taskbar missing from KDE

[a_hippie]

KDE has issues with dapper (maybe others too) taskbar.

If your task bar just goes away, disappears, goes AWOL, is no longer is pressent etc, you can get it
back. Sorry to say, this is a killer problem that would probably drive any novice Linux user back to MS or APPLE...

You will need to use some special keys on your keyboard to make this happen.

Press the ALT key and the F2 key at the very same time (ALT+F2)

A "RUN COMMAND" box will come on your screen. In that box, type: kcontrol
When the kcontrol window opens click on: Panels

Then click either: Only Hide when a panel-hiding button is clicked
OR
Hide automatically

Then click on the Apply button at the bottom. You can change these settings back to whatever was originally in use when your taskbar went insane later. This is just a work-around to get your taskbar back.

The real bummer is that if this happens to normal users who don't know all these short-cuts, they will never know that they can open a web browser using the same ALT+F2 command (like firefox or konqueror) and therefore be stuck at a dead end. I was able to start firefox and google the information I needed to get this taskbar working again (at least my senond time now!!!!!) I really hope this is no longer a problem with later versions of KDE, but what a show stopper this problem is for most people!! Sorry if this bug bit you too. It wastes so much time and is so unnecessary!

By the way, I'm posting this for google lookup.

regards

[NessHMC]

Re: taskbar missing from KDE

Thank you, thank you, a million times THANK YOU!!!

I have spent the last hour trying to resolve this issue. So simple, but unless you know exactly how to do it, impossible to fix.

Again, thank you...

[Snowhog]

Re: taskbar missing from KDE

An excellent and direct answer and solution (thanks a_hippie). Newbies will be sure to find this very helpful.

NessHMC - Welcome to the wonderful world of Linux, Kubuntu, and to the Kubuntu Forums.