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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>Chapter 3. Customizing Your Settings</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="susebooks.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.75.2"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="Documentation"><link rel="up" href="part.kde.desktop.html" title="Part I. Introduction"><link rel="prev" href="cha.kde.use.html" title="Chapter 2. Working with Your Desktop"><link rel="next" href="part.kde.manage.html" title="Part II. Managing Files and Resources"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header" border="0" class="bctable"><tr><td width="80%"><div class="breadcrumbs"><p><a href="index.html"> Documentation</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="book.kdeuser.html">KDE User Guide</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="part.kde.desktop.html">Introduction</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><strong><a accesskey="p" title="Chapter 2. Working with Your Desktop" href="cha.kde.use.html"><span>◀</span></a> </strong></p></div></td></tr></table></div><div class="chapter" title="Chapter 3. Customizing Your Settings"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title"><a name="cha.kde.cust"></a>Chapter 3. Customizing Your Settings<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#cha.kde.cust">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><div class="toc"><p><b>Contents</b></p><dl><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.kde.cust.html#sec.kde.cust.kcontrol">3.1. Personal Settings - Overview</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.kde.cust.html#sec.kde.cust.desk">3.2. Configuring Desktop Objects and Appearance</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.kde.cust.html#sec.kde.cust.hw">3.3. Configuring Hardware Components</a></span></dt><dt><span class="sect1"><a href="cha.kde.cust.html#sec.kde.cust.system">3.4. Configuring Behavior and System Aspects</a></span></dt></dl></div><p>
You can change the way your KDE desktop looks and behaves to suit your
needs. There are several ways to influence the look and feel of the KDE
desktop depending on the scope of changes to make. For users, the
following options are available:
</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="bullet"><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
To change the appearance or behavior of individual desktop objects only,
you can usually access a configuration dialog by right-clicking the
object.
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
To change the overall appearance and behavior of your KDE desktop, use
the <span class="guimenu">Personal Settings</span> that in KDE 4 replaced the
former KDE Control Center. Personal Settings offers access to
numerous configuration modules and dialogs, some of which can also be
accessed via the context menu of individual desktop objects.
</p></li></ul></div><div class="sect1" title="3.1. Personal Settings - Overview"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.kde.cust.kcontrol"></a>3.1. Personal Settings - Overview<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.kcontrol">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id308387"></a><p>
The Personal Settings are the central place for users to change the
overall appearance and behavior of many components of the KDE desktop.
Start the Personal Settings from the main menu by selecting <span class="guimenu">Favorites</span>+<span class="guimenu">Configure Desktop</span>.
</p><div class="figure"><a name="fig.kde.cust.kcontrol"></a><p class="title"><b>Figure 3.1. Personal Settings</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#fig.kde.cust.kcontrol">¶</a></span></p><div class="figure-contents"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_main.png" width="100%" alt="Personal Settings"></td></tr></table></div></div></div><br class="figure-break"><div class="sect2" title="3.1.1. Use"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.kcontrol.use"></a>3.1.1. Use<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.kcontrol.use">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
The <span class="guimenu">General</span> and <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tabs
provide different categories of settings. To get an impression of the
numerous possibilities, just click a category icon and explore the
possibilities provided there. Performing tasks in some areas of the
personal settings requires system administrator (<code class="systemitem">root</code>)
permissions.
</p><p>
Change the settings as desired. No changes take effect until you click
<span class="guimenu">Apply</span>. To discard changes in the recent view that you
have not yet applied, click <span class="guimenu">Reset</span>. To reset all items
in the recent view to the default values, click
<span class="guimenu">Defaults</span>.
</p><p>
To get back to the start-up view (showing all categories) again, click
<span class="guimenu">Overview</span>. You can also enter a search string at the
top of the window (for example, <span class="guimenu">Screen Saver</span>) to find
the category which holds options related to the search string. Each
character you enter in the <span class="guimenu">Search</span> field further
narrows the search.
</p><p>
For easier overview of all categories, you can also switch to a tree
view by clicking <span class="guimenu">Settings</span> and selecting another
<span class="guimenu">View Style</span>.
</p></div><div class="sect2" title="3.1.2. Categories"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.kcontrol.categories"></a>3.1.2. Categories<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.kcontrol.categories">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
The following list introduces the major categories, and highlights the
most important settings you can change there. Detailed information on
the settings of each category is provided by the <span class="guimenu">Help</span>
button on each page of the settings, or in the help center.
</p><p>
The <span class="guimenu">General</span> tab holds the following categories:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">Look & Feel</span>
<a class="indexterm" name="id335227"></a>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Holds settings for the appearance of your KDE 4 desktop (such as
themes, window decorations, and styles of desktop elements). Allows
you to configure 3D desktops effects, increase or decrease the number
of virtual (multiple) desktops, or configure screen saver options.
Cursor behavior, window behavior and the splash screen that appears
on KDE start-up can also be modified here.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">Personal</span>
<a class="indexterm" name="id402718"></a>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Holds settings for changing the default paths to the subdirectories
of your home directory. Allows you to change the default applications
(like e-mail client, text editor, messenger, and Web browser) that
are called whenever a KDE application needs to start applications of
these types. Define country and language-specific options here, such
as default spell checking options, currency, number and date format,
and keyboard layouts for different languages. This category also
offers accessibility options for handicapped users, such as sound and
keyboard options and mouse gestures.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">Network & Connectivity</span>
<a class="indexterm" name="id395588"></a>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Allows you to set options for network management, local network
browsing and proxy servers.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">Computer Administration</span>
<a class="indexterm" name="id395395"></a>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Allows you to configure date and time settings for your KDE desktop,
to change size and orientation of your display, and to specify power
management options for saving energy. Also holds settings for
joysticks, keyboard and mouse. You can view and modify the predefined
KDE shortcuts. You can also install personal or systemwide fonts here
and configure your sound system.
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
The <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tab holds the following categories:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">Advanced User Settings</span>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Use this category to configure options like encoding or to which
database to connect for track listings of audio CDs, to configure
your digital camera, or to change the settings for KWallet (the KDE
password management tool). If needed, change the default file
associations in order to identify a file type and start an
appropriate application. Define how KDE handles sessions on login or
shutdown and define which applications should be started
automatically.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><span class="guimenu">System</span>
</span></dt><dd><p>
Holds options for the login manager, power management and Samba.
</p></dd></dl></div><div class="tip"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Tip: Starting Individual Modules"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Tip]" src="admon/tip.png"></td><th align="left">Starting Individual Modules</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
You can also start individual modules of the Personal Settings from the
shell or by adding a special applet to your panel.
</p><p>
To start modules from a shell, enter <span class="command"><strong>kcmshell4
<code class="option">--list</code></strong></span> to get a list of all available
modules. Then enter <span class="command"><strong>kcmshell4 <code class="option"> <em class="replaceable"><code>module
name</code></em> </code></strong></span> to start the desired module.
</p><p>
Conversely, add the <span class="guimenu">Settings</span> applet to your panel
according to the description in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#sec.kde.cust.desk.panel" title="3.2.3. Panel">Section 3.2.3, “Panel”</a>.
</p></td></tr></table></div><p>
In the following sections, find examples of how to configure some
aspects of your KDE desktop that you might want to customize.
</p></div></div><div class="sect1" title="3.2. Configuring Desktop Objects and Appearance"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.kde.cust.desk"></a>3.2. Configuring Desktop Objects and Appearance<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.desk">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id393656"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id390679"></a><p>
Your KDE desktop comes with a predefined set of desktop icons. By adding
various objects such as folders, files, or widgets, you can create
additional icons on your desktop and arrange them as you like.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.1. Adding Program Icons to the Desktop"><a name="proc.kde.cust.desk.icons"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.1. Adding Program Icons to the Desktop</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#proc.kde.cust.desk.icons">¶</a></span></p><p>
To create a link to an application and place it on the desktop or the
panel, proceed as follows:
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Click the main menu button and browse to the desired application.
</p></li><li><p>
Right-click and select <span class="guimenu">Add to Desktop</span> or
<span class="guimenu">Add to Panel</span> from the context menu that appears. If
these menu items are not available, your desktop elements are probably
locked. Unlock them first as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.start.html#sec.kde.start.lock" title="1.2.1. Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects">Section 1.2.1, “Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects”</a>.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the icon position on the desktop, left-click the icon and
drag it to the desired place.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
To delete an icon from your desktop, right-click the icon and select
<span class="guimenu">Remove this Icon</span>.
</p><div class="sect2" title="3.2.1. Widgets"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.desk.widgets"></a>3.2.1. Widgets<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.desk.widgets">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.2. Adding Widgets to the Desktop"><a name="proc.kde.cust.desk.add.widgets"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.2. Adding Widgets to the Desktop</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#proc.kde.cust.desk.add.widgets">¶</a></span></p><p>
Widgets are small applications that can be integrated into your desktop
or your panel.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To add widgets to you desktop, right-click an empty patch on your
desktop and select <span class="guimenu">Add Widgets</span>.
</p><p>
If these menu items are not available, your desktop elements are
probably locked. Unlock them first as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.start.html#sec.kde.start.lock" title="1.2.1. Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects">Section 1.2.1, “Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects”</a>.
</p></li><li id="step.proc.kde.cust.add.widgets"><p>
In the dialog box that appears, you can limit the selection of widgets
that is shown with the drop-down list at the top or by entering a
search string into the input field.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="40%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_add_widget.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
Select a widget and click <span class="guimenu">Add Widget</span>. The widget
appears on your desktop or in your panel.
</p></li><li><p>
To position the widget on your desktop, left-click the widget and drag
it to the desired place. To align all widgets to a grid, right-click
an empty patch on the desktop and select <span class="guimenu">Align
Horizontally</span> or <span class="guimenu">Align Vertically</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
To remove a widget from your desktop, right-click the widget and select
the
<span class="guimenu">Remove...</span> entry. Conversely, hover your mouse pointer
over the widget and click the <code class="literal">X</code> symbol in the frame.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.3. Configuring Widgets"><a name="proc.kde.cust.conf.widgets"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.3. Configuring Widgets</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#proc.kde.cust.conf.widgets">¶</a></span></p><p>
In order to configure widgets, the desktop elements need to be unlocked
as described in <a class="xref" href="cha.kde.start.html#sec.kde.start.lock" title="1.2.1. Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects">Section 1.2.1, “Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects”</a>.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To configure a widget, hover your mouse pointer over the widget until
a translucent panel appears on the left or right side of the widget,
showing a number of symbols.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="40%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_widget_frame.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
If the panel does not appear, your widgets are probably locked. Unlock
them first as described in <a class="xref" href="cha.kde.start.html#sec.kde.start.lock" title="1.2.1. Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects">Section 1.2.1, “Locking and Unlocking Desktop Objects”</a>
</p></li><li><p>
To change the widget size, left-click the resize symbol in the panel
and keep the mouse button pressed while moving your cursor across the
desktop to scale the widget size.
</p></li><li><p>
To rotate the widget in any direction, left-click the arrow symbol in
the panel and keep the mouse button pressed while moving your cursor
in a circle across the desktop. There is a sticky boundary in the
horizontal and vertical positions where you can <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">clamp</span>”</span>
the widget, if you like. You can also arrange it in any tilted
position.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the contents, settings, or properties of a widget,
left-click the wrench symbol in the panel. In the configuration dialog
box that appears, set the options according to your wishes.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
Use the <code class="literal">X</code> symbol in the panel if you want to close
the widget.
</p></div><div class="sect2" title="3.2.2. Virtual Desktops, Background and Screen Saver"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.desk.misc"></a>3.2.2. Virtual Desktops, Background and Screen Saver<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.desk.misc">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.4. Changing the Desktop Background"><a name="proc.kde.cust.desk.back"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.4. Changing the Desktop Background</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#proc.kde.cust.desk.back">¶</a></span></p><p>
You can change the background colors of your desktop or select a
picture to use as the background.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Right-click an empty patch of the desktop and select <span class="guimenu">Desktop
Settings</span>. A configuration dialog appears.
</p></li><li><p>
In the <span class="guimenu">Wallpaper</span> section, choose from the
<span class="guimenu">Type</span> drop-down list if you want to use an
<span class="guimenu">Image</span>, a <span class="guimenu">Slide Show</span> or a
<span class="guimenu">Color</span> as background.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="60%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_conf_deskback.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="bullet"><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
For an image wallpaper, choose a wallpaper from the
<span class="guimenu">Picture</span> list. Click <span class="guimenu">Get New
Wallpapers</span> to download and install new wallpapers. To use
a custom picture, click the folder button beneath the list and
select an image file from the file system. Define the
<span class="guimenu">Positioning</span> of the image.
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
To have multiple images appear in <span class="guimenu">Slide Show</span>
mode, define the directory from which to select the pictures and set
the interval after which to change the images.
</p></li></ul></div></li><li><p>
Set the other options in the configuration dialog according to your
wishes, and click <span class="guimenu">OK</span> to save your changes and leave
the configuration dialog.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.5. Adding Additional Virtual Desktops"><a name="pro.kde.cust.desk.vdesk"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.5. Adding Additional Virtual Desktops</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.desk.vdesk">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id315812"></a><p>
Some users might need more desktops than provided by default.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Right-click the desktop previewer in the panel and select
<span class="guimenu">Configure Desktops</span>. A configuration dialog appears
where you can increase or decrease the number of virtual desktops. You
can also change the default names of desktops.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="60%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_add_virtdesk.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">OK</span> to apply the changes and close the
configuration dialog.
</p></li><li><p>
For the names of the desktops to appear in the desktop previewer
rather than the number, right-click the desktop previewer and select
<span class="guimenu">Pager Options</span>+<span class="guimenu">Desktop
Name</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.6. Using Different Options for Each Virtual Desktop"><a name="pro.kde.cust.desk.activities"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.6. Using Different Options for Each Virtual Desktop</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.desk.activities">¶</a></span></p><p>
Though somewhat more complicated than with KDE 3.x, you can configure
your virtual desktops in a way that allows you to use different
wallpapers or widgets on each.
</p><div class="note"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Note: Combining Virtual Desktops with Plasma Activities"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Note]" src="admon/note.png"></td><th align="left">Combining Virtual Desktops with Plasma Activities</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
Note that the implementation in this release of KDE is still in an
experimental state. Some features may not work as expected.
</p></td></tr></table></div><p>
To access the relevant configuration options, you need to show the
cashew icon at the upper right corner first (in openSUSE it is not
visible by default). To do so, right-click an empty patch on your
desktop and select <span class="guimenu">Desktop Settings</span>. In the dialog
that appears, click <span class="guimenu">Type</span> below <span class="guimenu">Desktop
Activity</span> and select the <span class="guimenu">Desktop - Default Desktop
Containment</span> entry from the list. Click <span class="guimenu">OK</span>
to confirm the settings and to close the dialog. Now the cashew icon is
visible at the upper right corner of your desktop.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Click the cashew icon at the upper right corner of your desktop and
select <span class="guimenu">Configure Plasma</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
In the Plasma configuration dialog, activate <span class="guimenu">Different
Activity for Each Desktop</span> and click <span class="guimenu">OK</span>.
</p><p>
From now on, each of your virtual desktops will have separate plasma
activities. This will allow you to have a different wallpaper on each
virtual desktop, as well as a completely separate set of widgets.
</p></li><li><p>
Now switch to the virtual desktop you want to configure and set a
custom background as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#proc.kde.cust.desk.back" title="Procedure 3.4. Changing the Desktop Background">Procedure 3.4, “Changing the Desktop Background”</a> or add new widgets for the
virtual desktop as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#proc.kde.cust.desk.add.widgets" title="Procedure 3.2. Adding Widgets to the Desktop">Procedure 3.2, “Adding Widgets to the Desktop”</a>.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
To make all virtual desktops appear the same again and to remove the
binding between virtual desktops and activities, zoom out of your
current desktop again and deactivate <span class="guimenu">Different Activity for
Each Desktop</span> in the Plasma configuration dialog.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.7. Configuring the Screen Saver"><a name="pro.kde.cust.desk.ssaver"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.7. Configuring the Screen Saver</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.desk.ssaver">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id330396"></a><p>
openSUSE® comes with predefined screen saver settings that you
can adjust.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Start the Personal Settings from the main menu by selecting
<span class="guimenu">Favorites</span>+<span class="guimenu">Configure
Desktop</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
On the <span class="guimenu">General</span> tab, select
<span class="guimenu">Desktop</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
In the dialog that opens, click <span class="guimenu">Screen Saver</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
In the list of screen savers, click a screen saver to see a preview in
the right side of the dialog.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_screen.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">Setup</span> to adjust options like speed or shapes.
</p></li><li><p>
You can also choose to view a blank screen instead or to let KDE start
a random screen saver. Find these options at the end of the screen
saver list.
</p></li><li><p>
Under <span class="guimenu">Settings</span>, determine after how long a time of
inactivity the screen saver should start and whether a password is
required to unlock the screen after the screen saver has started.
</p></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">OK</span> to apply the changes and close the
configuration dialog.
</p></li></ol></div></div><div class="sect2" title="3.2.3. Panel"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.desk.panel"></a>3.2.3. Panel<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.desk.panel">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id403805"></a><p>
You can customize the KDE panel according to your preferences.
Applications and widgets can be added to the quick launch area or the
system tray in the main panel or to additional panels. Panel elements
and additional panels can be moved to different places or be completely
removed at any time.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.8. Customizing the Panel"><a name="proc.kde.cust.conf.panel"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.8. Customizing the Panel</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#proc.kde.cust.conf.panel">¶</a></span></p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li id="step.kde.cust.panel.move"><p>
Right-click an empty patch in the panel and select <span class="guimenu">Panel
Settings</span> to access any panel options. Conversely, click the
cashew icon at the end of the panel. The panel changes view and shows
its configurations options.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="50%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_move_panel.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
If the menu item and the icon are not available, your desktop objects
are probably locked. To unlock, right-click and select <span class="guimenu">Unlock
Widgets</span> first.
</p></li><li><p>
To move panel objects to a different place within the panel, hover the
mouse cursor over the respective panel object (for example, program
icon, pager, task manager, system tray). The mouse cursor turns into a
crosslines-like form. Move the cursor to the desired position in the
panel, then click again to fix the object in the new position.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the panel width, click and drag the small arrow icons at the
far left and right end of the settings panel.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the panel height, click the <span class="guimenu">Height</span> button
and move the mouse cursor to the desired end location.
</p></li><li><p>
To place the panel at different sides of the screen use the
<span class="guimenu">Screen Edge</span> button. Drag and drop the panel to the
preferred location.
</p></li><li><p>
If you need additional widgets on your panel, add them with the
<span class="guimenu">Add Widgets...</span> button as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#step.proc.kde.cust.add.widgets" title="Step 2">Step 2</a>.
</p></li><li><p>
To remove program icons or widgets from the panel, right-click the
unwanted object and select the menu item to remove the icon or widget.
</p><p>
The icons in the system tray usually belong to applications running in
the background. Therefore you can only remove those icons if you close
those applications (right-click the icon and select
<span class="guimenu">Quit</span>).
</p></li><li><p>
To prevent the panel and widgets from being moved accidentally, use
<span class="guimenu">Lock Widgets</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
For additional configurations options like alignment and functions
(like auto hide), click <span class="guimenu">More Settings...</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
If all panel changes are according to your wishes, close the settings
panel with the red close button on the right side.
</p></li></ol></div></div></div><div class="sect1" title="3.3. Configuring Hardware Components"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.kde.cust.hw"></a>3.3. Configuring Hardware Components<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.hw">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><p>
Most of your hardware components (like mouse, keyboard and display) are
configured automatically. In case you need to change any settings, KDE
provides a set of options and tools, some of which are integrated into the
Personal Settings (like options for mouse and keyboard behavior or the
display options). For adjusting your display configuration on the fly, use
KRandRTray, the graphical front-end for the RandR (Resize and Rotate)
extension of the X server.
</p><div class="sect2" title="3.3.1. Keyboard and Mouse Settings"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.hw.keymouse"></a>3.3.1. Keyboard and Mouse Settings<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.hw.keymouse">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
In the <span class="guimenu">Keyboard & Mouse</span> category of the Personal
Settings, you can define options like what happens if you press and hold
down a key (keyboard repeat), or what to do with the NumLock toggle key.
You can also change keyboard shortcuts as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#pro.kde.cust.hw.shortcuts" title="Procedure 3.10. Modifying KDE Keyboard Shortcuts">Procedure 3.10, “Modifying KDE Keyboard Shortcuts”</a> or alter your mouse settings
(for example, for left-handed or right-handed use as described in
<a class="xref" href="cha.kde.cust.html#pro.kde.cust.hw.mouse" title="Procedure 3.11. Adjusting the Mouse Settings">Procedure 3.11, “Adjusting the Mouse Settings”</a>). Apart from that, you can adjust
or add keyboard layouts in the <span class="guimenu">Regional &
Accessibility</span> section of the Personal Settings.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.9. Adjusting and Adding Keyboard Layouts"><a name="pro.kde.cust.hw.kbdlayout"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.9. Adjusting and Adding Keyboard Layouts</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.hw.kbdlayout">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id326111"></a><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To adjust or add keyboard layouts, open the Personal Settings and
select <span class="guimenu">Regional & Accessibility</span>+<span class="guimenu">Keyboard Layout</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Activate <span class="guimenu">Enable keyboard layouts</span> at the top.
</p></li><li><p>
If you have a special <span class="guimenu">Keyboard Model</span>, select the
appropriate model from the list, otherwise just keep the default.
</p></li><li><p>
If you often need to enter texts in various languages, you may want to
add different language layouts for your keyboard. To do so, select a
layout in the list of <span class="guimenu">Available layouts</span> and click
the right arrow button to transfer it to the list of <span class="guimenu">Active
layouts</span>.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_keylayout.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
If you added several layouts, you can change the sorting order with the
help of the up and down arrow buttons.
</p></li><li><p>
Use the <span class="guimenu">Switching Options</span> tab to adjust the options
for switching between the keyboard layouts. For example, you can define
keyboard shortcuts for switching.
</p></li><li><p>
For more information, click <span class="guimenu">Help</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Confirm your changes with <span class="guimenu">Apply</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
If you added keyboard layout, you can change between different keyboard
layouts by clicking the country flag in the panel or by using the
relevant keyboard shortcut.
</p><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.10. Modifying KDE Keyboard Shortcuts"><a name="pro.kde.cust.hw.shortcuts"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.10. Modifying KDE Keyboard Shortcuts</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.hw.shortcuts">¶</a></span></p><p>
KDE comes with a set of predefined keyboard shortcuts. You can easily
create more keyboard shortcuts or change existing shortcuts (for
example, if they conflict with other application-specific shortcuts).
</p><a class="indexterm" name="id388753"></a><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Open the Personal Settings and select <span class="guimenu">Keyboard &
Mouse</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Click either <span class="guimenu">Standard Keyboard Shortcuts</span> or
<span class="guimenu">Global Keyboard Shortcuts</span>. In the <span class="guimenu">Global
Keyboard Shortcuts</span> category, you can define shortcuts for a
number of KDE components like Plasma or the window manager KWin.
</p><p>
For example, to change the shortcuts for switching between the virtual
desktops, select the <span class="guimenu">KWin</span> entry from the drop-down
list. To change the shortcuts for locking the screen or logging out,
select the <span class="guimenu">Run Command Interface</span> entry.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_shortcut.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
Browse through the list of shortcuts for the selected entry. To filter
for certain keywords, enter a search string in the search field above.
</p></li><li><p>
To change or add a shortcut, select the relevant list entry and in the
dialog that opens, select <span class="guimenu">Custom</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Click the wrench icon to switch to the input mode.
</p></li><li><p>
Press the desired key or key combination. If this shortcut cannot be
accepted or in case of conflict with another existing shortcut, a
notification shows. If your input was successful, the new or modified
shortcut appears in the list.
</p></li><li><p>
If you want to switch back to the default keyboard shortcut for the
selected action, just click the entry again and select
<span class="guimenu">Default</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
To save the modified settings, click <span class="guimenu">Apply</span>. To reset
all shortcuts to the default values, click <span class="guimenu">Defaults</span>
then <span class="guimenu">Apply</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.11. Adjusting the Mouse Settings"><a name="pro.kde.cust.hw.mouse"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.11. Adjusting the Mouse Settings</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.hw.mouse">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id375610"></a><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Open the Personal Settings and select <span class="guimenu">Keyboard &
Mouse</span>.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_mouse.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
To switch between left-handed or right-handed use, select the
corresponding options in the <span class="guimenu">Button Order</span> group.
</p></li><li><p>
To switch to double-clicks to open files and folders, select the
corresponding option in the <span class="guimenu">Icons</span> group.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the mouse pointer appearance, switch to the <span class="guimenu">Cursor
Theme</span> tab and select a different cursor theme.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the default values of double-click intervals or the distance
that the pointer moves over the screen on movement of the mouse, adjust
the settings on the <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tab.
</p></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">Apply</span> to apply the changes and close the
configuration dialog.
</p></li></ol></div></div><div class="sect2" title="3.3.2. Monitor Settings"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.hw.display"></a>3.3.2. Monitor Settings<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.hw.display">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
Monitors attached to your machine are detected automatically during
installation (or, if you plug them in after the installation, they are
detected during the next start of the X server). Configure them with the
tools your desktop environment (KDE or GNOME) provides. To trigger
detection of new monitors during a running session, either use the
<span class="keycap">Fn-Fx</span> keys or the RandR desktop tools, KRandRTray or
gnome-display-properties.
</p><p>
If you want to set up multiple monitors for dual-head graphics cards, you
can choose between different modes.
</p><p>
Currently, the following modes are generally supported:
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Clone Mode </span></dt><dd><p>
In this mode, the same content is shown on two or more monitors. Clone
mode is usually limited to the monitors connected to a single graphics
card.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Span View</span></dt><dd><p>
In this mode, the monitors connected to a graphics card form a single
large monitor. You can use 3D acceleration and you can move
application windows between the screens. Any application that is
maximized stretches across the complete desktop, not only across one
monitor. For this mode, a similar resolution of both monitors is
recommended for ease of use.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Twin View</span></dt><dd><p>
This mode is Nvidia-specific and is a hybrid of Span View and
Xinerama: you can have 3D acceleration and one desktop stretching over
both monitors, but you cannot rotate just one of them (only both or
neither).
</p></dd></dl></div><div class="note"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Note: Available Modes"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Note]" src="admon/note.png"></td><th align="left">Available Modes</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
Which modes and options are available on your machine depend on your
hardware (graphics cards and monitors) and the driver you use.
</p></td></tr></table></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.12. Configuring One or Multiple Monitors"><a name="id329367"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.12. Configuring One or Multiple Monitors</b></p><p>
For configuring multiple monitors, you need a graphics card that is
supported by a driver that implements the RandR extension in version 1.2
or higher. To find out if you are using a valid driver, run the
<span class="command"><strong>xrandr</strong></span> command and check the output. If you only get
a single output that contains the string <code class="literal">default</code>,
your driver only supports RandR version 1.1. For illustration, see the
examples below.
</p><div class="example"><a name="id314296"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 3.1. Example Output for a Driver Supporting RandR 1.1</b></p><div class="example-contents"><pre class="screen">$xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 2048 x 768, current 3360 x 1050, maximum 3360 x 1050
default connected 3360x1050+0+0 0mm x 0mm
3360x1050 50.0*
2048x768 51.0
</pre></div></div><br class="example-break"><div class="example"><a name="id314309"></a><p class="title"><b>Example 3.2. Example Output for a Driver Supporting RandR 1.2</b></p><div class="example-contents"><pre class="screen">$xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1280 x 1024, maximum 3840 x 1200
DVI-I_1/digital disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis)
DVI-I_1/analog connected 1280x1024+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 338mm x 270mm
1024x768 60.0
800x600 60.3
640x480 59.9
DVI-D_2 disconnected (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 1280x1024 (0x3e) 108.0MHz
h: width 1280 start 1328 end 1440 total 1688 skew 0 clock 64.0KHz
v: height 1024 start 1025 end 1028 total 1066 clock 60.0Hz
</pre></div></div><br class="example-break"><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Open the Personal Settings and select <span class="guimenu">Display</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Select <span class="guimenu">Size & Orientation </span> to configure
parameters like dual-head modes, screen size, and refresh rate.
</p></li><li><p>
Parameters like standby, suspend or power off for your monitor can be
configured in the <span class="guimenu">Power Control</span> category.
</p></li><li><p>
To calibrate your monitor, click the <span class="guimenu">Gamma</span> category.
For more information, click <span class="guimenu">Help</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
In the <span class="guimenu">Multiple Monitors</span> category, you can set some
options for application windows (for example, if maximized windows need
to be limited to just one monitor).
</p></li><li><p>
Confirm your settings with <span class="guimenu">Apply</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
To adjust your display configuration on the fly, start KRandRTray from
the main menu, or press <span class="keycap">Alt</span>+<span class="keycap">F2</span> and enter <span class="command"><strong>krandrtray</strong></span>.
After you have started the applet, the applet icon is usually added to
your system tray. To change screen size or refresh rate, right-click the
icon and select one of the entries. After selection, your screen
resolution changes immediately and you are asked to confirm the new
configuration or to revert to the old one. If you do not confirm the new
configuration, the display switches back to the former resolution
automatically after 15 seconds. If you left-click the icon, you are taken
to the same configuration dialog you can also start from the Personal
Settings.
</p></div><div class="sect2" title="3.3.3. Background Information"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sec.kde.cust.hw.trouble"></a>3.3.3. Background Information<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.hw.trouble">¶</a></span></h3></div></div></div><p>
The following background information might help you in case your hardware
components are not detected correctly by default and you need to adjust
some settings manually.
</p><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">Graphics Card and Display</span></dt><dd><p>
The following processes are executed by the system to detect and
configure your monitor: The X server is responsible for detecting the
graphics card. The corresponding driver is selected according to a
certain order defining the priorities, for example:
</p><pre class="screen">ATI: fglrx --> radeonhd --> radeon --> fbdev --> vesa
NVIDIA: nvidia --> nouveau --> nv --> fbdev --> vesa
VIA: chrome9 --> openchrome --> unichrome
Intel: intel --> fbdev --> vesa</pre><p>
If one of the drivers in the list does not exist or the hardware is
not supported, the system tries the next driver. The driver then
addresses the monitor in its native resolution. Dynamic changes can be
made using desktop-specific tools like gnome-display-properties or
KRandRTray.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term">Mouse, Keyboard and Touchpad</span></dt><dd><p>
For mouse and keyboard, the <span class="productname">evdev</span> driver is
used; for notebook touchpads the <span class="productname">synaptic</span>
driver. The settings are defined systemwide by HAL (hardware
abstraction layer) and are stored under
<code class="filename">/usr/share/hal/fdi/policy</code>.
</p></dd></dl></div><p>
In case you need to adjust your (static) X Window System configuration
for hardware components, this can be done with a graphical front-end
(SaX2) or by editing the <code class="filename">/etc/X11/xorg.conf</code>
configuration file manually (for experts only). To start SaX2, press
<span class="keycap">Alt</span>+<span class="keycap">F2</span> and
enter <span class="command"><strong>sax2</strong></span> (<code class="systemitem">root</code> password needed).
</p><p>
For experienced users, there are also command line tools available: you
can set the keyboard with <span class="command"><strong>setxkbmap</strong></span> or test and
configure XInput devices with <span class="command"><strong>xinput</strong></span>.
</p></div></div><div class="sect1" title="3.4. Configuring Behavior and System Aspects"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sec.kde.cust.system"></a>3.4. Configuring Behavior and System Aspects<span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#sec.kde.cust.system">¶</a></span></h2></div></div></div><a class="indexterm" name="id312528"></a><a class="indexterm" name="id312543"></a><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.13. Changing Default Applications"><a name="pro.kde.cust.system.defaultapps"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.13. Changing Default Applications</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.system.defaultapps">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id327286"></a><p>
There are certain default applications defined in KDE: For example, when
you click an e-mail address, KMail starts.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To change this behavior and set your preferred Web browser or e-mail
client as default, open the Personal Settings and click
<span class="guimenu">Default Applications</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the Web browser:
</p><ol type="a" class="substeps"><li><p>
In the list of components, select <span class="guimenu">Web Browser</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Select <span class="guimenu">Open http and https URLs in the following
browser</span> and click the browse button beneath.
</p></li><li><p>
A dialog opens, showing the main menu structure. Select the Web
browser to set as default and click <span class="guimenu">OK</span>. The
component chooser now shows the selected application in the display
field.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_defaultapps.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li></ol></li><li><p>
To change the e-mail client:
</p><ol type="a" class="substeps"><li><p>
In the list of components, select <span class="guimenu">Email Client</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
Select <span class="guimenu">Use a different email client</span> and click the
browse button.
</p></li><li><p>
A dialog showing the main menu structure opens. Select the e-mail
client to set as default and click <span class="guimenu">OK</span>. The
component chooser now shows the selected application in the display
field.
</p></li></ol></li><li><p>
If desired, change other default applications for KDE, like the
application for the terminal window or the instant messenger client.
</p></li><li><p>
When all options are set according to your wishes, click
<span class="guimenu">Apply</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.14. Changing File Associations"><a name="pro.kde.cust.system.fileass"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.14. Changing File Associations</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.system.fileass">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id312581"></a><p>
Similar to setting the default Web browser or e-mail application, you
can change file associations in KDE. File associations determine which
application should be used to open a specific file type.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Open the Personal Settings, click the <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tab
and select <span class="guimenu">File Associations</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
To search for an extension, enter the extension in <span class="guimenu">Find File
Type or File Name Pattern</span>. Only file types with a matching
file pattern appear in the list. For example, to modify the application
for *.png files, enter <span class="command"><strong>png</strong></span> in <span class="guimenu">Find File
Type or File Name Pattern</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
In the <span class="guimenu">Known Types</span> list, click the file type to open
the setting dialog for this file type. You can change the icon,
filename patterns, description, and the order of the applications.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="80%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_fileass.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div><p>
If your tool is not listed, click <span class="guimenu">Add</span> in
<span class="guimenu">Application Preference Order</span> then select the program
for the file type.
</p><p>
To change the order of the list entries, click the program to move.
Give it a higher or lower priority by clicking <span class="guimenu">Move
Up</span> or <span class="guimenu">Move Down</span>. The application listed at
the top is used by default when you click a file of this type.
</p></li><li><p>
When all options are set according to your wishes, click
<span class="guimenu">Apply</span>.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.15. Adjusting Regional Settings"><a name="pro.kde.cust.system.regional"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.15. Adjusting Regional Settings</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.system.regional">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id307434"></a><p>
To adjust settings such as time and date format, number format, or
currency, select the desired country as the default country in KDE. If
more than one system language is installed on your computer, you can
also select the different languages in which KDE should show the
graphical user interface and application interfaces.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To set your default country options, open the Personal Settings and
select <span class="guimenu">Regional & Language</span>.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_lang.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
On the <span class="guimenu">Locale</span> tab, click <span class="guimenu">Change</span>
next to the <span class="guimenu">Country or Region</span> entry. In the dialog
that opens, select the region and country you want to set as default in
KDE and click <span class="guimenu">OK</span>.
</p><p>
Number, date and time formats are automatically adjusted to the new
country's default values that are shown in the display field at the
bottom of the <span class="guimenu">Locale</span> tab.
</p></li><li><p>
If you need to make further adjustments for those, click the relevant
tabs and set the options according to your wishes.
</p></li><li><p>
If more than one language is installed on your system (as secondary
languages with YaST) and you want to change the graphical interface
of KDE to a different language, click <span class="guimenu">Add Language</span>
on the <span class="guimenu">Locale</span> tab. This opens a list of languages
currently installed on your system.
</p></li><li><p>
Select the language for the graphical user interface. The new language
is now shown at the top position in the <span class="guimenu">Language</span>
list.
</p></li><li><p>
To confirm the changes, click <span class="guimenu">Apply</span>. All newly
started applications or desktop objects now appear in the new language.
</p></li><li><p>
To switch to another language, re-sort the languages in the
<span class="guimenu">Languages</span> list until the desired language is at the
top position and apply your changes.
</p></li></ol></div><p>
<a class="indexterm" name="id400915"></a>
KDE runs a session manager that starts after your username and password
are authenticated by the login process. It lets you save the status of a
certain session and return to that status the next time you log in. For
example, it can automatically start the applications that you were
running in the most recent session or when you manually saved a session.
It can save and restore the following settings:
</p><div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="bullet"><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Appearance and behavior settings (such as fonts, colors, and mouse
settings).
</p></li><li class="listitem" style="list-style-type: disc"><p>
Applications that you were running (such as a file manager or OpenOffice.org).
</p><div class="note"><table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" summary="Note: Saving and Restoring Applications"><tr class="head"><td width="32"><img alt="[Note]" src="admon/note.png"></td><th align="left">Saving and Restoring Applications</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><p>
You cannot save and restore applications that Session Manager does not
manage. For example, if you start the vi editor from the command line
in a terminal window, Session Manager cannot restore your editing
session.
</p></td></tr></table></div></li></ul></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.16. Adjusting the Session Handling"><a name="pro.kde.cust.system.session"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.16. Adjusting the Session Handling</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.system.session">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id391662"></a><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
To change the session handling options, open the Personal Settings and
on the <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tab, click <span class="guimenu">Session
Manager</span>.
</p><p>
By default, Session Manager restores the applications that were running
when you logged out from the previous session, enabling an automatic
start of these applications.
</p></li><li><p>
To be able to save a certain session manually and restore this session
each time you log in to KDE, select <span class="guimenu">Restore manually saved
sessions</span>. This adds a new menu item, <span class="guimenu">Save
Session</span>, to your main menu. After a session is saved, KDE
automatically restores the saved session on each login.
</p></li><li><p>
To start with a <span class="quote">“<span class="quote">fresh</span>”</span> session each time you log in,
select <span class="guimenu">Start with an empty session</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
To change the default options that appear when logging out, adjust the
relevant options in the <span class="guimenu">General</span> and <span class="guimenu">Default
Leave Option</span> groups.
</p></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">Apply</span> to confirm your changes.
</p></li></ol></div><div class="procedure" title="Procedure 3.17. Starting Programs Automatically"><a name="pro.kde.cust.system.autostart"></a><p class="title"><b>Procedure 3.17. Starting Programs Automatically</b><span class="permalink"><a alt="Permalink" title="Copy Permalink" href="#pro.kde.cust.system.autostart">¶</a></span></p><a class="indexterm" name="id328827"></a><p>
Apart from the applications from the last session that are restored by
the Session Manager, you can configure which applications should be
always be started after login.
</p><ol class="procedure" type="1"><li><p>
Open the Personal Settings and on the <span class="guimenu">Advanced</span> tab,
click <span class="guimenu">Autostart</span>.
</p></li><li><p>
To add an application, click <span class="guimenu">Add Program</span> and from
the menu structure, select the program you want to start automatically.
</p><p>
To add a shell script, click <span class="guimenu">Add Script</span> and click
the <span class="guimenu">Open File Dialog</span> icon in the next window to
select the script from the file system. The program or script is added
to the list and you can view and change the <span class="guimenu">Status</span>.
</p><div class="informalfigure"><div class="mediaobject"><table border="0" summary="manufactured viewport for HTML img" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="75%"><tr><td><img src="images/kde_kcontrol_autostart.png" width="100%"></td></tr></table></div></div></li><li><p>
Click <span class="guimenu">Apply</span> to confirm your changes. When logging in
the next time, the applications and scripts start automatically.
</p></li></ol></div></div></div><div class="navfooter"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer" border="0" class="bctable"><tr><td width="80%"><div class="breadcrumbs"><p><a href="index.html"> Documentation</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="book.kdeuser.html">KDE User Guide</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><a href="part.kde.desktop.html">Introduction</a><span class="breadcrumbs-sep"> > </span><strong><a accesskey="p" title="Chapter 2. Working with Your Desktop" href="cha.kde.use.html"><span>◀</span></a> </strong></p></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>
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