Version: (using KDE KDE 3.3.2) Installed from: Compiled From Sources Compiler: GCC-3.4.3 OS: Linux This bug is to replace Bug 79932 which simply has too many conflicting comments. Please try to keep your comments on topic. And the topic should be how the user should be able to control the icon spacing on the desktop when using "Align to Grid". Some information for those that have happened on to this: You can set the icon grid by hand by adding: DesktopGridSpacing=x,y to your: ~/.kde/share/config/kdeglobals file, in the: [DesktopIcons] section. I use 32x32 icons and have this: DesktopGridSpacing=50,6 Everything works fine except that the only way to change it is to edit the file. So, the question is: How do you want to be able to control this with the GUI? Some have requested that they want the automatic setting from previous versions. Due to implementation issues, this might not be added soon, but I think that it is a reasonable idea that automatic should be the default. I want manual setting. I presume that what is needed is two spin boxes (x & y) in the Control Center somewhere. This should be considered a bug since it is something that is missing -- it should be added to the next bug fix release. Realistically, we will probably get this first since all that is needed is a GUI to set the above paramater. With manual setting there is an additional issue regarding the x, y spacings: they are not actual grid (center to center) spacing but rather the distance *between* the icons. The y setting is the space between the botton of the text space (even if it is partially empty) and the top of the icon below it. So, the question is whether this system which makes the grid dependent on the icon size and text size is best, or if we want center to center spacing. Note that IIUC the patch to allow the user to set the number of lines of text has been committed to HEAD but I haven't had time to try it yet. -- JRT
*** Bug 79932 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Here is what I would find ideal: I think it should be center to center, with the text auto-hiding to the correct length to fit (use an elipsis - "long filen..."). Then if you click on an icon that has a shortened filename, it ought to show you the WHOLE filename (even if it obscures an icon below it). All of this should be able to be set in the Control Center under "desktop->Behavior->General" Since I don't want to use an automatic setting, I don't mind if it defaults to just straight number (play with it, and see what seems best). Then again, I don't mind if it defaults to automatic either, as long as I can change it.
My two cents, the last thing KDE needs is another GUI option. It should just work.
i believe Ian's correct. to have two spin boxes in the control center to control the spacing of desktop icons is ludicrous and steps over the line of "sane configuration" into firmly not-sane grounds. it's configurable now, and kconfigeditor should make it discoverable when kdesktop gets kconfigxt'd.
I would recommend just having a single slider, possibly paired with a spin-box, and keeping the configuration from the control panel to being square. Also, if Qt supports embedding widgets into menus (I've never seen it done, so I'm guessing no) I'd put a control into the context menu for the desktop like [ Icon Spacing: <-----|----------> ] so that people can easily change it whenever they want to.
Created attachment 9423 [details] Screen shot showing icon name truncation.
On Friday 04 February 2005 15:15, L.Mark Stone wrote: > --> (http://bugs.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=9423&action=view) > Screen shot showing icon name truncation. It would help if you describe what you want to say with this screenshot. Also, this is a screenshot of konqueror, not kdesktop, which this entry is all about (of course those 2 apps use the same widget, but use the settings slightly different). Guessing: you want to know what you can do to display more of the item text. -> see konqueror/settings/appearance/height for icon text
DesktopGridSpacing=x,y seems to be broken in 3.4 beta2 and 3.4rc1, well, at least it stopped working here as i upgraded. or did the syntax change somehow? additionally - if i use "align to grid", and have an ikon at the bottom of my desktop, right above the kicker panel, and then hide kicker, the ikon moves one line up. i hide/show/hide/show kicker, and it moves up again. pretty strange!
KDE 3.4 has a method to set the spacing. Control Center: Appearance & Themes -> Background Click the MAGIC BUTTON: "Advanced Options" Perhaps this is not the best solution but it does work. So, I am closing this. -- JRT
hmm.. there is only lines and width for icon *text*. i thought this was about the space between the icons, like you wrote in your 1st comment?
Re: comment #10 Adjusting these two settingsfor the *text* does control the icon spacing. I use 32x32 icons and have the width set to 72. As I said, perhaps not the best solution, but it does work. -- JRT
good, does work with 72 (horizontally) - im am using 32x32 as well. maybe you put this as the default? IIRC it defaults to "2", and that is a little misleading, perhaps? however, it does not work vertically. how do i fix that one?
btw.. one problem persists. if you line your icons horizontally, and put them to the bottom of your desktop, they will line-up if you hide/show kicker. sorry, but IMHO this bug is not fully fixed yet. OTOH, thx for all your work, though.. i guess this is what bugs.kde.org is all about - even if it hurts ;)
just btw.. a better place would be ICONS and not BACKGROUND, though ;)
On Wednesday 02 March 2005 17:57, hds wrote: > however, it does not work vertically. how do i fix that one? The vertical spacing is defined by the maximum number of lines possible for an icon and is defined also in the advanced tab of the background properties. Yes, I know this is not the best place, which was already discussed a lot on kde-core-devel. Therefore I think this will change in KDE-4 when a lot inside kcontrol will be redesigned.
now, it works, thx. had to set lines to 1 here. just btw.. if you set lines to 50 or greater, kdesktop will segfault ;)
Vertical spacing is still not acceptable on my system. I'm using 3.4 RC1 with 48 size icons and Lines for Icon Text set to 1. Aline to Grid still insists on putting a huge space between the bottom of the text and the next icon and only allowing 5 icons per row. If I use the Line Up Vertically option this results in a nice tight spacing of the icons and allows 7 icons per row. Unfortunately this option does not have a way to set the user defined positions and will rearrange the icons each time I click on it, not allowing me to keep the icons in the order I prefer. Something still needs to be none to either fix the vertical spacing between icons in Aline to Grid or have the Line Up Vertically option be able to remember a user define arrangement. Thanks, Sal
What resolution and Font/size for the desktop are you using?
Re: Comment #18 I have a 1024x768 screen format set at 100 DPI With 32x32 icons and Arial Narrow 9. I find that the vertical spacing is slightly larger than it was with: DesktopGridSpacing=50,6 In KDE-3.3.x -- JRT
Please consider reopening this bug. I see no mention of any improvement in KDE 3.4.1 :( Aline to Grid has been a mess for it's users since 3.3 was released. There have been a number of bugs posted about the different problems it has caused, http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=79932 http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=47627 are just two. They are marked as resolved but clearly are not. If we could just go back to the pre 3.3 grid system most of these problems would be corrected. I was using the DesktopGridSpacing=x,y hack of the kdeglobals file to keep things reasonably set where I wanted them but the change in 3.4 to the kcontrol-background-advanced dialog system broke that as well. As user should be able to arrange icons where he likes them, click aline to grid to get them perfectly lined up and then just forget about it. They shouldn't get moved around every time he hides/unhides the task bar or logs out/in. Nor should the grid spacing for the icons put a huge gap vertically between the icons. Something needs to be done with the Aline to Grid system, Please. Sal
Re: comment #20 This was closed because it is now possible to set the icon grid with the GUI. Please see my comment #11. If you think that it needs improvement, you are welcome to open additional WishList items suggesting specific improvements. But, please don't suggest that we go back to 3.3 since I can tell you that that isn't going to happen. I agree with you that the the vertical setting could use some improvement. I would like for it to be setable in pixels like the horizontal setting. Your comment contains more than one suggestion (some of them good) so I would also suggest that you open a separate issue for each one. When you open a new issue, please CC me: tyrerj@acm.org -- JRT
James, thanks for the quick response. I do use the GUI but as you admit the vertical spacing still leaves a lot to be desired and to top that off even when you can get a half way exceptable look things won't stay that way if you hide/unhide the taskbar or logout/in, an open bug # http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=47627 What I really don't understand is your request to open new reports or wishlists, this report should be reopened as the solution is not acceptable and there is already at least one open on the icons moving around. But in the end these problems all stem from the dynamic grid spacing system that started with KDE 3.3 and is the root cause of both the problems. OK, we're not going back to a system that worked, so lets have the developers get together to solve what is really one problem that causes multiple bugs and not have different people all trying to cure different bugs from differnet angles. I'm not trying to be negative here, we just need a more productive way of addressing the problem. Thanks for listening and all your help, Sal
Bug closed. Kdesktop is no more mantained.
We don't close bugs, we resolve them.
Indeed, it is "CLOSED FIXED" :-)