dual Monitor drama LM18.1

Ah, I see that Cinnamon doesn't want to cooperate. Bummer! I found a few items about manually editing some files (defaults.list and mimeapps.list) to change the default file manager, but the links are old and I would not put much, if any, faith in them. They mostly describe making Nemo the default, but of course you are looking to replace Nemo with something else instead and will have to modify the instructions, if you decide to attempt any of the changes. To try many different file managers like this will be a real pain.

If you want to peek at them, here they are:

https://unix.stackexchange.com/ques...e-default-filemanager-of-the-cinnamon-desktop

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=208&t=115611&p=648075#p648075

An Ubuntu description (but since Mint is based on Ubuntu, this could be relevant too):
http://www.fandigital.com/2013/01/set-nemo-default-file-manager-ubuntu.html

I'm loading up a live DVD of Mint/Cinnamon and will look around. Will add or edit if I find anything.

Cheers!
 


As @wizardfromoz showed above, the icons can be moved closer to the screen edge by unticking the "Keep Aligned" function (right-click an open space on the desktop for options). This works in both MATE (installed) and Cinnamon (live DVD) that I tested, both of which seem to default the icon spacing fairly far from the left screen edge. I guess Clem and the Mint team like that margin, or else there is a purpose for keeping that screen area clear... perhaps the hot corners feature.

There doesn't appear to ever have been a horizontal gridline to snap to, so that 2 or 3 columns of icons do not align neatly. Disabling "Keep Aligned" removes the vertical "snap to" gridline only. However, there still seems to be a left screen edge limit which is based on the text below the icon... like a "left justify" in a document. You reach this limit by dragging an icon halfway off the screen and dropping it there. This makes the graphical icon alignment irregular unless you rename each item to keep the text short and comparable to one another (or else move them far enough away to visually align the icons).

The dconf-editor (in dconf-tools package) provides some low level control over Nemo and the desktop, and it's possible a solution is there, but I haven't discovered it yet. I read that the "hot corners" can be disabled with the dconf-editor, but I don't know (and I doubt) that will change the vertical "snap to" gridline.

I'll try to dig a little more if time allows, but the next week or so is going to be sporadic for me.

Cheers!
 
Hello all

atanere, I will outline where I am up to, with a view to you or other Staff letting me know if I am going off-topic (and I note your disclaimer at end of last post).

The screenshot below is Linux Mint 18.1 'Serena' Cinnamon (which the OP is working with) ... well it is, and it isn't. It is based on that, but has had the Xfce DE added to it.

k0MDooz.png


It looks as if I have just performed a clean install of 18.1 Xfce, the only thing I have changed so far was to enlarge the Panel a little.

Prior to that I had put on MATE as well.

The choice is determined at login screen, where I can pick the default Cinnamon, or else choose MATE or Xfce. I am unable at the moment to do so with KDE, as the process both in 18.0 and 18.1 tells me there is a broken package that cannot be fixed.

For the most part, you can just logout, choose another DE and login. Some changes require a reboot.

For example, with Xfce, although Thunar is installed, doubleclicking Home opened with MATE's Caja.

I went into preferred applications, chose Thunar over Caja, rebooted and all works.

Browser settings, tabs and bookmarks, all apps installed from elsewhere (eg Nightingale, Brian likes), are preserved from DE to DE. With MATE, my larger cursor was preserved, but with Xfce I had to go to Mouse & Keyboard - Themes, to get the DMZ back to 48.

You have to repopulate your Panel/s, set Wallpaper, possibly a few other things.

The process is enabled using Synaptic Package Manager, and performing a search under "mint meta", as below:

05u3h94.png


... and you can see near my cursor the references to KDE, MATE & Xfce.

I would install them one at a time. When I tried, with 18.1, to install both, I got hiccups.

Once installed, at login, head to top right corner of pane, where there my be an iconified "Ci" (Cinnamon), "M" (MATE), or "X/Xf" (Xfce), or a Greek letter Lambda, or even a cog. Click that and you get your choices, then enter your password. After one choice change "Default Session" is really "Last Chosen".

I can expand on this more once I get a green light from Staff, or I can run a Tute or other Topic on it.

I thought it might help Brian (Condobloke) to try the different FM's to see if they handle his icons better.

Cheers all and

Avagudweegend

Wizard
 
Opened Synaptic packet manager.....searched mint meta.....arrived at the screen showing in your post above.
Selected Mate....mark for installation....'marked' the extras required...read the ...'this is your last chance to back out etc...clicked the go button....
the result is below....
r6w7lv.jpg


Then unmarked mate and marked XFCE for installation....clicked on 'apply'....
kagq5u.jpg


clicked apply........
it is downloading package files......Installed.

Will now try Mate ...again.
....Clicked apply...a few flashes...installing....done......Very quick...maybe 10 seconds..?! mint meta mate now has a green square icon at the front of it which would normally indicate it is installed...?!

Trying KDE, again
AS soon as I mark kde for installation its 'square turns RED......clicking on apply brings up an error message..."Could not apply changes !...Fix broken packages first !"

Go to 'edit'...fix broken packages...
2rcn8t1.jpg


Will now reboot and try it out.

More later
 
Yes, KDE appears to be a stumbling block, sad ... Dolphin FM is quite good.

I expect there is a solution, just gotta find it.

Enjoy Linux ... I do

Wiz
 
Solution found
MATE

I am sorting out the bits and pieces as I type.

Brilliant, my friend....just Brilliant !!

Brian

wcmeq9.jpg
 
Always good to see a happy Linux user.

Later

Wiz
 
Very nice work to you both! Linux is not always out-of-the-box friendly, and it's always good to see solutions found and happy users. Again, well done!

Cheers!
 
Just a postscript before this Topic winds down.

atanere referred at #22 above, to the "left justify" phenomenon with text beneath the icons.

In Cinnamon, you cannot change the names of Home and Computer. Home is fine, but 8 letters in Computer makes for alignment problems.

In Mate (which tends to default to <username>'s Home), you can change both. So I renamed to Home, and called Computer Puter.

In Xfce, the option to rename is there, but greyed out. Go figure.

I am off to try a Linux Mint 18 KDE, see if I can multi-DE it, then upgrade using Clem's inbuilt upgrade, and see if changes hold. I can report on these things elsewhere if there is interest.

Cheers.

Wiz
edited typo
 

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