A Division of Macmillan Computer Publishing 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46290 USA Nicholas Wells KDE in 24 Hours Teach Yourself Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Copyright © 1999 by Sams Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo- copying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the pub- lisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. International Standard Book Number: 0-672-31608-0 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-83128 Printed in the United States of America First Printing: April 1999 01 00 99 4 3 2 1 Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Sams Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark. Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an as is basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability or responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the CD-ROM or programs accompanying it. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jeff Koch AQUISITIONS EDITOR Gretchen Ganser DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Sean Dixon MANAGING EDITOR Brice Gosnell PRODUCTION EDITOR Gretchen Uphoff COPY EDITOR Pamela Woolf PROOFREADER Billy Fields TECHNICAL EDITOR Kurt Wall SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Craig Atkins INTERIOR DESIGN Gary Adair COVER DESIGN Aren Howell LAYOUT TECHNICIANS Brandon Allen Stacey DeRome Timothy Osborn Staci Somers Contents at a Glance Introduction 1 PART IINSTALLING AND RUNNING KDE 5 1 Understanding the KDE Project 7 2 Installing KDE from Scratch 21 3 Starting and Exiting KDE 33 4 Reviewing the KDE Setup 55 PART II CUSTOMIZING YOUR KDE SETTINGS 69 5 Exploring the Desktop 71 6 Managing the KDE Environment 89 7 Configuring KDE Options 109 8 Using KDE Themes 133 9 Managing Files in KDE 153 10 Learning More KDE File Management 175 PART III SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION FOR KDE 193 11 Using KDE System Management Utilities 195 12 Using KDE Utilities 221 13 Managing Network Connections in KDE 237 14 Managing Printing in KDE 257 15 Accessing the Internet from KDE 269 16 Using the Command Line in KDE 289 PART IV USING ADDITIONAL KDE APPLICATIONS 299 17 Using Graphics Utilities in KDE 301 18 Using KDE Text Utilities 315 19 Using KDE Business Tools 335 20 Using KDE for Entertainment 355 21 Finding and Installing Additional KDE Applications 373 22 Integrating Non-KDE Applications into KDE 385 PART VDEVELOPING FOR KDE 405 23 Getting Started with KDE Development 407 24 Developing for KDE 419 Index 433 Contents INTRODUCTION 1 PART IINSTALLING AND RUNNING KDE 5 HOUR 1UNDERSTANDING THE KDE PROJECT 7 Understanding the Background of KDE 7 Goals of the KDE Project 9 Development Model 10 The Graphical Toolkit of KDE 11 International Scope of KDE 13 Summarizing the KDE Project 13 Components of KDE Base 14 Participating in the KDE Project 15 Learning to Work on KDE Projects 16 Comparing KDE to the GNOME Desktop 16 Summary 18 Questions and Answers 18 Exercise 19 HOUR 2INSTALLING KDE FROM SCRATCH 21 Reviewing Your X Window System 22 Downloading the KDE Files 23 Deciding Which Files to Download 24 Reviewing the Downloaded Files 26 Installing KDE 27 Configuring KDE as Your Graphical Environment 28 Reviewing the Installed KDE Files 29 Summary 30 Questions and Answers 30 Exercises 31 HOUR 3STARTING AND EXITING KDE 33 Starting KDE in OpenLinux 33 Starting Another Window Manager in OpenLinux 1.3 35 Starting KDE in Previous Versions of OpenLinux 35 Starting KDE in SuSE Linux 36 Starting KDE from a Clean Install 37 Starting the X Window System in Red Hat Linux 37 Starting KDE from the startx Script 38 Reviewing the Initial KDE Startup 39 Diagnosing Trouble Starting KDE 39 Logging Out of KDE 40 Using a Standard KDE Logout 40 Using the Emergency Exit 42 Setting Up a Graphical Login with kdm 43 Initializing xdm 43 Setting KDE as the Graphical System for xdm 45 Changing from xdm to kdm 45 Using the kdm Log in Prompt Dialog Box 46 Changing the Background in xdm or kdm 47 Configuring kdm 47 Summary 52 Questions and Answers 53 Exercises 53 HOUR 4REVIEWING THE KDE SETUP 55 Defining a User of KDE 55 Reviewing the Contents of the .kde Directory 56 The config Subdirectory 57 The apps Subdirectory 58 The applink Subdirectory 59 The bin and boot Subdirectories 61 The dev, icons, and mimelnk Subdirectories 61 Reviewing the Desktop Directory 63 The Autostart Folder 64 The Templates Folder 65 The Trash Bin Folder 66 Placing Other Items on the KDE Desktop 67 Other Notes on KDE Setup 67 Summary 67 Questions and Answers 68 Exercises 68 PART II CUSTOMIZING YOUR KDE SETTINGS 69 HOUR 5EXPLORING THE DESKTOP 71 Reviewing the KDE Environment 72 The Taskbar 72 The Desktop 74 The Panel 76 The Main K Menu 78 Using the KDE Online and Pop-up Help 78 vi Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Using KDE Pop-up Help 79 Using Help Buttons 80 Learning to Manipulate KDE Windows 80 Using Standard Window Tools 81 Keyboard Control of Windows 82 Using the Keyboard in KDE 83 Using Multiple Desktops 85 Switching Between Desktops 85 Renaming Desktops 85 Summary 86 Questions and Answers 87 Exercises 87 HOUR 6MANAGING THE KDE ENVIRONMENT 89 Working with Application Windows 89 Switching Between Windows 90 Moving Applications Between Desktops 92 Introducing the KDE Control Center 92 Setting Panel and Taskbar Options 93 Setting the Location of the Taskbar and Panel 94 Setting the Panel Size 95 Setting Other Panel and Taskbar Options 96 Clearing Your Desktop 98 Adding Desktops 98 Changing How KDE Windows Appear and Operate 99 Changing Which Buttons Are on the Title Bar 100 Defining a New Title Bar 101 Defining Window Policies 103 Summary 106 Questions and Answers 106 Exercises 107 HOUR 7CONFIGURING KDE OPTIONS 109 Choosing Colors and Wallpaper 109 Setting the Background Color 110 Choosing Wallpaper 113 Using a Color Scheme 115 Setting Up the Screensaver 117 Selecting Screensavers 119 Adding Screensaver Options 120 Enabling Desktop Positioning Features 120 Using Active Desktop Borders 121 Using Magic Borders 122 Contents vii Choosing a Language 122 Selecting Display Fonts 125 Configuring Desktop Icons 127 Using Style Options 128 Configuring Sounds 129 Setting the Bell Sound 129 Defining Sound Events 130 Summary 132 Questions and Answers 132 Exercises 132 HOUR 8USING KDE THEMES 133 Understanding KDE Themes 133 Finding a KDE Theme 135 Searching for Themes 135 Downloading a Theme 137 Installing a KDE Theme 138 Preparing the Archive 138 Reviewing the README File 139 Creating KDE Directories 140 Copying Graphics Files 140 Updating the Configuration Files 141 Choosing the Theme in the Control Center 144 Restarting KDE 147 Using Installation Scripts 148 Getting Rid of a Theme 149 Creating Your Own KDE Theme 150 Summary 151 Questions and Answers 151 Exercise 152 HOUR 9MANAGING FILES IN KDE 153 Understanding the KDE File Manager 153 Integrating kfm and the Disk Navigator into KDE 154 How kfm Is Used 154 How the Disk Navigator Is Used 155 Browsing Your Local File System 156 Running Programs from kfm 158 Defining an Application in kfm 159 Using Drag and Drop 163 Using kfm Bookmarks 164 Configuring kfm 165 viii Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Choosing How to View Objects 165 Selecting Cache Settings 168 Configuring the Browser Options 170 Reviewing the kfm Configuration Files 172 Summary 172 Questions and Answers 172 Exercises 173 HOUR 10 LEARNING MORE KDE FILE MANAGEMENT 175 Creating KDE Links 175 Creating a Program Link 176 Creating a Device Link 178 Using the Autostart Folder 181 Placing Objects on the Desktop 183 Modifying the Main Menu 186 Modifying the Panel Icons 189 Summary 191 Questions and Answers 191 Exercises 192 PART III SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION FOR KDE 193 HOUR 11 USING KDE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT UTILITIES 195 Setting Keyboard and Mouse Options 196 Setting Up International Keyboards 198 Using kfind to Locate Files 200 Working With the Files You Find 201 Performing Advanced Searches 203 Using kpackage for Software Maintenance 205 Managing Initialization Scripts 207 Defining Some Terms 207 Running the SysV Init Editor 209 Managing User Accounts 211 Adding and Modifying Users 212 Managing Groups 214 Viewing System Information 214 Summary 219 Questions and Answers 219 Exercises 220 HOUR 12 USING KDE UTILITIES 221 Using the ark Archival Utility 221 Extracting Files from an Archive 222 Creating a New Archive 225 Contents ix Using the Scientific Calculator 227 Using KNotes 230 Learning About Other KDE Applications 233 Summary 234 Questions and Answers 234 Exercises 235 HOUR 13 MANAGING NETWORK CONNECTIONS IN KDE 237 Understanding Linux Networking 237 Checking Your Ethernet Connections 238 Establishing a PPP Connection 242 Understanding PPP 242 Starting the Kppp Utility 242 Configuring a Kppp Account 243 Configuring Kppp Options 248 Reviewing Other KDE Connectivity Tools 251 Managing Samba Within KDE 252 Using the KDE Samba Monitor 253 Summary 254 Questions and Answers 254 Exercises 255 HOUR 14 MANAGING PRINTING IN KDE 257 Understanding Linux Printing 257 Reviewing Your Print Configuration 259 Using Linux Print Utilities 259 The /etc/printcap File 261 Using K-LJet to Configure Printing 262 Setting Paper Options 263 Setting Printer Options 264 Configuring Operations 265 Setting Font Options 266 Summary 268 Questions and Answers 268 Exercises 268 HOUR 15 ACCESSING THE INTERNET FROM KDE 269 Checking Your Internet Connection 269 Reading Email with KMail 270 Configuring KMail 270 Reading Messages 276 Creating a New Message 279 Browsing Newsgroups 282 x Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours [...]... to KDE most frequently ask about that particular lesson’s subject, and exercises that will advance you in further, hands-on study of that lesson’s topic 3 PART I Installing and Running KDE Hour 1 Underst anding t he KDE Project 2 Inst alling KDE f rom Scrat ch 3 St art ing and Exit ing KDE 4 Review ing t he KDE Set up HOUR 1 Understanding the KDE Project In this hour, you will learn about the origin... graphical login (xdm replacement), also configurable from the Control Center q An object-oriented programming model that makes new applications easy to create q q A user interface definition and programmatic guidelines to create new KDE- aware applications Clear definitions of KDE components and locations so that it can be run on any Linux system 2 Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Why Teach Yourself KDE? ... FIGURE 1.2 The KDE Web site maintains lists of projects that new participants can work on Learning to Work on KDE Projects If you’re interested in programming for KDE, you can start with the information in Hour 23, “Getting Started with KDE Development,” and Hour 24, “Developing for KDE. ” Several development mailing lists are available on the KDE Web site, and a KDE programming tutorial can be downloaded... Configuring the KDE News Client 283 Reading Newsgroup Messages 285 Summary 287 Questions and Answers 287 Exercises 288 HOUR 16 USING THE COM M AND LINE IN KDE 289 Understanding the Command Line 289 Opening Terminal Emulator Windows 290 Starting from Another Terminal Window 291 Using the Single-Command Entry 292 Using the... prepare online help and documentation in many languages 1 16 Hour 1 q q Speakers give presentations about KDE (introductory, technical, marketing, programming) Webmasters create and maintain Web pages to explain KDE and link to relevant news and technical information The KDE Web site includes lists of projects you can work on, with contact information to receive more information FIGURE 1.2 The KDE Web... 333 HOUR 19 USING KDE BUSINESS TOOLS 335 Using the Address Book 335 Adding and Managing Entries 336 Using Address Book Entries 338 Using the KOrganizer 340 Exploring the KOrganizer 340 Creating a To-do Task List 342 Saving Information 345 Managing Appointments 345 Configuring KOrganizer Options 348 Using the Time Tracker... w ell (including most of t he inst allat ion and f ile placement det ails) Diff erences bet w een KDE running on various versions of Linux are not ed t hroughout t he t ext By late 1996, Linux was already well known in computing circles, being used by millions around the world and written about widely in computer magazines Because Linux includes the source code to the operating system, allowing anyone... refined interface—a lot of good work continues to come from the dedicated members of the team And of course, this project would not have been finished without the support and encouragement of my wife Anne About the Author NICHOLAS WELLS (nwells@xmission.com) is the author of several books on Linuxrelated subjects, including Sams Teach Yourself StarOffice in 24 Hours After leaving Novell to join Linux-based... Integrated online help providing consistent access points and user interface for all applications Providing a consistent look and feel for all applications, including menus, keyboard shortcuts, color schemes, and so forth Creating an international product, with keyboard, menu, online help, and application support in many languages (see the section “International Scope of KDE later in this hour) Providing hundreds... UTILITIES 315 Using the KDE Text Editor 315 Starting the Text Editor 316 Using Basic KEdit Features 318 Setting Up KEdit Options 322 Viewing Text Documents 324 Viewing Other Document Types 325 Using the PostScript Viewer 325 Using the DVI Viewer 330 xii Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Summary 332 Questions and Answers . Computer Publishing 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46290 USA Nicholas Wells KDE in 24 Hours Teach Yourself Sams Teach Yourself KDE in 24 Hours Copyright. 3STARTING AND EXITING KDE 33 Starting KDE in OpenLinux 33 Starting Another Window Manager in OpenLinux 1.3 35 Starting KDE in Previous Versions of OpenLinux