I followed the instructions here for enabling the xdesktop plugin:
http://wiki.litestep.com/Themes:Development:Uniform_Desktop

I opened the xdesktop.rc file after recycling, and it is blank. I opened it again after doing a complete shutdown, restart, and it is blank. So, I donwloaded the 1.7.5 plugin .dll, and I changed the load line from 1.7 to 1.7.5 (not sure that was exactly the right thing). Anyhow, after recylce and even a restart the xdesktop.rc file is still blank. Can I simply copy someone else's xdesktop.rc file? I thought it was supposed to write some information to that file.

erm, ok, that tutorial is actually pretty good.

OK.
First some silly questions:
Are there icons on your desktop?
Are you actually loading the module?
did you tell the module to write to that file?

Yes there are icons on my desktop (that I can move around)

Yes, I am loading the module (when I inserted the comments in to personal.rc and desktopconfig.rc I had two copies of every icon). I disabled icons for the built in plugin that is in the installer built by omar.

I have these directives in desktop.rc (which is referenced by a line in personal.rc):
xDesktopAutoCreate
xDesktopConfigFile "$PersonalDir$xdesktop.rc"
It is my understanding that the first line tells the xdesktop plugin to create the config file if it can't find it, and the second one tells the plugin to put int config file in my personal folder (C:\Documents and Settings\JeremyH\Application Data\LiteStep\personal) with the filename of xdesktop.rc. Now, there is a 0KB file named xdesktop.rc in my personal folder. I have run a search for xdesktop.rc, and the xdesktop.rc in my personal folder is the only one on my pc.

This works as an absolute bare minimum. This is for specific theme use. In the theme.rc (theme's root folder) add in:

Include "$ConfigDir$xdesktop.rc"
Include "$ConfigDir$desktop.rc"
*NetLoadModule xdesktop-1.7

Note: I use 1.7 because 1.7.5 has icon errors.

In the theme's Config folder, create these two files:

xdesktop.rc
desktop.rc


Open xdesktop.rc in a text editor, and add in:

xDesktopAutoCreate
xDesktopConfigFile "$ConfigDir$desktop.rc"

Close/save it. Recycle Litestep.

That's all there is to it. If you want to add config options from the xdesktop readme, add them in the xdesktop.rc file. Icon positions/types are saved in the desktop.rc. That file needs no editing.

I personally don't like the whole uniform desktop thing. If you do, it should be pretty simple to translate the above to be uniform though.

Xcal, thanks.

Just thanks. I've been all over the wiki and the readmes.. but nowhere could I find what you wrote here that simple :D

Old thread...but, I do have something to add. ;)

There's actually another module that emulates the explorer shell's dektop icons better, now. All you have to do is stick this in a theme.rc:

The downside... FontColor is broken on XP. It's always white, except the defined color shows when icons are dragged. Also, less bells and whistles.

If you want explorer's right click context menu, change WootExplorerDesktop from false to true. X/Y coords, and Width/Height can/should be adjusted depending on your theme.

Hmm, now I've read the readme for xdesktop i've searched the forum.. But still i have one problem, I get the my Documents/this computer Icons and I can't remove them.

In the xdesktop readme, there's a
line that i should use. It doesn't work, so I'm probably doing something wrong here (Note: my windows is not configured in english, but I've tried with DesktopNoMinaDokument as well, doesn't do anything). Appearantly I'm doing something wrong. But what?
The line should be in xdesktop.rc right?!

Yes, but you have to recreate your desktop.rc file.

Oh crap what a stupid way for me to help, I don't have xDesktop installed. What's the bang that he needs?

Just delete your desktop.rc file and recycle, that should do the trick ;)

(The icons you want to disable were created before you told them not to be created).

You rock dude. I'd never been able to figure that one out :)