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

It's radically important for me to be able to use wireless network connections on the go. So, till KDE 4.2 programmers get their act together, I need an alternative.

...

Fortunately, I've got one.

I went back to my Kdomows install. But, it had fallen behind the times of my "improvements" to my KDE 4.2 desktop. So, I had to spend a while checking different combinations of programs.

I ended up with icekd34omows. There are some trade-offs, but more or less, I'm happy with the result.

The starting point is Gnome. Gnome's interface to NetworkManager works, so there we are. But, I use a lot of kde programs, so add kicker. And, there are a few features I like in IceWM, so add that. And finally, there are some necessary proprietary programs I have to use, so lets put Windows into a Virtualbox. And then for frosting, let's toss in cairo-dock.

The first image shows a Gnome panel at the right, Icewm at the bottom and kicker top and left. Also peeking out next to the top kicker is cairo-dock. On the desktop is Superkaramba's "Aero Monitor" and Xdaliclock.

BTW, I tried to test the compiz window manager, but for some reason its not working in my install any longer. I don't get any window frames at all. Weird.

Now, in the second screenshot, we can see the cairo-dock expanded. Also, at the bottom, I've pulled the Gnome panel to the front, covering the IceWM panel.

Then in the last screenshot, you can see I've added the Windows start bar above the IceWM panel. Also, firefox is running, but is "rolled up" in window-shade mode. I get the window theme from IceWM's "Infadel2". This theme used to be available in KDE, but hasn't been part of the default install on OpenSUSE for awhile. The window-shade mode is super convenient, especially with this nice thin window headers.

I had to trade off graphics "effects" for the infadel theme. In the Gnome panel, I'm running the compiz "fusion-icon", and if I switch from the IceWM windows manager to KWin, I get my kde4 theme and windows effects.

It's interesting that the Superkaramba widget looks the way it does, in sort of "transparent" mode. If I start it before I "restart" IceWM, it looks as you see it in the screenshot. If I start it after restarting IceWM, then Superkaramba complains that transparency is not enabled, and I get a somewhat grey panel with a white "chrome-like" border.

What I mean by "restart" is that when Gnome starts in this mode, there are no window boxes, some effects are not working and there is no IceWM panel -- even though IceWM is pre-selected via the fusion-icon. But, by clicking on the already-selected IceWM windows manager choice, I get window boxes, the Infadel theme and the IceWM panel.

Anyway, absent a few plasma widgets (that won't stay put anyway), this setup is pretty much everything I want. (Not to mention, stable). I like the KDE4 panels a bit better, but one can't have everything. And, in trade I get the infadel theme AND I get the Kima applet on the kicker panel. I really like Kima because it is a very small text readout of a lot of info, instead of the big graphical monitor I get in KDE4. And, being on the panel, it's always visible.