# K Desktop Environment

The KDE Team
2000-11-06
2.00.00
2000
The KDE Team
&FDLNotice;

This is the KDE User's Guide, a complete documentation of the K Desktop Environment from the user perspective. The K Desktop Environment is a collection of tools that will make your UNIX life easier and more enjoyable.

KDE
user
guide

## About This Preview

Welcome to the KDE User Guide! Although this book is not yet complete and much of the information is still being rewritten, we hope this preview version will be useful in answering some of the questions that a new KDE user may have.

This book includes a complete introduction, a guide to KDE installation, a description of the user interface, three practical examples on how to use KDE for daily work, and a description on how to customize the KDE desktop. Also included is a table of shortcuts and some tips & tricks.

## Introduction

The CEO of a big software company, at the beginning of the 80s...

640kB ought to be enough for everyboy

Since the beginning of UNIX development, there has been one great problem: There were stable kernels, and good, powerful software. Unfortunately, only a few people could use UNIX, because it was written mainly for those students and professionals who had studied the system for a long time. For example, the standard method for reading USENET news was

    find /var/spool/news -name '[0-9]*' -exec cat {} \; | more

This problem has been solved. Today, there are many good frontends available, like tin and KNode, which provide easy-to-use, intuitive graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Unfortunately, the GUIs lack a common look-and-feel. Commercial libraries for programmers like Motif promised a solution to this, but these libraries remain far too expensive and far too slow.

The configuration of programs is also often difficult. While compiling is usually done with a commandline such as ``./configure` && `make` && `make `install``` only a very few programs can be configured with menus or scripts. In most cases, you must edit text configuration files yourself. It often happens that a misplaced period ruins the whole file, forcing you to restart the configuration process. Whenever you need to change your settings or reconfigure a program, the whole mess comes up again.

All this contributes to the fact that Linux and other UNIX's fail to reach a wider audience. At the same time, many people are not satisfied with their current operating system, mainly because of the lack of stability and performance found in those operating systems. Other people hate to buy a new computer each time a new version of the program they cannot live without comes out, because it needs more RAM and more disk space. Often the new version provides functions few people really need.

KDE is different. Although we do not try to replace the standard UNIX shell, we are working on a tool that will make using UNIX easier. We also want to attract more users to the UNIX environment. Simple things will be made easy and complex things will still be possible. Also, a single interface will be provided, instead of the dozens currently required.

### What KDE Can Do For You

We designed KDE mainly for those new to UNIX, and others who wish to avoid the complicated process of learning new technologies and commands not found in their old operating systems. We also provide, however, much of value to experienced UNIX users.

For those of you new to Unix:

  Do not even try to use anything else, because you are exactly the sort of person for whom we wrote this software. For you we provide:

  - A good-looking, easy to use windowing environment

  - A powerful, easy to use file manager

  - A simple, centralized configuration

  - An online help that will support you in every situation

For those with more UNIX experience

  As an experienced UNIX user, you will welcome the new features KDE has to offer:

  - A good, handy, and fast window manager

  - A consistent interface for your applications. You will no longer need to guess if the right or the left mouse button does what you expect

  - A lean terminal emulator that does not fill up your memory when multiple sessions are open simultaneously.

  - A stylish desktop that makes your friends jealous

### Background of KDE

In October 1996, German LyX developer Matthias Ettrich initiated the development of KDE with a USENET posting. Soon after, a couple of interested developers began planning and programming parts of the new project. One year later, the window- and file-manager, the terminal emulator, the help system and the display configuration tool were released for ALPHA and Beta testing and proved to be relatively stable.

In July 1998, KDE 1.0 was released. It was the stable version for the next six months, while developers continued work on improving KDE without stability constraints. In January 1999, their improvements were consolidated and integrated to produce KDE 1.1, the new standard, stable version.

Developers and interested users communicate via several mailing lists as described in the Mailing lists section. If you would like to help, please do so! We are still looking for helpers.

### Legal Notices

KDE is free software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which is included with every KDE component. You can copy and distribute KDE and its components as you like, as long as you always include the complete source code. See the GNU General Public License (GPL) section in the Appendix for details.

### How to Get New Components

The main site for KDE is http://www.kde.org. Here, you can find all important information relating to KDE, including announcements, bugfixes, developer info, style guides, a considerable amount documentation (including the newest version of this book), and much more. For software upgrades, please visit our ftp site, ftp://ftp.kde.org or use a mirror if one exists near you.

The directory `unstable` always contains brand new software, but it often is untested and may not even compile. If you are looking for more reliable components, please take a look in the `stable` directory, where we put Beta and release versions.

If you are interested in developing KDE applications on your own, you should also visit Troll Tech's server (http://www.troll.no) which features a great deal of information concerning the Qt library used by KDE. For development work, it is also advisable to join the developer's mailing list.

## Installation

Linus Torvalds, after finding one of his file systems smashed by a new Beta kernel

Core dumping fsck's tend to make me nervous

Don't worry! Although the use of some Beta software can cause considerable grief, it is unlikely that the installation of KDE will smash your hard disk. In fact, this chapter is designed to guide you through the installation process so that you can take a look at your new desktop as quickly (and with as little grief) as possible. As with all new Window Manager installs, it is recommended that you back up all your X11-specific configuration files before you begin the install. If you do not know the exact location of them, try all the hidden (`.*`) files in your home directory and the directory `/usr/X11/lib/X11/xdm`.

### Requirements

Before installing KDE, ascertain that your system fulfills the following requirements:

- A running POSIX compatible UNIX system. UNIX's that are known to work with KDE include: Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, HP-UX, and MkLinux. We are working to make KDE available for more platforms soon.

- Some free hard disk space on the partition where `/opt/kde` will be created. We recommend that you reserve about 50MB if your system supports shared libraries, and considerably more if it does not. If you need or want to build KDE from the source tree, please remember to reserve about 100MB in `/usr/src`.

- A running X11 system with or without xdm. If you have not installed the X Window System yet, first check your UNIX installation media for an installable version. If you cannot find any version working, visit the XFree86 web site for more information on how to get and install the X Window System, or contact your UNIX vendor support.

- The qt-libraries, version 2.2. You can get these at Troll Tech's FTP Server in both rpm and tgz format.

A warning before you start: Before upgrading from a previous version of KDE, we recommend that you do the following:

    cd /opt/kde
    tar cfvz ~/KDE-old-version-backup.tar.gz *

### Linux: Installing RPMs for RedHat, Caldera and SuSE.

Using RPMs is the easiest method to get KDE up and running. Just visit your favorite KDE mirror and visit the directory `/pub/kde/stable/distribution/rpm`. There, you can see directories for different operating systems. Currently, the i386, alpha and sparc architectures are supported. The rpm packages can also be found on the Red Hat contrib sites like sunsite.unc.edu or ftp.redhat.com.

The basic system consists of the files `kde-component.architecture.rpm` You need at least kdesupport, kdelibs and kdebase. After getting the base distribution, feel free to download any other rpms that you think may come in handy.

Next, start installing with the base package. If you are installing KDE for the first time, use

    rpm -i kdesupport.arch.rpm
    rpm -i kdelibs.arch.rpm
    rpm -i kdebase.arch.rpm

It is important that these components are installed in the order listed, and that they are installed before any other KDE component.

If you are upgrading from a previous release, try

    rpm -Uvh kde-component.arch.rpm

Once again, the order given above should be preserved, and the given components should be installed before any other KDE components.

This will unpack the base distribution and install it by default in `/opt/kde`.

If the installation of the base packages has been successful, you can install the remaining packages (use `-Uvh` instead of `-i` once again to update an existing version) the same way.

### Linux: Installing DEBs for debian

The installation for a Debian system is also rather straightforward. You will only find KDE 2.0 packages for Debian 2.2 (Potato) and 3.0 (Woody). We describe here how to install packages for Debian 2.2, the stable version, since Debian 3.0 is still in development. However, the installation for both versions, is almost identical. The main difference is that KDE is oficially included in Debian 3.0 and you do not need to specify any special location to find the deb packages for KDE.

The first step is to tell your system where it can find the deb packages for KDE. A list of locations for the Debian packages is kept in your hard disk in `/etc/apt/sources.list`. You should add to that file the following line: `http://kde.tdyc.com/ stable kde2`

Then you have to update your local package database so that your system knows that there are new packages available. Type the following command:

    apt-get update

Finally you should install the KDE base components. This is acomplished by typing:

    apt-get install kdebase

If you want to install other components you should try some, or all these options:

    apt-get install task-kdenetwork
    apt-get install task-kdeadmin
    apt-get install task-kdetoys
    apt-get install task-kdeutils
    apt-get install task-kdemultimedia
    apt-get install task-kdegraphics
    apt-get install task-kdepim
    apt-get install task-kdegames
    apt-get install task-koffice
    apt-get install kdebase-docs
    apt-get install kdm

You may also be interested in installing your language.

    apt-get install
    kde-i18n-xx

where xx has to be substitued with the country code.

The control files for some KDE applications will be placed at `/etc/kde2`, the executables will go in `/usr/bin` and most of the auxiliary files in `/usr/share` under different directories.

If you are upgrading from a previous version of KDE you should perform the following steps. First, update file `/etc/apt/sources.list` by changing the line with the location of KDE packages with line: `http://kde.tdyc.com/ stable kde2`. Second update your package database:

    apt-get update

Finally install the kde base system:

    apt-get install kdebase
    apt-get dist-upgrade

If you want to install more KDE components try some, or all these options.

    apt-get install task-kdenetwork
    apt-get install task-kdeadmin
    apt-get install task-kdetoys
    apt-get install task-kdeutils
    apt-get install task-kdemultimedia
    apt-get install task-kdegraphics
    apt-get install task-kdepim
    apt-get install task-kdegames
    apt-get install task-koffice
    apt-get install kdebase-docs
    apt-get install kdm

### Using TGZ to Install on Top of Other Systems

If your Linux distribution did not come with an RPM or DEB archive format, or you are not using Linux at all, you must compile KDE on your own. In the future, we are planning to provide a binary distribution which includes its own installation program.

In order to compile and install KDE properly, you need to have the following items installed on your hard disk:

- An ANSI-C compiler, e.g. the GNU C compiler.

- An ANSI-C++ compiler, e.g. GNU C++.

- The make utility.

- Qt development version 2.2 or higher.

- X11 development version (include files are often missing)

Once you have all the needed helper applications, go to your favorite KDE mirror and retrieve the following files from the directory `/pub/kde/stable/newest version`:

- `kdesupport-version.tar.gz`

- `kdelibs-version.tar.gz`

- `kdebase-version.tar.gz`

- any other packages you wish to install. We advise you to get at least kdeutils.

In all cases above, version stands for the current version number. Once you have downloaded all you need, extract these files to `/usr/src`. This process should yield the following directory structure:

- `/usr/src/kdesupport`

- `/usr/src/kdelibs`

- `/usr/src/kdebase`

- `/usr/src/...` (any other packages)

Make sure you have write permissions to `/opt/kde`.

Next you must compile and install the packages using the following:

1. `cd` into the directory of the package, you want to install (see above)

2. `./configure` (with the options you want to apply)

3. `make`

4. `make install`

Apply the above steps to every package you want to install.

These instructions can be used for almost every source package available, not just KDE packages.

Every configure script has several options available. Some are common between the packages while others are specific to an individual package. The following is the part of the result of `configure `--help`` in kdelibs:

      --disable-fast-perl     disable fast Makefile generation (needs perl)
      --enable-debug          creates debugging code [default=no]
      --enable-strict         compiles with strict compiler options (may not work!)
      --enable-profile        creates profiling infos [default=no]
      --enable-final          build size optimized apps (experimental - needs lots of memory)
      --disable-closure       don't delay template instantiation
      --enable-shared[=PKGS]  build shared libraries [default=yes]
      --enable-static[=PKGS]  build static libraries [default=no]
      --enable-fast-install[=PKGS]  optimize for fast installation [default=yes]
      --with-gnu-ld           assume the C compiler uses GNU ld [default=no]
      --disable-libtool-lock  avoid locking (might break parallel builds)
      --with-pic              try to use only PIC/non-PIC objects [default=use both]
      --with-extra-includes=DIR
                              adds non standard include paths
      --with-extra-libs=DIR   adds non standard library paths
      --with-qt-dir=DIR       where the root of Qt is installed
      --with-qt-includes=DIR  where the Qt includes are.
      --with-qt-libraries=DIR where the Qt library is installed.
      --disable-rpath         do not use the rpath feature of ld
      --disable-path-check    don't try to find out, where to install
      --with-xdmdir           If the xdm config dir can't be found automaticly
      --with-pam[=ARG]        enable support for PAM: ARG=[yes|no|service name]
      --with-shadow           If you want shadow password support
      --with-krb4[=PATH]      Compile in Kerberos v4 support.
      --with-afs              Compile in AFS support (requires KTH krb4).
      --with-ldap[=PATH]      Compile in LDAP support.
      --with-samba-libs=path  Use Samba-tng libs in 'path'                [search]
      --without-gl            disable 3D GL modes
      --without-xpm           disable color pixmap XPM tests
      --without-dpms          disable DPMS power saving
      --with-x                use the X Window System
      --with-motif-includes=DIR    Motif include files are in DIR
      --with-motif-libraries=DIR   Motif libraries are in DIR

Several options are not required and are only useful as work arounds for known problems (e.g. `--disable-FEATURE`). Since some are important options, for instance --with-shadow, you should always check the available options.

An important option is `--prefix`. This option specifies the path where configure should install (for kdesupport and kdelibs) or where to look for libraries (for the other packages). By default, configure will look in `/opt/kde` . If you want to install KDE into `/usr/local/kde`, you have to use `configure `--prefix /usr/local/kde``.

If you have installed the Qt libraries in an uncommon place, for instance in `$HOME/src/qt`, you must use `configure `--with-qt-dir=$HOME/src/qt``. By default configure looks in the most common places for QT before it gives up.

If you have problems that you are not able to solve, send a copy of the file `config.log` to the address in the `README` file in the offending package.

You must install KDE in the following order: kdesupport, kdelibs, then the application packages (for example kdebase). All the application packages should only depend on kdelibs, so you can compile them at the same time (if you have a powerful machine).

If you want to take advantage of multiprocessor systems, try `make `-j Number of processors`` instead of `make`.

#### Platform Specific Building Notes

##### Linux

For Linux, most of the utilities needed to build KDE can be found either at ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/GCC or ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/GNU. The Qt libraries can be found at ftp://ftp.troll.no/pub/qt/linux, available in source or RPM format for Linux. Both contain detailed instruction on how to install them. Include files for X11 programs should be available at ftp://ftp.xfree86.org in the xdevel section.

### Required Changes To Your Configuration Files

After you have placed the KDE binaries into their destination directory, there are a few adjustments you must make to your startup scripts.

The following procedure was tested on SuSE Linux 5.0, and should be compatible with the other popular UNIX's as well. Always make backups of configuration files before changing them! Add the following to the end of your /etc/profile:

    export PATH=$PATH:/opt/kde/bin
    export KDEDIR=/opt/kde

Next, edit the .xinitrc file in your home directory. Look for the line that calls your window manager and replace it with `startkde`.

Now that everything needed to run KDE has been installed, you can go on to chapter 4 where you will start KDE for the first time. If something goes wrong, you may need to compile KDE on your own. Read Using TGZ to install on top of other systems for more information.

We have made the installation as bulletproof as possible, so you should not encounter any serious problems unless your configuration is exotic. If you do experience difficulties feel free to use the KDE mailing lists

## First Impressions

Origin unknown

You see to sea to see all that you can see is sea

First impressions are so important -- this is not only true for Agatha Christie's famous thriller "The Mousetrap" -- but also for KDE. As we mentioned before, KDE is supposed to be the most intuitive, easy to learn user interface available. In fact, we will have reached our goal when users no longer need this book in order to work with KDE, causing the authors to lose their (unpaid and voluntary) jobs as documentors.

### Starting KDE

When you boot a UNIX system, one of two things should happen (that is, if the system works correctly; everything else is an undocumented third case). Either you stay in text mode and get a login prompt or you are presented with a graphical login window. In the former case, you must log into your system and type:

    startx

If the installation was successful, the KDE desktop should appear after a few seconds of initialization.

If a graphical login window is presented, then all that should be required is your login name and password. Assuming the KDE installation was successful, KDE should start without further intervention.

If you have not done so already, we recommend changing your X display manager from xdm to kdm, which includes the same functionality, but with the advanced features of the K Desktop Environment.

### Desktop Components

After everything has come up, take some time to explore the new environment. If you have already worked with Windows 95 or OS/2 Warp 4, many things should look familiar to you. The three main parts of a KDE desktop are the desktop itself, the panel, and the task list.

#### Panel

When you start KDE for the first time, the panel is situated at the bottom of the screen. From here, you will start your programs and switch between the virtual screens.

K button

  The "K" button is one of the most important places on your KDE desktop. From here, you can start all KDE applications installed. Later, when you learn how to use the K Menu Editor, you can also add other programs here as well. To start a program, just click on the button. You will see a list of different categories, plus some special entries. Whenever you move your mouse over an entry that has an arrow to the right, a new menu will appear. When you find the program you want to start, just click on it with the left mouse button.

Virtual Desktop buttons

  When you start KDE for the first time, note the four buttons labeled, appropriately enough, "One", "Two", "Three" and "Four". These represent your four desktops. Just click one of them. Don't worry; though they have "disappeared", any open windows are still active (just take a look at the task list!). Using multiple desktops is one of the most powerful features of KDE and the X Window System. Instead of placing one window over another, as you would when using Windows or OS/2, you can say "Well, on the first desktop, I will write the KDE User Guide. On the second desktop I'll run the sgml2latex compiler and see my results while compiling my linux kernel on the third desktop, and reading my e-mail on the fourth."

Icon bar

  Some people are so lazy that they consider even the two or three motions through the applications menu to be too much (me included). For them, additional buttons can be placed next to the desktop buttons; for example, shortcuts to your home directory, to your trashcan, to the kvt terminal emulator and to the documents you use often. For information on how to add icons to the taskbar, read Adding icons to your taskbar.

  KDE by default installs several commonly used buttons, including links to KHelpCenter, KWrite and the KDE Control Panel.

Time and date

  At the far right end of the KDE panel, you can always see the time and date.

The task list

  In another section of the panel, find a button for each open window. Just click on the button corresponding to the windows you want to open. Another click will minimize the window. A right mouse button click will give you a menu allowing you to move the window to another desktop, manipulate it's size, or close the application.

#### Using Windows

Window menu

  Right mouse button clicking in the title bar of the window (where you see the applications name), you can see a window manipulation icon. This is the same menu you see if you right click on an applications icon in the panel taskbar. When you click on it, a context menu containing commands to manipulate the window is presented. The available commands are as follows:

  Move

    Lets you move the window with your mouse. Click on the left mouse button when you have the window where you want it to be.

  Size

    Enables you to make the window smaller or larger. Move your mouse around and click when you are satisfied with the new size.

  Minimize

    Hides the window, leaving only an icon in the taskbar. Notice that the window title in this icon is now shown in (parentheses). To bring the window to the desktop again, click the icon.

  Maximize

    This will expand the window to the largest size possible. Note that KDE will take the size of your virtual desktop, which means that the window could be bigger than your screen.

  Shade

    "Roll" up the window, leaving only the titlebar visible. You can achieve the same effect by double clicking in the titlebar. To display the entire window again, select Shade again, or double click in the titlebar.

  Always on Top

    Selecting this will keep this window on top of all other applications, even when it does not have the focus.

  Decoration

    Allows you to change the look, and in some cases the position, of all the windows in KDE. This changes the window decoration widgets, including the titlebar buttons, but also including things such as checkboxes and buttons within dialogs, scrollbars, and the titlebar itself. The default is KDE2.

  To Desktop

    Enables you to send a window to another desktop. Choose the desktop where you want the window to be. The window will disappear at once. To see your window again, select the appropriate Desktop Button on the KDE Panel. Selecting All Desktops will make the window "sticky" - it will display on all desktops at once, so you can alway see this window.

  Close

    This will close the window. Sometimes the application will allow you to save your work, but it some cases (e.g., old X11 applications) this does not work. It is best to close an application with its own commands, using this menu item only as a last resort.

Sticky button

  This button looks like a thumb tack. It performs the same operation as selecting All Desktops in the Window Menu, but requires fewer steps to invoke.

Title bar

  The title bar containing the name of the window can be double-clicked in order to shade it. Use the right mouse button: The Window menu will reappear, allowing you to (un)maximize, iconify, move, resize, (un)sticky the window, to move it to another desktop (this works faster than the method with the sticky button). When a program does not react anymore, you can close (which will sometimes give you the opportunity to save your work) it.

Iconify, maximize and close Buttons

  To the right of the title bar, there are two buttons that can also be used to iconify or maximize the window (this is faster than using the window manipulation menu). Iconified windows can be brought back with a click on the taskbar.

  At the far left of the titlebar (with the default window decoration) is a button to close the window.

To move a window, place the cursor on the title bar and hold down the left mouse button. Without releasing the mouse button, move the window to the location of your choice, then release the mouse button. If you want to resize a window, move the mouse cursor to the window border you wish to change. Once you have reached the correct spot, the cursor will change from an arrow to a bracket and an arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the side in question to the location you wish, then release the button. Note that you may drag sides or corners (which will adjust the size in two dimensions at once.)

Using the menu bar of each KDE window is easy. Just click on what you want to do, and it will be done.

Below the menu bar, there is a set of tool symbols you can use to execute commands. Whenever you move over them, an active picture will be marked. But the menu bar can do even more for you. Notice the textured stripe on the left of the menu and icon bars? Depress your right mouse button and a context menu will appear, allowing you to put the menu bar on the top, left, right, or bottom of the window. You can also hide the menubar by selecting Flat

#### Getting Help

Help is available basically everywhere: On the desktop, just use the right mouse button and choose Help On Desktop. On the KDE panel, open the application menu and choose Help. Every KDE program has a help menu. All help is HTML-based, so using the help system is as easy as using your favorite web browser!

## Getting Started

Help for one of the toughest riddles in The 7th Guest

Using only what you see, can you get from A to B?

Thus far, KDE may appear to be little more than another window manager with some handy desktop features. But hold onto your seat; in the next few sections, we'll introduce you to features that'll assure you will never again try to operate your system Unix without KDE!

### Editing Files

Since you do not only have KDE applications installed on your system, you probably know the mess of editing ASCII style configuration files. But in fact, there are a lot of other file types that need to be edited this way. For example, the raw SGML source for this guide was written ASCII style, as was the source code for the KDE programs themselves. We will now show you how you can use the KEdit facility in KDE to edit ASCII files of your own.

#### Opening a Window Containing Your Home Directory

Click on the application starter and choose Home directory. A window showing the contents of your home directory will pop up. To see a more detailed listing of files in your home directory, do the following:

1. Select Show Hidden Files from the View menu.

2. Select Show Directory Tree from the Settings menu.

On the left hand of the window, a tree view of your file system structure should appear, including any "hidden files" -- files or directories beginning with a period.

#### The File Manager Screen

We tried to make the File Manager as easy as possible to use, and if you know other window managers (including those built into other Operating Systems) with integrated file management, many of the following concepts should be familiar to you.

On the top, there is a Location menu which contains functions to open and close file manager windows. You can also print the current contents.

Want to visit the Internet? Just choose Location Open Location (or press CtrlO) and enter a URL.

For example, if you want to visit the KDE homepage, enter `http://www.kde.org`. You can also quickly FTP files using this method. KDE is "Internet ready", which means that you can load and save files not only on your local hard disk, but also on remote FTP and HTTP servers. While other operating systems and desktops make a distinction between local and remote file systems, KDE does not.

The Edit menu offers functions to select, copy and move files. We will use them later. Already having used the View menu, you have probably seen that you can view the content in many different ways. Just play around a bit and see what happens.

You will undoubtedly find the Bookmarks to be extremely useful: Now you can remember virtually any link, be it on the local machine or somewhere on the Internet.

The Tools menu helps you find the notorious files-that-I-put-somewhere-I-do-not-remember-anymore.

#### Navigating Through Directories

We will now pick one of your configuration files and edit it. First, we must change the directory in the File Manager. Scroll down the tree view on the left side of the window until you find the directory `/etc`. Double-click on `etc`. You will see a list of files in the right window.

#### Editing a File

Scroll down until you find the file `motd` and click on it with the right mouse button. In the context menu, select Open With. A new window will pop up. Enter `kedit` and click on Ok or press Enter. Voila!

#### The Editor Screen

The more you work with KDE, the more you will notice that most screens and applications look and feel the same. The KEdit File menu is a great example of this. Almost every other KDE program has the same menu, allowing you to create new files, open existing files from your local file system or (coming soon) even the web, save them (soon even on the web, too!), print it or mail it to somebody else.

The Edit menu can also be found in most KDE applications, allowing you to cut and paste information between programs. You can also search and replace text. Using the Settings Menu, you can customize the editor in many different ways. For example, you can increase the font size to suit your monitor resolution -- and your eyes. Of course, as in any other KDE application, you find a Help Menu, offering you on-line help whenever you need it.

#### Using the Editor

Most `motd` files contain useless stuff like "Do not forget to back up your data" or "Do not annoy the system manager". Boring. Let's change the text so that users logging in get the really important information. You can navigate through the text using the arrow keys, and mark sections of text with Shift Arrows or by using the mouse with the left button pressed. Use the Edit Menu to cut and paste text. Enter whatever you want, or use the following (great) example:

    Welcome!

    This machine now has KDE installed, providing you with a great,
    easy-to-use interface and a consistent Look-and-Feel for all your
    applications. For more information on how to get KDE running on your
    account, please e-mail the administrator.

#### Saving Your Work

Now that you have changed the `motd` file, it is time to save the file, putting the changes into effect. To do this, you can use either the File Menu, or you can use the Save Icon on the toolbar. Finally, finish your work by closing the editor and file manager window. You can do this by clicking the X button on the top left of the window, by using the window menu of the title bar, or by choosing File Quit. Simple and elegant, isn't it?

### Moving Files With Drag and Drop

As you have seen in the previous section, working with files is as easy as 1-2-3. However, when you want to copy and move files, the whole copy-and-paste business can get annoying. Don't worry -- a procedure called "drag and drop" allows you to copy and move files more quickly and easily.

#### Opening Two File Manager Windows

Before you can start, you will need open two file manager windows. The simplest way to open a new window is to press the gear wheel button on the right of the icon bar. If you do not see the tree view in the new window, activate it (Window Tree View ).

#### Dragging a File From One Window To Another

In the first window, open the `/etc` folder and scroll until you see the `motd` file we modified in the previous section.

In the second window, open your home directory.

Click on the `motd` file. Hold your left mouse button and drag your file into your home directory. Release the left mouse button (this is called dropping the file). You will be presented three options: copy, move and link. Link will create a symbolic link to the file, while copy and move do exactly what they say. Select copy. You should now have a copy of the `motd` file in your home directory.

### Using Command Line And Terminals

So far, you have only worked with the tools and programs KDE provides. Undoubtedly, you will want to use other UNIX programs as well. There are two ways of running them: The quick command line and the terminal.

#### Quick Command Line

Pressing Alt F2 pops up a small window where you can enter a command to run. Please note that you will not see any text output generated from a program started in this manner! This method is only recommended for starting X Window System programs or for running tools where you do not need to see or type anything. For other programs, you will still need to use the terminal.

#### The UNIX Terminal Emulator

From the application menu, choose System Terminal . A terminal window will open. Here you can use regular UNIX shell commands: `ls`, `cat`, `less`, and so forth. Using the options menu, you can customize the terminal emulator to suit your needs.

### Finding Your Lost Files

Everyone has undoubtedly encountered the following problem: You start ftp, log into a great site like ftp.kde.org and start downloading files. It is late in the evening and you shut down your machine after completing the transfer. The next morning, you are at the keyboard again, and you start wondering into which directory you placed the recently transferred files. Using KDE's KFind utility makes finding those lost files a snap.

#### Starting KFind

Starting KFind is simple: Choose Find Files in the Application Starter. KFind uses an interface part you probably do not know yet: register tabs. When KFind starts, you see that Name & Location is selected. When you click on Date Modified, the register content changes. Since you have never run a search before, most of the icons on the toolbar and most of the menu entries are disabled. We will change this now.

#### Finding a File by Knowing Parts of Its Name

As long as you know a bit of the file name, searching is easy. Select the Name & Location tab, and enter the file name. Wildcards may be used as needed. As a test, type `*.tar.gz`. By default, the search begins in your home directory, but you can select any starting directory you wish by clicking on the Look in or Browse.... To start searching, click the icon (which looks like a magnifying glass over a sheet of paper) on the left of the toolbar. After a moment, a list of files will appear in the search results window. If they do not appear, you started the search in the wrong directory, made a spelling mistake in the name field, or no files ending with a `.tar.gz` extension are located on your machine.

#### Finding a File by More Complex Criteria

There are many categories you can use to make your search more precise. The more you know about the file, the better are your chances of finding it.

Date Range

  Here, you can specify that you only want to see files which were last touched in a given period of time. You can also specify that you only want to see files that were touched since a specified number of months or days ago.

Of type in the Advanced tab.

  If you know that the file was of a special type (e.g., a tar/gzip archive or a jpeg picture), you can tell KFind to find only this type of file.

Containing text in the Advanced tab

  You can specify text that the file must contain.

Size is, also in the Advanced tab

  If you know the file size, you can limit your search in this regard, as well.

&kfind; has many more options to refine searches, explore them all!

### Using Multiple Desktops

Using multiple desktops helps you organize your work. You can place your programs on different desktops, and name the desktops so you know what you do there. This increases and optimizes your workspace. It also helps you when you are surfing the net instead of doing your work and your boss comes in. But, of course, this is rare -- at least in the office where I work ;).

You can switch between desktops by clicking the desktop buttons on the KDE panel. If you want to rename them, you can do so by double-clicking on them.

You can use windows on multiple desktops. If you want to have a window present everywhere, just click the sticky button on the top-left of the window. To send a window to another desktop, click on the title bar with the right mouse button, choose To Desktop, and select the desktop where you would like the window moved.

### Quitting KDE

To quit working with KDE, you can use the Logout entry in the application starter menu. You will be asked if you really want to quit KDE. Quitting will close all windows and return you to your console or display manager. For information on how programs can save your work during logout, please read the notes for logging out.

## All About Your Desktop

Little Red Riding Hood

Grandma, what big eyes you have!

The Wolf

The better to see you!

The more you see, the more efficiently you can use your desktop. KDE gives you the opportunity to make the desktop look and work the you way prefer, enabling you to work faster and more productively. It even gives you the opportunity to be warned if a wolf is trying to eat you, or (if you happen to be a granny) alert you when Little Red Riding Hood is on her way to bring you the goodies. Now that's service.

### The Autostart Folder

Before I discovered the Autostart folder, my daily startup routine with KDE consisted of the following: Start KDE, start KEdit, start Konsole, start Netscape, and start kscd. This took time I could have spent better. Native KDE programs left open at the end of a session will save their state and reappear when you login again, but there are some programs (like Netscape) that will not. You can use the `Autostart` folder for these programs.

To launch programs when KDE is started, do the following:

1. Open the `Autostart` folder. You will probably find it in the top left corner of your desktop.

2. Open a Konqueror window and browse to the program you want to add. If you don't know how to do this, it was covered in

3. Drag and drop the desired program from the Konqueror window onto the `Autostart` folder. When asked, choose Link to create a symbolic link rather than a full copy, as this saves a great deal of disk space.

4. Repeat the above steps for every program you want started when KDE is launched. Remember, you don't need to add native KDE applications, just leave them open when you log out, and they will open up again as if nothing had happened, the next time you log in to KDE.

5. Restart KDE if you want to see the autostart function in action.

Your programs should now launch automatically when KDE restarted. If you want to add something special (e.g., you want to see a certain web site when your system goes up), read Using templates. The procedures described there works for any folder, so you can also apply them to the `Autostart` folder, as well.

### Adding Programs and Shortcut Icons to Your K menu and Panel

The KDE K Menu and panel are not limited to the setup you find right after installing KDE. The KDE panel is designed to be extended, and there are two ways of doing that: Adding new programs, and adding shortcut icons.

#### Adding menu entries

To add your favorite programs to the KDE panel, you can use the KDE Menu Editor. To start it, use the application starter and choose SystemMenu Editor.

A window will open showing the existing K Menu on the left, and an empty menu entry dialog on the right

For this example, we will be adding an entry for the Gimp under the Graphics submenu. If you already have a Gimp entry there and don't want a new one, you can still follow through this example, and just don't click the Apply when you are done.

1. Navigate down the left hand tree to the Graphics entry.

2. Click on it once with the left mouse button to expand the entry.

3. Click the icon labelled New Item in the toolbar, or choose File New Item in the menu bar.

4. In the dialog box that pops up, enter the name you want your new menu entry to have. For this example, enter `Gimp`.

   Then press OK in the dialog.

5. Click on the new Gimp menu entry that was created for you in under the Graphics submenu. The menu entry dialog to the right will now change to be mostly empty, except for the name you already gave.

6. Fill in an optional Comment. You might like to put `An image editor` for the example. Text entered here will be shown as a tool-tip in the Application Starter

7. Enter in the box labelled Command, the command you would type on the command line to open your application. For this example, this is `gimp`. You may also enter any optional command line parameters if you wish. You can use this to make a menu entry that always opens a particular document or image, for example. Check the application's documentation to find out more about command line parameters.

8. If you want the application to operate from a particular directory (for example, for Gimp to begin it's Load Image dialog in a particular place) enter this path in the box labelled Work Path. This is optional.

9. If you wish to change the icon from the default "unknown", click on the icon to the right of the dialog, to open a standard KDE icon chooser.

10. Some applications must be run in a terminal window (for example Pine). If this is the case, check the appropriate check box.

11. If you want to run your application as a different user, check the box labelled Run as a different user and enter the appropriate user name in the text box.

12. If you're happy with your menu entry, press Apply. If you would like to start over, press Reset.

And that's all. You now have a new menu entry.

#### Shortcut Icons

Although KDE is much more comfortable than the average Unix window manager, everyone wants a solution for a one-click way to start a program. Later, you will learn how to create links and files on your desktop, but this also has some disadvantages: sometimes all your desktops are filled up with windows, and you cannot reach your icons without minimizing all the windows that cover them. For commonly used programs, you can minimize this problem and speed access by creating shortcut icons on the KDE panel.

To create a shortcut on the KDE panel, you have some choices: Drag-and-drop, or via a menu.

##### Adding a shortcut icon with the menu

1. Click on the application starter and choose Panel MenuAdd Application .

2. You will see the top level of the application starter again. Go through the menus to find the entry for which you want to create the shortcut, such as Home directory or Konqueror. Click on the program you want.

A new icon will appear on the KDE panel. Click on it, and the program will start.

Adding a shortcut icon with drag-and-drop is even simpler - just drag any icon from your desktop or a Konqueror window, to an empty space on the panel.

What happens when you drag an item to your panel depends on what kind of item it was:

If you drag a directory...

  A menu will pop up giving you a choice of Add as a File Manager URL or Add as a QuickBrowser. Choosing the first will make you an icon that opens a Konqueror window, starting at this directory, while choosing the latter will open that directory as a menu from the Panel.

If you drag a shortcut from your desktop...

  It will be copied to the panel.

If you drag a document...

  A link will be made on the panel, leaving the original in place. Clicking on the resulting icon will open that document in the default application.

In any case, if you want to move the icon, click on it using the right mouse button and choose Move. Move the icon to the position you want and press the left mouse button. If you wish to remove the icon, click on it using the right mouse button and choose Remove. You can also move the icon by clicking with the middle mouse button, and dragging it to it's new location.

### Creating New Files On Your Desktop

Your desktop can be an efficient place to work. Every time you start KDE, you can see the complete files, folders and URLs which you often use.

There are two ways to create and edit files on your desktop. In any application, you can say that you want to save your work in the Desktop subfolder of your home directory. For example, my home directory is `/home/stupiddog`, so my Desktop directory is `/home/stupiddog/Desktop`. Everything you save there will be put on your desktop.

If you want to move existing files to your Desktop, the best way to achieve this is to use Konqueror. Open a file manager window and drag the files you need to your desktop. You can choose to copy them if you want to keep all your common stuff on the desktop now, or you can create symbolic links to the real files. Everything you change in the link files will be automatically updated in the originals. For more information on how to use drag & drop and the file manager, see the chapter Moving files with drag & drop.

### Placing Links on Your Desktop

Placing files on your desktop may shorten the paths you need to enter. However, sometimes it would be nice if you could start KEdit with a commonly edited file already opened in it. And how often do you find yourself frustrated after browsing through endless lists of bookmarks to find a site you visit often? Wouldn't it be nice if everything necessary to deliver you to that site was done automatically after clicking a single icon?

#### Using Templates

Templates provide a convenient mechanism for performing tasks such as those outlined above. Templates can also be used to associate particular file extensions with a specific application. When a file ending in a known extension is double-clicked, the application associated with that extension is automatically started. In short, templates help you get the most out of KDE.

Example: You want to put an icon for visiting the KDE web site on your desktop.

1. Right click on an empty space in the desktop.

2. Choose Create new Internet Address (URL) from the context menu.

3. A dialog box will open where you can type in the address you are making a shortcut to.

4. A new icon will be created on your desktop.

Your new internet shortcut can be customised like any other shortcut icon. Right click on the icon and choose Properties, and you can change the icon, or the name of the shortcut as you wish.

#### Using MIME Types

MIME Types are very powerful. Employing them, you can easily customize your system such that clicking on a file of a specific type starts the application with which that file type has been associated. For example, all .mod files could be set to start kmodplayer, .html files could open a kfm window showing the file, and a core file can be viewed with the Hex Editor by simply clicking on the core file. Warning: Although MIME types are very powerful, they are not without dangers. Playing around with MIME types as the system administrator (root) can damage a KDE system so severely that cannot be restarted! In this example, you will create your personal MIME style, which is only relevant for you. It will only affect other users if you copy or move it to /opt/share/mimelnk.

To link a certain file type with a particular application:

1. Make sure the application you want to start this file type has an entry in the Application Starter menu.

2. In Konqueror find or make a file with the extension you wish to link.

3. Right click on the file, and choose Edit File Type from the context menu, or choose Edit Edit File Type in Konqueror's menu bar.

4. Add file masks for the application by clicking the Add button, and entering the file pattern you want. Remember that Unix is case sensitive, so you may need to add variations - *.mp3 may need *.MP3 added as well, for example. Add as many extensions as you like in this way.

5. Add a description if you like. This is optional.

6. In the section labelled Application Preference Order, press the Add button. A miniature copy of the Application Starter menu will open, where you can choose the application you want files of this type to be opened with.

7. Sometimes, you may want to use a different application to open this file type. For example, you might like to use KWrite to open text files you wish to edit, and KEdit for text files that you just want to take a quick peek into. You can add more applications in the same way as you did in the last step, and you can change the preferred order using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

8. If you're satisfied with your choices, you can click the Apply button to save your changes without closing the dialog box. This gives you the opportunity to test in the Konqueror window that your file association is correct. You can choose OK to save your changes and close the dialog box, or Cancel if you have changed your mind and just want to close the dialog box.

Be sure to try your new association by opening a directory containing a file of the type you just selected. Click on the file, and the program needed to edit it should start.

### Using the Trashcan

Under normal circumstances, deleting a file under UNIX is something which cannot be undone. However, with the KDE file manager, you can choose Move to Trash instead of Delete. This will move the file into the `Trash` Folder, which, by default, is accessible as an icon on your desktop. In the `Trash` Folder, you can always recover deleted files. Remember to empty the trashcan regularly by clicking on it using the right mouse button, then choosing Empty trashcan, otherwise you might run out of disk space because the files still need space. Note, however, that once you empty the `Trash` Folder, the files contained therein are lost forever.

## Tips & Tricks for Your Daily Work

Fortune Cookies

Everyone can make an omelet with eggs. The trick is to make one with none.

Nearly everyone can use KDE; this is why the developers made it. There are no cryptic switches with which to cope, and few configuration files you need edit in ASCII style. However, there are some ways you can do your work more elegantly, saving you time for the truly important things, like tetris.

### Shortcut Table

AltTab or AltShiftTab

  Cycle through the windows

CtrlTab or CtrlShiftTab

  Cycle through your desktops

AltF2

  Mini Command line

AltF3

  Window Menu

AltF4

  Close the current window

CtrlF{1..8}

  Switch to a specific desktop

CtrlAltEsc

  Window destroyer (every window you click on will be destroyed)

CtrlAltBackspace

  This exits KDE (without saving!) Use this as a last resort

CtrlAltNumpad +

  Cycles to the next screen resolution

CtrlAltNumpad -

  Cycles to the previous screen resolution

### Mouse Techniques

Clicking on the border or the titlebar
  Left

    Activates and raises the window.

  Middle

    Lowers the window

  Right

    Shows the Window menu if the window is active, otherwise activates the window.

Doubleclick on the window title

  Shades the window

Drag on the titlebar

  Moves the window around

Drag on corners or edges

  Resizes the window

Alt Left Button

  Moves the window around

Alt Middle Button

  Raises the window

Alt Right Button

  Resizes the window

Click on the Icon on the top left

  Close the application

Click on the Sticky Button

  toggles sticky

Clicking on Maximize
  Left

    Maximizes the window

  Middle

    Maximizes only vertically

  Right

    Maximizes horizontally

## kdebase applications

You can get the following applications in the kdebase distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

KWin

  KDE's own window manager

Konqueror

  Browse the web, your hard drive or an FTP site with equal ease.

Kicker

  The KDE panel, incorporating the taskbar, pager, clock and the K menu.

Konsole

  A highly configurable X terminal emulator.

Klipper

  A clipboard utility with a difference - you can configure different actions based on things you copy.

KDesktop

  The desktop itself.

KHelpcenter

  KDE's own help center, including the ability to browse man and info pages.

kdm

  KDE's login manager

KControl

  The Control Panel. Almost everything you can configure in KDE can be configured from here - and almost everything in KDE can be configured to your taste.

KWrite

  A highly configurable text editor, with syntax highlighting.

Kappfinder

  A Utility to add non-KDE applications to your K menu, to save you needing to do it manually.

KScreensaver

  Everyone loves a screensaver, and KDE comes with a generous helping.

KSysguard

  A Network enabled system monitor, incorporating the added functionality of top

Ktip

  Kandalf the wizard is on hand with handy hints, and interesting info.

KMenuedit

  Rearrange or add to your K menu with this utility.

DrKonqi

  The crash handler, including the ability to report bugs direct to the developers.

## kdeadmin applications

You can get the following applications in the kdeadmin distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

Kcron

  KDE puts a pretty and user friendly face on the task scheduling capabilities of Cron

Kuser

  A graphical user manager (requires root privileges to run)

KPackage

  Keep your system up to date with KDE's own package manager.

Kdat

  A backup utility for tape drive owners.

ksysv

  A SysV-Init editor, to keep your computers start up organised.

kwuftpd

  A graphical interface to configure the wuftpd ftp daemon.

KSysctrl

  Find out what's really in your computer - a system info utility.

## kdepim applications

You can get the following applications in the kdeadmin distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

Korganizer

  Organise your time with this handy calendar, diary, and task scheduler.

Kab2

  The KDE Address book.

kpilot

  A Utility to synchronise your Palm Pilot with your pc.

## Entertainment Applications

You can get the following applications in the kdegames distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

KAbalone

  A Network enabled boardgame you can play against the computer or against another player on your network.

KAsteroids

  A little space shoot-em-up.

KAtomic

  A perplexing little logic puzzle game, where you get to build your own molecules.

KBlackbox

  A KDE rewrite of the classic Emacs blackbox game.

KJumpingCube

  A tactical one or two player game that's harder than it looks.

KMahjongg

  The classic tile matching game.

KMines

  Find the mines without making them explode.

Konquest

  Expand your interstellar empire across the galaxy and of course, crush your rivals in the process.

KPat

  No computer is complete without Patience.

KPoker

  A KDE version of those addictive one armed bandits.

KReversi

  A KDE version of the classic game.

KSame

  Addictive little logic game.

KShisen

  Another tile matching game.

KSirtet

  Play either a version of Tetris, or the well known (in Japan) game Puyo-Puyo.

KSmiletris

  A slightly different from the norm Tetris clone.

KSnake

  The classic nibbles game gets an update and a speed boost.

KSokoban

  Push those crates to get where you need to go.

KSpaceDuel

  Shoot your enemy down, in a challenging two player arcade game.

KTron

  Classic keep-away - keep away from your foe, the walls, and your own tail.

KTuberling

  One for the littlies, who could resist the potato guy?

Lskat

  A tricky card game

## Graphical Applications

You can get the following Applications in the kdegraphics distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

Pixie

  An image editor with a difference

KSnapshot

  A utility to grab screenshots.

KFract

  A little fractal generator

kview

  A powerful image viewer, capable of handling a multitude of formats.

Kghostview

  KDE's own Postscript viewer.

kfax and Kfaxview

  Utilities to view and handle facsimile images.

kdvi

  A DVI viewer.

## Multimedia Applications

You can get the following applications in the kdemultimedia distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

KMix

  A sound mixer panel

AKtion

  A player for movies and animations, with support for many formats.

&noatun;

  A Media player for sound files, with support for many formats.

KSCD

  A CD Player for KDE, with CDDB support.

kmid

  A midi player with support for lyrics.. your very own Karaoke machine!

KMidi

  A nice sounding but somewhat CPU intensive midi player

## Network Applications

You can get the following applications in the kdenetwork distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

KMail

  A fully featured email client, allowing multiple servers and multiple identities.

KNode

  A powerful usenet news client, with support for multiple NNTP servers.

Keystone

  A KDE VNC viewer application.

Kit

  An AOL Instant Messenger client, using the TOC protocol.

KSirc

  An IRC Client

Korn

  A Biff applet. Korn checks for new mail and tells you when there is mail to download from your server(s).

KPPP

  An internet dialer.

KTalkd

## Utility Applications

You can get the following applications in the kdeutils distributions.

Stable applications are relatively bug free and come in source and binary formats.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

Unstable versions change daily and are only in source form, meaning you must compile them to get a working version. Remember these are unstable and might not even compile. If you have a problem with an unstable application report the problem and it will most likely be fixed in a future snapshot.

ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots/current

Kab

  Another way of looking a the KDE Address book

kcharselect

  Character selector (shows all characters available in a given font, including those you don't have keys on your keyboard for)

kdepasswd

  A KDE front end to the Unix passwd command.

kdessh

  A KDE front end to ssh.

kdf

  A KDE front end to the df utility, with added functionality

Kfloppy

  A floppy formatter

KEdit

  A small, simple editor, just like the well-known Notepad. It is suitable for small editing tasks, or as a simple textfile browser.

KFind

  Kfind is a graphical replacement for the utility find

KArm

  A time tracker. You can enter a list of "tasks", start KArm's clock, and it will count the number of minutes you spend on the highlighted task.

KHexedit

  A fully featured Hex Editor

KJots

  A small note taker program.

klaptopdaemon

  Provides battery monitoring and management for laptops

KLjettool

  An HP LaserJet Control Panel

Klpq

  Klpq is a frontend to lpq, lprm and lpc.

KNotes

  A useable and good looking notes utility.

Kpm

  A utility including functionality from top and ps

## Frequently Asked Questions About KDE

Batman Animated Series

What are you?

I'm your worst nightmare...

There are some questions that are always raised on the KDE mailing lists. To keep the traffic as low as possible (making the lists more readable), we have included them in this section. So please be kind and do not ask them in the mailing lists anymore - think of the quote above!

What does "KDE" stand for?

KDE stands for the "K Desktop Environment", which itself is intended to be a collection of small tools, a window manager, a file manager and tools that bring all this together. It is created to make your life with UNIX easier.

I cannot compile package xxx

Always be sure that you have the newest version of the KDE libraries installed. The software is in constant development, so the dependencies can change from one day to another. You may also find the general compilation hints helpful. Another problem could be that you are using a program written for a very old version of KDE, which depends on outdated include files. Please check the file dates. They should be more recent the dates of your current KDE version.

KDE is not stable?

One can, in general, obtain KDE in many ways. Obtaining pre-compiled binaries in a package format (rpm,deb,tgz) labelled with a particular version (i.e. 2.2) is the best way to encourage stability on your KDE desktop.

The price of stability is that one must wait for each release to get new features. If you want the latest and greatest versions of software, you may have to go with source code, perhaps even to the point of CVS snapshots. These are daily snapshots of whatever the developers are working on, and some things are guaranteed to be broken.

DO NOT RELY ON CVS SNAPSHOTS TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONAL DESKTOPS. You will get burned eventually!

## Further Help

### Other Sources for Help

Take a look at the KDE Web-Site for the most up-to-date information available about KDE on the web. You may also want to subscribe to our mailing lists.

Send mail to the specified address with `subscribe` `your email address` in the subject line in order subscribe:

- KDE common mailing list, kde-request@kde.org
- KDE developers' mailing list, kde-devel-request@kde.org
- KDE look and feel discussions, kde-look-request@kde.org
- KDE announcements, kde-announce-request@kde.org
- KDE licensing questions, kde-licensing-request@kde.org
- KDE users' list, kde-user-request@kde.org
- KDE Documenters' list, kde-doc-request@kde.org

## Epilogue

The end of Evita

She had her moments, she had some style, the best show in town was the crowd, outside the Casa Rosada crying 'Eva Peron'; but that's all gone now...

We hope that you found this documentation useful, informative and perhaps even entertaining. The following things are not necessary to understand the KDE Desktop Environment, but you still may want to read it.

### The K Documentation Staff

This User Guide has been updated for 2.0, and is currently maintained by Lauri Watts vampyr@atconnex.net

Others who have contributed to this guide.

- Pablo de Vicente vicente@oan.es, who updated the section regarding installing on Debian for KDE 2.0

- Andreas Buschka andi@circe.tops.net

- Robert D. Williams rwilliam@kde.org

- Poul Gerhard

- John Waalkes

- Vernon Wells

- Kay Lutz

- Stephan Kulow

### We still need people!

KDE is a huge project, and every KDE supporter has already realized that. All of us are trying very hard to create a user interface that is easy to use and maybe also has the potential to make UNIX ready for the desktop PC. You have the chance to participate in this project too, and we would be thankful if you did. Developers and interested users communicate via several mailing lists described in . If you would like to help, please do so! We are still looking for helpers in the following departments:

- Development (Libraries and Applications)

- Documentation

- Graphics

- Beta-Testing

- and everywhere else, too :-)

### Legal notices

This document contains copyrighted material from Andreas Buschka, Gerhard Poul and Robert David Williams. All trademarks and branded names mentioned are properties of their legal owners.

### Sources of information used during the creation of this book

During the creation of this documentation, the authors used the following sources for information:

- The KDE Mailing lists

- Various `README` and HTML help files that came with the KDE components

### License

&underFDL;