Explore KDE

The easy way,

using a live CDBy Carl Weisheit

Why did I use Kubuntu and KDE?

Using a live CD will let you explore the KDE GUI without installing or altering anything on your system

KDE is one of the two most popular GUIs used in Linux. (other is GNOME)

KDE is a complete desktop environment, it uses Kwin as its default window manager

KDE has a huge number of features, and whole suites of applications designed to integrate with it.

Kubuntu is a live cd of the Ubuntu distro using the KDE interface Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux Distro at this time* and

comes pre-installed on major brands such as Dell Computers

* #1 on Distro Watch

Desktop Features

Desktop background

K menu button

KDE's panel (also known as kicker) allows small programs,

called "applets", to be embedded.

Mounted drive icon

To select fromMultiple desktops

Commonly usedplaces in computer

Time and date

trashcan

Get info by rollingmouse over item

Left click icon to open default file manager (Dolphin)

to view mounted and unmounted drives and partitions

Select storage media

Mounted indicator

Unmounted partition

Right click and select “Actions/Mount” to mount drive

Right click and select “Actions/Unmount” to unmount drive

Right click and select “Properties”to view drive properties

Viewing each tab of properties

Open menu and select LOG OUT

To reboot or shutdown

Run command lets you launch applications by name

System settings allow you to configure your system

To set your Default applicationsand file associations

Background, screensaverand appearance settings

Computer administrationDate / time

Monitor settings

Keyboard shortcuts

Computer administration

sound

Users and group settings

Printer setup

Network and connectivity

Network settings

File sharing properties

Computer administration “advanced tab”

“Stringi” is a file searching utility

The KDE help center provides user manuals and info on many

applications and features

This is a basic package manager

Use it to install Synaptic package

manager

Useful utilities, some of which are also found under “system settings”

How to open a terminalwithout leaving the GUI

The KDE info center provides hardware information

Example info from KDE info center

memoryPCI info

CPU info Sound info

Kde system monitor:for system performance

Kde system monitor:processes and system loads

Office applications

Multimedia applications

Internet applications

Graphics applications

right click on backgroundto sort icons

right click on backgroundto change desktop settings

Go quickly to common places from the icon in the KDE Panel

Konqueror has many uses from browsing the web to exploring your files to searching your local network for

shared folders

Click icon in panel

Right click panel to configure it or add or remove applications

Speaker icon brings volumecontrol or mixer panel

Speaker icon

Right click network icon to configure network settings

Network icon

Right click clock to set time or date

clock

KDE Keyboard shortcuts Ctrl – Esc = List of running applications Ctrl – B = Add Bookmark Ctrl – P = Print Page Ctrl - N = New Ctrl – O = Open Ctrl – W =Close Ctrl – Z = Undo Ctrl – C = Copy Ctrl – F = Find Ctrl – V = Paste Ctrl – R = Replace Ctrl – S = Save Ctrl – E = Text Completion Ctrl – A = Select All Ctrl – Q = Quit Ctrl - Home = Home Ctrl - Insert = Insert Ctrl - End = End Ctrl - Down = Next item Ctrl - Up = Previous Item Ctrl - Plus (+) = Zoom In Ctrl - Minus (-) = Zoom Out Ctrl - Tab = Switch forward one desktop Ctrl – Shift -Tab = Switch back one desktop

Ctrl – Shift - Z = Redo Ctrl - F3 = Find Prev Ctrl - F1 to F12 = Switch to Desktop 1 – 12 Shift-Ctrl-F1 to F4 = Switch to Desktop 13 to 16 Ctrl- Alt-L = Lock desktop Ctrl- Alt-D = Show / Hide desktop Ctrl-Alt-Esc = Kill Window (Click on the window to

action the kill.) Ctrl-Alt-Delete = Logout (To complete logout process,

Tab & Enter) Shift - F1= What's this F1 = Help Alt - F1 = Popup KDE launch menu F2 = rename file Alt - F2 = Execute Command F3 = Find Next Alt - F3 = Window open menu Alt - F4 = Window close Down Next Item in List F5 = Reload F11 = Switch fullscreen / normal size F12 = Toggle cursor key mouse emulation Alt – Tab = Switch forward among windows Alt-Shift-Tab = Switch backward among windows

Interesting configurations; XP look alike fromhttp://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=1499&forumpage=17

Interesting configurations; Vista look alike fromhttp://www.ubuntu.sun.ac.za/wiki/index.php/KDE-XP-LookAlike

THE END

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