Appendix A. KDE: The K Desktop
Environment
The K Desktop Environment (KDE) is a graphical desktop, similar in function
to the GNOME desktop explored in the
main text of the manual. It uses many of the same freatures as
GNOME, including icons, windows, menus,
and a panel.
This appendix covers the basics of using KDE: system navigation, working with files and
applications, and customizing the desktop.
The KDE default desktop looks similar to Figure A-1.
If you would like to learn more about KDE, visit the official
website at https://www.kde.org/.
A.1. Customizing
KDE
The behavior and appearance of KDE
is highly customizable. To open the Control
Center, select => => . The following list explains some of the configuration
options in detail.
- KDE Components
-
This section lets you configure the Konqueror file manager and customize certain file
operations. You can also associate files to applications that you
prefer (for example, assigning all digital music files to open in
XMMS instead of the default player).
- Appearance & Themes
-
This sections allows you to customize the visual aspect of your
desktop environment. You can customize background images and
configure fonts, themes, icons, panel elements, screensavers, and
window border appearance. You can also customize mouse and keyboard
events which makes working with the desktop as efficient for your
needs as possible.
- Regional & Accessibility
-
This section allows you to set country and language options to
your particular locale. For users with sight or hearing
impairments, you can also configure accessibility features such as
audible and visual cues and keyboard/mouse customization.
- System Administration
-
This section is an advanced system configuration interface. You
need your root password to configure most of these options. This
section allows you to install new fonts, configure login
management, set system paths, and more. It is strongly recommended that you leave these settings
at their default values unless you understand the consequences of
changing them.
- Web Browsing
-
This section allows you to configure the Konqueror Web browser. You can configure options
such as cache sizes, website cookies, plugins, proxy settings (if
available), and enhanced browsing using keyword shortcuts.