Greetings .... A few Q's to Help Me Get Going Quicker!!

[kiisu]

Hey All

Just got started up on Mint KDE Daryna an hour ago and I'm liking it quite a bit so far. I'm still relatively new to the whole Linux experience but I've learned a lot in the last few months. Started on Kubuntu, moved to Ubuntu, then Suse, now Mint. Each time I've consistently impressed myself with how much quicker I get past the initial bumps. But, as I said, still a newbie so if anyone wants to offer an opinion on these elements it'd be welcome. Thanks for having me!

1)Is there anyway to set the level of compiz, like on Ubuntu the Appearances menu had a Visual Effects tab that could be set to Normal, Advanced or Custom? I found that full effects slowed the sytem down too much but the Normal or Advanced were perfect.

2)I've lost control of the front volume wheel on my laptop ... it didn't work under Kubuntu either so this must be a kde issue ....

3)Trying to download themes/icons/etc, from kde-look website didn't give me anything, just went on to a page with some code on it ... this could just be a problem with their site?

4)I decided to try something other than Firefox for a change -> are there no bookmark toolbars in either Opera or Epiphany?


As always any and all help is much appreciated.
-k

[kiisu]

No Replies !?!?!

No worries. Q.#4 is settled, I poked around a bit in the preferences of Opera, am using it now and plan to stick for awhile.

I'm still hoping for a proposed solution on the front external volume wheel -> I know if it worked in Ubuntu there must be a way to get it working under KDE.

As for Compiz, my computer has the built in Intel 945 chip and from what I've read it should run rather fast. Suggestions? I get confused when I hunt around google searches, for example what is glxgears and should it be running automatically? I don't think it is on my systems.

Thanx again!

[catweazle]

On your question 1. See daryna menu under --> Preferences --> Advanced Desktop.
If you do not have this entry you will have to install Compizconfig-settings-manager with mint-install or synaptic.

On question 4. Yes there are in Opera.

[kiisu]

Thank you.

I've got Compiz running but as I said it's not all that smooth, does anyone have suggestions on tweaking it for best performance with my graphics card?

[catweazle]

Not without computer spec.
What is your processor and graphics card ?
How much ram memory ?

[kiisu]

toshiba p200
1.73 ghz with a gig of ram
Graphics is Intel 945, which I think I said earlier I have read of people using without issue.
cheers

[catweazle]

Specs are ok for compiz.
glxgears and glxinfo are in the package mesa-utils. Can be installed with mint install.

What is your problem with compiz ?

[MagnusB]

2)I've lost control of the front volume wheel on my laptop ... it didn't work under Kubuntu either so this must be a kde issue ....

3)Trying to download themes/icons/etc, from kde-look website didn't give me anything, just went on to a page with some code on it ... this could just be a problem with their site?

2. Can you find a keyboard shortcuts setting in config manager (sorry, I use GNOME, I have NO idea of where to find it in KDE). In GNOME you can easily configure your keyboard shortcuts, so I guess Mint finds the button, but it isn't assigned to volume control.
3. It is a problem with GNOME look as well, not all themes are hosted @ KDE/GNOME/XFCE-look and thus the external link may be broken at some times, annoying, I know, but I have no idea what to do about it...

[kiisu]

@ Catweazle - I checked and mesa-utils are installed, although there's a few other mesa-____ installs (swx11-source, common-devs) that aren't. Problem is just generally Compiz is sluggish when compared with Ubuntu experience. I never enabled it with Kubuntu so can't be sure if its more kde related or if its something i can easily fix.

@MagnusB - I had looked around in keyboard shortcuts and around the sound configurations before without any success. It's a difficult subject to google around for as well but I'll give it another shot. You were right about the kde-look site, either there was a problem there or with me (i was up late that night) but i went back the next day and was able to find a bunch of eyecandy. Any secret to changing the login screen in Mint? I changed the Usplash and Bootsplash no problem but for some reason the login artwork I tried to use wouln't show...

[MagnusB]

I am on the verge to recommending GNOME, but I am biased in the situation. If I remember correctly, the login screen is changeable in KDE, somewhere in the control center. It has been over a year since I last tried KDE, so I have forgotten most I learned then.
I would just recommend to browse through the control center (or what it is called) and looking at settings and learn to navigate through it. And I completely agree with the *-look.org, I also had some troubles learning how to install themes, etc. Some of the themes have a pretty good install guide though...

[kiisu]

I found the login manager (it's under 'system administration' in kcontrol) but i cannot change the actual login screen - the one where I type my username and password - previousl in Ubuntu I had a beautiful theme using a Bosch painting - now whatever I set it to, it remains the LinuxMint screen and just gives me a quick flash of my artwork as it changes to the regular splash screen. It's not really a big deal though, I will continue to play around with it. As for the volume wheel, perhaps I should make a seperate thread for it and hope to catch the attention of someone who has gone through this exact problem in kde mint.

[catweazle]

You might try the gnome desktop to check if you have a sluggish compiz under gnome as well.

Code: Select all

sudo aptitude install gnome-desktop-environment

At the login screen you can select the session (kde or gnome). So you have always a way back to kde.
My guess is that it is kde related.

[MagnusB]

You might try the gnome desktop to check if you have a sluggish compiz under gnome as well.

Code: Select all

sudo aptitude install gnome-desktop-environment

At the login screen you can select the session (kde or gnome). So you have always a way back to kde.
My guess is that it is kde related.

I do not recommend running both KDE and GNOME just to check for something like that, if you want GNOME, by all means install it, but you will suffer some speed loss on your computer. I generally recommend to keep to one DE at a time, unless you really want more.. I would rather download compiz config manager and tweaking the settings there, it is basically what "Normal" etc does in Ubuntu, but there is default settings there...