tasks taskbar).
3. Choose "Smooth Task Settings", then "Appereance" (on the left).
4. Check "Expand Tasks".
5. In the drop-down menu next to "Keep Expanded" select "All".
6. Click Ok.

Alternatively you can just remove the Smooth Tasks widget from the panel and replace it with "Task Manager" widget.

[uncleV]

Also (subject to confirmation) if you rename the hidden .kde4 folder in your home directory to say .kde4OLD the system will recreate a new .kde4 on the next login. However, anything in the old .kde4 folder will be ignored, eg kmail messages.

This actually works.

Don't think so.
On my KDE immediately after deleting or renaming /home/.kde a new .kde is created there. Just refresh the view and you'll see it still there. With the same old configs as far KDE is still running.
Just tried it a few times.