desktop icon spacing in KDE

[daniewicz]

Mandrake 10 with KDE 3.2. If I align my desktop icons vertically and then attempt Align To Grid the icons are spaced too closely together.

 

Adding the following to /usr/share/config/kdeglobals does not change the horizontal or vertical grid:

[DesktopIcons]

DesktopGridSpacing=50,50

 

Adding the following to /usr/share/config/kdeglobals does not change the vertical grid but it does change the horizontal grid:

[DesktopIcons]

GridXSpacing=50

GridYSpacing=50

 

Any ideas how the vetical grid spacing can be altered?

[arctic]

change your desktop-font to something smaller or larger in order to see if the icons will align in a normal way then. it is the most simple way to fix this kinda "problem".

[daniewicz]

I have played around with different desktop fonts and text sizes, but this doesn't seem to be helping at all. Are there no other work-arounds?

[chris z]

there's a file in /home/(you)/.desktop that you can edit. i forget the name right now (at work). look in the /desktop directory for a .rc file, or something like that & open it with a text editor.

 

Chris

[daniewicz]

Thanks chris z for reading. I do not have the .desktop folder. I do have a Desktop folder, but it only contains links to the executables associated with my desktop icons.

[chris z]

ok..........

 

the name of the file is called .directory. it's in that folder, but it's hidden. you need to enable hidden view for files. so, open Konqueror->view & check the "show hidden files" entry. then, go to the /desktop folder & open the .directoy file with a text editor & check the various XYZ co-ordinates for desktop icons & the spacing. adjust as neccessary, then save it.

 

Chris

[daniewicz]

I have "show hidden files" enabled, but I am not seeing the .desktop file.

[chris z]

it's .directory........................... not .desktop.

 

here's what mine looks like in a text editor. if you open yours, you can just change the XY co-ordinates to suit your needs.

 

[Desktop Entry]
Icon=

[IconPosition::Burner]
X=12
Y=72

[IconPosition::CDplayer]
X=17
Y=10

[IconPosition::Floppy]
X=10
Y=141

[IconPosition::Home.desktop]
X=12
Y=659

[IconPosition::Kover]
X=16
Y=589

[IconPosition::Mandrake Control Center]
X=98
Y=11

[IconPosition::Mount.desktop]
X=8
Y=206

[IconPosition::Trash]
X=90
Y=79

[IconPosition::dynamic_dev_v4l_video0_dynamic.desktop]
X=910
Y=15

 

Chris

[daniewicz]

Well here is what my .directory file looked like originally:

 

[Desktop Entry]

Encoding=UTF-8

Type=Directory

BgImage=

Icon=desktop

 

After looking at what you posted (thanks for that) I rewrote my .directory file as follows:

 

[Desktop Entry]
Icon=

[IconPosition::CD-Rom]
X=50
Y=210

[IconPosition::Dial-Up]
X=10
Y=200

[IconPosition::Firefox]
X=10
Y=190

[IconPosition::Floppy]
X=10
Y=180

[IconPosition::GuardDog]
X=10
Y=170

[IconPosition::Krusader]
X=10
Y=160

[IconPosition::Kwrite]
X=10
Y=150

[IconPosition::Log]
X=10
Y=140

[IconPosition::Terminal]
X=10
Y=130

[IconPosition::Trash]
X=10
Y=120

 

I have rebooted my computer, but these changes don't appear to be doing anything.....

[chris z]

here's another thought..........

 

do you use KDE? if so, do you have it set to "restore previous session"? if you do, it will use your original icon, etc. settings. try re-spacing the icons again, then go to Kontrol Center->components->session manager & set it to "start with empty session", then reboot & see if it sticks.

 

Chris

[daniewicz]

chris z:

 

Yes, I am using KDE. I tried your suggestion but unfortunately it didn't work.