Version: 1.0 (using KDE 4.0.0) Installed from: Debian testing/unstable Packages Hi, When dragging a folder from dolphin (or konqueror) to the desktop an icon is created that has the same name as the original folder. There is no indication whether the folder dropped on the Desktop was copied, linked to, or moved. This is a problem b/c how one doesn't know what will happen if different actions are performed on the folder icon. If I delete the icon, will that delete the original data? (no if copied or linked, yes if moved). If I edit a file will that change the original data? (yes if linked or moved, no if copied). With some experimenting one can determine it is some kind of link like connection to the original folder. This is not obvious by looking at the icon or even examing the icon's properties. One possibility is to make a little curved arrow on the icon to symbolize "link" (as in KDE3) and in the properties say "link to folder blah blah". Thanks for your hard work, C. P.S. Personally, I would prefer a plain symbolic link to be created in the Desktop folder over whatever magic .desktop file is being created some unknown place. :)
I've changed the component from Dolphin to Plasma, as the drop-behavior of the desktop is outside the scope of Dolphin.
> This is not obvious by looking at the icon or even examing the icon's > properties. plasma is not a file manager. figuring out how to make that clear to people who have been using their desktop as a file manager for the last 20 years is indeed an interesting question. marking every icon with the link symbol seems a bit gratuitous as that is all there are. there's probably a very sensible solution just lurking around a corner here somewhere. > prefer a plain symbolic link to be created in the Desktop folder the Desktop folder is deprecated.
>marking every icon with the link symbol seems a bit gratuitous as that is all >there are. Those of us who copied or moved folders to the desktop have more than links on our desktops. :) >the Desktop folder is deprecated. Out of curiosity, is this deprecated by freedesktop.org, LSB, or who? C.
> copied or moved folders to the desktop actually, you moved it to a folder on disk that was being displayed on the desktop layer. "the desktop" is an abstraction, a view .. it isn't a file system itself. in 4.0 (and likely still in 4.1) we offer a traditional approach of "show icons the $DESKTOP folder as individual icons on the desktop". this is purely as a transitional aide. in 4.1 we'll also be offering a "show icons in $ANYFOLDER as an expandable list/stack of icons" which opens up a lot more possibility in workflow and maintenance. at some TBD point in the future we will be removing the "scatter icons from a given specially blessed folder on the desktop" misfeature entirely. > is this deprecated by freedesktop.org, LSB, or who? neither (nor are either particularly relevant here =). it's deprecated by plasma. why? it is a idea from an age when we would stick floppy disks into computers that had little to no internal mass storage. today it's just a really, really stupid idea that ceased being relevant years ago.
>at some TBD point in the future we will be removing the "scatter icons from a >given specially blessed folder on the desktop" misfeature entirely. As long as I know how to interact with the icons that appear on the desktop, I don't care. :) In other words, I want to know whether it is linked, a copied, or a moved. In KDE 3 the standard was to prompt (copy / move /link?), so there should be some way to show "it is a link". One idea is to have some sexy inward pointing arrow on the "links". An arrow that looks fast standing still. This would not appear on the actual folders, but at the same time wouldn't be ugly appearing on all/most plasma era desktop icons. :) namaste C.
Anyway, users should be informed how plasma and the desktop are working even in those aspects.
*** Bug 153748 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
In reply to: actually, you moved it to a folder on disk that was being displayed on the desktop layer. "the desktop" is an abstraction, a view .. it isn't a file system itself. in 4.0 (and likely still in 4.1) we offer a traditional approach of "show icons the $DESKTOP folder as individual icons on the desktop". this is purely as a transitional aide. in 4.1 we'll also be offering a "show icons in $ANYFOLDER as an expandable list/stack of icons" which opens up a lot more possibility in workflow and maintenance. at some TBD point in the future we will be removing the "scatter icons from a given specially blessed folder on the desktop" misfeature entirely. ===== I want to say some things: 1.- I want to expose a real life example: When you are sitting in a chair in front of a table (formerly called Desktop), what do people do with temporal things they get them (papers, notes, pencils, and so on...)? The answer is that 99% of people uses their Desktops for that purpose. Try to find real Desktops (tables) without anything more than just the screen and anything on it... 2.- I've asked some of my friends, and told about KDE 4 new features and things, and they all told me that it should use Desktop for that purpose as always too. And judging this bug comments, there are even more people who needs this too. The thing I want to say is: OK, it was this was since many years, but complete deprecation of such a essential feature is not a good idea. In that case, I suggest disabling it by default (if it is your intention), but anyways have the possibility to enable it. From my side, I've been working with KDE4 trunk since RC1, and I try to get used not to use Desktop as I always did, and the result is that I need to do more work than before (I meant, downloading files to Desktop, and so on), because I need to open dolphin, search, etc.. To sum up, I don't want to start a discussion here nor offend anyone, only to give my opinion as user.
folderview makes this br moot.