Remove panel shadow in KDE 4.8+

Question

It seems that panel shadow is somehow hardcoded in KDE 4 and devs do not have any plans to change it and/or make it customizable. So, what I'm actually asking is some kind of hack (if there is any) which will remove the shadow of the panel in KDE 4.x completely (but without need to disable all desktop effects in the process).

Possible application: When a user wants a completely transparent panel, no top/bottom borders at all, the shadow is completely out of place and destroys the experience.

Solution

Could you

Could you show an example picture ?

How did you make/test it ?

At here

Editing the neon-plasma-glow-by-FRUiT plasma/desktop theme /widgets/panel-background.svgz picture file. Disabling the object fill -> full transparent panel.

I can't see panel shadows.

Take 2

KDE documents:

• http://userbase.kde.org/Plasma/TweakingPlasma
• http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Tutorials/Plasma/Theme

From the Kubuntuforums:

• http://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?56120-Customize-plasma-desktop-theme

The original Air theme (1), Transparent (2), Without the shadow (3).

1) Copying the default plasma theme (Air) from the /usr/share/kde4/apps/desktoptheme/default to the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/transparent .

2) Editing the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/transparent/metadata.desktop. Changing the theme name to the Transparent

3) Editing the ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme/transparent/translucent/widgets/panel-background.svgz

4) Changing the Fill from the Linear gradient to the No Paint. The result is a transparent panel with the shadow (2)

5) Removing the shadow. Picking the shadow elements and deleting them. The result is a transparent panel without the shadow (3)

6) If you want to use the partial/mini panel edit the mini elements. Change the Fill to the No Paint.

The panel svg image is a bit bare....

Comments

[Admin]

possible duplicate of How to change color/transparency of all desktop panels?

[Meho R.]

Thanks for your suggestions. Still, I do see the shadow, as the image shows (I used the same theme you mentioned). Note: if I disable desktop effects and enable them again, the shadow does disappear. But if I change desktop theme, the shadow appears again.

[Meho R.]

OK, killing plasma-desktop might just make the difference. Will see if it holds water :-)