From 4aed2c8219774f5d797760606b8489a92ddc5163 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: toma Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:56:58 +0000 Subject: Copy the KDE 3.5 branch to branches/trinity for new KDE 3.5 features. BUG:215923 git-svn-id: svn://anonsvn.kde.org/home/kde/branches/trinity/kdebase@1054174 283d02a7-25f6-0310-bc7c-ecb5cbfe19da --- doc/quickstart/index.docbook | 1340 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 1340 insertions(+) create mode 100644 doc/quickstart/index.docbook (limited to 'doc/quickstart/index.docbook') diff --git a/doc/quickstart/index.docbook b/doc/quickstart/index.docbook new file mode 100644 index 000000000..7828c7121 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/quickstart/index.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,1340 @@ + + + + + +]> + + + + +An Introduction to &kde; + + + + +The &kde; Team + + + + +2004-08-28 +3.00.00 + + +1999200020012002 +The &kde; Team + + +&FDLNotice; + + +An introduction to the K Desktop Environment +Quick Start Guide to &kde; + + +KDE +quick start +introduction + + + + +Introduction + + +This document is a brief introduction to the K Desktop Environment. It +will familiarize you with some of the basic features of &kde;. + + + +This guide is far from covering all aspects of the K Desktop or even most +of them. It will only describe some of the most basic ways to accomplish a few +of the most common tasks. + + + +We assume that you are already familiar with at least one graphical +user interface, for example CDE, +Geos, GEM, &NeXTSTEP;, +&Mac;, OS/2 or &Microsoft; &Windows;. So we +will not explain the usage of the mouse or the keyboard but +concentrate on hopefully more interesting things. + + + + + +An Overview of &kde; + + +This section is for users who prefer to learn by exploring and want +only a brief orientation to get started. Later sections provide a more +thorough introduction to the environment, with helpful hints and +shortcuts. If you are impatient to get started, skim this section, go +play for a bit, then come back and peruse the other sections of this +guide as needed. + + + + +&kde; provides a highly configurable desktop environment. This +overview assumes that you are using the default environment. + + + + +The &kde; Desktop + +A typical &kde; desktop consists of several parts: + + + +A panel at the bottom of the screen, used +to start applications and switch between desktops. Among other things, it +contains the &kmenu;, a large &kicon; +which displays a menu of applications to start when clicked. + + + + + +A taskbar, by default embedded in the panel, used +to switch between and manage currently running applications. Click on an +application on the taskbar to switch to the application. + + + + + +The desktop itself, on which frequently used +files and folders may be placed. &kde; provides multiple desktops, +each of which has its own windows. Click on the numbered buttons on +the panel to switch between desktops. + + + + + + + +Ready, Set, Go! + +Here are a few quick tips to get you up and running. + + + + +To start an application, click on the &kicon; button on +the panel (called the &kmenu;) +and choose an item from the menu. + + + + +Click the icon that looks like a picture of a house on +the panel to access the files in your home folder using +&konqueror;, &kde;'s File Manager utility. + + + +Choose K menu +System +Konsole to get a &UNIX; +command prompt, or press &Alt; +F2 to get a mini command prompt window to +execute a single command. + + + + + +Choose the Control Center +item on the &kmenu; +to configure &kde;. + + + + + +Press &Alt;Tab to +switch between applications and &Ctrl;Tab to switch between +desktops using the keyboard. + + + + + +Use the &RMB; mouse button to access context menus for the panel, +desktop, and most &kde; applications. + + + + + + + + +Launching Applications + + +Using the &kmenu; and the Panel + + +At the bottom of the screen you will find the desktop panel, which is called +&kicker;. You use the panel to launch applications. Have a look at the +button on the left with a large &kicon;. + + + +This button is called the &kmenu;. It has +a small arrow on the top to indicate that it will pop up a menu if you +click on it. Just do it! The popup offers you easy access to all &kde; +applications installed on your computer system. + + + +Customizing &kicker; + + + +If you use one application or tool very often, then you may want to have even faster +access to it. In this case you can add a single application or an entire sub-menu of the +&kmenu; as a special quick-launch button on the panel. If you want to reach an application +directly via a launch button, click with the &RMB; either on a clear space on the panel or on the +&kmenu; icon. Select Panel Menu Add Application to Panel... + and then navigate to the application or menu you would like to add to +the panel. + + + +You can add an entire menu this way, or one of the &kicon; +button sub-menus. For example, if you have &koffice; installed and +want quick access to all the &koffice; applications, without having to +navigate through the &kmenu;, then instead of choosing an +application, click on the Add this menu menu +entry. Now you will have instant access to all the &koffice; +applications, without having to put an icon for each on the panel. + + + + +You can move all items of the panel around with the +Move command of the context menu. Just click +with the third mouse button (the +third mouse button is normally the +right button, but if you have configured your +mouse differently, for example for left-handers, it might also be the +left one). A menu will pop up where you can +choose Move. Now move the mouse and see how +the icon follows while still staying on the panel. When you are done, +simply hit the first mouse button (by default +the left one). As you may have noticed, +there is also a menu entry Remove in case you +are tired of a certain launch button on your desktop. + + + + + + +Using Context menus + + +This leads us to another interesting topic: in many places, you can +click the right mouse button to display a +context menu with choices that are applicable to +the item you clicked. It is therefore always a good idea to try out the +third mouse button on something, if you do +not know what to do with it. Even the background of the desktops has +such a menu! + + + + + +Other Panel features + + +There are other interesting things possible with the panel. One +may be important if you have a low resolution on your monitor: it is +the hide-and-show function, activated by clicking on the +small arrowed button, which is at one or both ends of the panel. + + + +Perhaps you just do not like the panel extending the full width of the +screen. That's easily changed! &RMB; on an empty space in the panel, +and choose Configure Panel.... In the &kcontrolcenter; +dialog that pops up, you can choose Length on +the Appearance tab, and use the slider there to set +the panel to less than 100% width. + + + +If you're following along, and have that dialog open anyway, then feel +free to play with all the options, and use the +Apply to see the effect they have. You can +easily reset everything to the default configuration, by simply pressing +the Use Defaults button. + + + +By the way, if you are not sure what a certain button does in &kde;, +just move the mouse pointer over it and wait for a short while: &kde; +has a built-in mini context help, called tool tips, which +explains the functionality of such controls in a few words. + + + + + + + +But I want my command line back! + + +Just calm down, there is nothing to fear. &kde; does not want to take your +beloved (and sometimes very effective) command line away from you. You can move +your files with the desktop, but you can also use the &UNIX; commands you are +accustomed to. In fact,&kde; puts command line power at your fingertips, +in perhaps some surprising places. + + + +&kde; provides a very sophisticated command line window called +&konsole;. Choose K menu +System +Konsole to start it. This may +be something you want on your panel: luckily it's already there in the +default configuration! + + + +Sometimes, you only want to enter one command on the command line. In +these cases, you do not need a full-blown terminal. Just hit +&Alt;F2 and you get a +small command line where you can enter one command. The command line +window will disappear afterwards, but it remembers your command. + + + +When you pop up this window (which we call +minicli by the way) and hit the Up +arrow, you can browse through all the commands you have +previously entered. Also, you can enter &URL;s in +minicli to open a &konqueror; window with +the specified &URL;. + + + +&konqueror; and the editor &kate; can both display terminal windows, +which behave just like &konsole;. In &konqueror;, you can turn this +on with the menu choice +WindowShow Terminal +Emulator. The embedded terminal will display +at the bottom of your &konqueror; window, and the really clever thing +is that it will follow your clicks in the file manager view, changing +folder as you do. In &kate; you can display a terminal with the +menu choice SettingsShow +Console. + + + + +To display a &UNIX; man page, enter +man:command +in minicli, where command +is the name of a &UNIX; command. + + + + + +To search for a word or words on the Google search engine, you can try entering +gg:word or +words. There are a whole lot more of these +shortcut commands, and you can even add your own! Take a look in +&kcontrolcenter;, in the tab Web Browsing + Enhanced Browsing. + + + + +Finally, there's a way to have your command line always available, no +matter what you're doing - add one to your &kicker; panel! + + +Simply &RMB; click on an empty space in the panel and choose +Add Applet to Panel.... In the dialog that appears, +scroll down until you see the Run Command list item. Select +it with the &LMB; and click Add to Panel. This will embed a mini-cli +directly into your panel, complete with command history. + + +So, in conclusion, the command line is never far from view when you're +using &kde;. + + + + + + +Working with Windows + + +If you have not already done so, start an application using the &kmenu;; say, +Find Files. + + + +A window! What now? + + +Well, usually people work inside windows, but +sometimes you may want to manipulate windows. Here's a quick overview +of some of the most common window related functions: + + + + +Move a window + + +Drag the window's title bar, or hold the &Alt; key down +and drag anywhere in the window. + + + + + +Resize a window: + + +Drag the window's border, or hold the &Alt; key down and drag with the +&RMB; anywhere in the window. + + + + + +Maximize a window + + +Click the maximize button in the titlebar (in the default decoration it +is the square, next to the X) to make the window fill the screen, or if +the window is already maximized, to shrink it back to its original +size. Clicking with the &MMB; maximizes the window vertically, and with +the &RMB;, horizontally. + + + + + +Iconify a window + + +Click the Minimize button in the titlebar (next to Maximize) +to hide the window. Restore it by clicking on the window's icon in the +taskbar. + + + + + +Switch between windows + + +Aside from the usual mouse click to switch to another window, +you can use &Alt; +Tab to switch windows. See below for more +techniques. + + + + + + +Titlebar buttons + + +&kde; windows have some pretty standard buttons on their titlebars which +give you fast access to some common operations. The default button +layout looks like this: + + + +On the left side: + + +A Menu button. This usually shows a mini icon for the application. Click +on it to get a window operations menu. Shortcut: &Alt;F3 opens the window +menu. + + + + + + +On the right side: + + +A Minimise button. + + + + + +A Maximize button. + + + + + +A Close button. This closes the window. Shortcut: &Alt;F4. + + + + + + + +Switching between windows + + +Now that we know how to deal with windows, we encourage you to open +some other windows using the panel, since we will now discuss how to +switch between different windows. Since this is such a common +activity, &kde; offers several ways to do it; pick your favorite! + + + +Many window systems require you to click the mouse in another window +to begin using it. This is &kde;'s default behavior, termed +Click To Focus focus policy. But you can also configure +your desktop in a way that moving the mouse pointer on to a window will +activate it. This is called Focus Follows Mouse. If you +select this policy using the &kde; Control +Center, the window under the mouse pointer is always the active +one. It does not necessarily come to the front automatically, but you +can still click on to the titlebar or the border of a window or, a +&kde; special, you can use the &Alt; key and click the &MMB; +anywhere on the window to raise it. + + + +Here are some other methods to switch windows: + + + + + +Pick a window from the window list menu. To open +the menu, click the &MMB; on +an empty area of the desktop, or click the icon with several windows +on the panel, or finally click the up arrow at the left hand end of +the taskbar in the panel. + + + + + +Hold down the &Alt; key and press Tab to cycle through +the windows. + + + + + +Use the taskbar (see below). + + + + + + + + +Using the Taskbar + + +The taskbar displays a list of small icons, one +for each window on the desktop. In the default &kde; setup the taskbar +is located inside the panel, but it can also be located at the top or +the bottom of the screen. + + +The taskbar is very powerful. In the default configuration, if you +have more than one window from the same application open, they will be +grouped, so that you see one icon per application in +the taskbar. + +A simple &LMB; +click on the taskbar button will pop up a list of the open windows for +that application and you can choose the window you want to +use. Choosing one of these entries with the +left will bring you to the selected +window immediately. Click on a taskbar entry with the +right and you will see a menu allowing you +to operate on all the windows grouped under that icon, or each window +individually. + + +You can choose to see all the windows on all the desktops in your +taskbar, no matter which desktop you are currently viewing, or to only +see the icons for the desktop you are looking at. You can also choose +to ungroup the icons, so that each open window will have its own icon +in the taskbar. These and many more options are available simply by +right clicking on the taskbar handle (the small textured bar at the +left hand side) and choosing Configure Taskbar.... + + + +The icons on the taskbar resize themselves to make room for +applications, so you can fit many more applications than you might +think. Making the panel wider will let the taskbar icons take on a row +and column layout, but they will still resize to fit more icons. + + + + + +Using Virtual Desktops + + +Now, what was that sticky thing? + + + +It may happen that you have more windows open than space on your +desktop. In this case you have three possibilities: + + + + + +Leave all windows open (cluttered desktop) + + + + + +Iconify those windows which you do not need at present and use +the taskbar or &Alt; +Tab to switch between them +(still a bit confusing and much work!) + + + + + +Recommended: Do what a real operating system does if there is not enough +physical memory: Use virtual memory, in this case virtual desktops. + + + + + +The third option is the way to go! &kde; can handle several different desktops, +each with its own windows. The default configuration provides four +desktops. You can switch between the virtual desktops easily with a +click on one of the desktop buttons on the panel. Also &Ctrl;F1...F4 will send you +to the corresponding desktop immediately, or &Ctrl; Tab will cycle through +the desktops. + + + +Virtual desktops are very nice. But sometimes you want a window to be +present on every desktop. This could be, for example, +a small chat window, an alarm clock or whatever. In this case you can +use the above mentioned sticky button which will pin the +window on the background so that it will appear on every virtual +desktop. + + + +The sticky button can also be used to move a window from one virtual +desktop to another one: push the sticky pin on the window, switch to a +different desktop, and release the pin by pushing it again. You can +achieve the same result by using the context popup menu of the +window's entry in the taskbar (menu item To Current +Desktop) or the To Desktop +option on the window operations menu. + + + + + + +Managing your files + + + + +A common metaphor of graphical desktops is the use of folders to +represent folders on your hard disk. Folders contain files and +other folders. A &kde; application called &konqueror;, the K File +Manager, uses this metaphor to help you manage your files. + + + +Using &konqueror; + + +The first time you start &kde;, a window with lots of icons in it +appears. This is a &konqueror; window displaying the files in your +home folder (the area where your personal files are stored). The +pathname of the folder is displayed under the window's tool bar. If +you do not see such a window now, click the icon on the panel that +looks like a folder with a picture of a house. + + + +To open a file or folder, simply click it once with the &LMB;. +You can also choose +WindowShow +Navigation Panel from the menu to display the folder +hierarchy for more direct navigation. Or you can edit the path +displayed under the toolbar to get to a specific folder quickly. + + + +Opening Files + + +&kde; comes with a set of applications to view and edit files of many +common types, and when you click a file containing, say, a document +or image, &konqueror; will start the appropriate application to +display the file. If it does not know what application to start to open +a file you clicked, &konqueror; will prompt you for the name of the +application to run, and when you have chosen, &konqueror; will offer +to remember your choice for the next time you open a file of that type. + + + + +&konqueror; uses MIME types to associate +files with applications. + + + + + + +Dragging and Dropping Icons + + +To copy or move a file, simply drag its icon to the desktop, to +another &konqueror; window, or to a folder icon. When you release the +button, &konqueror; displays a menu to allow you to choose to copy, +move, or create a link to the file. + + + + +Note that if you choose to create a link, &kde; creates a &UNIX; +symbolic link (not a hard link), so if you move or delete the original +file, the link will be broken. + + + + +Most &kde; applications also support drag and drop operations: you can +drag an icon on to a window of a running application, or on to an icon of +an application that is not started, to have the application open the +file. Try it! + + + + + +Setting File Properties + + +To change file properties, such as its name and permissions, &RMB; +click the icon and choose Properties from +the menu. + + + + + + +Working with Archives and Networks + + +In the recent past, you needed special software to access files on the +Internet. Not any more! + + + +&kde; supports a technology called Network Transparent +Access (NTA) which allows you to work with +files on the other side of the world as easily as those on your local +hard disk. + + +For example, to access files on an &FTP; server, just choose +LocationOpen +Location from a &konqueror; menu, and enter +the URL of an &FTP; server. You can drag and drop +files to and from the folders on the server just as if they were on +your local disk. You'll even be able to open files on the &FTP; server +without having to manually copy them to your local disk (&kde; does it for you +when necessary). + + + + +Note that &konqueror; uses anonymous &FTP; access, which may restrict +your access to files on the &FTP; server. If you have an account on +the server, you can supply your user ID as part of +the URL, like this: +ftp://userid@server/folder + + + +&konqueror; will prompt you for your password, and if the login +succeeds, you will have full access to your files on the server. + + + + +If you are used to the +WinZip utility on +&Microsoft; &Windows;, then you will be happy to hear that &kde; can +look into tar archives, too. It treats such archives just like a +normal folder, and you can browse into the archive, open files, &etc; In +general, accessing files on the Internet and in archives should look +and feel just like accessing files on your local disk, except for +delays imposed by the network and extracting the archive. + + + + +Using Templates to access Applications and Devices + + +In &kde; it's easy to put icons on the panel or the desktop to access +your applications. It's just as easy to add icons to access other +items of interest. &kde; has templates for shortcuts to: + + + + + +Applications + + + + +Printers + + + + +Mountable Devices (⪚ floppy drives) + + + + +Internet resources (⪚ WWW documents, &FTP; +folders) + + + + +Documents for some of &kde;'s &koffice; applications. + + + + + +You can add any of these items to the desktop by &RMB; clicking where +you want the icon, and choosing Create New +and selecting the item you want to link to. + + + +Nearly every item in the &kmenu;, on the desktop, and on +the panel refers to a .desktop +file on disk. The .desktop file +specifies what icon to display, as well as specific information about +what the icon represents (an application, device, or +URL). You can drag any .desktop file to the panel to create a +quick-launch button. + + + + + +Mounting devices + + +&UNIX; provides access to storage devices other than the primary +hard disk through a process called +mounting. &kde; uses .desktop files to allow you to easily +mount, unmount, and access files on secondary storage devices such as +floppy drives and &cdrom; drives. + + + +As an example, here are the steps needed to create an icon to access +files on a floppy disk: + + + + +Many systems require you to be logged in as root to mount and unmount devices. + + + + + +Right click on the desktop and choose +Create +NewDevice +Floppy Device.... + + + + +On the General tab of the resulting dialog, change +the name to whatever you like, in the text box at the top. + + + + + +On the Device tab, enter /dev/fd0 (or the path to the floppy device +as it is named on your system) as the Device. + + + + +You can add a Mount Point here too. This should be +an existing folder, but empty. Common mount points are /mnt/floppy or /floppy, but you can just as easily have floppy +disks mounted on ~/mydisk if you +want. + + + + +Click the Unmounted Icon and select the picture +of a floppy disk without the green light. + + + + +Once you're happy with your choices, choose OK +and you are finished! + + + + + +Now, place a properly formatted floppy in the drive and click the +Floppy icon to have &kde; mount the floppy drive and display +the files on the disk. Before removing the disk from the drive, &RMB; +click the Floppy icon and choose +Unmount from the menu. + + + + + + + +Configuring your desktop + + +If you do not like something about the way the desktop looks or +operates, you can probably change it. &kde; is very configurable and you +can change almost every aspect of the appearance and the behavior of +your desktop. Unlike many other &UNIX; desktop environments, you do not +have to edit cryptic configuration files either (but you can if you +really want to!) You use the &kcontrolcenter;, a special program for +configuring your desktop. + + + +Using the <application>&kde; Control Center</application> + + +Launch the &kcontrolcenter; from the &kmenu;. +A window with two panes appears, displaying a list of +modules in the left pane. + + + +Open a module by clicking its name; a list of submodules will +appear. Then, click one of the submodule category names to edit its +configuration in the right pane. + + + +Changing the configuration is fairly straightforward. A help button is +available on each configuration panel to explain settings that are not +obvious. Each panel has buttons labeled Help, +Use Defaults, Apply, and +Reset, which work as follows: + + + + +Help + + +Displays a short help text in the left hand pane, including a link to a +longer manual for the module in question. + + + + + +Use Defaults + + +Sets all the options in the current module back to the default at the +time &kde; was installed. + + + + + +Apply + + +Applies the current settings in the currently open module. + + + + + +Reset + + +Resets the options to the state they were in when you opened the module. +If you have already used the Apply button, then +this button will reset the options to the state they were in when you +pressed Apply. + + + + + + + +If you make changes on one configuration panel and move to a different module +without clicking OK or Apply +first, &kcontrolcenter; will prompt you to ask whether your changes should be applied +first. + + + + + + + + +Logging out + + +We sincerely hope that using &kde; gives you so much fun and +pleasure that you never want to log out. But if you do, simply choose +K menu +Logout. + + + +There is also a logout button directly on the panel, which looks like a +small power button. Or you can press &Ctrl; +&Alt; Delete to log out. + + + +Session Management + + +When you log out, &kde; can remember which applications you had open, as +well as where all the windows were located, so that it can open them +for you the next time you log in. This feature is termed +Session Management. &kde;-aware applications will +restore themselves to the state they were in when you logged out. For +example, &kate; remembers which files you were editing. + + +Non-&kde; applications do not memorize their state on logout, and +&kde; will warn you to make sure that you have saved any important +data in them when you start to log out. + + + +To illustrate session management, choose +K menuEditors +Kate to start &kate;. Open +a text document to edit. Now log out and back in. You will observe +that &kate; will be restored to the exact same position on the screen, +including the right virtual desktop, and the document we left open in +&kate; before we logged out is opened again automatically. &kate; +will even remember whether you had unsaved changes to your document +before you logged out and will save them to the file you were working +on if you choose Save from the +File menu. + + + + + + +&kde;, an exciting Journey + + +We hope you enjoyed this brief tour of the K Desktop environment and +that this unique desktop environment will help you get your work done +faster and more comfortably than ever. + + + +Please remember that the &kde; project is not a commercial venture, +but rather a project run by volunteers from all over the world. We +would like to invite you to join the &kde; project and become part of +this unique network of people. If you are a programmer you might +consider helping us write &kde; applications. If you are an artist or +have experience with graphic design, consider creating icons sets, +color schemes, sound schemes and logos for &kde;. If you enjoy +writing we would love for you to join our documentation project. + + + +As you can see there are many ways in which you can help. You are +cordially invited to join this world-wide network of people dedicated +to making &kde; the best desktop environment for any computer. Please +visit www.kde.org for more +information. + + + +Welcome aboard on this exciting journey, + + +Your &kde; Team + + + + + +Credits + +Authors + + +Matthias Ettrich +ettrich@kde.org +Kalle Dahlheimer kalle@kde.org +Torben Weiss weis@kde.org +Bernd Wuebben wuebben@kde.org +Stephen Schaub sschaub@bju.edu - +Editor +Robert Williams rwilliams@kde.org - +Editor +Lauri Watts lauri@kde.org + + + + +&underFDL; + + + + + + + -- cgit v1.2.1