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List:       kde-bugs-dist
Subject:    [Bug 260360] Panels and windows hidden behind desktop background at
From:       Duncan <1i5t5.duncan () cox ! net>
Date:       2011-12-13 19:41:00
Message-ID: E1RaYDk-0008RM-Li () bugs ! kde ! org
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https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=260360





--- Comment #75 from Duncan <1i5t5 duncan cox net>  2011-12-13 19:40:58 ---
(In reply to comment #74)
> I am affected by this bug in Kubuntu 11.10. How do I fix it?

Workarounds include (not all will work for everyone):

* Stick with two monitors, don't run with only one.  Or once you get one
working, never plugin a second and run with two.  It's the switching from two
to one that seems to trigger the bug, so if you don't do that, you shouldn't
trigger it.  (This workaround would mean desktop users with multiple more or
less permanent monitors setup, never switch to only one, and laptop users only
use their builtin laptop monitor, never plugging in another.  Obviously this
isn't going to work well for especially some laptop users, which will have to
use other workarounds, but this could be the best choice for those who almost
always use the same setup, they'll just have to be a bit more rigid in keeping
it that way.)

* As described in the original report, setup a second activity (you'll need to
do this when it's working, perhaps with a second monitor plugged in) identical
to the first.  Then when the bug occurs, switch activities and stop the bad
one, using the WORKAROUND procedure described in the original report.

* If you do run two monitors, don't put panels on the second one, only the
primary.  It seems to be these panels that misbehave when switched back to only
the primary, and if there aren't any, there aren't any to misbehave.  (This
should be reasonably easy for many.  Just don't put panels on anything but the
primary monitor, even when two or more are in use, but this might not cure it
for everyone.)

* The original reporter reported that the problem went away for him when he had
only horizontal panels, top and bottom, no side panels.  Thus, that might work
for some.  (Additionally, I've noted other bugs, apparently unrelated, see bug
#272663 for an example, with top panels.  It seems bottom panels are the most
tested and least likely to cause other issues.  Thus, if you're having issues
and can possibly work with only bottom panels, try that.)

* The problem appears to be related to configuration details stored in
plasma-desktop-appletsrc (see comment #30, and note that kde ships with its
config dur as ~/.kde but some distros change that to ~/.kde4, so whichever path
you have).  Deleting it from a text login, or deleting the problem second
monitor bits from within it, will probably help many people.  However, note
that if you delete the file entirely, you'll return to a default desktop
arrangement.  If you've done a lot of customizing, you'll need to redo it. 
(Based on my experience with other bugs, that file's a magnet for them.  If you
customize, get the setup the way you want and backup the file, so you can
restore it and get your old settings back if it gets screwed up.  Also, once
you're setup how you want, try not to screw with things, as unfortunately, it
seems that every change is rolling the dice on getting a new bug as a result. 
In my experience, just adding or moving around a plasmoid/widget isn't too
risky, but adding panels or activities is rather more so.)  **This solution
should work if you can't get a working desktop to try any of the others,
assuming of course that you are comfortable logging in at the text console or
in another desktop environment (gnome or whatever) to be able to edit or remove
plasma-desktop-appletsrc.

* Someone mentioned that switching (one or more activities, he had to switch
the one he'd created while running a second monitor) from desktop layout to
folderview layout fixed the problem for him.  So switching layouts may work, at
least for some people.

* There's always the backup your home dir (or less drastic, just the ~/.kde or
.kde4 dir) and start from a clean config method.  Or create a new user with a
clean config and see if the problem exists there.  Either way is an excellent
troubleshooting method, to check if it's something in the user config or a
general bug even with a clean config.  If it ends up being a user config issue,
as it often does, you can use the bisect method to narrow it down from there. 
The .kde (or .kde4 on some distros) dir has two primary subdirs, share/config,
and share/apps.  Try with one but not the other.  Once you figure out which one
it's in, try with half the content there and half missing.  Then on the bad
half, try with half (so now a quarter of the total) there and half missing. 
Continue narrowing down until you narrow it down to a single dir and then a
single file, or until the pain of reconfiguring everything that's left is less
than the pain of continuing to test.  Once you've reached an individual file,
if desired, switch to a text editor and continue to narrow down to the
individual [section] and then the individual line.

The bisect technique (last one, above) requires a bit of patience, but is an
incredibly useful problem isolation technique that you can use on nearly every
kde config-related problem, as well as on other problems in life in general. 
The first time you use it (for a kde problem) is the worst.

(I've been using the bisect method for years, here, since early kde3 at least,
and back in kde2 and before that in MS land, in some form.  It really does get
easier at about the 3rd or 4th time, as you really do have a better
understanding of how kde works and can shortcut the process accordingly.  And
understanding kde better as a result isn't a trivial benefit, either, as it can
help avoid many problems in the first place.)

The workarounds are all there (or in the case of the last one, bisect, are
common sense if you think about it), but this brings them all together in a
single list.  Hopefully it's helpful to those still dealing with the issue.

Duncan

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