[gentoo-amd64] Re: iconify vs minimise

[Duncan]

Gavin Seddon posted <1140358032.9522.10.camel@linuxstation>, excerpted
below,  on Sun, 19 Feb 2006 14:07:12 +0000:

> I think this is a 'lame' question but I'm sure others would like to know
> this.  When I minimise applications in kde they go to the taskbar whereas
> in windowmaker they form icons.  This is actually better  if one has alot
> of things going at once and it negates many desktops running for different
> apps.  This is an excellent feature of IRIX where I first came across
> this.  Does anyone know how to enable this in kde?  I have looked on
> google and I  saw hints this may be a feature of KDE 3.5.  Is this true?

KDE (I'm running 3.5, which is ~amd64, but the features are in older
versions also) has several possible methods of handling minimized apps. 
It's up to you to configure one that suits your style, if the default
doesn't.

First of all, the taskbar is simply a kicker applet.  You can move it to
extension panels or choose not to have a taskbar at all.  As with any such
applet, simply right click on the little "applet handle" to the left of
the applet, and choose remove, if that's what you want to do.

In addition to the taskbar, there are several other alternatives as well. 

One is simply not using a list, and using alt-tab (or whatever alternative
hotkey you may have configured) to switch applications.  If you hold down
the alt and release the tab, it will keep the popup list in place so you
can see what's there and then hit the tab again (while still holding the
alt) to get to it.  Note that it's possible to configure KDE to only show
the tasks on whatever desktop you are on, if you are running multiples,
or to show apps from them all.  This is configured under Window Behavior,
Focus tab, Navigation.  If you have it configured to show only apps on
your current desktop, you may find it particularly convenient to enable
the scrollwheel over desktop changes desktops option.  This one is found
in Multiple Desktop configuration (kcontrol), and allows you to change
desktops with the scrollwheel over the desktop (not while over an app, in
which case the scrollwheel applies to it, of course).

Right clicking on a kicker applet handle (or on an empty space or on some
but not all applets) and choosing the panel submenu, there's a submenu for
"add new panel".  Within this submenu are two choices having to do with
managing windows.  Kasbar is pretty close to what you asked for, an icon
based interface.  If you don't like where it gets added or its behavior,
as usual, it's configurable.  You can configure it to display only one
icon for multiple instances of an application, which will popup a list of
them if clicked, or a separate icon for each.  As usual, you can drag the
bar to another side and configure it for always-on-top, autohide, or
whatever, as desired.  There are a few other config options as well.

The second window lister panel extension is "external taskbar", which is
pretty much what the name says.  The advantage of having a dedicated
taskbar panel is that you can configure it separately from your other
panels.

There are yet other alternatives as well.  It's possible to configure
left/middle/right-click on the desktop to popup the windowlist.  If you
regularly minimize windows and don't like a taskbar or Kasbar, and the
alt-tab interface isn't enough for you, this may just fit the bill.  The
option is available under Desktop Behavior (from kcontrol or I believe the
default right click on the desktop, Configure Desktop), General tab. 
Here, I have my middle button set to popup the windowlist.

If you are short on panel space but still like an option available on your
panel, the same windowlist is available as button, that can be added to
the panel.  Again, right-click on the applet handle or an empty spot on
the panel near where you want the windowlist button, select panel config,
then add button and windowlist.

Finally, one more option is not minimizing at all, but rather, using
window-shade mode.  In this mode, apps will roll-up like a window-shade to
just their titlebar.  Personally, I find it a bit annoying, but I'd find
floating icons a bit annoying as well, and that's what you are asking for,
so you may like window-shading.  That's why KDE allows all this
customization, because they recognize that not everyone wants stuff
working the same way.  Under the window behavior configuration, Actions,
you can configure the behavior of a window if the titlebar is
double-clicked. MSWormOS behavior was to maximize and that's what I have
set here.  If you like window-shade mode, however, you can set it to
toggle window-shade mode instead, among other available options.

So... many window management options to suit many different individual
styles... you pick what you want and customize KDE to work that way.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman in
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/12/22/rms_interview.html


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