Restored Mandriva

FredGSanford · 04-20-2009, 01:27 PM

I just recently restored Mandriva '09 after installing it and not doing much else with it. I do remember a few issues that I didn't sort out before backing it up. It's using KDE 4.1.1...I'm more of a Gnome user.

!. How do I set the time to 12hr format instead of 24hrs?

2. Some reason when I minimize open windows, they disappear instead of dropping to the taskbar/panel. How do I fix that?

3.I need to adjust my screen resolution, but I don't see an app to do it with. What do you recommend I use to adjust it?

Other than these few issues, Mandriva is a pretty nice distro.

Thnx.

jolphil · 04-21-2009, 07:09 AM

Hi,
You go into System tools,configure your desktop,Regional and Language, and set the time format..
You may have to reboot
Goodluck,
jolphil
Edit: Can't help with the other two..Sorry

ernie · 04-21-2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

2. Some reason when I minimize open windows, they disappear instead of dropping to the taskbar/panel. How do I fix that?

Do you see the panel at the bottom of your screen? If not, try moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen to see if the view scrolls to show the panel. If it does, use the keyboard combination CTRL+ALT+- to change the size if the view screen.

In explanation, the keyboard combinations CTRL + ALT + +(plus key on the numeric keypad) and CTRL + ALT + -(minus key on the numeric keypad) increases and decrease the screen resolution respectively, but they do not change the display resolution, so you may be seeing only part of your Desktop in the viewable display on your monitor.

Quote:

3.I need to adjust my screen resolution, but I don't see an app to do it with. What do you recommend I use to adjust it?

Open MCC (Tools > System Tools > Configure your computer in the menu system).

Navigate to Hardware in the category list (left).

Open the Set up the graphical server icon in the main pane. Click the Resolution bar. In the following screen you can change the resolution and color depth.

HTH,

FredGSanford · 04-21-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Do you see the panel at the bottom of your screen? If not, try moving the mouse to the bottom of the screen to see if the view scrolls to show the panel. If it does, use the keyboard combination CTRL+ALT+- to change the size if the view screen.

Yes, I have the panel at the bottom, and everything that normally sits in the right side corner is now in the center. Such as the speaker, clipboard etc icons. The clock is still on the right side.

My virtual desktops are grouped on the left side of panel,I think they should be on the right side.

I can use Alt-Tab keys to switch between open apps.

For the screen resolution, I am now able to make adjustments.

Thanks.

jkerr82508 · 04-21-2009, 04:42 PM

Right-click on the panel > Unlock Widgets > Add widgets > Task Manager.

To re-arrange the widgets:

http://forum.kde.org/howto-panel-in-...-2-t-6902.html

Jim

FredGSanford · 04-22-2009, 01:32 AM

jkerr82508, widgets add --> taksbar, did the trick.

Thanks to all.

FredGSanford · 04-22-2009, 11:01 AM

One more problem I can't seem to fix. Having four virtual desktops, I don't want all open apps showing up in the taskbar, but only show on the current desktop taskbar.

How do I change it? I've looked in System Settings, Desktops, Multiple Desktops and don't see how to change it. This is KDE 4.1.3

Thnx.

ernie · 04-22-2009, 11:16 AM

ALT+Click the task bar, select Task Manager Settings in the pop-up list.
In the General category, select Only show tasks from the current desktop near the bottom of the window in the Filters section.

HTH,

FredGSanford · 04-22-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

ALT+Click the task bar

It's not bringing up no Task Manager Settings. I'm trying left and right clicking with the Alt key. Alt-Left clicking don't bring anything up and Alt-Right click brings up the normal menu, which doesn't have Task Manager Settings in it.

Never mind I finally got it to work for some reason. I guess I had to many open apps in the taskbar and it wasn't working but now I got it.

Thanks again.

jkerr82508 · 04-22-2009, 12:45 PM

As you've discovered you need to right-click on an empty spot in the Task Manager in order to access the Settings dialogue. The easiest way to create an empty spot is to close some applications, although it is possible to right-click on the small gap (it is very small) between the applications in the Task Manager.

Jim

ernie · 04-22-2009, 01:22 PM

My apologies. I did not make clear that you are to use the right mouse button if you are right handed, or the left mouse button if you are left handed, in other words the alternate or secondary mouse button rather than the ALT key on the keyboard.

FredGSanford · 04-23-2009, 01:27 AM

ernie, no need to apologize. You've been a great help to me and I believe to others. Now, as my saga continues, I'm not sure what has happen but it seems I've screwed up KDE badly. After installing some kde 4.1.3 updates and changing the clock to 12 hour format, I logged out and back in and get a checkerboard looking background and nothing else for kde. I can use the mouse but right/left clicking does nothing. No panels or icons on the desktop.

During system updates, I had about four programs that wouldn't update do to some dependency issues. So I sorted those out and was able to update those four, which included updating some KDE 4.1.3 files. I'm at work writing this but did make notes, so if need more info I have notes at home.

I never did get the 24 hour time format changed so I searched around on google and found some info about changing it through Regional, Language etc applet and believing I made the correct changes. It also mention for some of the changes to take effect to log out and log back in, which I did and it seems this when I get the checkerboard background and not much else.

Now I'm not sure what caused this and how I can fix KDE without doing another backup restore. I can use Fluxbox and it's menu system, and it does show the default background image for MDK.

Any ideas/suggestions?

ernie · 04-23-2009, 06:48 AM

I am unsure what is causing this issue, but since you updated KDE files, it is possible that the update is at the root of your trouble. Since fluxblx runs OK, I can rule out any issue with Xorg. One method you may want to try to fix your current KDE installation is to rename the KDE4 directory located under your $HOME directory (~/.kde4). One possibility is to rename it to .kde4.bak, then log out from your Fluxbox session, and log in to a KDE4 session. KDE4 should create a new .kde4 subdirectory in your $HOME directory and start with a default configuration. If your problem is the result of a corrupted configuration, this procedure should correct it. You can then proceed to configure KDE4 as you want it.

Note: The tilde character (~) is a shortcut for your $HOME directory.

Note2: Any directory or file name begining with a dot (period) is a hidden directory. If you are unable to see these directories in your file manager, configure it to display hidden files (and directories).

If your problem is not the result of a corrupted configuration (or if you want a better KDE4):

I had problems with the KDE 4.1.x releases here, so when I learned about the "unofficial" KDE 4.2.x release for Mandriva 2009.0, I installed it. The current stable KDE4 release version (at this writing) is KDE-4.2.2. My experience with KDE-4.2.x has been outstanding. It brings a significant improvement in stability and usability. I recommend its use for all users.

Note: The KDE-4.2.2 repositories are located on the Internet. Because several hundred software packages will be installed, a broadband Internet connection is recommended. If you use a measured service, this installation may be expensive.

To install KDE-4.2.2, the following steps should be followed in order:

1. Switch to a console screen. Use the following keyboard combination:

Code:

CTRL+ALT+F1-6

2. Log in as the root user. To do so enter "root" as the user name (no quotes); press the ENTER key; enter your root password; press the ENTER key again.

3. Close your Xorg session. Execute the following command:

Code:

telinit 3

4. Add the KDE-4.2.2 Software Media Sources (Internet repositories) by executing the following commands.

For the i586 platform:

Code:

urpmi.addmedia KDE-4.2.2 --update ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/4.2.2/Mandriva/2009.0/RPMS/i586 with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia KDE-4.2.2-noarch ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/4.2.2/Mandriva/2009.0/RPMS/noarch with media_info/hdlist.cz

For the x86_64 platform:

Code:

urpmi.addmedia --update KDE-4.2.2 ftp://kde.mirrors.tds.net/pub/kde/stable/4.2.2/Mandriva/2009.0/RPMS/x86_64 with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia --update KDE32-4.2.2 ftp://kde.mirrors.tds.net/pub/kde/stable/4.2.2/Mandriva/2009.0/RPMS/i586 with media_info/hdlist.cz
urpmi.addmedia --update KDEnoarch-4.2.2 ftp://kde.mirrors.tds.net/pub/kde/stable/4.2.2/Mandriva/2009.0/RPMS/noarch with media_info/hdlist.cz

5. Install KDE-4.2.2. This step will take some time (several hundred packages to install) with the following command:

Code:

urpmi task-kde4

6. Start Xorg with the following command:

Code:

telinit 5

7. Log in to your GUI session as usual.

Note: When you log in to the GUI, you may need to select the session type (KDE) my clicking the Menu button > Session Type on the log in screen.

HTH,

jolphil · 04-23-2009, 07:26 AM

Hi Fred,
I Mucked up kde4 so bad once that I had to start Kde4 all over to the default values..
Here's how I did it..Go to your home folder and (view hidden files), navigate to .kde4,share,config...I deleted the config folder but I guess you can rename it..Anyway,after a reboot KDE will reload to default values..
There may be an easier/simple way but this worked for me..
Goodluck,
jolphil

PS: You are right..Ernie has not only helped me but many many others too..I should have read his post in more detail B4 I typed this one..Sorry

FredGSanford · 04-23-2009, 11:52 AM

Thanks again guys. I did renamed by moving the .kde4 folder and the config file with no luck in using kde.

So I followed ernie's suggestion to upgrade kde to 4.2.2...ernie, you may want to change the uprmi command for that repository from 4.2.0 to 4.2.2, which I figured out after receiving an error. Again no go after upgrading. A question I have on this is shouldn't it have upgraded all of kde-4.1.3 to kde-4.2.2 files? It looked like it didn't because I rebooted and still see some apps in the Help, About KDE showing 4.1.3.

So now I'm doing a complete upgrade of the whole system and going to see what happens.