1. Discovering the K Desktop Environment

This chapter will introduce the K Desktop Environment (KDE) and its panel. It will also talk about the concept of virtual desktops, how to navigate through and manage them and session support. The range of features KDE offers as well as its degree of personalization is huge and you are encouraged to refer to its integrated help to learn more about this great desktop environment.

1.1. The Desktop

Figura 7.1. The KDE Desktop

The KDE Desktop

KDE follows the modern desktop paradigm. In the above figure you see the desktop itself with some icons on it, while the panel sits at the bottom. This figure also introduces something new if you come from the Windows® world: virtual desktops (see Seção 1.3, “Virtual Desktops”).

[Nota]Nota

Virtual desktops are not an exclusive KDE concept. Other GNU/Linux desktop environments and window managers also make use of them.

The icons on the desktop represent files, directories, applications, devices, web pages, etc. Almost “everything” can be placed on it. Clicking on each icon opens its associated application.

Here are some of your desktop's default icons, along with a brief explanation for each of them.

 Home. Gives access to all your personal files. Under UNIX®-like operating systems (Mandriva Linux is one of them), every user has a personal directory usually named /home/login_name.

 Trash. Gives access to all deleted files (the equivalent of Windows®' Recycle Bin). Files can also be deleted without being thrown into the trash can (“direct” file deletion) so some deleted files might not be accessible through the trash can.

 System and media Icons. Gives you access to your home folder, system's settings, networked places, storage media and the trash can. The media icon gives you access to all the storage media present in the system, fixed and removable: hard disk partitions, CD/DVD drive, floppy disk drive, ZIP/JAZ drives, USB keys, and others. Double clicking on a device icon opens the corresponding medium.

1.2. The Panel

Figura 7.2. The KDE Panel

The KDE Panel

The panel is the bar which sits at the bottom of your desktop[2] and contains the following main components:

 The Main Menu. Allows you to access the software installed on your system. It is the equivalent of Windows®' Start menu. Programs are arranged into convenient categories, so you can quickly and easily find the application you want to run.

 Show Desktop. Use this to minimize all currently opened windows. Pressing it again will restore the windows to the state they were previously in. Handy when you your desktop is so full of opened windows and you want to access, for example, a folder on your desktop.

 Desktop Switching Applet. Makes switching between virtual desktops as easy as one, two, three. See Seção 1.3, “Virtual Desktops” for more information.

 Kat Search Tool. Allows you to perform searches on files according to different criteria and metadata. Plase refer to Seção 3, “Searching For Files” for more information.

1.3. Virtual Desktops

Think of virtual desktops as having several screens available but with only one monitor. By default, there are two virtual desktops, right click on the desktop switching applet and select Configure Desktops to add or remove virtual desktops and change desktop names for more meaningful such as Work, Play or Internet.

When you log in into KDE the last virtual desktop you were in when you closed your last session is opened. To switch between virtual desktops just click on the desktop number in the desktop switching applet et voilà !



[2] By default the panel is at the bottom, but it may be placed on any border of the desktop.