Same here.
I'm running KDE 3.5 RC1 in Kubuntu 5.10

Oops, my bad. I tried with another user and there it worked fine.
If you get this problem (re)move the ~/.kde/share/apps/kdesktop folder and the ~/.kde/share/config/kdesktoprc
(I removed both and then checked, so I don't know which one was causing the problem...)

First of all, sorry for spamming...
After examining this some more, I found out that it wasn't the config's fault, kdesktop seems to behave like kicker did until 3.5 RC2, it works if it's not started from kdeinit.
If you get this problem, try running "killall kdesktop && kdesktop" in some way ("run command" or konsole, for example). That makes it work for me at least.

So do you mean this is fixed in RC2.
If not I suggest not to search for workarounds but some developer to fix it.

I don't know if it's fixed in RC2 (I said hat kicker was).
This isn't a very good workaround either...

I've now tested RC2 (kubuntu's testing packages) and I still have this problem.

Blowing my .kde folder fixes this (so it's a config thing), but I don't want to do that.
Any ideas what in my .kde folder that can be the problem?

Some interesting facts(?):
* When  align to grid doesn't work, the dcop call lineupIcons doesn't either, so something prevents code from running somehow.
* Changing screen size makes align to grid work again.

I guess something makes the lineupIcons function unable to read the screen size, I wonder what...

This is still there with KDE 3.5 final

i'm experiancing this bug aswell, with my users config upgraded from 3.4.3
new users work.

deactivating && activating icons on the desktop fixes the problem for a single session, but afterwards align to grid won't work...

Also experience this problem on 3.5.0 (align to grid doesn't work).

I finally solved this one (for me at least) If it works for you, the bug seems to be resolved. It seems to be a config thing, but knowing what caused it might tell the developers that there is some coding error, I don't know that part of the code, though.

Try the following:
1. Open  your kdeglobals file (`kde-config --localprefix`/share/config/kdeglobals, usually ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals) in a text editor, like kate.
2. There should be a [Section] called [$Version]. Remove all of it, until (NOT including) the next [Section]. (When I removed my kdeglobals file, the [$Version] section wasn't readded in the fresh version, so I guess it isn't needed.)
3. Save the file.
4. Logout and then login again.
5. Try moving desktop icons around. Does it work? Make sure "Align to Grid" is enabled, too... ;)

This worked for me, but I don't know very much about the KDE internals, so I can't guarantee it will work for you. Trying shouldn't hurt though, especially not if you make a backup copy of the kdeglobals file.

Fedora Core 4 with kde-redhat 3.5.0-4.0.fc4.kde.

After starting kde, I need to kill kdesktop and restart it to get 'align to grid' to work.

*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***

I'm experiencing the exact same behaviour as Clive (comment 13), also with Fedora Core 4 and KDE version:  3.5.0-0.4.fc4 Red Hat

Jocke's solution (comment 12) doesn't work for me.

Perhaps this is the same bug as bug 116341.
Do you use a multihead environment? The synthoms from bug 116341 are very similar to this one.

I don´t use a miltihead environment.

i fixed the problem by erasing my kickerrc.
the cause was that kconf_update had problems with that very file (spawned a amazing amount of processes! and died when system ran out of mem).

now everything works as expected again.

so this seems to be an upgrade problem really

Erasing my kickerrc seems to have fixed the issue with icons not aligning to grid (KDE 3.5 here).


Many thanks Florian.

BTW, I also didn't use multihead and had the same problem as everbody here.

This does seem to be related to Xinerama. I run dual head with a 6800GT and the proprietary nvidia driver. Delete my kickerrc, stop X and restart, icons are aligned to grid. The problem is related to kpanel spanning both screens. ie. if I then configure the panel to span both screens and restart X the icons are no longer aligned to grid. (Configure kpanel -> Arrangement -> Screen -> Xinerama Screen -> All Screens) I can now reproduce this at will. For me it is solely related to whether the kpanel is set to span a single screen or both.

I fixed this also by deleting the kickerrc (I don´t use xinerama).
I attached it so the bug can be fixed.

In my case I didn't need to delete kickerrc completely.

I just had to replaced the Xinerama=-1 option in kickerrc with Xinerama=0

I don't use Xinerama.

I fixed it by deleting kickerrc, now it happened again.
The solution was also to replace Xinerama=-1 with Xinerama=0
So there must be a bug somewhere which saves the value wrong.
Now it´s IMHO time for one of the developers to fix it :)

Any chance you are also suffering from same, additional, bug as I am? Whenever I log in or out of KDE, for a brief second it displays a different wallpaper to one specified in my desktop settings. It just flashes up for a second and then returns to my normal wallpaper (if logging in) or to KDM/GDM (if logging out). I haven't quite yet got to the bottom of this one yet!

Ross

Changing Xinerama=-1 to Xinerama=0 in kickerrc solved this problem for me too.

Changing the Xinerama-Option in kickerrc is only a success for a short while. For some reasons, this options is set to "-1" again after some time. Couldn't figure out when this happens yet.
Are there any news on this bug?

Christian

Christian's right. Sometime this week my Xinerama setting also returned to "-1" and messed up my icons again!

Ross

Changing Xinerama=-1 to Xinerama=0 in kickerrc solved this problem for me too. pero cual sera la solucion real? 

Same problem here with Kubuntu 'Dapper Drake' beta.

What graphic cards, respectively drivers do yo use? I have a nVidia 6600GT driven by the propietary nVidia-driver. Clive Messer also uses this driver. Can this possible cause the problem? So, anyone using other drivers?

I am not using multi-head environment.

This bug is related to the bug #45173 in ubuntu bug-database (https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+source/kdebase/+bug/45713)

nVidia binary drivers here.
Machine A: GF6800GT, Xinerama (CRT, TV)
Machine B: Quadro FX1400, Single head. (LCD)

I doubt it's a video driver related issue.

Mine's the standard Xorg Inteli810 driver.

I've spotted *when* the Xinerama setting is set to -1 in the kickerrc file, but I still don't know *why*.

I'm using a laptop with a native resolution of 1024x768, which I use at home, but at work it's plugged into an external monitor with a higher 1600x1200 resolution. Now occasionally when I log back into the laptop in it's native resolution the Xinerama setting has reverted back -1, and the desktop icons are no longer aligned. I've not seen this effect happen the other way around though, i.e. when I log in to the laptop with the external monitor connected.

Any ideas?

SVN commit 554047 by mueller:

fix align-to-grid option which regressed due to the startup performance
patches. 
BUG: 122001
BUG: 127672
BUG: 114766
BUG: 117952


 M  +9 -0      desktop.cc  


--- branches/KDE/3.5/kdebase/kdesktop/desktop.cc #554046:554047
@@ -735,6 +735,15 @@
     // hurra! kicker is alive
     if ( m_waitForKicker ) m_waitForKicker->stop();
 
+    // -2: all screens
+    // -1: primary screen
+    // else: screen number
+
+    if (screen <= -2)
+       screen = kdesktop_screen_number;
+    else if (screen == -1)
+       screen = kapp->desktop()->primaryScreen();
+
     if ( (screen == kdesktop_screen_number) && m_pIconView )
         m_pIconView->updateWorkArea(area);
 }

Bug is here again in KDE 4.0.1. Should I open a new bug, because it seems, that the problem is not the same?

Bug closed. Kdesktop is no more mantained.