Bug 60666

Version:            (using KDE Devel)
Installed from:    Compiled sources
OS:          Linux

I make quite extensive use of Desktop Icons, as this really eases everyday use. For example all my working Directories are actually inside the desktop directory, so I have quick and easy access to them. I also have the most important apps as icons on my desktop for the same reason. This of course leads to the fact, that my desktop has quite some icons on it, and I arranged them in groups to make it simple to quickly find what I'm looking for.

Now when I download files (usually with Konqueror, but also with other programs) I normally save them directly to the desktop directory to be able to easily continue working on them (unpack, archive to a folder etc.) A small annoyance in doing this is the placement of the icons on the desktop. A file downloaded into the desktop dir is placed as far in the top left corner as possible without interfering with other icons (no bug, I think this is the standard placement policy!). Unfortunately that leads to the fact, that these new icons which have no position explicitly assigned to them by me usually end up somewhere in the gaps between my icon groups, and if I download several files at once they are evenly distributed between my other icons...

Now for the proposal/idea I just had:
If I could tell kdesktop an explicit area, where such icons should be placed I could for example devise a rectangular region in the middle of my desktop (via kcontrol or other means), where all such icons should appear. This would be the "deluxe" solution to the problem (and I do not know of *any* desktop system, be it on Linux or not, which can do this, so this would be a real innovation... ;-)). It would probably already be an improvement, if I could just tell kdesktop not to start searching for free space at the top left corner of the desktop, but at another freely selectable point on the desktop, so the "new" icons could keep clear of other things on the desktop.

I know there would be several ways to work around that behaviour (separate download folder e.g.), but I keep using the Desktop for that as I can see what needs my attention at the first glance, without having to open another window.

BTW: I was a shell addict until some time ago (still recovering ;-)), but I have been doing a lot of tasks using KDE's GUI options for some time now... It was amazing to see how efficient working in a GUI could be. Keep up the really really great work. KDE fits my way of using a computer like a custom tailored glove. Can it get even better? (see above ;-))

Thanks
Patrick