Panels and the desktop

[Tiiba]

I have always used Gnome until now, and I think that it's a great desktop. But I decided to try to use KDE 4 in Kubuntu Karmic Koala (KKK).

I have run into some problems:

1) I can't make the panels opaque.
2) If I place two panels on the same side of the screen, they don't stack, like in Gnome or Windows, but OVERLAP.
3) I can't move a panel item around within the panel.
4) I can move items around within "fancy" panels. The problem with fancy panels is that I can't add anything to them besides launchers, and if I try to move them to another place on the screen, they don't move, and the computer slows down.
5) If I add a widget to the desktop, and then drag it to change its position, and overlap a panel, that widget appears in the panel and won't go back to the desktop.

So far, this plasma thing is a bunch of hot air.

[NightwishFan]

I know to mess with widgets in panels you have to have the panel toolbar open. Other than that I agree, so I no longer use KDE. And frankly plasma is the best thing it has going...

[Zorael]

Plasma panel themes have two pixmaps; one translucent and one opaque. When enabling compositing it'll use the translucent one. However, the Aya translucent panel is not translucent, and it will tint itself to match your theme coloring.

You can get it by installing the kdeartwork package, and then set your theme to use it in System Settings -> Advanced tab -> Desktop Theme Details. You'll want to configure the (Customized) theme.

If the changes don't apply right away, confirm that you're using that theme by right-clicking your desktop and picking Desktop Activity settings. There should be a dropdown box there of plasma themes. If you use 4.4rcs, you do this in System Settings -> Appearance -> Style -> Workspace.
Ouch, never tried this.
Unlock widgets and click the panel cashew. While the settings bar is up, you can drag your widgets around. They will snap to eachother to conserve space, though.
Cannot comment, I don't use fancy panels.
See 3; it should work if you just drag it out.

[pmo071122]

I to never liked the Panels in KDE and quickly reverted back to Gnome/Ubuntu for that very reason. For me it was to nonsensical.