The K Desktop Environment

KDE Frequently Asked Questions

Wee Tiong Lee

t29v1051@ip.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp

Michael Demers

mdemers@nitemaster.yi.org

2.0.0

This is a compilation of the most frequently asked questions about the K Desktop Environment.


Important

Please report any bugs, inconsistencies, or omissions you find in this FAQ to . Please do not, however, mail us your questions; post them to the KDE mailing lists and newsgroups instead.

1. About this FAQ
1.1. What can I do to help out with this FAQ?
1.2. How do I become a FAQ maintainer?
2. Introduction
2.1. What is KDE?
2.2. What does the K in KDE stand for?
2.3. On which platforms can I expect KDE to work?
2.4. Is KDE a window manager?
2.5. Is KDE a CDE, Windows® 95 or Mac® OS clone?
2.6. Is KDE free software?
3. Getting KDE
3.1. Where do I get KDE?
3.2. Are there Linux® distributions that come with KDE?
3.3. What is the current version?
3.4. Where do I find KDE snapshots?
3.5. Where do I get Qt™?
3.6. What is Qt™, by the way?
4. Installation instructions
4.1. To the would-be converts
4.2. Available package formats
4.3. Prerequisites
4.4. Description of the base packages
4.5. Installation instructions for the different package formats
4.6. Post-installation procedures
4.7. Micro-HOWTO: Compiling KDE 1.1.1 on SGIIRIX® 6.x
4.8. Should I remove old version xyz before installing a new one?
4.9. How do I start KDE?
4.10. Whenever I start KDE, it complains about "shadow passwords". Why?
4.11. Is it possible to install KDE in a user directory?
4.12. startkde fails with can not connect to X server. What is wrong?
4.13. Installing Debian packages with dpkg says giflib2 is missing
4.14. KDE on AIX™?
4.15. Installing Red Hat® packages says libncurses.so.3.0 is needed
4.16. KDE on a laptop?
4.17. I do not like the default KDE directory after installation. How do I move it without breaking anything?
4.18. Where has the snapshot configure script gone?
4.19. How do I unzip tarballs with the bz2 extension?
4.20. What files can I delete from my KDE install directory? Can all the *.h, *.c and *.o files be safely removed?
4.21. Will I lose my current settings when I upgrade KDE?
4.22. Compiling kdebase gives me a bin/sh: msgfmt: command not found error!
4.23. How do I uninstall KDE applications compiled from scratch?
4.24. What is up with GIF support?
5. The panel
5.1. How do I add applications to the panel?
5.2. Why is the panel clock showing the wrong time?
5.3. Is it possible to run kpanel in a non-KDE-compliant window manager?
5.4. Is it possible to change the K button of the panel to another picture?
6. The desktop
6.1. How do I add an application to the desktop?
6.2. How do I mount/unmount a device from the desktop?
6.3. How do I use a screensaver as background?
6.4. Where are the icons kept?
6.5. How do I change the standard menu items as non-root?
6.6. How do I use the mouse scroll wheel in KDE?
6.7. What exactly is the Templates folder?
6.8. Why can't I get system sound to work, like for opening windows?
6.9. How do I launch applications in a particular desktop?
6.10. I have played with the fonts section in the KDE Control Center but the fonts are still way too small. What can I do?
6.11. Is it possible to extend the Desktop Icon Menus?
6.12. Can I get rid of the Trash/Templates/Autostart icons?
6.13. Where do I save my files if I want them to appear directly on the desktop?
7. The window manager
7.1. Are there keyboard shortcuts for kwm (KWin) operations?
7.2. Can I define my own set of keyboard shortcuts?
7.3. When I "iconify" a window, it disappears. Where does it go?
7.4. How do I get a sticky window with no border and focus?
7.5. How do I kill kwmpager?
7.6. How do I maximize windows only vertically or horizontally?
7.7. What is "shading" a window?
7.8. Is it possible to have FVWM2-like shadow frameworks for the placement of windows?
8. The file manager
8.1. How do I use KFM or Konqueror as a web browser with proxy?
8.2. How can I change the appearance of a directory in KFM and Konqueror?
8.3. How can I do non-anonymous FTP transfers with KFM and Konqueror?
8.4. What causes KFM cannot connect to "localhost"?
8.5. What are %i and %m in the Execute line?
8.6. How do I specify the startup directory for KFM and Konqueror?
8.7. How do I import Netscape® bookmarks?
8.8. Is there a "Save As..." function in KFM and Konqueror?
9. Configuring KDE
9.1. How do I set the language used by KDE?
9.2. Is there any keyboard switcher for international keyboards for KDE?
9.3. How do I replace the standard Linux® text login screen with the KDE login screen?
9.4. How do I replace kwm or KWin with another KDE-compliant window manager like Blackbox and Window Maker?
9.5. How do I change the Red Hat® Linux® logo bootup screen image?
9.6. I would like to click the left mouse button anywhere on the desktop and have the K menu displayed.
9.7. How do I use the three extra keys on my Windows® keyboard in KDE?
9.8. After installing KDE, the Red Hat® start menu disappears!
9.9. Where do I find information regarding KDE themes?
9.10. How do I change MIME Types?
9.11. KDE (kdm) does not read my .bash_profile!
9.12. How do I use TrueType® fonts in KDE?
9.13. Is it possible to enter, show and work with the Euro Symbol in KDE?
10. KDE applications
10.1. kppp
10.2. kvt and Konsole
10.3. Kmail
10.4. KBiff
10.5. KTop
11. KDE with non-KDE applications
11.1. My non-KDE applications like Emacs and kterm are running amok with large windows and strange fonts!
11.2. Netscape®
12. Useful tips
12.1. Reading man pages in KDE
12.2. Move or resize windows quickly
12.3. Killing windows in KDE
12.4. Switching window managers on the fly in KDE 1.x
13. Miscellaneous questions
13.1. Why does KDE use Qt™?
13.2. Why does KDE not use gtk, xforms, xlib, whatever?
13.3. But Qt™ isn't free, is it?
13.4. How do I mount filesystems (e.g. my CD-ROM drive) in KDE?
13.5. Does KDE have terminal emulators with transparent background?
13.6. Is there a way to get various kinds of information about my drive contents: free space, directory size, etc.?
13.7. How can I get Backspace to work correctly under KDE?
13.8. How do I create icons for non-KDE applications that I can put in the K menu? Where do these icons (or kdelnk) go?
13.9. What about KDE programs that do not have icons? How do I get them into the menu?
13.10. Does KDE have a graphical FTP client?
13.11. How do I exit KDE?
13.12. Is there a program that checks for new mails at my ISP if and only if I am online?
13.13. Is it really necessary to upgrade to the latest version?
13.14. How do I copy and paste in KDE?
13.15. How do I convert the default Red Hat® menus into a menu in the K menu?
13.16. What is CVS?
13.17. Does KDE support dual screen?
13.18. How do I check which version of KDE I am using?
13.19. Can I write commerical software for KDE?
14. Not really KDE-related, but frequently asked nevertheless :-)
14.1. How do I change the screen resolution?
14.2. How do I change the color depth?
14.3. What can I do if I am using a 2-button mouse?
14.4. What is a "sticky" window?
14.5. How do I replace the "X" mouse pointer with an arrow?
14.6. How do I extract/install diff files?
14.7. How do I get Linux® to mount the floppy device both in dos and ext2 floppies?
14.8. How do I start KDE with the Num Lock on?
14.9. How do I take window or desktop screenshots?
14.10. Is there a tool to make webpages?
14.11. Where can I find a free X server for Windows® 95/98/NT?
14.12. What do all those acronyms like AFAIK mean?
15. Getting more information
15.1. Where is the KDE homepage?
15.2. Is there a KDE mailing list?
15.3. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to these lists?
15.4. Is there a mailing list archive?
15.5. Is there a newsgroup about KDE?
16. Contributing
16.1. How can I contribute to KDE?
16.2. How do I commit a bug report?
16.3. I want to program for KDE. What should I do first?
16.4. How do I get access to the CVS?
16.5. I am just curious. Can I have read-only access to the CVS?
16.6. Are there any cvsup mirror sites for KDE?
16.7. How do I go about translating KDE programs into my native language?

1. About this FAQ

Many of the answers in this FAQ are taken from the various KDE mailing lists and newsgroups. Here is a big thank-you to all of you who have contributed answers that eventually appear in this FAQ.

1.1. What can I do to help out with this FAQ?

First, send us any errors that you may find. Also, any suggestions that you might have are also appreciated. Better yet, anything that you think is unclear, and if possible, send us what you think is clear. Our email address is .

Second, send us your solutions of those frequently-asked questions which are still not in this FAQ. We will put them in as soon as possible.

Last but not least, please make full use of this FAQ. Read this FAQ (and other relevant documentation) well before asking questions on the various KDE mailing lists or newsgroups.

Note

You might also want to consider becoming a FAQ maintainer. Please refer to Q: 1.2. for more details.

1.2. How do I become a FAQ maintainer?

Actually, it is very easy to become an FAQ maintainer. And we are always in need of fresh blood. :-) Just send us an email at .

2. Introduction

2.1. What is KDE?

KDE is the K Desktop Environment. It is a project initiated by Matthias Ettrich in 1996. The aim of the KDE project is to connect the power of the UNIX® operating systems with the comfort of a modern user interface.

In short, KDE will bring UNIX® to the desktop!

If you want further information about KDE, have a look at What is KDE?

2.2. What does the K in KDE stand for?

Nothing. It is simply the K Desktop Environment, just like the X in the X Window System™.

2.3. On which platforms can I expect KDE to work?

KDE is a Desktop Environment for all flavors of UNIX®. While it is true that most KDE developers use Linux®, KDE runs smoothly on a wide range of systems. You may, however, need to tweak the source code a bit to get KDE to compile on a not-so-popular variant of UNIX®, or if you are not using the GNU development tools, in particular the gcc compiler.

Some of systems on which KDE is running are:

  • Linux®

  • Solaris

  • FreeBSD

  • IRIX®

  • HP-UX®

  • MKLinux

  • LinuxPPC

2.4. Is KDE a window manager?

No, KDE is not a window manager. While KDE includes a very sophisticated window manager (kwm in KDE before version 2 and KWin in KDE version 2 and above), KDE is much more than that. It is a full-blown Integrated Desktop Environment.

KDE provides a complete desktop environment, including a file manager, a window manager, a help system, a configuration system, uncountable tools and utilities, and an ever increasing number of applications, including but not limited to mail and news clients, drawing programs, a PostScript® and a DVI viewer and so forth.

2.5. Is KDE a CDE, Windows® 95 or Mac® OS clone?

No, KDE is not a clone. Specifically KDE is not a CDE or Windows® clone. While the KDE developers have and will continue to glean the best features from all existing desktop environments, KDE is a truly unique environment that has and will continue to go its own way.

2.6. Is KDE free software?

Yes, KDE is free software according to the GNU General Public License. All KDE libraries are available under the LGPL making commercial software development for the KDE desktop possible, but all KDE applications are licensed under the GPL.

KDE uses the Qt™ C++ crossplatform toolkit, which is also released (since version 2.2) under the GPL.

It is absolutely legal to make KDE and Qt™ available on CD free of charge. No runtime fees of any kind are incurred.

3. Getting KDE

3.1. Where do I get KDE?

The main distribution site for KDE is ftp.kde.org. However, this site is often under heavy load, so you might prefer one of the KDE mirror sites. You can find an up-to-date list of KDE mirrors here.

3.2. Are there Linux® distributions that come with KDE?

Yes, major Linux® distributions already ship KDE. As building a distribution takes some time, they might not always contain the latest version, but for a start or to avoid downloading from the Internet, they do provide a good starting point.

You can find an up-to-date list of distributions that ship with KDE here.

3.3. What is the current version?

Currently, the latest stable version is 2.0.0.

3.4. Where do I find KDE snapshots?

You can get the latest snapshots from ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/unstable/CVS/snapshots. You might also want to consider setting up your own CVS client in order to maintain the latest snapshot at all times. Please refer to How to use cvsup to get KDE on doing that.

By the way, if you want to know what CVS is, please refer to What is CVS?.

3.5. Where do I get Qt™?

Qt™ is a product of a Norwegian company, Troll Tech. You can always get the latest Qt™ version from their FTP server.

However, you should also be able to get Qt™ from the above-mentioned KDE sites. And with most up-to-date Linux® distributions, Qt™ is already included. Please see Q: 4.3. for the version of Qt™ you need.

3.6. What is Qt™, by the way?

Qt™ is a C++-based class library to build user interfaces. It provides most of the widgets you will see in a KDE application: menus, buttons, sliders, etc. Qt™ is a cross-platform library that allows you to write code that will compile on UNIX® systems as well as Windows®. You can learn more about Qt™ at http://www.troll.no.

4. Installation instructions

These are the installation instructions for the 2.0 release of the K Desktop Environment. For later versions, please complement your reading with the READMEs and INSTALLs that come along with the package. Please read them carefully and try to help yourself out if anything goes wrong. If you need further assistance, consider joining the KDE mailing lists (see our web site instructions for joining the KDE mailing lists) or newsgroups.

4.1. To the would-be converts

So you have heard the rumours. Or you have seen the screenshots. And you are dying to get hold of KDE. But you know next to nothing about this whole "alternative OS" business. Don't worry! You only need to do some (well, maybe not some) reading, that's all!

KDE does not run on Windows® 95/98/NT or OS/2 (yet). To run KDE, you need to have a UNIX® system. Please refer to Q: 2.3. for more details.

Let's say you have decided to install Linux®. You can either download it from the Internet, or buy a CD-ROM set that contains the distribution of your choice. You might find the following resources useful:

In order to run KDE on Linux®, you need to set up the X Window System™ first. The X Window System™ is the de facto GUI on UNIX® systems. You might want to take a look at the following resources:

Finally, you are ready to commence the KDE installation. Please start reading from the next section. To get KDE, please refer to Q: 3.1.. Last but not least, if you encounter any problems while installing KDE, please do not hesitate to make use of the KDE mailing lists and newsgroups. But do bear this in mind: no question is too silly to ask, but some are too silly to answer, especially when they are already answered in this FAQ.

Good luck and have fun!

4.2. Available package formats

The KDE team provides six different kinds of packages: source and binary RPMs, source and binary .tgz (.tar.gz) files, and source and binary Debian files. The first to be released are usually the source .tgz files, but other formats will appear soon after. Recently, source and binary .tar.bz2 files are also being made available. Please refer to Q: 4.19. for more information on unzipping tarballs with .bz2 extension. In addition, pkg packages for Solaris™ 2.6 and 7 have also appeared.

The installation process depends on which package format you choose. After the installation, there are post-installation procedures that apply for all package formats. Note that if you are an inexperienced UNIX® user and have a RPM-based system, you are probably best off choosing the binary RPM packages being provided by your distribution vendor. At least Caldera, Delix, and S.u.S.E. will make binary RPMs available via their FTP servers.

If you need special configuration options (e.g. because you have shadow passwords and want to use the screensavers), your best bet is to use the source packages and compile KDE yourself.

Note

Bill Mote has published a home page called "KDE 1.1 Installation via RPM". Go see it here.

4.3. Prerequisites

For KDE 2.0, you need the Qt™ library version 2.2 or higher, while for KDE 1.1, KDE 1.1.1, and KDE 1.1.2, you need version 1.42 or higher. For KDE 1.0, you need Qt™ 1.33 or higher. Please make sure you download the correct Qt™.

Caution

KDE 1.x will not work with Qt™ 2.0 or higher.

You would also need the header files as well if you want to compile KDE yourself. They are all available at no cost from http://www.trolltech.com/download. In addition, there are optional libraries that might improve KDE if installed on your system. An example is libssl which will enable Konqueror to browse web pages securely.

4.4. Description of the base packages

The base distribution currently consists of eleven packages. Some are required, while others are optional. Each package is available in each of the aforementioned package formats.

kdesupport

Recommended

This package contains support libraries that have not been written as part of the KDE project, but are needed nevertheless. If you already have the libraries (libgif, libjpeg, libmime, libuu, libgdbm) in this package in the required versions, then you do not need to install this package. When in doubt, install it. Note that for the Debian packages, this package is required.

kdelibs

Required

This package contains shared libraries that are needed by all KDE applications.

kdebase

Required

This package contains the base applications that form the core of the K Desktop Environment like the window manager, the terminal emulator, the control center, the file manager, and the panel.

kdegames

Optional

Various games like mahjongg, snake, asteroids, and tetris.

kdegraphics

Optional

Various graphics-related programs like PostScript® previewer, DVI previewer, and a drawing program.

kdeutils

Optional

Various desktop tools like a calculator, an editor and other nifty stuff.

kdemultimedia

Optional

Multimedia applications like a CD player and a mixer.

kdenetwork

Optional

Network applications. Currently contains the mail program, the news reader, and several other network-related programs.

kdeadmin

Optional

System administration programs.

kdetoys

Optional

Toys!

korganizer

Optional

Your desktop would never be complete without an organizer, right?

kdesupport (if needed) should be installed before everything else. The next (or first) package should be kdelibs. The other packages can be installed in any arbitrary order.

4.5. Installation instructions for the different package formats

Important

Please do not forget to read the README and INSTALL files if they are available.

Installation of the Debian packages

The Debian packages install according to the upcoming FHS (File Hierarchy Standard).

  1. become superuser

  2. run dpkg -i packagename.deb for every package you want to install.

Installation of the RPM packages

The RPM packages install into /opt/kde.

To install binary RPMs

  1. become superuser

  2. execute rpm -ivh packagename.rpm

To create and install a binary RPM from the source RPM

  1. become superuser

  2. run rpm -ivh packagename.src.rpm

  3. cd /usr/src/redhat/SPECS

  4. rpm -bb packagename.spec

  5. cd ../RPMS/i386 (or whatever architecture you use)

  6. rpm -ivh packagename.i386.rpm

Installation of the source .tar.gz files

The source .tgz package installs into /usr/local/kde by default. You can override this setting by using the --prefix option of the configure script.

  1. unpack the packages with tar xvzf packagename.tar.gz

  2. change directory to the package directory: cd packagename

  3. configure the package: ./configure

    Note

    Some packages (notably kdebase) have special configuration options that might be applicable to your installation. Type ./configure --help to see the available options.

  4. build the package: make

  5. install the package: su -c "make install" (if you aren't already root). If you already are, just type make install.

Installation of the binary .tar.gz files

The binary .tar.gz package installs into /opt/kde.

  1. become superuser

  2. cd /

  3. tar xvzf packagename.tar.gz

4.6. Post-installation procedures

First of all, please make sure that you have added KDE's binary installation directory (e.g. /opt/kde/bin) to your PATH and KDE's library installation directory to your LD_LIBRARY_PATH (only necessary on systems that do not support rpath; on Linux® ELF, it should work without). This environment variable may be called differently on some systems, e.g. it is called SHLIB_PATH on IRIX®. Then set the environment variable KDEDIR to the base of your KDE tree, e.g. /opt/kde.

Caution

Please bear in mind that it is unwise to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH blindly. In the vast majority of cases it is unnecessary and can do more harm than good. There is a web page written by Dave Barr explaining the evils of LD_LIBRARY_PATH and it can be found at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/~barr/ldpath.html.

Even though you can use most of the KDE applications simply by calling them, you can only benefit fully from KDE's advanced features if you use the KDE window manager and its helper programs.

In order to make it easy for you, we have provided a simple script called startkde which gets installed in $KDEDIR/bin and is therefore in your path.

Edit the file .xinitrc in your home directory (make a backup copy first!), remove everything that looks like calling a window manager, and insert startkde instead. Restart the X Window System™. If you use kdm/xdm, you will have to edit the file .xsession instead of .xinitrc. And if there is no .xinitrc or .xsession in your home directory, simply create a new one with just one line containing startkde.

Note

Some systems (notably Red Hat® Linux®) use .Xclients instead.

This should present you with a new shining KDE desktop. You can now start to explore the wonderful world of KDE. In case you want to read some documentation first, there is a highly recommended Quick Start guide available. Furthermore, every application has an online help that is available via the help menu.

4.7. Micro-HOWTO: Compiling KDE 1.1.1 on SGIIRIX® 6.x

Chris Berry posted the following updated micro-HOWTO (edited for layout) to comp.windows.x.kde.

This is a (blatant) modification of the original Micro-HOWTO posted by Chris Sterritt. This is valid for KDE-1.1.1 running on IRIX® 6.5. I haven't attempted it on other platforms. There are some items of contention: I get many, many warnings about Qt™ definitions being preempted, about libkdecore definitions being preempted, etc. (So many definitions have been preempted I could have written a dictionary), the i18n stuff doesn't work (while it did in v1.0) and kikbd chokes in konsole (it works fine otherwise). Any comments or questions can be directed to . I will also keep a copy of this HOWTO on my personal web-page: http://alcor.concordia.ca/~c_berry/.

Also, if this isn't your cup of tea, I have uploaded binaries of kde-1.1.1 and egcs-1.1.2 to ftp://ftp.cmc.ec.gc.ca/pub/hbc/sgi/. KDE has been compiled with shared libraries, so if you don't have libstdc++.so.2.9.0 I would suggest downloading the egcs binary as well. Please also download and read the README in the directory, as it contains important installion information.

Finally, neither I nor Environment Canada accept any responsibility vis a vis the worthiness of these instructions. They have worked for me. If they work for you, that's good, if they don't work, I can't help you, neither can anybody at EC. Note that several things don't work the way they are supposed to work. If you find a way around these problems, let someone else know. I personally won't be able to test any fixes after August 20, 1999 as I will be returning to school (and using SunOS).

Enjoy!

Compiling KDE 1.1.1 on SGIIRIX® 6.x

  1. Install Qt™ 1.42 or higher

  2. I am installing KDE as me (not root) so I have a KDEDIR environmental variable which is set to something other than /usr/local/ or whatever is the default. So I'll mention it below, but you may not have to. Also, SGI™ has a jpeg and a png library, but they're out of date or otherwise wrong. So you'll have to track down the libpng and libz sources (jpeg comes in kdesupport); I found them as source RPMs in one of the Red Hat® FTP mirrors.

  3. Get egcs 1.1.1 or later and compile it with -fsquangle support on. This is because SGI™'s assembler can't handle the huge object names produced by normal g++, and gas doesn't evidently work yet for SGI™s. You'll have to build gcc's libraries using this binary as well. Make sure your PATH gets this compiler only (if you have another gcc installed somewhere). When I do a g++ -v I get:

     gcc version egcs-2.91.60 19981201 (egcs-1.1.1 release)
  4. Do a setenv LDFLAGS " " because the configure scripts insist on trying g++ -s when compiling a test program, which always fails on the SGI™s.

  5. Unpack "kdesupport" and enter its directory. Run its configure with --prefix if you need to:

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR --x-includes=/usr/include/X11 \
     --x-libraries=/usr/lib32 --with-qt-includes=/opt/kde-1.1.1 \
     --with-qt-libs=/opt/kde-1.1.1 --enable-shared

    Modify this to reflect your reality. In my case, I have Qt™ stuck in the same dir as KDE, so I had to explicitly name the includes and libs dir. Sometimes the configure will still not see the Qt™ includes dir. Source your .login file to correct this (You did set up your .login file as the instructions in the Qt™ installation asked?).

  6. Run the script (which I'll include below) as follows:

     find . -name Makefile -exec ../FixMakesSq {} \;

    This fixes all the compile lines so that all the "replicated" libraries (jpeg and png) are replaced with full paths so they won't be linked with the SGI™ ones.

    Note

    In the original HOWTO, -fsquangle was added to each makefile. This caused compilation errors. I found that it was really only needed in one makefile. It will be noted below.

    Here's the FixMakesSq script:

       1 #!/bin/perl -ni.bak
       2  
       3 if ((/-lpng/) || (/-ljpeg/))
       4 {
       5     if (/^(.*)-lpng(.*)$/)
       6     {
       7         $b4 = $1;
       8         $af = $2;
       9         print "$b4 /path/to/KDE/libs/libpng.a $af\n";
      10     }
      11     if (/^(.*)-ljpeg(.*)$/)
      12     {
      13         $b4 = $1;
      14         $af = $2;
      15         print "$b4 /path/to/KDE/libs/libjpeg.a $af\n";
      16     }
      17 }
      18         
      19 #NOTE!! Uncomment this section if you want to add
      20 #-D_LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS to all 
      21 #makefiles.  I personally have not tried this, but it should not break 
      22 #anything.
      23 # Alternately, add the flag in the places noted below.
      24 
      25 #elsif (/cxxflags\s*=(.*)$/i)
      26 #{
      27 #    print "CXXFLAGS =  -D_LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS $1\n";
      28 #}
      29 else
      30 {
      31     print;
      32 }

    Do:

     gmake
     gmake install
  7. Go to the libz source directory, do:

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR
     gmake
     gmake install
  8. Go to the libpng source directory, do:

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR
     gmake
     gmake install
  9. Unpack kdelibs and enter its directory. Note the --enable-new-stuff argument to ./configure (this might not be needed, but nothing complains if you use it):

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR --x-includes=/usr/include/X11 \
    --x-libraries=/usr/lib32 --with-qt-includes=/opt/kde-1.1.1 \
    --with-qt-libs=/opt/kde-1.1.1 --enable-shared --enable-new-stuff
     find . -name Makefile -exec ../FixMakesSq {} \;
  10. Find kprocctrl.cpp, and fix the Makefile in that directory. Only if you did not uncomment the section that accomplishes this in the FixMakesSq script, add -D_LANGUAGE_C_PLUS_PLUS to the CXXFLAGS line. This makes it get the right definition for signal functions (has an int arg).

  11. Find addressbook.cc, and fix the Makefile in that directory. Add -fsquangle to the CXXFLAGS line. This makes it able to handle the huge name that's going to pop out.

     gmake
     gmake install
  12. Unpack kdebase and enter its directory. Do:

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR  --x-includes=/usr/include/X11 \
    --x-libraries=/usr/lib32 --with-qt-includes=/opt/kde-1.1.1 \
    --with-qt-libs=/opt/kde-1.1.1 --enable-shared 
     find . -name Makefile -exec ../FixMakesSq {} \;
  13. Fix memory_sgi.cpp (do a find from kdebase directory). I just #ifdef'd out the contents of the whole function... it doesn't compile on my machine, and I never open that part of KPanel anyway :-).

  14. Fix TEShell.C (in kdebase-1.1.1/konsole/src/ directory). It is the operation for getting a pty for the new Konsole. Alas, it was not written with IRIX® in mind, and needs to be patched with the diff included below:

       1 *** TEShell.C   Mon Apr 12 00:12:37 1999
       2 --- /users/dor/aspg/ber/data/kdedown/kdebase-1.1.1/konsole/src/TEShell.C
       3 Wed Jul 14 15:15:35 1999
       4 ***************
       5 *** 169,174 ****
       6 --- 169,177 ----
       7     pid_t pid = waitpid(-1,&status,WNOHANG);
       8     Shell* sh = shells.find(pid);
       9     if (sh) { shells.remove(pid); sh->doneShell(status); }
      10 + #if defined(sgi)
      11 +   signal(SIGCHLD,catchChild);
      12 + #endif
      13   }
      14   
      15   void Shell::doneShell(int status)
      16 ***************
      17 *** 234,239 ****
      18 --- 237,252 ----
      19         }
      20       }
      21     }
      22 + #endif
      23 + 
      24 + #if defined(sgi) /* Irix */
      25 +  
      26 +   needGrantPty = FALSE;
      27 +   char* line;
      28 +   line = _getpty(&ptyfd, O_RDWR|O_NDELAY, 0600, 0);
      29 +   strcpy(ptynam,"/dev/ptc");
      30 +   strcpy(ttynam,line);
      31 +  
      32   #endif
      33   
      34     if (ptyfd < 0) // Linux, FIXME: Trouble on other systems?

    Then:

     gmake
     gmake install
  15. Unpack kdeutils.

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR  --x-includes=/usr/include/X11 \
    --x-libraries=/usr/lib32 --with-qt-includes=/opt/kde-1.1.1 \
    --with-qt-libs=/opt/kde-1.1.1 --enable-shared 
     find . -name Makefile -exec ../FixMakesSq {} \;
  16. Find kcalc_core.cpp and fix its Makefile like you did for kprocctrl.cpp above.

     gmake
     gmake install
  17. Unpack kdegames, kdegraphics, and kdetoys and for each one, enter its directory and do:

     ./configure --prefix=$KDEDIR  --x-includes=/usr/include/X11 \
    --x-libraries=/usr/lib32 --with-qt-includes=/opt/kde-1.1.1 \
    --with-qt-libs=/opt/kde-1.1.1 --enable-shared
     find . -name Makefile -exec ../FixMakesSq {}
     gmake
     gmake install
  18. This step is optional for KDE-1.1. I don't think it is necessary for KDE-1.1.1. Knotes has never crashed on me. I have left it here for completeness . Find where the knotes directory is. Go there, do a make clean, then change the CXXFLAGS in its Makefile. The CXXFLAGS line has -O2, change that to -g. Then do a make and make install. The reason for this is that I found knotes crashed within a few minutes of it starting up; however, when I recompiled it with -g (i.e. debugging support) instead of -O2 (optimization) it ran fine. Go figure :-).

And that's it. You should now be able to run KDE.

4.8. Should I remove old version xyz before installing a new one?

In principle, this is not necessary. RPM and DEP packages should take care of all dependencies.

If you compile the source code yourself, you might take care not to compile different versions of the KDE packages. So if you install a new version, please first make and install kdesupport, then kdelibs, then kdebase.

One thing you should avoid: installing two or more versions of KDE in parallel. This might happen if you specify a different target directory for one version than for the other. The result may be unpredictable. The same is true if you have different versions of Qt™ installed at the same time. This happens easily if you already have an old Qt™ version installed with a Linux® distribution.

4.9. How do I start KDE?

The most comfortable method to start KDE is to use the startkde script. Simply put the line startkde at the end of your .xsession file (or your .xinitrc or .Xclients file if you are not using kdm or xdm). Please also remove the lines that start your previous window manager. If there is no .xsession, .xinitrc, or .Xclients in your home directory, simply create a new one that just contain one line saying startkde.

4.10. Whenever I start KDE, it complains about "shadow passwords". Why?

When your system uses shadow passwords, the screensaver can only run properly if the suid bit is set. This bit gives the screensavers root privileges, which are needed to access the shadow passwords.

Caution

The screensavers might be configured to secure the machine until the password is entered.

Setting the suid bit on the screensavers

  1. become root

  2. chown root $KDEDIR/bin/*.kss

  3. chmod u+s $KDEDIR/bin/*.kss

Alternatively, if you compile KDE from source, you can use ./configure --with-shadow to configure kdebase. Then the suid bit is set automatically during make install.

4.11. Is it possible to install KDE in a user directory?

Yes, you can install KDE in any directory you want. What you have to do depends on the kind of packages you want to install:

Source packages

  1. Configure and install the package using configure --prefix=/users/myhome/kde; make; make install to install into /users/myhome/kde.

  2. Add the following to your init files. Please note that if it is not necessary for you to set LD_LIBRARY_PATH, it is better to leave it out.

    For csh or tcsh:

       1 setenv KDEDIR /users/myhome/kde
       2 
       3 if ( $?LD_LIBRARY_PATH ) then
       4    setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH $KDEDIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
       5 else
       6    setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH $KDEDIR/lib
       7 endif
       8 
       9 if ( ! $?LIBRARY_PATH ) then
      10    setenv LIBRARY_PATH $LD_LIBRARY_PATH
      11 endif  

    For bash:

       1 KDEDIR=/users/myhome/kde
       2 PATH=$KDEDIR/bin:$PATH
       3 LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$KDEDIR/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
       4 LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
       5 export KDEDIR PATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH LIBRARY_PATH

RPM packages

  1. rpm allows you to use the --prefix option to select the directory you want to install to. For example, executing rpm -i --prefix=/users/myhome/kde package.rpm will install the package to /users/myhome/kde.

Note

Although KDE will run from a user directory, there are some problems with programs that require suid root, e.g. the programs in the kdeadmin package. But since they are not meant to be run by users in the first place, this is nothing to worry about.

However, on systems using shadow passwords, the screensavers have to be suid root to enable password access for unlocking the screen, so this option will not work.

4.12. startkde fails with can not connect to X server. What is wrong?

You probably tried to start the X server with startkde. The X server is started with startx. startkde is the script that should be run from your .xinitrc, .xsession, or .Xclients to activate the window manager and the necessary server daemons for KDE. See also Q: 4.9..

4.13. Installing Debian packages with dpkg says giflib2 is missing

Sometimes when installing KDE Debian packages, dpkg complains about dependency problems: giflib2 is missing. As giflib2 is not needed, the solution is simple: dpkg -i --ignore-depends=giflib2 package.deb

4.14. KDE on AIX™?

If you have trouble building KDE on AIX™ check out Stefan Westerfeld's Running KDE on Aix page for lots of help on building KDE on this exceptional UNIX® variant.

4.15. Installing Red Hat® packages says libncurses.so.3.0 is needed

If there is no rpm for it on your Red Hat® CD-ROM, poke around the Red Hat® FTP site and its mirrors to get it. Do bear in mind that libncurses-3 and -4 coexist so there is no need to replace one with the other, i.e. a plain rpm -i will do.

Or you might try the following (as root):

  1. cd /usr/lib

  2. ln -s libncurses.so.4 libncurses.so.3

  3. ldconfig

Since libncurses-3 and -4 are 100% compatible both at binary and at source level, installing both is just a waste of space.

4.16. KDE on a laptop?

If you can get the X Window System™ to run, you should not have any problem getting KDE to run on it. In addition, you might find the following links helpful:

For laptops with exotic resolution like 1024x600, you can try editing the XF86Config file (in /etc/X11 if you use Red Hat®). If you have some experience with this file, you will know that there are several different "Modeline" lines in it. You only have to add a Modeline for your resolution. Unfortunately, the format of the Modeline lines is pretty esoteric; i.e. you have to read up a lot. One source of information could be the XFree86 Video Timings HOWTO.

4.17. I do not like the default KDE directory after installation. How do I move it without breaking anything?

Assuming the default is /opt/kde and you want to move it to /usr/local/kde, here's what you have to do:

  1. change to superuser if you aren't already

  2. mv /opt/kde /usr/local/kde

  3. ln -s /usr/local/kde /opt/kde

This will put all your KDE files in /usr/local/kde but everything is still accessible from /opt/kde.

4.18. Where has the snapshot configure script gone?

Maybe this has already been rectified, but just in case it isn't, here's the solution: make -f admin/Makefile.common cvs

4.19. How do I unzip tarballs with the bz2 extension?

First, you need the bzip2 package. Get it from your favourite FTP site if you have not already got one. Next, to view the contents, simply do this: bzip2 -cd files.tar.bz2 | tar tvf -. To extract, do this instead: bzip2 -cd files.tar.bz2 | tar xvf -. Of course, you might be able to use something like tar --use-compress-program bzip2 -xvf files.tar.bz2 if your tar supports it. Please man tar and man bzip2 for further information, and you might also want to read up the Bzip2 mini-HOWTO. By the way, the bzip2 home page is at http://sources.redhat.com/bzip2/index.html.

4.20. What files can I delete from my KDE install directory? Can all the *.h, *.c and *.o files be safely removed?

There should not be any need to keep the .c and .o files, but you might want to keep the .h files, as they are used by includes if you ever want to compile your own KDE programs. But if you wish to add patches to the source programs as they become available (rather than downloading everything again), then they should stay.

4.21. Will I lose my current settings when I upgrade KDE?

There are mixed reports of results when moving to KDE 2.0 from KDE 1.x. Settings are kept in the .kde subdirectory in your home directory. There have been many changes to settings both globally and inside each application. For best results we suggest you copy your old .kde directory to a backup location, install KDE 2.0, and then copy back any necessary mail and news settings. Most other settings are so different that it is best to configure them directly within KDE 2.0. That said, there are reports of direct upgrades without removing the old .kde directory happening without a hitch. Your mileage may vary.

4.22. Compiling kdebase gives me a bin/sh: msgfmt: command not found error!

You need the GNU msgfmt which is part of the GNU i18n package gettext. You should be able to download it from any decent GNU mirrors.

4.23. How do I uninstall KDE applications compiled from scratch?

You can uninstall your programs by typing make uninstall in the directory where you did make install. If you have already nuked away that directory, then there is only one way, and it is not good: go to $KDEDIR/bin and start deleting files one by one.

4.24. What is up with GIF support?

This has something to do with Unisys' LZW patent. GIF support is turned off in Qt™ 1.44 and above by default. Either use an older Qt™, or recompile it with GIF support turned on using ./configure -gif.

5. The panel

5.1. How do I add applications to the panel?

There are several ways to add an application to the panel:

Using the panel menu

Perhaps the easiest method is to use the entry Panel->Add application in the panel menu (the menu that appears when pressing the K button on the panel). The menu shows all installed KDE applications. To add a button to the menu, simply click on the application.

Using the file manager

You can also simply drag a .desktop file from a window of the file manager to the panel.

5.2. Why is the panel clock showing the wrong time?

On some Red Hat® systems, the clock in the panel always shows the time in GMT. This is a bug in the Red Hat® setup. To solve it, just create this symbolic link: ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo /usr/lib/zoneinfo.

5.3. Is it possible to run kpanel in a non-KDE-compliant window manager?

Yes. Try starting it with something like this: kpanel -no-KDE-compliant-window-manager.

5.4. Is it possible to change the K button of the panel to another picture?

KDE 1.x

Look for $HOME/.kde/share/apps/kpanel/pics/go.xpm and $HOME/.kde/share/apps/kpanel/pics/mini/go.xpm and replace them. Do not forget to flatten the replacements to one layer, or else you will not see anything. Create the directories if they do not already exist. Then restart kpanel.

KDE 2

Look for $HOME/.kde/share/apps/kicker/pics/go.png and $HOME/.kde/share/apps/kicker/pics/mini/go.png and replace them. Do not forget to flatten the replacements to one layer, or else you will not see anything. Create the directories if they do not already exist. Then restart Kicker.

6. The desktop

6.1. How do I add an application to the desktop?

This is a simple exercise: click on the desktop with the right mouse button. In the menu, select New->Program. Enter the title of the program, and it will appear on the desktop.

You might want to change the new icon's properties, so click on the program name with the right mouse button, and select Properties. In the dialog, you should at least change the program to execute and the icon. That's it.

6.2. How do I mount/unmount a device from the desktop?

There are two steps involved:

  1. Make sure you are allowed to mount/unmount the device. Normally, only root is allowed to mount/unmount devices. If you are not running KDE as root (and you should not, by the way), you must set the right for users to mount a device in /etc/fstab. This means to add the option user to the options of the filesystem you want to mount.

    For example, to mount the floppy, your /etc/fstab should include:

     /dev/fd0   /floppy   msdos   noauto,user,sync 0 0
  2. Create a .desktop file for the filesystem. An example for a device .desktop file is:

     # KDE Config File
     [KDE Desktop Entry]
     UnmountIcon=3floppy_unmount.xpm
     MountPoint=/floppy
     Icon=3floppy_mount.xpm
     Dev=/dev/fd0
     ReadOnly=0
     FSType=default
     Type=FSDevice
     Comment=Floppy Disc

6.3. How do I use a screensaver as background?

It is possible to use a screensaver instead of a background image. To do this, call any screensaver with the -inroot parameter, for example kswarm.kss -inroot &. Most screensavers will look best if you set the background color to black. However, using a screensaver as background might eat some CPU and X time....

6.4. Where are the icons kept?

The icons can be found only in $KDEDIR/share/icons or $HOME/.kde/share/icons. To use icons stored in other locations, you must either copy them into one of the above-mentioned fixed KDE locations or make symlinks.

6.5. How do I change the standard menu items as non-root?

Try changing the permission and/or ownership of the directories and files in $KDEDIR/share/applnk. Alternatively, you can create a trusted group (e.g., friends) and try chgrp -R friends $KDEDIR/share/applnk; chmod -R g+w $KDEDIR/share/applnk and make all your trusted users members of friends. Note that you would still need superuser privileges to do the above, however. If it is impossible for you to obtain root privileges, then you would have to settle for editing your personal menu.

6.6. How do I use the mouse scroll wheel in KDE?

Mouse wheel support comes with Qt™ 2.0 and above, so KDE based on that will automagically support the use of the mouse scroll wheel. If you are using an older KDE, however, in order to use the scroll wheel with KFM, KEdit, and non-KDE applications like Emacs, try getting IMWheel from http://solaris1.mysolution.com/~jcatki/imwheel/. You might also find the information in http://www.inria.fr/koala/colas/mouse-wheel-scroll/ useful.

6.7. What exactly is the Templates folder?

The Templates folder holds items that you can create easily anywhere (on the Desktop or in a file manager window) by selecting New from the context menu (right click menu) of the place you want the item to be.

You can put both files and directories in the Templates folder, and they will automagically appear in the New submenu. When you select them from the submenu, they are copied to the current location.

This is exactly like opening the Templates directory and copying the items from there directly, only it is slightly easier. By default, the Templates directory is populated with only .desktop files. These files are there to allow you to immediately begin creating devices, programs, URL links, and new MIME types, but you can put anything you want there.

6.8. Why can't I get system sound to work, like for opening windows?

System sound currently does not work on non-FreeBSD and non-Linux® systems. This is being worked on. If you use FreeBSD or Linux®, you have found a bug, so please report it.

6.9. How do I launch applications in a particular desktop?

KDE pre-1.1 and above

KDE pre-1.1 and above comes with a program called kstart. You can use it in a .kdelnk (.desktop for KDE 2) file like this:

 Name=Netscape
 Exec=kstart "netscape" -window ".*Netscape.*" -desktop 2 -maximize
 BinaryPattern=netscape;
 Icon=netscape.xpm
 Path=
 Type=Application
 Terminal=0

Or just run the following: kstart "netscape" -desktop 2 -activate.

KDE 1.0 and below

Use a shell script to do it. The script should look something like this:

 kwmcom desktop2 (or desktop3, desktop4, whatever) netscape

Please note that the above example has the (undesirable) effect of leaving you in desktop 2 while it is executing and also once it has finished executing.

Note

On the off chance you have not used shell scripts, they are basically just text files you have run chmod +x on. They are the Linux® version of the DOS batch file, but, of course, better.

6.10. I have played with the fonts section in the KDE Control Center but the fonts are still way too small. What can I do?

Many users use the 75 dpi fonts as the default. If you have installed the 100 dpi fonts, make sure your XF86Config file has those fonts in the path before the 75 dpi fonts. Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to do it:

  1. Open /etc/Xll/XF86Config using your favorite editor.

  2. Near the top of the file is a several-row listing of fonts: type1, speedo, etc., and at the bottom there are two entries: 75dpi and 100dpi. Reverse their order. And while you are at it, move the Type 1 fonts to the bottom of the list (or somewhere below the 75 and 100 dpi fonts). That makes an improvement too!

6.11. Is it possible to extend the Desktop Icon Menus?

Yes. Just add the applnk for the required command to $KDEDIR/share/applnk, or use kmenuedit.

6.12. Can I get rid of the Trash/Templates/Autostart icons?

KDE 1.x

Yes. Simply edit $KDEDIR/bin/startkde and replace kfm with kfm -w. If that does not work, here is another way. Add the following lines to $HOME/.kde/share/config/kfmrc:

 [Paths]
 Trash=/home/me/Trash/
 Desktop=/home/me/Desktop
 Templates=/home/me/Templates/
 Autostart=/home/me/Autostart/

The effect is to take Trash, Templates, and Autostart and put them into your home directory instead of your $HOME/Desktop directory. You will have to restart KDE, and you may have to delete the icons from the desktop the first time. Please make sure you move anything you have in Autostart into $HOME/Autostart before deleting it from the desktop. And then you will have a nice, clean desktop with no "My Computer" sort of look.

KDE 2

Yes. Open the KDE Control Center and select Desktop (under Look and Feel in the left hand pane, then the item General. Here you can type in new paths for these items, and KDE will automatically move them to the new location.

6.13. Where do I save my files if I want them to appear directly on the desktop?

$HOME/Desktop. You might need to refresh your desktop after you have saved your files.

7. The window manager

The default window manager provided by KDE is the K Window Manager (kwm in KDE 1.x and KWin in KDE 2). Please read "The K Window Manager Handbook" (should be accessible from the KDE Help Center) for usage information.

7.1. Are there keyboard shortcuts for kwm (KWin) operations?

Yes. Please refer to "The K Window Manager Handbook" for the list of shortcuts available.

7.2. Can I define my own set of keyboard shortcuts?

Yes, if you are using KDE 1.1 and above. Launch the KDE Control Center and select Look and Feel->Key bindings to configure window manager bindings like maximizing windows, etc. For starting applications, you might need to install KHotKeys, though.

7.3. When I "iconify" a window, it disappears. Where does it go?

With many X Window SystemGUI, the minimize button (a little dot) will erase the window that the program is running in and create, instead, an icon on the desktop. KDE does not do this. Instead, when a window is iconified it is simply hidden (but the program is still running).

There are a few ways to access "disappeared" windows:

  • If you are running the taskbar part of kpanel (or Kicker), you can choose to have a list of tasks displayed on your desktop. Iconified tasks will have their names surrounded by parentheses.

  • If you click the middle mouse button on the root window (i.e. the background of the desktop), kwm (or KWin) will give you a list of all available tasks (and again, the names of the iconified tasks will be bracketed).

7.4. How do I get a sticky window with no border and focus?

If you have KDE 1.1 and above, you can use kstart. Assuming the application you want to start is xosview, just execute kstart xosview -window xosview -sticky -decoration none. Type kstart --help for additional help. In addition, you can set these settings in the KDE Control Center under Windows.

In KDE 1.0 you would need to write something like this in kwmrc:

   1 [Sticky]
   2 stickyClasses=xosview,
   3 [Focus]
   4 noFocusClasses=xosview,
   5 [Decoration]
   6 noDecorationClasses=xosview,

7.5. How do I kill kwmpager?

Click on the border frame with the right mouse button to bring up a menu that will let you close the pager. By the way, kwmpager is obsolete and has been replaced by kpager.

In addition, if you prefer working through a terminal, type ps ax | grep kwmpager to find it and then kill it using kill pid. Or if you dread the idea of using the console, just press Ctrl+Alt+Esc and move the pirate-skull mouse pointer over kwmpager and click to kill it. To abort (not undo!) the kill, just press Ctrl+Alt+Esc again.

7.6. How do I maximize windows only vertically or horizontally?

Provided your window is not already maximized, clicking on the maximize button with the left/middle/right mouse button will maximize fully/vertically/horizontally respectively.

7.7. What is "shading" a window?

By "shading" a window we mean "rolling up" a window leaving just the title bar visible. You can do this by double clicking on the window title bar.

7.8. Is it possible to have FVWM2-like shadow frameworks for the placement of windows?

Yes. Run KDE Control Center and select Look and Feel followed by Window Behavior and finally Actions. There is a dialog option that allows you to set the placement policy you want.

8. The file manager

The file manager of choice for KDE 1.x is KFM while for KDE 2 is Konqueror.

8.1. How do I use KFM or Konqueror as a web browser with proxy?

Both KFM and Konqueror can be used via HTTP and FTP proxies. You can set the proxy server in KFM by selecting Options followed by Configure Browser and then the Proxy tab from the KFM menu. Please make sure to save the changed settings with Options followed by Save settings to make the proxy settings persistent.

As for Konqueror, just select Settings->Configure->Proxies from the Konqueror menu. Please make sure to save the changed settings with Settings followed by Save settings to make the proxy settings persistent.

8.2. How can I change the appearance of a directory in KFM and Konqueror?

When displaying a directory, both KFM and Konqueror look for a hidden file called .directory inside the directory. You can create such a file yourself to modify the way in which the directory is displayed. The file is simply a kdelnk (or .desktop for KDE 2) file. For example:

 # KDE Config File
 [KDE Desktop Entry]
 Name=Settings
 Name[de]=Einstellungen
 Name[pl]=Ustawienia
 MiniIcon=kcontrol.xpm
 SortOrder=Desktop,Input_Devices,KWM,Network,Information,Sound
 Icon=kcontrol.xpm

This is the file used to describe the Settings directory. It changes the icon used to display the directory, sets the (displayed) name of the directory according to the national language, and fixes the order in which the subdirectories are displayed.

For the directories that build up the K menu, you can also use kmenuedit to change the appearance.

8.3. How can I do non-anonymous FTP transfers with KFM and Konqueror?

Normally, if you enter a URL like ftp://ftp.somehost.com, KFM and Konqueror will attempt an anonymous login to the FTP server. If you want to login as a particular user, enter a URL like ftp://username@ftp.somehost.com instead. KFM and Konqueror will ask for your password and connect to the server.

8.4. What causes KFM cannot connect to "localhost"?

In most cases, this is due to an incorrectly configured loopback route on your system.

How to check for problems

Check if ping localhost returns similar output:

 PING localhost (127.0.0.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.3 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.2 ms
64 bytes from 127.0.0.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.2 ms 
...

If it does not, your loopback interface or route is not properly configured.

The output of the /sbin/route command should contain lines like the following:

 Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags MSS    Window Use Ifac
loopback        *               255.0.0.0       U     3584   0       13 lo

The important fields are the Destination, Gateway, Genmask, and Iface. The above means that the system is properly configured to route all loopback traffic through the loopback interface (lo).

The output of the /sbin/ifconfig command should contain the following lines:

 lo        Link encap:Local Loopback
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Bcast:127.255.255.255  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP BROADCAST LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:3584  Metric:1

This indicates that the loopback interface is up and running.

Your /etc/hosts file should contain the following line:

 127.0.0.1       localhost

This ensures that the "localhost" hostname is associated with your system loopback address (127.0.0.1).

Fixing these problems

Execute /sbin/ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1 followed by /sbin/route add -net 127.0.0.0. Both commands should, on a healthy system, be executed for you at the bootup of your computer. If this is not happening, check your network startup files in /etc/rc.d.

If it still does not work

If none of these work, please send a full report to the KDE bug tracking system. Do not forget to mention that you have checked all these things.

8.5. What are %i and %m in the Execute line?

They are used by all KDE applications (since they are implemented in KApplication and all good KDE programs create a KApplication object before they even look at the command line arguments).

A standard line for a KDE application looks like this: foo ... %i %m -caption \"%c\". Pretty confusing, but it has been designed in that way so that it can integrate legacy, non-KDE applications as smoothly as possible. KFM and Konqueror when executing the line above will extend the command to foo -icon something.xpm -miniicon something_mini.xpm -caption \"The Foo\". Both the icon and the mini-icon as well as "The Foo" are properties defined in the .desktop file. If the icons are not defined, they simply default to the executable name "foo".

This way a user can change these things in kmenuedit for his or her applications. -caption is important, because no user will accept that the menu item Editor starts something called kedit-0.9pl4-build47. Instead, he expects a window called Editor. Furthermore these names are localized, i.e. an American user launches CD-Player and gets a window called CD-Player while a German user launches CD Spieler and gets a window called CD-Spieler.

8.6. How do I specify the startup directory for KFM and Konqueror?

Right click on the KFM (or Konqueror) icon and choose Properties. Under the Execute tab you would probably find something like kfmclient folder %u file:/root; just change /root to wherever you would like KFM (or Konqueror) to start.

8.7. How do I import Netscape® bookmarks?

Take a look at the full list of KDE applications (not just those in the distribution) at http://www.kde.org/applications.html. Under the NETWORK section you will find knsbookmark, the tool you need.

If you are using KDE 2, however, you are in luck! There is no need to import anything at all! Netscape® bookmarks are automatically available under the Bookmarks menu in Konqueror with no configuration on your part necessary.

8.8. Is there a "Save As..." function in KFM and Konqueror?

There is something close: View followed by View Document Source opens KEdit with the source code, which you can then save. This works well for text/html files, but not for graphics. For graphic files, you can right click on the image, and choose to open the file in an image editor that way.

9. Configuring KDE

9.1. How do I set the language used by KDE?

There are two ways to set the language KDE uses in the messages it will display:

Using the KDE Control Center

Fire up the KDE Control Center and select Personalization followed by Country and Language. You can select your language and location here. If KDE cannot find a translation in the first language chosen, it will fall back on the default language. This will usually be (American) English.

Note

Using the KDE Control Center is the preferred way of choosing languages in KDE.

Using the LANG environment variable

The second method uses the standard locale setting on your system. To change the language, simply set the environment variable LANG accordingly. For example, if your shell is bash, execute export LANG=de to set German as the language used.

9.2. Is there any keyboard switcher for international keyboards for KDE?

KDE 1.1 (and above) comes with kikbd which has a cool interface and permits you to create new national keyboards.

9.3. How do I replace the standard Linux® text login screen with the KDE login screen?

First, you need to change to the "xdm runlevel" (runlevel 5 on Red Hat® systems, 3 on S.u.S.E.) by editing your /etc/inittab file. In the file, you should have a line saying id:3:initdefault:. Change it to id:5:initdefault:. Now at the end of the file, comment out the following line: x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/X11/xdm -nodaemon and replace it with x:5:respawn:/opt/kde/bin/kdm -nodaemon.

Note

The location of kdm may differ on your system.

For changes to take effect immediately, type init 5 (for Red Hat® systems) at the shell prompt.

Caution

It is risky to initiate a graphical login without checking beforehand whether it works. If it fails to work, you would be in for a hard time getting back....

9.4. How do I replace kwm or KWin with another KDE-compliant window manager like Blackbox and Window Maker?

First, download the source code and compile them. You would probably need to specify some option when you execute the configure script in order to produce KDE-compliant binaries. Read the README and INSTALL files for instructions. Then simply replace the kwm command in the startkde script with the command that runs the new window manager and you are done. For KDE 2 you rewrite the line that executes ksmserver in startkde to call the session manager with the option --windowmanager my_window_manager specified instead.

Blackbox is yet another addition to the list of window managers for the X Window System™. It is built with C++ and shares no common code with any other window manager (even though the graphics implementation is similar to that of Window Maker). Blackbox became KDE compliant at its 0.50.2 release. Please visit Blackbox @ alug.org for further information. You might also find this website KBB - getting Blackbox to work with KDE useful.

To use Blackbox with KDE, download the source tarball, untar it, enter the newly created directory, and run ./configure --with-kde ; make ; su -c 'make install' (the --with-kde flag enables KDE support).

Next, edit the startkde script as mentioned above to call blackbox instead. Save the new script as, for example, $KDEDIR/bin/startbb and change the bottom line of your X startup file so that it runs the new script instead of the old one. Fire up the X Window System™ and you are away.

Window Maker is an X11 window manager designed to give additional integration support for GNUstep applications. It tries to emulate the elegant look and feel of the NeXTSTEPGUI. It is relatively fast, rich in features, and easy to configure and use. Window Maker became KDE compliant at its 0.50.0 release. Please visit the Official Window Maker Website for more information.

9.5. How do I change the Red Hat® Linux® logo bootup screen image?

Red Hat® uses xbanner to display its logo, so to disable it, just comment out the line calling xbanner from the configuration file xdm reads, which is /etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup_0 (may vary). If you want something else to run there, put it in instead, for example /opt/kde/bin/kdmdesktop.

9.6. I would like to click the left mouse button anywhere on the desktop and have the K menu displayed.

KDE 1.x

First, edit $HOME/.kde/share/config/krootwmrc and add the following two lines:

 [MouseButtons]
 Left=Menu

Then restart KDE.

KDE 2

Open the KDE Control Center and choose Look and Feel->Desktop->General. You can now choose the behavior of mouse clicks on the desktop. To have the K menu open from a single left mouse button click, change the entry labeled Left button to say Application Menu.

9.7. How do I use the three extra keys on my Windows® keyboard in KDE?

You may have to configure your X server via xmodmap to bind the keycodes of the Windows® keys to useful X key symbols (xev is your friend!).

First, create a file $HOME/.Xmodmap containing the entries:

 keycode 115=F13
 keycode 117=F15

Then run xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap. This sets the Start key to emit F13 and the Windows key to emit F15. Next, fire up the KDE Control Center and select Shortcut Keys->Global Shortcut. Set Pop-up system menu to F13 and Window operations menu to F15. That is it.

Note

The numbers 115 and 117 may depend on the keyboard. If you are not sure, please check using xev. In addition, the above procedure requires KDE 1.1 and above.

kikbd is able to do this too, but keymaps have to be edited. The advantage of kikbd is that one can choose whether to use these mappings on several custom keymaps and have them hotswappable.

It would be interesting to make a little script that will automatically do the keymap modifications on demand. kikbd should be able to read/understand user-side keymap files.

9.8. After installing KDE, the Red Hat® start menu disappears!

Just run the command wmconfig --output kde. This will put the Red Hat®-specific icons into your KDE menu. If you run this within KDE, you will need to restart your panel. They are installed by default into the applnk folder after you run that command, but then you can copy and paste them wherever you like with kmenuedit.

9.9. Where do I find information regarding KDE themes?

9.10. How do I change MIME Types?

If you are using KFM, first open a KFM window and choose Edit->Mime Types. Find the type you want to change (e.g. text/english or image/gif), click the right mouse button, select Properties, choose the Binding tab, and set Default Application to whatever you want.

If you are using Konqueror, do this instead: first, open a Konqueror window and choose Edit->File Type. Find the type you want to change (e.g. text/english or image/gif), click the right mouse button, select General, and set the application preference order to whatever you want.

9.11. KDE (kdm) does not read my .bash_profile!

Well, xdm (and kdm) does not run a login shell, so .profile, .bash_profile, etc. are not sourced. When the user logs in, xdm runs Xstartup as root and then Xsession as user. So the normal practice is to add statements in Xsession to source the user profile. Please edit your Xsession and .xsession files.

9.12. How do I use TrueType® fonts in KDE?

You need to install TrueType® font support to your X Window System™. Please take a look at x.themes.org for the fonts, and xfsft: TrueType® Font Support For X11 or X-TrueType® Server Project Home Page for the font servers.

If you have a bunch of TrueType® fonts from Microsoft® Windows®, edit the XF86Config file to get the fonts from the font folder. Then just tell KDE to use these new fonts with the font administrator utility.

However, many KDE 1.0 applications use a font dialog that does not use the font list of KDE. But there is a workaround: edit the rc files of the rebellious applications directly.

9.13. Is it possible to enter, show and work with the Euro Symbol in KDE?

Yes and no. For details, look here: http://monitor.blvk.ch/euro/.

10. KDE applications

10.1. kppp

Many KDE users report problems using kppp. But before you complain about kppp, make sure you have already checked the following:

  • Can you dialup to your ISP without using kppp? If you cannot, then perhaps kppp is not the culprit after all.

  • Have you gone through the kppp documentation at least three times and follow its instructions and trouble-shooting suggestions?

The kppp documentation can be accessed through the KDE Help Center or going directly to the documentation directory, usually $KDEDIR/share/doc/HTML/default/kppp. In addition, there is a web page "How to set up kppp with ISPs in the UK" at http://www.kppp-archive.freeserve.co.uk/. Last but not least, the kppp homepage is at http://devel-home.kde.org/~kppp/.

Now, if you still encounter problems, here's what might help you solve them:

How do I change the MTU setting in kppp?

Open up the kppp dialog box and select Setup. Choose an existing account and click Edit, or New to create a new dialup account. Select the Dial tab and click Arguments. Type what you want to change in the Argument textbox (e.g. mtu 296) and click Add. When you are satisfied, click Close.

To check whether the options "took", do one of the followings:

  • In a terminal window, run /sbin/ifconfig ppp0 and look at the reported MTU in the output. It should match your request.

  • Add debug and kdebug (each on a separate line) to your /etc/ppp/options file and restart your PPP session. You will find debugging messages in /var/log/messages, including MRU and MTU settings.

If you want, the MRU and MTU settings can be added to the options file, one complete setting per line, no quotes or dashes.

kppp connects at a slower speed than normal.

The following might do the trick:

  • Try executing setserial spd_hi.

  • The default MTU value is 1500, which maybe too large for a dialup connection. Try changing it to a smaller value like 296 or 576.

  • Check in your $HOME/.kde/share/config for the kppprc. Ensure the correct modem speed is actually defined there.

10.2. kvt and Konsole

How do I page-up or page-down?

Use Shift+Pg Up and Shift+Pg Dn.

How do I toggle the behaviour of Backspace and Delete?

Look under Options->Terminal of your console window.

How do I perform a simple "cut" from kvt (or Konsole) to anything else?

When I do a ls, first I select with the mouse the desired text, press Ctrl+C, then I make the target application active, point the mouse to the relevant part and press Ctrl+V. Alternatively, highlight the text by dragging with the left mouse button down and paste by clicking with the middle button (or both buttons if you have 3 button emulation set and you are using a two button mouse).

How do I set the size of the scroll-back buffer?

Try kvt -sl size for kvt and konsole -sl size for Konsole.

Tip

If you execute kvt with some unknown option (e.g. kvt -x), kvt will print out a list of valid options.

10.3. Kmail

The one that comes with KDE 1.0 is unfortunately quite buggy. Upgrade, and your problems would (probably) disappear.

How do I export Kmail messages to Netscape® Mail?

Try (you might need to be root) cat $HOME/Mail/inbox >> $MAIL and then start Netscape® Mail asking it to check for local mail.

10.4. KBiff

KBiff is a mail notification utility and its home page is at http://www.granroth.org/kbiff.

How can one instance of KBiff monitor two mailboxes and take the appropriate action when new messages arrive?

Are you getting many messages in both mailboxes? If so, it would be better to use two instances to monitor them. If not, then go to the Mailbox tab and click on the little mailbox icon. This will create another mailbox in that instance. Now, whenever either of them gets new mail, KBiff will do all of its new mail stuff.

10.5. KTop

Why can't I see anything on it?

It is a bug, albeit easily fixed. Just resize it by a few pixels and everything would be all right.

11. KDE with non-KDE applications

11.1. My non-KDE applications like Emacs and kterm are running amok with large windows and strange fonts!

It probably has to do with KDE trying to "apply KDE defaults to non-KDE apps", which means it uses xrdb to apply X defaults that are supposed to mimic the color, font, and other settings that you have set for KDE. However, experience tells us that this usually breaks things, particularly if you have carefully tuned the X resources of your non-KDE applications.

The official solution for KDE 1.x is click the K button, select Settings->Desktop->Style and disable the "apply KDE settings to non-KDE apps" checkbox. For KDE 2, click the K button, select Preferences->Look and Feel->Themes->Style and disable the apply fonts and colors to non-KDE apps checkbox instead. If the new setting does not seem to stick, make sure you have clicked OK directly without clicking Apply after making the change. If it still refuses to work, there is a brute-force solution: rename or delete the $KDEDIR/share/apps/kdisplay/app-defaults directory. This will prevent KDE from finding the X resource files it applies, and solve the problem. You have to exit your session and log back in for everything to return to normal.

If you do not want to, or cannot rename or delete the system-wide app-defaults directory, you can always copy it to your personal KDE directory (e.g. $HOME/.kde/share/apps/kdisplay/app-defaults) and then edit/add/remove files to taste.

11.2. Netscape®

Why does Netscape® load so slow?

Netscape® loads slow because it is statically linked with Motif® and has to load all the widgets, etc. when it loads.

Why does Netscape® crash when I visit certain websites?

What websites are you visiting? Java™ applets will often cause Netscape® to crash. Since most people use Java™ applets for spinning buttons instead of something useful, just turn Java™ off in Netscape®.

Why does Netscape® display images in a pixelated manner?

When you run Netscape®, try using the -install switch e.g. netscape -install &. This will force Netscape® to allocate its own colormap which would hopefully solve the problem.

How do I make KDE use Netscape® when I create a WWWUrl kdelnk instead of KFM?

You need to create a .kdelnk for Netscape®, then edit it (using KFM, right click and go to Properties) and select the right MIME type for URLs (in Application tab pick text/html and text/sgml). Then select Edit->MIME Types from the KFM menu, enter text and edit the properties for html and sgml: in Binding tab select the default application in the list box (since you have added the appropriate MIME type to Netscape®'s .kdelnk file, it should appear there).

12. Useful tips

12.1. Reading man pages in KDE

Pop up the minicli window (Alt+F2 by default) and type man:command. It even unpacks on the fly when the man pages are gzipped.

Or you can use the KDE Help Center if you are using KDE 2. Simply start the KDE Help Center by clicking on the icon (the blue book with the yellow key) on the toolbar. Once the KDE Help Center has loaded, the window on the left will contain an entry called Unix manual pages. Click once on this entry, and you can browse through all the installed manual pages on your system.

12.2. Move or resize windows quickly

To move a window, use Alt+Left Mouse Button. Alt+Right Mouse Button will resize the window. Last but not least, Alt+Middle Mouse Button raises/lowers the window. For more information about mouse control, please refer to "The K Window Manager Handbook".

Note

KDE 1.1 and above allows you to change these mouse bindings.

12.3. Killing windows in KDE

There is a standard keybinding (Ctrl+Alt+Esc) that gives you a skull/crossbones cursor. Click that cursor on a window to kill it. The keybindings are viewable/changeable from the KDE Control Center in KDE above version 1.0.

12.4. Switching window managers on the fly in KDE 1.x

If you want to switch your window manager on the fly, type the following into a terminal window: kwmcom go:blackbox. This switches to Blackbox, but you can substitute any window manager you like.

13. Miscellaneous questions

13.1. Why does KDE use Qt™?

Qt™ is a very sophisticated toolkit that provides everything that is needed to build a modern user interface. Qt™ is written in C++, thus allowing object-oriented development which ensures efficiency and code reuse in a project the size and scope of KDE. In our opinion there is no better toolkit available for UNIX® systems and that it would have been a grave mistake to try to build KDE on anything but the best.

13.2. Why does KDE not use gtk, xforms, xlib, whatever?

There are a number of toolkits available. To provide a consistent user interface and to keep used resources such as memory to a minimum, KDE can use only one of them. Qt™ was selected for the reasons mentioned above.

13.3. But Qt™ isn't free, is it?

It is! As of September 4, 2000, version 2.2 of the Qt™ libraries were licensed under the GPL, thereby fulfilling all aspects of "free software".

13.4. How do I mount filesystems (e.g. my CD-ROM drive) in KDE?

To mount your CD-ROM drive, first, you (as root) need to add the following line to /etc/fstab:

 /dev/cdrom     /cdrom     iso9660  ro,user,noauto,unhide

Please make sure that you have a soft link from /dev/cdrom to whatever /dev/hd? your CD-ROM drive is (assuming you are using an ATAPI CD-ROM drive). You should see something like this when you ls -l /dev/cdrom:

 lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root            8 Jul 28 22:21 /dev/cdrom -> /dev/hdb

The above would be done with ln -s /dev/hdb /dev/cdrom (as root). Last but not least, make sure a valid mount point exists for the CD-ROM drive to be mounted on, for example:

 % ls -la /cdrom
 total 2
 drwxrwsr-x   2 root     cdrom        1024 Sep 14  1995 ./
 drwxr-xr-x  24 root     root         1024 Dec  1 21:00 ../

Now you can mount it from the command prompt by typing mount /cdrom. Or if you prefer, create a KDE device link to your CD-ROM drive and place it on your desktop. Clicking on it will automatically mount the drive for you. Okay, concerning the question of how to make a KDE device link to your CD-ROM drive, please look to the KDE User Guide for the answers.

More information on mounting filesystems can be found by running man fstab and man mount respectively.

13.5. Does KDE have terminal emulators with transparent background?

Yes and no. Konsole has the ability to simulate transparency by redrawing the background of the window inside the Konsole window. This gives the illusion of transparency, but if you place Konsole on top of another window, the transparency is lost. Eterm should work fine under KDE if you desire more complete transparency.

13.6. Is there a way to get various kinds of information about my drive contents: free space, directory size, etc.?

The KDE control panel will let you look at each drive and will give you information concerning free space, space used, etc. To determine how large a single directory is, you should use the du command. Details about its usage can be found by typing man du at a command prompt. If you just want to know how much space the directory takes up, simply type du -h directory).

13.7. How can I get Backspace to work correctly under KDE?

Try running xmodmap -e 'keycode 22 = BackSpace' and see if that fixes it (applications will have to be restarted for that to take effect). You should be able to just stick that into your X startup files like .xinitrc.

Or simply upgrade to XFree86-3.3.3.1-1 and above.

Note

Also, concerning the Backspace-Bug (Bug number: kb704): the bug is fixed somehow by putting the following line into $HOME/.xinitrc:
 xmodmap -  "keysym Delete = BackSpace"

13.8. How do I create icons for non-KDE applications that I can put in the K menu? Where do these icons (or kdelnk) go?

Create using your favorite image manipulator, for example, GIMP, and put them in $KDEDIR/share/icons(/mini) or $HOME/.kde/share/icons(/mini). By the way, The KDE Icon Editor is being developed by the KDE team. More information can be found at http://w1.1358.telia.com/~u135800018/prog.html#KICONEDIT.

13.9. What about KDE programs that do not have icons? How do I get them into the menu?

Use kmenuedit.

13.10. Does KDE have a graphical FTP client?

Yes, and in KDE 1.x it is none other than your favorite file manager, KFM! You can drag and drop remote files into local directories. There is also a utility called KGet that allows resuming and queueing, but you need to use it in combination with KFM (you can drag-n-drop into KGet but cannot use it to browse FTP servers).

For KDE 2, please use Konqueror instead.

13.11. How do I exit KDE?

Simply click on the K button and select Logout. In addition, if you right click on an empty area of the desktop, you will be presented with a menu containing logout as one of the options.

Note

Ctrl+Alt+Backspace will also do the trick by killing the X server, but its use prevents session management.

13.12. Is there a program that checks for new mails at my ISP if and only if I am online?

Either KBiff or KOrn will do the job. If you are not connected, they will just sit there (idling).

13.13. Is it really necessary to upgrade to the latest version?

Not really. If you are happy with your KDE right now, there is absolutly no reason to change. If, however, you want a more polished environment, an increase in speed and the number of features, then you should upgrade.

13.14. How do I copy and paste in KDE?

The simplest method is to use your mouse:

  1. Highlight the text you want to copy by holding down the left mouse button and dragging across the text.

  2. Go to the destination area; depending on your configuration, you might need to click it using the left button to give it focus.

  3. Click the middle mouse button to paste. If you have a two button mouse and are emulating a three button mouse, push both buttons simultaneously.

13.15. How do I convert the default Red Hat® menus into a menu in the K menu?

Click on the K button and select System->Appfinder.

13.16. What is CVS?

It stands for Concurrent Versions System. It is a version control system and is based on RCS (Revision Control System), but offers more functionality. It is used to maintain source code under development. It will keep multiple versions of things (handy if you broke something and have to back up and get a clean old version), and allows people remote access over the Net to pick up the latest source code and even to check in new stuff if they have permission. It is also open source (you pay for support if you want it), and since it is free it is the system of choice for people writing more free products, such as KDE.

13.17. Does KDE support dual screen?

You need to have the a multi-headed X server (e.g. MertroX or XFree86 4.0 and above) and a window manager that understands a multi-headed display (e.g. Window Maker).

13.18. How do I check which version of KDE I am using?

Fire up your KDE Control Center. If there is no mention of a version on the first screen, you have version 1.0 (and it is time to upgrade!).

13.19. Can I write commerical software for KDE?

You can use the KDE libraries to write "commercial and closed source" as well as "commercial and open source" software. If you write open source software you can use the Qt™ free edition. But if you write closed source software you may not use the Qt™ free edition; you'd have to obtain the Qt™ professional edition from Troll Tech.

If you want more information, please contact Troll Tech directly.

14. Not really KDE-related, but frequently asked nevertheless :-)

14.1. How do I change the screen resolution?

Use Ctrl+Alt++ and Ctrl+Alt+- to cycle among the resolutions you have defined in XF86Config (maybe under /etc/X11; poke around first). If you prefer to get your hands dirty, you can always edit the file directly. By placing your favorite resolution at the beginning (or making it the only one listed), the X Window System™ will always start up with that resolution.

Caution

Always make a backup copy of your XF86Config file before you start editing it. Errors in this file can render your X Window System™ unusable.

Note

These instructions are only valid if you are running version 3.3.x of the XFree86 server. If you are running XFree86 4.x, you must consult with the XFree86(TM): Home Page.

14.2. How do I change the color depth?

AFAIK, there is no way you can do it on the fly. You can either start the X Window System™ using startx -bpp number where number can be 8, 16, 24, or 32 depending on the depth you want, or if you are using xdm/kdm, you have to edit /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers (may vary) by putting :0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X -bpp 16 for color depth 16.

Alternatively, you can edit the XF86Config file and add a line like DefaultColorDepth number to Section "Screen". The next time you start X, it will run with the newly-configured color depth.

14.3. What can I do if I am using a 2-button mouse?

Go buy a 3-button one, or use third button emulation. The third button is emulated by pressing both left and right buttons together. You would need to enable Emulate3Buttons in your XF86Config file.

14.4. What is a "sticky" window?

In a virtual desktop environment with multiple virtual desktops, a "sticky" window will stay put on the screen when you switch between desktops, as if sticking to the glass of the screen. Xclock is a typical candidate for sticking, as you need to run only one instance of it, and it always stays with you.

14.5. How do I replace the "X" mouse pointer with an arrow?

The various types of cursor available in X are defined in X11/cursorfont.h. You can change it using xsetroot -cursor_name name_of_cursor. For example, I have the following in my .Xclients:

 xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr

This will create the common left-angled pointer. To see other alternatives, type xfd -fn cursor. And of course, do not forget that man xsetroot is your friend.

14.6. How do I extract/install diff files?

To generate a context-diff suitable for patching, use diff old-file new-file > patchfile. To apply the diff to a file (i.e. "patch the file"), execute patch < patchfile.

14.7. How do I get Linux® to mount the floppy device both in dos and ext2 floppies?

Just specify the filesystem type as auto in /etc/fstab. Auto detection works fine for dos and ext2.

14.8. How do I start KDE with the Num Lock on?

Have you tried man setleds? In addition, you might want to edit your $HOME/.Xmodmap and put the following lines in:

 ! redefines numeric keypad to be used without NumLock
 keycode 79 = 7
 keycode 80 = 8
 keycode 81 = 9
 
 keycode 83 = 4
 keycode 84 = 5
 keycode 85 = 6
 
 keycode 87 = 1
 keycode 88 = 2
 keycode 89 = 3
 
 keycode 90 = 0
 keycode 91 = comma
 keycode 86 = plus
 
 ! deactivates NumLock key
 keycode 77 =            

Other possible alternatives:

  • xkeycaps: right clicking should allow edits. May have to do this as root.

  • man XF86Config and look under section Keyboard.

14.9. How do I take window or desktop screenshots?

Use ksnapshot.

14.10. Is there a tool to make webpages?

Yes, and there are a lot of them out there, including StarOffice, Netscape® Composer, and XEmacs. There are also many KDE applications. To find the most current list, go to APPS.KDE.com: The Latest in KDE Applications and search for web development. Try as many as possible and choose the one most suitable to your needs.

14.11. Where can I find a free X server for Windows® 95/98/NT?

You can try downloading MI/X from http://www.microimages.com/.

14.12. What do all those acronyms like AFAIK mean?

 AAMOF: as a matter of fact
 AFAIK: as far as I know
 AISE: as I see it
 BFN: bye for now
 BION: believe it or not
 BRB: be right back
 BTW: by the way
 CMIIW: correct me if I am wrong
 FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt
 FWIW: for what it's worth
 FYI: for your information
 HTH: hope this helps
 IIRC: if I recall correctly
 IMHO: in my humble opinion
 LOL: laughing out loud
 MYOB: mind your own business
 PITA: pain in the ass
 ROTFL: rolling on the floor laughing
 RTFM: read the fine manual
 SOP: standard operating procedure
 TIA: thanks in advance
 YMMV: your mileage may vary

15. Getting more information

15.1. Where is the KDE homepage?

The KDE homepage is located at http://www.kde.org. If you prefer a local mirror, there are several to choose from. For a current list of web site mirrors sorted by location, please visit http://www.kde.org/webmirrors.html.

15.2. Is there a KDE mailing list?

Well, there are more than one. Each focuses on a different aspect of KDE. Some of them are for the developers, so they are not discussed in detail. Some of the more important lists that users might be interested in are:

kde

This is the main KDE mailing list for general discussions.

kde-announce

This list is used to announce new versions of KDE as well as new tools and applications.

kde-user

This list is intented for users helping other users.

kde-look

This is the list that deals with questions of look and feel and general user interface considerations.

kde-licensing

This list is devoted to discussions about the KDE and Qt™ license issues.

For the complete list of mailing lists available, please refer to http://www.kde.org/contact.html.

Please note that it is not a good idea to ask questions which are already answered in this FAQ.

15.3. How do I subscribe/unsubscribe to these lists?

All lists are available via the university of Tübingen.

To subscribe

Send an email to list-request, that is:

The email must contain subscribe your_email_address in the subject.

To unsubscribe

Send an email to list-request, that is:

The email must contain unsubscribe your_email_address in the subject.

Important

Never send subscribe/unsubscribe request to the mailing lists directly! Use the list-request instead.

There is also a complete list of all KDE-related mailing lists, and a web interface for subscribing and unsubscribing located at http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo.

15.4. Is there a mailing list archive?

Yes, there is a searchable mailing list archive hosted by Progressive Computer Concepts. The URL is http://lists.kde.org. There you will see a directory listing of the mailing lists. Note that you can only do a subject/author search at this level. You probably will not find what you want doing this kind of search.

To do a body search, you have to enter one of the mailing lists. Just click on the folder you want to search (e.g. "kde" or "kde-user") and then the pull-down menu by the search box will default to "Body" searches. To be thorough you should probably search the "kde", "kde-user", and "kde-devel" folders.

15.5. Is there a newsgroup about KDE?

Yes, there is! It is at comp.windows.x.kde. In addition, there is also a German newsgroup at de.alt.comp.kde. Please note that it is not a good idea to ask questions which are already answered in this FAQ.

16. Contributing

16.1. How can I contribute to KDE?

KDE is a free software project that lives from voluntary contributions. Everybody is encouraged to contribute to KDE. Not only programmers are welcome. There are lots of ways in which you can help to improve KDE:

  • Test the software.

  • Send in bug reports. For more information on this, see How do I commit a bug report?.

  • Write documentation or help files. You can get some information by visiting the KDE Editorial Team Home Page.

  • Translate programs, documentation, and help files. For more information on this, you should visit The KDE Translators' and Documenters' Web Site.

  • Draw nice icons or compose sound effects. You can visit the KDE artists page to find out more.

  • Write articles and books about KDE. If you want to help spread the word about KDE, simply send an email to . This will get you in touch with the KDE public relations volunteers.

  • Program new KDE applications. Please refer to Q: 16.3. for more information.

  • Of course, sponsors are also welcome. :-)

There are several places to look for more information if you want to get involved in the development. The first step is to subscribe to some of the mailing lists. You will soon see something that can be improved or added.

16.2. How do I commit a bug report?

There is an automatic bug tracking system available at http://buglist.kde.org. The system features an entry form to commit new bug descriptions and a list of all known bugs. Please make sure to look through the buglist before committing a new bug.

If you are using KDE 2, the easiest way to commit a new bug if it has not already been reported is to select Help->Report Bug from the menu bar of the application with the bug. This will open a small dialog box where you enter the relevant information. Please be sure to include a complete report of what you were doing before the bug occurred, what happened after the bug occured, and whether this is a repeatable bug or not. Also, be sure to include important system information (e.g. operating system, X Window System™, and KDE versions).

16.3. I want to program for KDE. What should I do first?

Everybody is encouraged to develop software for KDE. What you should do first depends strongly on your experience, e.g. whether you have already learned C++ or have experience with the Qt™ toolkit and so on.

To get into KDE programming, you will need some basic tools: automake, autoconf, and egcs. You should look to http://developer.kde.org/ and http://www.ph.unimelb.edu.au/~ssk/kde/devel/ for more tips.

Another excellent resource for learning KDE programming is the Qt™ online tutorials. These are installed along with Qt™. To view them, open $QTDIR/html/index.html in KFM or Konqueror and bookmark it. The tutorials can be found under "Using Qt". The source code for each lesson can be found in the $QTDIR/tutorial directory.

There is, however, one thing that everybody interested in programming for KDE should do: subscribe to the developers mailing list. To subscribe, you have to send an email to kde-devel-request@kde.org with the subject subscribe your_email_address.

Important

Please read How to subscribe/unsubscribe to these lists carefully. Everything said there applies to the development list as well.

16.4. How do I get access to the CVS?

The KDE project uses CVS to develop the core parts of the software. Usually, when you have changed one of the parts (e.g. fixed a bug), and you want to commit this change, the best way is to create a patch against a current snapshot and send this patch to the developer/maintainer of the respective program.

If you are doing this more or less regularly, you can ask Stephan Kulow for direct access to the CVS server. But be aware that more users will slow down CVS access for all developers, so we want to keep the number of people with direct CVS access reasonably small. But feel free to ask!

16.5. I am just curious. Can I have read-only access to the CVS?

Yes. It is possible to get read-only access to the CVS repository with the cvsup utility. You can find more information about how to set up cvsup for the KDE repository from How to use cvsup to get KDE.

In addition, anonymous CVS service is also available. To find out more about how to set up and use anonymous CVS, please see here.

16.6. Are there any cvsup mirror sites for KDE?

Yes. The main KDE server is normally very busy and unresponsive. Please take a look at http://www.kde.org/cvsupmirrors.html for the list of available mirrors.

Once you have selected a new cvsup server, simply replace
  
 *default host=cvs.kde.org
with
  
 *default host=cvsup.your.new.host
in your cvsup script.

16.7. How do I go about translating KDE programs into my native language?

Go poke around The KDE Translators' and Documenters' Web Site to see whether your program is already translated (most are). Otherwise you will find information there on how to do it yourself.