I am trying to find the file or directory that modules are added to the Start (K) menu in mandrake 9.2 for each user to have a different desktop. Ex:Adding the Mozilla icon to each user in a particular department. I need this information for a class and can't find this information. Thanks!

The directory which is the most equivalent in general to the Documents and Settings=>Username folder in Windows is each user's $HOME folder. User's individual settings are kept in hidden folders in the /home/username folder.

However, even though I have not done this myself, it seems to me that the easiest way to accomplish your goal in general would be-- rather than treating each user in the department as individuals, and thus reconforming their desktop icons one by one-- to collect them into the same group, and then configure a particular desktop for the group as a whole, so that all members would have that configuration.

This sounds much more "Linux-like"; and even though I've never done it, I do know enough about Linux to feel 95% certain that there is a relatively simple way for the administrator to do this, and it would be easily found if I knew where to look.

The first two ideas that come to mind:

1) the desktop profile should be loaded from the server somehow (I know this is possible, as I've seen it used in schools and companies to give all students/employees the same desktop and branded wallpaper);

2) create an alternate KDE session which is configured the way you want it for each group and then make that alternate the default session for the members of the group, while other groups can use other custom sessions.

Again, sorry that I can't give you more pointers as to where to find further instruction on either of these options, but if you're administering a departmental network system, you probably have a better idea where to find documentation resources on these subjects than I do, anyway.

Hope this helps in some respect.

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Our teacher wants the directory or file that this information is kept. He would like to add something to the start menu (What is it really called?) for a specific user after the user is added and then modify the text file for that user, this will show after the user logs on. Even though this isn't very linux like, This is the information that he wants. Thanks, Renee

Generally, it's called the Main Menu, but under KDE it is often referred to as the "K" menu (due to the icon), or the "Kicker" (which I believe is it's proper name according to KDE specs). Under GNOME, the same menu is called the "Foot" menu, because the Main Menu icon looks like a foot.

Do you actually have KDE installed under Mandrake 9.2? In that case, you could just log into it and look. How are you supposed to do this assignment otherwise?

In any case, you might investigate /home/username/.kde (turn on "show hidden files" in your file manager to see this folder) and then look in the "apps" directory. I have no idea if this can be used to create per-user menus, but at least some of the applications on my Kicker menu live there. I do not know how it relates to the KDE Menu Editor, which is the traditional and preferred way to edit the KDE main menu.

If a text file or program is intended to run on startup, a launcher for that file should be created in /home/username/.kde/Autostart.

Good luck.

Well it took awhile but I found the where and how to do it. The path is /home/user/desktop, right click> Create New> Link to Application then make the link. Now I have to find the default user settings that are used when a new user is added and logged in for the first time. Thanks!

That looks like something that would be in the KDE application folders, which on my system are in /usr/kde/3.2/share, but in most distros are in /opt/kde, and I think that Mandrake does it that way too (not a big KDE user, so I don't actually remember from my time with Mandrake).

I would generally guess that when the user logs into KDE, it checks for the .kde folder in that user's home directory; if it does not exist, it creates that directory with the default settings copied from the main application directory.... somewhere. There's a lot of stuff in there, and of course you are more likely using KDE 3.1.x than 3.2.2 as I am, so even if I could find the wizard or script that does this, it might be different from your setup (KDE seems to have changed quite a bit under the hood between 3.1.x and 3.2.x).

Hope it helps as general area to start looking, anyway.

If we come up with any more interesting information I will pass it along for you. Thank you again, Renee

Not a linux - security question. Moving thread to Linux - general.