[gentoo-user] Different desktop wallpapers in KDE4?

[Peter Humphrey]

Hello list,

I think I saw a statement on this list that it's possible to set a different
wallpaper on each desktop in kde-4.3.1, but now I can't find it, and I
can't see how to do it either.

Is it really possible to do this?

--
Rgds
Peter

[Frank Steinmetzger]

You need to create an activity for each desktop and set the wallpaper within
the activities.
--
Gruß | Greetings | Qapla'
Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be;
but as it isn’t, it ain’t.

[Roy Wright]

On Sep 30, 2009, at 7:46 AM, Frank Steinmetzger wrote:

> Am Mittwoch, 30. September 2009 schrieb Peter Humphrey:
>> Hello list,
>>
>> I think I saw a statement on this list that it's possible to set a
>> different wallpaper on each desktop in kde-4.3.1, but now I can't
>> find it,
>> and I can't see how to do it either.
>>
>> Is it really possible to do this?
>
> You need to create an activity for each desktop and set the
> wallpaper within
> the activities.

Here's what I did which seems to work nicely:

Created an auto hide panel centered on top edge.

Added the activity bar widget to this panel.

Create Activity (cashew, Zoom Out, alt-D alt-A, then select setup
(wrench icon) (you may have to grab and scroll the desktop to see the
commands) and name the activity. You can also set the background here.

Use the Activity Bar to select another activity. Note, the first time
after adding an activity, the activity bar has a bug where it will
show the names for all of the activities, but will draw n-1 buttons.
Just click on one button then the activity bar will be correct.

Now on any activity, you can right click the desktop and choose
Desktop Settings, then change the background.

HTH,
Roy

[Peter Humphrey]

On Wednesday 30 September 2009 20:20:01 Roy Wright wrote:

> Here's what I did which seems to work nicely:
>
> Created an auto hide panel centered on top edge.
>
> Added the activity bar widget to this panel.
>
> Create Activity (cashew, Zoom Out, alt-D alt-A, then select setup
> (wrench icon) (you may have to grab and scroll the desktop to see the
> commands) and name the activity. You can also set the background here.
>
> Use the Activity Bar to select another activity. Note, the first time
> after adding an activity, the activity bar has a bug where it will
> show the names for all of the activities, but will draw n-1 buttons.
> Just click on one button then the activity bar will be correct.
>
> Now on any activity, you can right click the desktop and choose
> Desktop Settings, then change the background.

Seems like an awful lot of hoops to jump through just to get a facility that
comes out of the box in 3.5. Maybe I'll give it a try anyway, so thanks.

--
Rgds
Peter

[daid kahl]

Seems like an awful lot of hoops to jump through just to get a facility that
comes out of the box in 3.5. Maybe I'll give it a try anyway, so thanks.

Yeah, right?  I was thinking of making the switch, but I was convinced there must be infinite tricks hidden.

~daid

[daid kahl]

>>> I think I saw a statement on this list that it's possible to set a
>>> different wallpaper on each desktop in kde-4.3.1, but now I can't find
>>> it,
>>> and I can't see how to do it either.
>>>
>>> Is it really possible to do this?
>>
>> You need to create an activity for each desktop and set the wallpaper
>> within
>> the activities.
>
> Here's what I did which seems to work nicely:
>
> Created an auto hide panel centered on top edge.
>
> Added the activity bar widget to this panel.
>
> Create Activity (cashew, Zoom Out, alt-D alt-A, then select setup (wrench
> icon) (you may have to grab and scroll the desktop to see the commands) and
> name the activity.  You can also set the background here.
>
> Use the Activity Bar to select another activity.  Note, the first time after
> adding an activity, the activity bar has a bug where it will show the names
> for all of the activities, but will draw n-1 buttons.  Just click on one
> button then the activity bar will be correct.
>
> Now on any activity, you can right click the desktop and choose Desktop
> Settings, then change the background.
>

These instructions were pretty confusing for me, added features I
didn't need, and didn't specify how to link desktops and activities.

I just switched to kde4, and it took me quite awhile to achieve the
goal of different backgrounds on different virtual desktops. Here's
all I had to do.

Make however many desktops you want using the System Settings under
the Kicker menu (Desktops, Mutliple Desktops tab).

Then hit the "Cashew" which is the little thing in the upper right
corner of the main desktop (minimize or move windows and you will see
it), and then use the Zoom Out option. Now "Configure Plasma" and
link desktops and activities. Then you should have a number of
activities equal to the number of desktops, and if not, add the
correct number of activities. Now you can use the tool-icon for each
activity to set the background.

I think linking the activities and desktops is a feature of 4.3, so
this may not work in older versions of kde4.

~daid