The K Desktop Environment

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2. Usage

2.1 Configure server IP and port

The first thing you have to do is to tell konline the IP and port of the server. Select Options->Configure from the menu. If you don't know the correct settings ask your server administrator. The default port used by konserver is 3000.

2.2 Register at the server

The next thing you have to do is to register at the server. Select File->Register User from the menu. You have to type in your name, first name, a nick name and your email address. Please note that the email address has to be unique within konserver's database. E.g. an address like "me@home" is very likely to be already in use.

By pressing Create Account KOnline will ask you for a password and register you at the server. The password is sent unencrypted to the server every time you connect or disconnect. So don't use a password that you normaly use for any other account. Please read also the section security later in this document.

The information you typed in is saved on the server and the server returns your account id. This id is the only information konline saves locally.

2.3 Connecting to the server

After you have created your account you can connect to the server. Select File->Connect from the menu or press the corresponding button from the toolbar.

Now you are ready to add other users to your watchlist.

2.4 Add users to your watchlist

If you want to know if another user is currently on- or offline you have to add this user to your watchlist. Every user of this list is displayed in konline's main window. The button next to the users' name is either red or gray according to his current state.

To add a new user select File->Add user to watchlist from the menu or press the Add user button.

You will see a search dialog with several input fields and a combo box for the primary search key. The primary search key determines the start of a search. E.g. if you set the primary key to first name and search for chris the server will go through the list of first names, stop at the first name that matches the query and returns the next 100 entries that begin with chris. Note that the server will never return more than 100 records.

Additionaly you can specify a name or nickname. E.g. if you type in Nee as name you will get only records that match first name = chris and name = Nee.

If you set primary key to ID you will do an exact match on the account ID. You will get only the user with that specific ID.

To add a user to your watchlist double click on the entry or select it and press Add to watchlist.

2.5 Send a message to another user

If you want to send a message to another user this user has to be in your watchlist. See Add users to your watchlist for further details.

If the user is already in your watchlist select the user in konline's main window and press the right mouse button. You will get a short popup menu. Select Send message from the menu. Now you can type in a short message and press Ok to send it. Note that the length of the message is restricted to 256 characters if the message has to be saved on the server. If the other user is currently online the message can be sent directly and the message can have a length of 790 characters.

2.6 Receiving messages

A message from another user will pop up immediatly on your desktop. (This may change in a later version, but you have to live with it for now). KOnline will not show more than 5 messages at a time. If there are more than 5 messages KOnline will inform the server not to deliver further messages.

When you close all message windows KOnline checks automatically for further messages. If you want to check for other messages before removing all other messages press the Get messages button.

2.7 Removing users from your watchlist

To remove a user from the watchlist just select the corresponding entry in KOnline's main window and press the right mouse button. Then select Remove from the popup menu.

2.8 Using your account from another machine

Start KOnline on the other machine, select File->Register user from the menu. Press Choose another account and type in your account ID and password. Your done.

2.9 Changing your password

If you want to change your password select File->Register user from the menu. Press Change account and type in your new password.

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