KDE3.4.2

[AussieJohn]

I have found that going into MCC ----> Services and deactivating the hal-daemon results in the cd/dvd-roms icons reappearing on the desktop, if that choice has been earlier selected in Kde Control Centre -----> Look & Feel ----> Behavior.

The noticeable difference is that the icons themselves appear to be approx. 60% transparent but their title text is normal.

Also when you open the new desktop Icon titled Media, you see that the cd/dvd-rom drives appear in there (and the floppy) and all the partitions that are presently mounted.

Now still in Media, but with the hal-daemon activated, you see NO cd/dvd-rom drives and EVERY partition of ALL your hard drives including those NOT currently mounted. This is insane and impractical because it only gives the sizes of the partitions but does not identify them except for the Windows ones ( uses the same partition titles used in windows ) and then does not tell you which ones are mounted. Since all of this kind of information can be obtained via other apps, this app is a total waste of time and resources the way it is presently applied.

 

I cannot understand the thinking that the desktop icon function be disabled yet still have the pretext of allowing setting up for it on the desktop via Kde Control Centre.

The very fact of disabling the hal-daemon and finding the icons on the desktop means that KDE is making that possible but hal is subverting that without giving any prior indications of that fact.

 

The more I look at hal, and its present use or use here, it mainly seems to serve the gnome based hardware storage application called Removable Storage. Presently I am not sure there are any real advantages that could not be, or are not already being carried out by just using KDE and all its allowable preferences.

If using hal means that I cannot have my optical drives on the desktop or appear in the Media desktop app then hal or the way it is being used is reducing my choices and options and not supporting or enhancing them.

 

I think someone in Mandriva got a bee in their bonnet about how wonderful this gnome media manager ....Removable Storage thingie is and decided it had to be the default for everyone. This stuffup comes from within Mandriva by adopting something new as a default without thinking or working it through properly first.

 

Another farcical point is that when the new desktop icon called System is clicked on, it includes an icon titled Storage Media and when that is clicked on you find EXACTLY the same as in the Media named desktop item. Useless duplication of something useless, in its present form, in the first place.

 

Now remember these are only my opinions based on what I see and experience after all I am not a computer geek or programmer so there may be good reasons for the way things are done but I certainly cannot see them. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

 

Note that all of this occurs exactly the same in my other current install of Mandriva2005-LE with kde3.4.2 on a second hdd so I don´t think it is something peculiar to my setup.

 

 

Cheers John.

Edited August 13, 2005 by AussieJohn