how do I customize default desktop, etc.?

[jlmcp]

All,

New to Porteus, not to Linux, but like the modularity of this distro. I am thinking of creating a customized version for a specific application I am working on but want to research something first. I like the default graphics and whatnot, but I want to customize the KDE toolbar, default applications, etc. and simplify the desktop a little. Is this just a matter of decompressing the kde.lzm file and altering some settings?

Hints appreciated. I looked for a similar thread, but didn't see one. Please redirect me if I missed it.

Cheers-

jlmcp

[fanthom]

hello jlmcp,

Is this just a matter of decompressing the kde.lzm file and altering some settings?

yes, you'll have to tweaks settings in ~/.kde(4)/share for root and guest.
can't point you to the exac files as your question was not detailed enough.

[Ahau]

Welcome, jlmcp!

Yes, you have the idea. You will need to decompress the kde module into a folder (make sure it's on a posix compatible filesystem, not FAT) with xzm2dir, make your changes (most will be in the location fanthom mentioned), then compress the folder back to a module with dir2xzm.

While I'm adjusting settings, I like to use the 'changes-time' script to pick out the specific config files I'm altering, and then place them in rootcopy to try them out and tweak them until they are just right. Then I merge them using the method above (actually, I keep my customizations in a .txz package for easy tracking, and I just install the txz into the decompressed directory, but it's basically the same idea).

[jlmcp]

Interesting. Thanks guys.

Let me mess around with that a bit and see what I can figure out on my own, then report back if something doesn't make sense or work right.

Cheers-

jlmcp

[brokenman]

If you're just wanting to make changes for your own desktop then this is the long road.

Much easier to just right click on the bar and change the settings. Add or remove desktop icons using right click. After this choose 'save porteus session' from 'porteus settings centre'

If you are wanting to repack Porteus then the config files are the way to go.