View Full Version : [kubuntu] Customising kubuntu
anon_private
August 6th, 2014, 04:17 PM
trying kubuntu as live dvd
ver 12.04.4
Can New Activity be moved to the taskbar (may be wrong wording).
The links (buttons) at the bottom of the screen (taskbar) are rather long and the text is difficult to read. Can they be customised?
Rob Sayer
August 8th, 2014, 04:44 PM
I almost allways use kubuntu 12.04 at home (this netbook has xubuntu 14.04), but I'd actually recommend kubuntu 14.04 for a new install. More support time left.
I can't answer the Activities question because I don't use them. But KDE is extremely configurable. To some probably to a fault but I like it that way. But it's definitely the most customizable Ubuntu DE, and you don't need 3rd party crap to do it.
KDE is considered a large, even bloated DE, but you can seriously tweak it for performance, which Unity won't do. I've actually made it run reasonably fast on my 1Gb netbook ... better than win7 starter but not quite good enough. But I think I could make it run OK in 2Gb.
anon_private
August 8th, 2014, 06:27 PM
I am running 12.04.4 from a dvd with 1GB of RAM - without problems. I might be able to run 14.04, but I don't see any advantage.
At the moment I am trying to decide if kububtu is the flavour for me. The configurability is a real advantage, but there are certain aspects that I don't like, such as the widgets, and I can't seem to chamge the icons.
Best wishes.
buzzingrobot
August 9th, 2014, 12:49 PM
trying kubuntu as live dvd
ver 12.04.4
Can New Activity be moved to the taskbar (may be wrong wording).
The links (buttons) at the bottom of the screen (taskbar) are rather long and the text is difficult to read. Can they be customised?
I'm not sure, either, what you mean about "New Activity".
The default panel in Kubuntu (what you called the taskbar) is located along the bottom. Panels are populated with widgets. In the default install, one of those widgets is the task manager you are seeing that displays the names of open applications. That can be replaced with the "Icon-Only Task Manager" which, as it says, displays only the icon of an open app.
A right-click on a widget will display options specific to that widget.
If you right click on a panel, you will see a popup with a ranger of options, including "Add Widgets" and "Panel Settings". This is also how widgets are removed, moved, etc.
Panels can be moved to any edge of the display.
A panel can be removed via a right click, and a new panel enabled via a right click on the desktop.
anon_private
August 9th, 2014, 01:33 PM
I'm not sure, either, what you mean about "New Activity".
The default panel in Kubuntu (what you called the taskbar) is located along the bottom. Panels are populated with widgets. In the default install, one of those widgets is the task manager you are seeing that displays the names of open applications. That can be replaced with the "Icon-Only Task Manager" which, as it says, displays only the icon of an open app.
A right-click on a widget will display options specific to that widget.
If you right click on a panel, you will see a popup with a ranger of options, including "Add Widgets" and "Panel Settings". This is also how widgets are removed, moved, etc.
Panels can be moved to any edge of the display.
A panel can be removed via a right click, and a new panel enabled via a right click on the desktop.
I have not installed, but found the task manager in the widgets.. I can't re-size the task manager pane!. Can't see the icon-only task manager (I am using 12.04.4 - if that matters).
I know I can download themes and install a theme from the hard drive, but can I download icons, and, if I can, can I download from any website, or only a repository.
Can I change the white windows (e.g. file manager, and others) background colours? - and the text colour.
It does not look like widgets can be deleted?
Can widgets be downloaded and used from any website?
I almost allways use kubuntu 12.04 at home (this netbook has xubuntu 14.04), but I'd actually recommend kubuntu 14.04 for a new install. More support time left.
I can't answer the Activities question because I don't use them. But KDE is extremely configurable. To some probably to a fault but I like it that way. But it's definitely the most customizable Ubuntu DE, and you don't need 3rd party crap to do it.
KDE is considered a large, even bloated DE, but you can seriously tweak it for performance, which Unity won't do. I've actually made it run reasonably fast on my 1Gb netbook ... better than win7 starter but not quite good enough. But I think I could make it run OK in 2Gb.
When you talk of bloat, are you combating this by deleting applications and other tools, widgets, panels, activites, etc. that you don't use?
buzzingrobot
August 9th, 2014, 01:52 PM
I have not installed, but found the task manager in the widgets.. I can't re-size the task manager pane!. Can't see the icon-only task manager (I am using 12.04.4 - if that matters).
If the panel displays rectangles showing applications names and you can switch between the apps by clicking on the rectangles, that's the default task manager.
The display of widgets availabl for installation scrolls horizontally. Add a widget by dragging it to the location on the panel where you want it placed. A blank grey square will appear when/where that operation is permitted.
I assume the icon-only-task-manager is available in 12.04, but I don't have access to 12.04 to verify that.
I know I can download themes and install a theme from the hard drive, but can I download icons, and, if I can, can I download from any website, or only a repository.
Themes, icons, etc., can be downloaded from any location you trust. If you do not install from the repos, you will need to extract the files and directories from an archive manually and then copy those files/directories to the correct location in the filesystem. ("/usr/share/icons" is the system-wide location, i.e., icons there are available to all users)
In KDE's System Settings, the panels to adjust/change themes, icons, window decorations, etc., include a "Get New..." function that allows new themes, icons, etc., to be examined and installed directly and conveniently within System Settings
kde-look.org is a popular site worth looking at.
Can I change the white windows (e.g. file manager, and others) background colours? - and the text colour.
Colors in KDE are determined by color schemes accessed in System Settings. Additional color schemes can also be added.
It does not look like widgets can be deleted?
Right-click on the panel, select "Panel Settings", right click on the widget to be removed, click on the "X".
Can widgets be downloaded and used from any website?
Yes, if you can find them.
QIII
August 9th, 2014, 03:23 PM
Hello!
The "cashew", as we all affectionate refer to the new activities widget, cannot be completely removed. But it can be made nearly inobtrusive. On cell on the road right now, so can't look at my settings. But I do have a screen shot of my desktop in the monthly sceenshots area for August. You can take a look at it and see how I dealt with it. The thread is "Annual August" I think.
This gets brought up time and again on the KDE forum and the answer is always that the KDE developers have no intention of removing it or making it possible to completely hide it.
buzzingrobot
August 9th, 2014, 04:51 PM
The cashew hides itself if panel widgets are locked: right-click on panel, then Panel Options->Lock Widgets.
QIII
August 9th, 2014, 05:05 PM
Hasn't ever worked for me. Widgets locked, panel autohide, cashew persists.
anon_private
August 9th, 2014, 06:04 PM
Thanks to all.
I was disappointed to see that kubuntu is listed at no 32 in Distrowatch.
Ubunte is 2; Mint is 1.
Any thoughts?
QIII
August 9th, 2014, 06:22 PM
Distrowatch counts only hits, not what people are using.
It is about the same as counting how often people pick up and look at different brands of laundry detergents in the super market. It doesn't measure what brands were purchased.
Beside that, remember that all the *buntus are official flavors. Add them all up and see how that compares.
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