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.