Translations by Axel Bojer

Useful tips

KTip

Useful Tips

<P> There is a lot of information about KDE on the <A HREF="http://www.kde.org/">KDE web site</A>. There are also useful sites for major applications like <A HREF="http://www.konqueror.org/">Konqueror</A>, <A HREF="http://www.koffice.org/">KOffice</A> and <A HREF="http://www.kdevelop.org/">KDevelop</A>, or important KDE utilities like <A HREF="http://printing.kde.org/">KDEPrint</A>, which can be put to its full usage even outside KDE... </P> <br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/filesystems/desktop.png"> </center>

<p> KDE is translated into many languages. You can change the country and language with the Control Center in "Regional &amp; Accessibility" ->."Country/Region &amp; Language". </p> <p>For more information about KDE translations and translators, see <a href="http://i18n.kde.org/">http://i18n.kde.org</a>. </p> <br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/locale.png"> <p align="right"><em>Contributed by Andrea Rizzi</em></p>

<p> You can minimize all your windows on the current desktop at once and thus reach the desktop itself by clicking on the desktop icon on the panel.</p> <p>If you do not currently have the icon there, you can add it by right clicking on the panel, and then selecting Add to Panel->Special Button->Desktop Access. <br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/filesystems/desktop.png"> </center>

<p> If you temporarily need more screen real-estate, you can <strong>"fold in" the panel</strong> by clicking on one of the arrows at the ends of the panel. Alternatively, make it hide automatically by changing the settings in the Control Center (Desktop->Panels, Hiding tab). </p> <p>For more information about Kicker, the KDE Panel, see <a href="help:/kicker">the Kicker Handbook</a>. </p>

<p> The program Klipper, which is started by default and resides in the system tray at the right end of the panel, keeps a number of text selections around. These can be retrieved or even (in the case of URLs, for example) be executed.</p> <p>You can find more information about using Klipper in <a href="help:/klipper">the Klipper Handbook</a></p> <br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/klipper.png"> </center>

<p> The window list, which is accessible via an icon on the panel, provides a quick overview of all windows on all virtual desktops. Alternatively, press Alt+F5 to display the window list.</p><br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/window_list.png"> </center>

<p>The <b>"Location" label</b> in Konqueror is draggable.</p> <p>This means you can create shortcuts (e.g. on the desktop or the panel) by dragging it there with the mouse. You can also drop it on to Konsole or edit fields to get the URL typed in there (as you can with links or files displayed in Konqueror).</p>

<p>For quick access to KDEPrint Manager type <strong>"print:/manager"</strong>... -- <em>"Type where?"</em>, you may ask. Type it...</p> <ul> <li>...either in Konqueror's <i>address field</i>,</li> <li>...or in a <i>Run Command</i> dialog, opened by pressing <strong>Alt+F2</strong>.</li> </ul> </p> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/devices/printer1.png"> <p align="right"><em>Contributed by Kurt Pfeifle</em></p>

<p> Double-clicking on the titlebar of any window "shades" it, which means that only the titlebar stays visible. Double-clicking the titlebar a second time will make the window visible again.<br> Of course, you can change this behavior within the Control Center. </p> <p>For more information about ways to manipulate windows in KDE, take a look at <a href="help:/khelpcenter/userguide/windows-how-to-work.html">the KDE User Guide</a>.</p>

<p> You can cycle through the windows on a virtual desktop by holding the Alt key and pressing Tab or Shift+Tab.</p><br> <center><img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/kcmkwm.png"></center></p> <p>For more information, see <a href="help:/khelpcenter/userguide/windows-how-to-work.html">the KDE User Guide</a>.</p>

<p> You can assign <b>keyboard shortcuts</b> to your favorite applications in the KDE menu editor (K-menu->Settings->Menu Editor). Select the application (e.g. Konsole), then click on the image next to "Current shortcut key:". Press the key combination you want (say, Ctrl+Alt+K). <p>That is it: now you can fire up Konsoles with Ctrl+Alt+K.</p>

<p> You can configure the number of virtual desktops by adjusting the "Number of desktops" slider in the Control Center (Desktop->Multiple Desktops). </p> <p>For more information about using virtual desktops, look at <a href="help:/khelpcenter/userguide/windows-how-to-work.html#using-multiple-desktops">the KDE User Guide</a>.</p>

<p>The KDE project was founded in October 1996 and had its first release, 1.0, on July 12, 1998.</p> <p>You can <em>support the KDE project</em> with work (programming, designing, documenting, proof-reading, translating, etc.) and financial or hardware donations. Please contact <a href="mailto:kde-ev@kde.org">kde-ev@kde.org</a> if you are interested in donating, or <a href="mailto:kde-quality@kde.org">kde-quality@kde.org</a> if you would like to contribute in other ways.</p>

<p>KDE provides some shortcuts to change the size of a window:</p> <table><tr> <th>To maximize a window...</th> <th>click the maximize button...</th> </tr><tr> <td>...full-screen,</td> <td>...with the left mouse button</td> </tr><tr> <td>...vertically only,</td> <td>...with the middle mouse button</td> </tr><tr> <td>...horizontally only,</td> <td>...with the right mouse button</td> </tr></table>

<p>You can stay up to date with new developments in KDE and releases by regularly checking the web site <A HREF="http://www.kde.org">http://www.kde.org</A>.</p> <BR> <center><img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/konqueror.png"></center></p>

<p align="center"><strong>KDEPrinting (I)</strong></p> <p><strong>kprinter</strong>, KDE's new printing utility supports different print subsystems. These subsystems differ very much in their abilities.</p> <p>Among the supported systems are: <ul> <li>CUPS, the new Common UNIX Printing System;</li> <li>LPR/LPD, traditional BSD-style printing;</li> <li>RLPR (no need for "printcap" editing or root privileges to use network printers);</li> <li>printing through an external program (generic).</li> </ul>

<p align="center"><strong>KDEPrinting (II)</strong></p> <p>Not all print subsystems provide equal abilities for KDEPrint to build on.</p> <p>The <A HREF="http://printing.kde.org/">KDEPrinting Team</A> recommends installing a <A HREF="http://www.cups.org/"><strong>CUPS-based</strong></A> software as the underlying print subsystem.</p> <p> CUPS provides easy usage, powerful features, broad printer support and a modern design (based on IPP, the "Internet Printing Protocol"). Its usefulness is proven for home users as well as for large networks. </p> <p align="right"><em>Contributed by Kurt Pfeifle</em></p>

<p> KDE is based on a well-designed C++ foundation. C++ is a programming language well suited to desktop development. The KDE object model extends the power of C++ even further. See <a href="http://developer.kde.org/">http://developer.kde.org/</a> for details.</p><br> <center><img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/konqueror.png"></center>

<p> You can use Konqueror to <strong>browse through tar archives</strong>, even compressed ones. You can extract files simply by dragging them to another place, e.g. another Konqueror window or the desktop.</p>

<p> You can cycle through the virtual desktops by holding the Ctrl key and pressing Tab or Shift+Tab.</p> <p>For more information about using virtual desktops, look at <a href="help:/khelpcenter/userguide/windows-how-to-work.html#using-multiple-desktops">the KDE User Guide</a>.</p>

<p>You can start <strong>kprinter</strong> as a standalone program from any xterm, Konsole window or from the "Run Command" dialog (started by pressing <i>Alt+F2</i>). Then select the file to print. You can print as many items of different types as you want, all at once. </p> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/devices/printer1.png"></center> <p align="right"><em>Contributed by Kurt Pfeifle</em></p>

<p>You may at any time switch <strong>kprinter</strong> to another print subsystem "on the fly" (and you do not need to be root to do it.) </p> <p>Laptop users who frequently change to different environments may find <A HREF="ftp://truffula.com/pub/">RLPR</A> a useful complement to CUPS (or any other print subsystem they use as their preferred one). </p> <p align="right"><em>Contributed by Kurt Pfeifle</em></p>

<P> KDE's help system can display not only KDE's own HTML-based help, but also info and man pages.</P> <p>For more ways of getting help, see <a href="help:/khelpcenter/userguide/getting-help.html">the KDE User Guide</a>.</p> <br> <center><img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/khelpcenter.png"></center>

<P>Clicking with the right mouse button on panel icons or applets opens a popup menu that allows you to move or remove the item, or add a new one.</P> <p>For more information about customizing Kicker, the KDE Panel, see <a href="help:/kicker">the Kicker Handbook</a>.</p>

<P>If a toolbar is not large enough to display all buttons on it, you can click on the small arrow at the far right end of the toolbar to see the remaining buttons.</P>

<p> Need comprehensive info about KDEPrinting?<br> </p> <p> Type <strong>help:/kdeprint/</strong> into a Konqueror address field and get the <a href="http://printing.kde.org/documentation/handbook/">KDEPrint Handbook</a> displayed.</p> <p>This, plus more material (like a <a href="http://printing.kde.org/faq/">FAQ</a>, various <a href="http://printing.kde.org/documentation/tutorials/">Tutorials</a>, a "TipsNTricks" section and the <a href="http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-print/">kdeprint mailing list</a>) are available at <a href="http://printing.kde.org/">printing.kde.org</a>... </p> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/devices/printer1.png">

<P>You can run non-KDE applications without problems on a KDE desktop. It is even possible to integrate them into the menu system. The KDE program "KAppfinder" will look for known programs to integrate them into the menu.</P>

<p>You can quickly move the panel to another screen edge by "grabbing" it with the left mouse button and moving it to where you want it.</p> <p>For more information about personalizing Kicker, the KDE Panel, take a look at <a href="help:/kicker">the Kicker Handbook</a>.</p>

<p> If you need to kill some time, KDE comes with an extensive collection of games.</p><br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/package_games.png">

<p>You can <strong>quickly change the background</strong> image of the desktop by dragging a graphics image from a Konqueror window to the desktop background.</p>

<p>You can change the background color of the desktop by dragging a color from a color selector in any application to the desktop background. </p>

<p> A fast way to get your favorite application onto your panel is to right-click the panel (Panel Menu) and select Add to Panel->Application->whatever. </p>

<p> You can add more applets to your panel by selecting Panel Menu->Add->Applet from the K menu. </p>

<p> You can add a little command line to your panel by selecting Panel Menu->Add to Panel->Applet->Run Command from the K menu. </p> <p>For information about other applets available for the KDE Panel, take a look at <a href="help:/kicker">the Kicker Handbook</a>.</p>

<p>Want to see the local time of your friends or business partners <b>around the world</b>?</p> <p>Just press the middle mouse button on the <b>panel clock</b>.</p>

<p>Your <b>panel clock</b> can be configured to display the time in <b>plain</b>, <b>digital</b>, <b>analog</b> or <b>fuzzy-style</b> mode.</p> <p>See <a href="help:/kicker/clock-applet.html">the Kicker Handbook</a> for more information.</p>

<p> If you know its name, you can <strong>execute any program</strong> by pressing <strong>Alt+F2</strong> and entering the program name in the command-line window provided.<p> <br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/apps/kmenu.png">

<p> You can <strong>browse any URL</strong> by pressing <strong>Alt+F2</strong> and entering the URL in the command-line window provided. </p><br> <center> <img src="crystalsvg/48x48/filesystems/network.png">