Thread: LXDE desktop and confusion over system settings

with 20 years experience on windows, first foray linux.
win 7 downloaded ubuntu 11.10 32-bit,
, set on bootable usb stick , installed ok.
first thing encountered ghastly launcher.
whoever thought 1 must built differently me.

started looking alternative desktop more windows-like,
, located @ left of wide screen there acres of space,
, lxde, installed ok.

next need decent file manager, chose dolphin, part of kde4.
can perhaps see going -
later changes made desktop/windows features didn't show up
or lasted till next restart.
things present reported being not found
, became hopelessly confused , felt must have stuffed things up
decided on clean install.

wrong usb stick configuration,
decided download wubi downloads installation package again.
little did realise getting 64-bit version -
have 32-bit cpu (intel e6300) has extensions handle 64-bit instructions
, wubi decides take advantage of that.
nice if ubuntu announce on initial screen.

went through desktop changing business again
, ran same problems, specifically:

1. system settings window has less icons did.
1 has gone missing sound.
sound icon put on application launch bar of lxpanel
launches system settings, not sound.
gnome-sound-panel.desktop same thing.

2. startup applications icon launches window
, has autokey-gtk , knemo in it,
don't launch @ session startup.
path items said apps in /usr/share/applications/*.desktop
changed /usr/share/applications/kde4/*.desktop
are, still don't launch.

3. there numerous apps changing windows' appearance,
don't change anything,
, changes don't stick.

hope picture.
mustn't have grasped basic desktop environments.
if there explanation of basic ubuntu system file structure
, how changing desktops affects this.
unfortunately keywords general searching turns everything.

if want close windows, install kubuntu. file system learn linux. pretty same.

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