Should/Does KDE have the option to arrange the taskbar menus like Gnome?

[hoppipolla]

I reckon this would be a great addition, and would help people check out KDE and maybe be more happy with the idea of switching desktop. I love KDE, but I do also love the way Gnome is arranged and as far as I am aware there is no way to emulate this.

Do we think it would be a good addition? I might suggest it on the KDE boards although I doubt I'd be the first to do that!

Hoppi :)


EDIT - Sorry, to clarify, I meant dividing what is usually the K Menu into 3 separate menus - Applications, Places and System. Also it would be great if this could be done with words like in Gnome as opposed to icons :)

[NormanFLinux]

You can already do that with KDE4. If you want to put the taskbar on top, your choice. Its highly configurable.

[kellemes]

Indeed, KDE's panel is highly configurable and offers all you want.

[hoppipolla]

Indeed, KDE's panel is highly configurable and offers all you want.

Sorry, see my first post again for what I meant :)

[SunnyRabbiera]

No, kde doesnt have a menu like that right now

[pluviosity]

Not sure about KDE 4.2 or earlier, but on KDE 4.3, you can achieve a similar result.

You need to add three traditional launcher menus to your panel to replace Kickoff. Right click on one of them and select "Application Launcher Menu Settings." Under "View," you can select what you want in that particular menu. Under "Options," you can choose an icon for the menu and select whether you would prefer names or descriptions of apps (ie. "Dolphin" instead of "File Manager"). You would, of course, need to do this for all three menus.

For the analog to the Gnome Applications menu, you might select only "Applications." I also recommend selecting "Leave" under this menu instead due to hierarchical reasons of the menus. For Places, you could pick "Computer." For System, you should pick "System Settings." You would also want to pick different icons to separate the menus from each other.

Of course, Gnome purists will argue that this is not the same as Gnome's menu. But it is not meant to be the same. It's KDE's menus. It just so happens that you can achieve something closer to what Gnome might have instead of using Kickoff.

Additionally, I'd like to add (as my own personal opinion) that a System menu constructed this way feels much more - though not completely - like Gnome's often celebrated "simple" settings, which I feel is too often used to make KDE appear disorganized to newcomers and further Baby Duck Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Duck_Syndrome). Both DE's settings have their merits and quirks.

[hoppipolla]

often used to make KDE appear disorganized to newcomers and further Baby Duck Syndrome.

Hey! lol I started out on Windows and KDE and I still appreciate the Gnome layout as well!

And cool little tutorial! Sorry I'll read it properly now I just had to have my little reaction there xD


EDIT -- Yeah it's cool - but it still might be nice to just have an option somewhere to arrange the menus like Gnome :)

[Dullstar]

You could use GNOME. That's one way to do it...

[hoppipolla]

You could use GNOME. That's one way to do it...

Yes because of course menu layout is the only reason to choose a desktop environment ._.

[hoppipolla]

One quick bump of this as I'd love to get more opinions :)

[coldReactive]

You could use GNOME. That's one way to do it...

The second gnome-shell comes out by default for GNOME, I'll be switching to KDE more than likely, I'll want the same thing in KDE.

[hoppipolla]

The second gnome-shell comes out by default for GNOME, I'll be switching to KDE more than likely, I'll want the same thing in KDE.

The menus you mean?

And if they do bring Gnome Shell out as default, surely you'll be able to just turn it off anyway?


EDIT -- By the way I would like to say that your avatar pic is very cool =D

[coldReactive]

The menus you mean?

And if they do bring Gnome Shell out as default, surely you'll be able to just turn it off anyway?


EDIT -- By the way I would like to say that your avatar pic is very cool =D

from the looks of GNOME Shell, I won't like it one bit, I doubt they'll let me turn it off as it will probably be very integrated into GNOME, so much so that it might be impossible to turn off (IE: Like Pulseaudio in Karmic.)

[Xbehave]

erm how do menus work in gnome?
Lancelot (put usually ships with kde) can be setup to have 4 icons apps/computer/contacts/documents (or any subset of that), you can also put any sub menu or program directly on the panel.

[praveesh]

I reckon this would be a great addition, and would help people check out KDE and maybe be more happy with the idea of switching desktop. I love KDE, but I do also love the way Gnome is arranged and as far as I am aware there is no way to emulate this.

Do we think it would be a good addition? I might suggest it on the KDE boards although I doubt I'd be the first to do that!

Hoppi :)


EDIT - Sorry, to clarify, I meant dividing what is usually the K Menu into 3 separate menus - Applications, Places and System. Also it would be great if this could be done with words like in Gnome as opposed to icons :)

yes ofcourse . That the only thing that I love too much in Gnome . KDE lacks a way like that to launch the applications fast. I searched in google for a Gnome menu plasmoid , but didn't get any . I think , just making a new plasmoid will be enough.

[praveesh]

I think , it would be better if the title is changed to : should KDE have a Gnome like menu . The current title is confusing . I didn't click it for two days.

[wojox]

from the looks of GNOME Shell, I won't like it one bit, I doubt they'll let me turn it off as it will probably be very integrated into GNOME, so much so that it might be impossible to turn off (IE: Like Pulseaudio in Karmic.)

I compiled gnome shell two weeks ago and your right it's pretty bad.

[GeneralZod]

An "option" would be the wrong approach, IMO; a Plasmoid that replicates the GNOME menu would be much better. I'm surprised no one has done it already, to be honest.

[praveesh]

Tweaking kicker or lancelot is not equivalent to Gnome menu . Even if I do so, If I click on applications menu and move the cursor over computer menu, the menu won't automatically switch to computer menu , as the applications menu switch to places in Gnome . That really is a cool feature of Gnome.
@ Hoppipolla , please do what you can do in this

[praveesh]

An "option" would be the wrong approach, IMO; a Plasmoid that replicates the GNOME menu would be much better. I'm surprised no one has done it already, to be honest.

+1 . Since the plasmoids,now can do a lot and can integrate perfectly on the panel, that's an awesome idea. Since everything are plasmoids, we can replace one with a more functional one or the one that suites your needs . I already have replaced the task manager.

[Colonel Kilkenny]

Yes! I honestly can't believe how both KDE and apparently Gnome in future have managed to destroy their taskbar when it comes to menus. The way it is currently done in Gnome is pretty fricking perfect. Perhaps some sort of smart "Social Networking/Contacts" menu would make Gnome menu even better.

But KDE's current thing (is the default named Kicker?) is absolutely horrible and it prevents me using KDE. It is just awful to use. It hasn't even seen this thing called usability.

At one point I decided that when I have time I'll do the Gnome menu for KDE but I haven't had the time yet. It shouldn't be that hard as Plasmoid technology should make the development pretty trivial.

[Xbehave]

...Even if I do so, If I click on applications menu and move the cursor over computer menu, the menu won't automatically switch to computer menu , as the applications menu switch to places in Gnome . That really is a cool feature of Gnome.
Erm if you set lancelot to "switch on hover" and delay to 0, it comes close. Unfortunately until somebody describes the gnome menu i can't tell you which features are/aren't supported.


But KDE's current thing (is the default named Kicker?) is absolutely horrible and it prevents me using KDE. It is just awful to use. It hasn't even seen this thing called usability.
Specifics please, until then I'll just assume you were to dumb to find the "do what i want" tickbox.

[hoppipolla]

yes ofcourse . That the only thing that I love too much in Gnome . KDE lacks a way like that to launch the applications fast. I searched in google for a Gnome menu plasmoid , but didn't get any . I think , just making a new plasmoid will be enough.

Oo very well noticed, I think you're right there! I can't code, but I wonder if one will get made!

And sorry about the title - it was tricky to work out quite how to phrase it! :)

[Colonel Kilkenny]

Specifics please, until then I'll just assume you were to dumb to find the "do what i want" tickbox.

You can assume all you want. I'm not going to spend time wondering if I can somehow magically make it do this or that or look like X or Y. It just doesn't work for me and I'm not going to spend time fixing it (as I'm perfectly happy with Gnome).
The whole concept of that new menu is so wrong in so many different levels that it's not even sad. As a usability major I could probably do quite quickly simple heuristics based evaluation for it but as I said: not my problem (until Gnome 3 manages to destroy itself and I have to move to KDE).

[wersdaluv]

What I like about GNOME is that I don't really have to use those menus because GNOME Do does the job (even better).

If the user already knows the name of the App/Folder/Option he wants to open, GNOME Do is the best way to open it.

KDE4 has KRunner but it's very far from GNOME Do. The latter is much more feature rich, is snappier, and has a much better UX design overall. One of the best things that I love about it is how it searches, just like Firefox 3's awesome bar. You can type some letters that matches the name of the app/folder/doc/setting you want to run in the correct pattern and the app/folder/doc/setting will be searched even if you skipped some letters or spaces.

[hoppipolla]

But KDE's current thing (is the default named Kicker?) is absolutely horrible and it prevents me using KDE. It is just awful to use. It hasn't even seen this thing called usability.


That seems a bit excessive! lol It's just a start button! xD

[hoppipolla]

You can assume all you want. I'm not going to spend time wondering if I can somehow magically make it do this or that or look like X or Y. It just doesn't work for me and I'm not going to spend time fixing it (as I'm perfectly happy with Gnome).
The whole concept of that new menu is so wrong in so many different levels that it's not even sad. As a usability major I could probably do quite quickly simple heuristics based evaluation for it but as I said: not my problem (until Gnome 3 manages to destroy itself and I have to move to KDE).

Waves a little KDE flag! ^_^


What I like about GNOME is that I don't really have to use those menus because GNOME Do does the job (even better).

If the user already knows the name of the App/Folder/Option he wants to open, GNOME Do is the best way to open it.

KDE4 has KRunner but it's very far from GNOME Do. The latter is much more feature rich, is snappier, and has a much better UX design overall. One of the best things that I love about it is how it searches, just like Firefox 3's awesome bar. You can type some letters that matches the name of the app/folder/doc/setting you want to run in the correct pattern and the app/folder/doc/setting will be searched even if you skipped some letters or spaces.

Yes but Gnome is simply more supported at present :)

[pelle.k]

An "option" would be the wrong approach, IMO; a Plasmoid that replicates the GNOME menu would be much better. I'm surprised no one has done it already, to be honest.

I had an applet in kde 3.5.X that did just this, can't remember the name of it though. Screenshot attached...
It was kind of nice actually. the gnome menu applet is not very customisable though. It would be nice if one could for example show icons instead of text labels, or both.

[Hallvor]

I reckon this would be a great addition, and would help people check out KDE and maybe be more happy with the idea of switching desktop. I love KDE, but I do also love the way Gnome is arranged and as far as I am aware there is no way to emulate this.

Do we think it would be a good addition? I might suggest it on the KDE boards although I doubt I'd be the first to do that!

Hoppi :)


EDIT - Sorry, to clarify, I meant dividing what is usually the K Menu into 3 separate menus - Applications, Places and System. Also it would be great if this could be done with words like in Gnome as opposed to icons :)

+1. I think the Gnome taskbar is much better, but I prefer KDE applications and a pure desktop environment. It is a pain to choose one over the other.

[Xbehave]

KDE4 has KRunner but it's very far from GNOME Do.Really KRunner is really extensible and sounds just like GNOME Do, mine (fedora 11 default) can
run commands (inc w/ su, in kerminal)/apps (and search them)
search files/nepomuk (a little used tagging DB atm)/history (konqueror only atm)/contacts
use konqueror keywords
be a calculator
spellcheck terms
do power management tasks (e.g suspend or change brightness )

e.g if i want to launch konversation (an irc client) I just type irc (not even irc:// which would work in any launcher)

The framework is definitely very powerful and while it may need work to look as nice as gnome DO (I've not used gnome in years), I wonder what features it lacks?


It was kind of nice actually. the gnome menu applet is not very customisable though. It would be nice if one could for example show icons instead of text labels, or both.
Lancelot can do apps/places (and contacts/documets but not actions), however the default lancelot only shows icons not.


KDE lacks a way like that to launch the applications fast.
You can drag individual apps/sub (or just right click if your using default kicker) to the panel Or use the the quicklauncher to keep several icons in the panel (mine is 2 rows but it can be setup to a single row of larger icons).
screenshot (http://imagebin.ca/view/OPZUnvYg.html)
4 Lancelot icons | 4 Quicklaunch icons | 3 of my places | 2 Applets (1st is *bin that i used to post this screenshot) | My taskbar (icons only, only firefox was running at the time)

BTW i think http://www.kde-look.org/ is the place to look for plasmoid even if it is a bit of a mess (I usually avoid it and download from inside apps).

[praveesh]

Congrats , you finally changed the name!!!