KxDocker configure how-to

[turbojugend_gr]

It seems that there are various users that wish to use the MIGHTY kxdocker in their (gnome) ubuntu.

First of all install it using this very good supriyadisw how-to: http://www.supriyadisw.net/2006/03/k...n-dapper-drake

After you are successfully done, you should end up with an ugly "windowed" kxdocker, with your plugin choices only.

1. To remove the window and end up with a smooth kxdocker:

• Open configurator from the tray icon, then navigate to the window tab, and there make the following changes:
  
  IN THE DESKTOP SQUARE:
• "auto send the docker to background layer" (unchecked)
• "auto raise the dock on events" (checked)
• "enable fast hiding" (unchecked)
• "Raise the dock whenever you touch the left corner" (unchecked)*
• "Raise ................................right corner" (unchecked)*
• "Hide the dock after" (whatever you like I use 1200ms)
• "Wait before raise the dock" (20ms)
• "Desktop shrink (whatever you want-i use the default value)
  
  Store configuration now and close, you might need to restart kxdocker to see the changes (i can't recall).
  
  * --> It has to do with your beryl settings, in my beryl config, I have nothing set to right corner gesture, but it is safer to leave both unchecked for start, then you can experiment. If you mess up the config KILL the process do not exit through the tray, or the messed up config will be saved.

2 Now remove all the malfunctioning plug-in you thought you needed. . Simply right-click and "remove this". (usual things are the pager,clock,trash,kde menu and others)

3 You are now left with a few icons, don't worry let's populate this dock: simply drag and drop ALL (yes all) the apps you use at least once a week! Don't worry you will manage them... I 'll tell you how later.

4 OK you should have a chaos over there... let's put some order. For example let's start with the video apps, they should all be in one spot (just scroll the mouse over one and other should appear).
You should write down all the apps you have put there and make up your mind how many MAIN categories of computer tasks are in your mind, For simplicity let's suppose there are only 6 (personally I use 15) - PLACES/ACCESSORIES/INTERNET/IMAGE/MULTIMEDIA - now let's put all our apps in one of those categories, keep writing down, computer-home-search under PLACES, Firefox-thunderbird-xchat-Torrent Swapper-Ekiga under INTERNET and so on.
When your are done with your notes let's go on with the actual job.
Open Configurator through the tray icon. There navigate to rolling icons and choose one by one all your apps to configure. In the dialog there change the TEXT display to your liking, the rolling icon group to what it should be according to your notes (app category) and in the matches tab change TITLE match (or create one) with the TITLE that shows when you open that application. Remember to change ACTIONS to what they should be if they are malfunctioning. Also consider changing the icons for your apps with a nicer icon.

5 NOw let's create a Trash. Remove he trash plugin if you haven't done so. Create a new rolling icon through configurator, place a full TRASH icon (no workaround still known to me for changing icons depending on the trash status) and empty file to the trash so you are happy . Go to actions and set the first one to "nautilus --no-desktop Trash:" and the second to "mv "%1" ~/.Trash". This way when you drag and drop a file over that icon it will be moved to your trash! Actually when you drag and drop a video over your mplayer icon it will start playing it (!) so it is a general thing. We only did a workaround for a gnome trash here.

I hope it works for you, I will be editing this tutorial, to become better as it is lengthy...

WORKAROUNDS:
*Whenever you wish to save a config open configurator and "store configuration now". Whenever you close the kxdocker through the tray it is automatically saved.
*If you make sth you don't wish to be stored, do not close the kxdocker through the tray icon, kill it!
*Remember to close kxdocker before logging out through the tray, so you won't loose the configs you 've made during the session.

P.S.: Sorry for the length of the tutorial, but that's the main reason for no such how-to's for kxdockers, it is a complex thing to do.

P.S.2.: Let me know if it worked for you, my only joy is the felling I helped somebody...

Here is a screenshot so you will get an idea how it should look. (image quality is poor but it should do the trick)

[jogebau]

Hi, remember me from the other thread?

Got it installed and I am configurating it now. Ive got a few issues.

1. Icons that I put there have the highres icon i assign to them, but icons of running applications have some really ugly lowres icons. if i change that and restart theyve got the lowres icon again.

anything else can wait, im tired

thanks anyway

[turbojugend_gr]

@jogebau: You have to do all the steps, what you are saying is in step 4. If you do this nicely you will end up with your icons having an arrow under them when the app is running. It has to do with the "matches" thing. I suggest you should readd through the post, you should be allright. Of course there should be apps, you use very rarely and therefore you didn't create a launcher, those would end up with their /usr/pixmaps icon on the dock, for those I just changed the icons.

[jogebau]

Hi, again, how do I add a seperator (like these double lines)?

[jogebau]

Dont worry, worked it out myself:

Just add any Icon to the bar, reset its class to GSeparator, leave its Iconname empty and delete any actions.

CU

[mdwuznik]

Do you guys mind posting your full config for the use of other people ?
Configuring kxdocker form scratch is fairly exhausting, so maybe we could benefit from your configs and only tune them a bit to suit our needs fully ?

Cheers
Michal

[turbojugend_gr]

@mdwuznik: M8 what you say is like a two-bladed knife, it can do your job quicker, but it may hurt you as well... I would but then you wouldn't have the experience to configure it according to your needs, therefore you would spam posts asking for help, it shouldn't take more than 1 hour, and you wouldn't have learned how to organize your thought too.

Although if you feel I am talking crap, you can google up a conf, I 've seen some of 'em (actually I think the official kxdocker site has a pilot one), but never seen a how-to. That's why I made this and didn't post my config for others. The fun is in creating your system your way, as a linux user that's what I love. I am sorry if you feel I am mentoring you, that's not my point.

Long story short, I believe that this docker is superb, because it gives you so much freedom, it's like it passes you to another pc world, the one linux users like, the one that thought is not imprisoned in stanzas, you will feel so if you create it your self too...

P.S: Yes I know it is "very-very" similar to the OSX docker, that's the think, this one is not preconfigured, oh and the most important part, it's for linux...

[foofightrs777]

I'm trying this under Edgy. When I make I get the error:

 Entering directory `/home/craig/Desktop/kxdocker-1.1.4a/src'
/bin/bash ../libtool --silent --mode=link --tag=CXX g++  -Wno-long-long -Wundef -ansi -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=500 -D_BSD_SOURCE -Wcast-align -Wconversion -Wchar-subscripts -Wall -W -Wpointer-arith -O2 -Wformat-security -Wmissing-format-attribute -Wno-non-virtual-dtor -fno-exceptions -fno-check-new -fno-common    -o libKXMouse.la -rpath /usr/lib/kxdocker -avoid-version -module -L/usr/share/qt3/lib -L/usr/lib    xeplugin_mouse.lo -lXtst libkxdocker.la 
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lXtst
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make[2]: *** [libKXMouse.la] Error 1
make[2]: Leaving directory `/home/craig/Desktop/kxdocker-1.1.4a/src'
make[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
make[1]: Leaving directory `/home/craig/Desktop/kxdocker-1.1.4a'
make: *** [all] Error 2

Any ideas on what's wrong? Is this dapper only?

[turbojugend_gr]

Nope it ain't dapper only, I use edgy, have you installed all the deps as Supriyadisw sais?

[foofightrs777]

Yes, I was able to install the main package so I am able to open the "basic" kxDocker with window borders.

I have been unable however to compile the newest "useful" packages (kxdocker-resources-version.x.x.tar.bz2, kxdocker-configurator-version.x.x.tar.bz2, kxdocker-dcop-version.x.x.tar.bz2, kxdocker-i18n-version.x.x.tar.bz2 kxdocker-trayiconlogger-version.x.x.tar.bz2). I need these packages if I am to continue to your tutorial. I'm running into problems during the make.
When I try to make the configurator I get an error similar to this one for several pages:

xeplugin_configurator.h:114: error: forward declaration of 'struct XSConfigurations'
xeplugin_configurator.cpp:259: error: invalid use of undefined type 'struct XSConfigurations'

Also, on the linked tutorial page there are typos in the dependencies. build-essential was spelled incorrectly. There's another package as well its listed as '*-driver'. The proper package name is now '*-drivers'.