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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: http://asia.cnet.com/news/software/0,39037051,39191548,00.htm
From:       Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton <lkcl () lkcl ! net>
Date:       2004-08-27 22:31:20
Message-ID: 20040827223120.GB3782 () lkcl ! net
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dear kevin,

thank you for responding.  unfortunately i'm not on the list so this
is going to be a bit disjoint.

> > i want to GET RID of the kicker program.

> remove panel.desktop from KDEPREFIX/share/autostart

okay, examining that file shows that it runs kicker.

if i stop kicker, it stops the ability to run "dcop kicker kicker
popupKMenu 0" and have it work.

what i should be clearer about is that i don't want the "panels" of
the kicker program.

i want to have the _option_ to provide an alternative to the kicker
panel system.

and, with kicker providing the total domination and exclusive access
point of the "menu" system to applications, AND also having no way to
disable "panels" fully (that i can find), _that's_ what i mean by bad
design.

you get everything - or you get nothing.

there is no choice.

superkaramba is EXCELLENT.  i am writing systray themes, running-program
bar themes, rolling-bar themes, sub-menuing themes, and i'm considering
doing a "tabbed" theme that will activate a rolling-bar sub-menu theme,
because a "tabbed" theme will provide maximum useable screen space.

... and yet, stupidly, if i want to have the kde start menu - and also
to have applications be chooseable if you double-click on a document
or right-click on a document to select the application/mime-type, i have
to have this program called "kicker" which has a user interface that is
so mid-1990s it hurts.

> I think whatever you are doing is based on a bad design.
> If I understand correctly you want to depend on the functionality of a
> program 
> you want to replace, instead of properly providing the functionality 
> yourself.

 yes, you are absolutely correct, that's exactly what i do not intend
 to do at this time [provide the functionality myself].
 
 i do not _want_ to be forced into a position where i must do
 "all or nothing", which is what kicker's design forces all programmers
 considering writing alternative desktop interfaces to do.
 
 i am employing an incremental development technique called
 "not biting off more than you can chew".

 in other words, i want to be able to give users the choice,
 _plus_ i want to be able to tackle each step one-at-a-time.

 and replacing the entire DCOP service called "kicker" is not something
 i wish to consider doing at this time.

 if i end up with no choice (because the developers do not feel like
 putting in a switch to disable the panel of kicker) then i will.

> > can i make my superkaramba theme be what RESPONDS to "dcop kicker
> > kicker
> > popupKMenu 0" events?

> Sure, you just have to register a DCOP client kicker that exports an
> interface kicker


 ah.

 that's the bit that i don't want to tackle right now - so i am going
 for a "hack".

 i am, as i mentioned, FORCED into running kicker, i have to select the
 "panel" options which make it:

 - transparent with no colour
 - 1% wide
 - auto-hide
 - small fonts
 
 etc.

 this is ridiculous: there should just be an option to switch it off!

 l.
 


-- 
--
Truth, honesty and respect are rare commodities that all spring from
the same well: Love.  If you love yourself and everyone and everything
around you, funnily and coincidentally enough, life gets a lot better.
--
<a href="http://lkcl.net">      lkcl.net      </a> <br />
<a href="mailto:lkcl@lkcl.net"> lkcl@lkcl.net </a> <br />

 
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