i should be working (but i'm fixing my computer).

So, my lxde desktop has become increasingly annoying. The launcher widget rarelywor after first start-up.  The panels disappear when rotating desktops.  Getting wicd or nm-applet running is annoying.  The tapping on the touchpad must be restarted.

I couldn't use KDE 4.6 because the keyboard system wasn't working -- I got multiple letters on a random basis.

...

Since my first effort with KDE 4.7 on another computer was unsatisfactory, I had not tried it elsewhere, but it occurred to me that since I couldn't use 4.6 anyway upgrading to 4.7 couldn't make things any worse.

So ... I upgraded.  Now, I just don't understand what's with the changeover to openGL.  I can't get effects to work with the default openGL OR the xrender option.  But, effects worked fine with the prior versions of KDE 4.  Not only that, but I used to have compiz running on this computer.  Well, I still do, but when fusion-icon ceased being maintained, I lost the ability to get compiz to have any window management or theme.

I don't know why.

So, the features of my linux machines come and go.  Just as with my daughter's LT3103u gateway, where the video was working for awhile, now it's not again and I have to roll back to a more plain vanilla driver rather than the radeon one.

[LATER:  LT3103u problem seems to be resolved by starting linux at grub with the "nomodeset" option, which can be added to the kernel command in the /boot/grub/menu.lst if you  want it to run every time you start.

But, WHAAA!!, same solution did not work on the Acer.]

On my acer aspire one, when KDE 4.7 started up, didn't work.  that's because effects were enabled, as it turned out.  When I would select <ctrl><alt><del> or push the power button, I would get a display of what was on the screen "somewhere" behind the non-working effects, but then I would be in shutdown mode so I couldn't do anything.

I logged into my lxde desktop and shut off the effects, so nowKDE4.7 works.

The touchpad and keyboard are improved, so now I can actually use KDE.  BUT ... the touchpad system has inherited the annoying refusal to remember the tapping settings, so I have to go through the personal settings every startup.  This is even more cumbersome than turning on tapping in LXDE. (Oh, wait, seems to be working now.  I removed ksynaptics that I had running from KDE 3, maybe that made a difference, I do not know.)  But, another issue -- ksynaptics had an option to stop touchpad while typing, which I really need.

I don't have a functional network manager.  The kde4 networkmanager requires a roll-back of a lot of programs.   the plasma widget doesn't work, demanding a different version of NetworkManager than the installed one.  The version from kde3 won't work either; and lastly, I can't get nm-applet to run.

So, this means I have to use wicd.  wicd is working ok.  But then again, I don't presently know how to get EasyTether to my android to work with Wicd.  So, there are vicious circles to deal with here.

I will have to quit my day job to work full time at my "night job" of trying to keep my cmoputers doing what I want them to do ... for my day job.