The KDE User Guide

The KDE User Guide

The KDE Documentation Team

Revision 0.0.1 (2004-06-16)

Copyright © 2004, 2005 The KDE Documentation Team

A general user guide to KDE

Please report any problems with this document to (kde-doc-english AT kde.org).

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

1. Welcome to the KDE User Guide

What this book aims to be
What this book is not
Conventions used in this book
System Locations
Overview, or “Where to look in the User Guide”

II. The Desktop

2. The Basics

Logging In and Logging Out

Logging in Graphically
Logging in via the Command Line
Logging Out

Getting Help

User Manuals
Context and “What's This” Help
Mailing Lists, Newsgroups and IRC
More Resources

Windows, How To Work Them

Basic Window Management
Advanced Window Management
Using Multiple Desktops

The File Manager

Introduction
Folders
The Navigation Panel (aka “The Sidebar”)
Icons
Links and Shortcuts
The Trash

3. The Panel and the Desktop

Kicker, the KDE Panel

Configuring Kicker

Customizing the icons on the panel
Adding extras and applets
The System Tray
Removing Panel Items

The Taskbar

Using the Clipboard

The Selection
The Clipboard
More Advanced Clipboard Use

Related Information

4. Programs and Documents

Launching Programs

Controlling Programs

Opening and Saving Files

The File Dialog

Configuring Programs

Application Configuration
Configuring Keyboard Shortcuts
Configuring Notifications
Configuring Toolbars

III. KDE Components

5. The KDE Control Center

Appearance & Themes
Desktop
Internet & Network
KDE Components
Peripherals
Power Control
Regional & Accessibility
Security & Privacy
System Administration

6. The Base KDE Applications

Fundamentals
Personal Information Management
Network
Office
Graphics
Multimedia

7. KDE Extragear Applications

Available in the KDE Extragear

Multimedia
Graphics
Network
Utilities

Related Information

8. Multimedia With KDE

Removable Disks

Automount
Mounting

Playing Music

Music Players

Audio CD Ripping in KDE

Ingredients
Recipe

Playing Movies

9. KDE the Multiuser Desktop

About Your KDE Account
Using KDE as Root
Switching Sessions

10. Networking with KDE

File Sharing

How to share files with kpf

Networking With Windows

How It Works
resLISa
Configuration

Shared Sessions

11. Graphics, Printing, and Fonts

Setting Up a Printer
Printing From Applications
PDF Files
Fonts - Installing and Configuring
Creating Graphics

12. Customizing the Appearance of your KDE Desktop

Background
Colors
Icons
Splash Screen
Window Decorations
Style
KDE Theme
Glossary

13. Konsole Introduction

14. KDE Edutainment

Improve your language skills
Mathematics
Science
Teaching Tools
Miscellaneous
Related Information

15. Accessibility

KMouseTool
KMagnifier
KMouth
KTTS - Text-to-Speech

16. Tinkering Under the Hood of KDE

Hand-Editing Configuration Files

Introduction
Backups
Editing

Scripting the Desktop

Adding Extra Keybindings to KDE

Adding Keybindings for New Actions

KDebugDialog - Controlling KDE's Debugging Output

Basic Usage
KDebugDialog in full mode

IV. KDE and the Internet

17. Setting up an Internet Connection

Getting online the easy way

A few things you should have ready before you start

The KPPP wizard

Starting the Wizard.
The Rest of the Wizard

18. Getting Started with Email

Information you will need before you start

Setting your Identity

Setting up your Account

Sending Messages
Receiving Messages

Testing your Setup

19. Konqueror

Internet Shortcuts
Fine Tuning your Browsing Experience

20. Usenet News

Personal settings
Configuring the news account
Setting up the mail account

21. Introduction to messaging

How to get started
Meta-contacts
IRC
Linking email and messaging

22. Introduction to KOffice

Overview
Features
OASIS OpenDocument file format

23. KOffice Components Overview

24. Further Information

Application Manuals
Internet Resources
Plugin development

VI. KDE for Administrators

25. KDE Internals

Directory Layout

Specifying Directories

User Profiles

Directory Layout Revisited

Architecture-specific Directories

Shared Directories

Host-specific Directories

Configuration Files

KDE Startup Sequence

kdm
The KDE Startup Script: startkde

Background Processes

kdeinit
kcminit
klauncher
knotify

Environment variables

The kdeinit Mystery

26. Customizing KDE

Desktop Icons

Websites
Applications
The Exec option in .desktop files
Devices
Where to Define

How it Works
Stored Where?
Common Pitfalls
Essential Menus
Old-Style Menus
KSycoca
KMenuEdit

File Associations

27. Locking Down KDE

How It Works - The Basics
Immutable Configuration Options
Action Restrictions
URL Restrictions
Configuration Modules

28. The Lazy Admin

Remote Desktop Sharing

KDE DIY - Building Your Own Tools

DCOP
KDialog

29. Sharing data with Kontact via IMAP

Introduction
What is IMAP
Kolab or IMAP?
How to set up IMAP server Cyrus
How to setup Kontact clients
How to have Read Only Access
Credits
Further Reading

VII. More Tools

30. Application Guide for Migrates

31. Dictionary for Migrators

32. The Standard Menu Entries

33. Glossary of Terms

34. Troubleshooting Problems

Networking and X
When An Application Will Not Open

35. Contributing to KDE

A. Credits and Licenses

Credits
License

List of Tables

30.1. Sample Table

List of Examples

16.1. A Background Color Changing Script with DCOP
16.2. Setting a background from the Internet
19.1. Using your own style for webpages
27.1. Restrict User Access to Shells

Introduction