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Or do I absolutely have to turn on desktop effects for KDE (for transparency)? I'm having issues with the nvidia driver, and on just the Intel graphics accelerator, it doesn't really handle the desktop effects very well.

Looks like you need Bumblebee. The Intel part is only good for saving power so you will need Nvidia for the graphics.

OK, I'll check that out. I turned on desktop effects for a moment, the widgets remained white.

Yep, and they're still staying white.

Looking good though
Is that KDE? Looks like Xfwm to me.

What is your still Intel?

If it is KDE; I stopped using it a while ago (so I suck at widgets these days) since Xfce4 fills both the KDE and Gnome shoes. Openbox has become a bit buggy lately (I use mdm login manager; that would be the culprit) so I am mostly on Xfce now.


Works nice with Compiz too

No, I finally got ticked at Mageia's XFCE (XFCE being what I normally use), so am using KDE on it. Mageia's XFCE has not implemented any of the newer features of XFCE that I can see, like they have in say, Arch or other distros. I can't even move a taskbar to the bottom, it's that behind. No movie taskbar is a biggie - if not a showstopper - for me. I can delete a taskbar in it, but not move one.
It's OK, I finally got really really really really pissed at Microsoft today for a forced upgrade to 8.2 without warning or anything, and I'm set to not auto-update. It uninstalled everything I had installed, screwed my desktop settings, the works. I was almost finished with my Aquaria game in it - it's gone. I'm not the only one pissed either. It's even worse than Windows 8.1. So, guess what? Microsoft is now finally completely going from my computer soon as a friend is done using the computer. I found out that Linux will not blow my warranty, either.
Guess which two distros I'm going to use. Just guess. Mageia won't be one.
*sigh
I guess it's just gkrellm for meters for me then in KDE, and maybe the hardware info one. The widgets are just insanely ugly with the white background, and screw the whole look of the desktop.

You can move the bar to the botom in Mageia too:

It is just a somewhat tricky procedure:

1 Right-click on the panel
2 Pick Panel->Panel settings (or something similar).
3. Uncheck the "Lock Panel" button that is in the menu that appears.
4 Grab the bar at the corner and drag it to the bottom.
5. once done; Check the Lock panel button again - and life is good

Thanks!
One would think it would be right there in the menu like it is in most. That is quite not obvious! I'm used to having it there where I can tell it Top, Bottom, or whatever.
Anyway, other plans are in the works but I will keep this in mind.

Manjaro-compiz!

Nice!

Good old and plain Xfce;

Checking out postimage