Configuration

Almost all the desktops, web browsers and other Linux programs can be configured to your taste to some extent. Traditionally in UNIX, configuration was done by editing text files. In many cases, you can still do this, and in a few cases it is still your only choice. For the most part, however, graphical interfaces are provided for configuration.

Most programs have a menu or menu command named "Settings" or "Preferences" or "Configuration" or "Properties" that can be used to call up a configuration dialog for that program. In some cases, you can bring up a configuration dialog by right-clicking on an icon and selecting the appropriate command from a menu that appears. In some desktops, you get a similar menu if you right-click on the desktop.

The KDE desktop has a centralized configuration utility. It is called "System Settings" and is available as a command in the KDE Start menu. For the most part, I will let you explore configuration options on your own. Here, however, are a few things you might want to do in the KDE:

• First of all, you might want to change your desktop background or screensaver. Open the "System Settings" window using the appropriate command in the Start menu. Click on "Desktop" in the "Look & Feel" section, then click on "Background". Here, you can select a picture for the background of your desktop. You can also set up a "Slide Show" that will change the background automatically every so often. To select a screensaver, just click on the "Screen Saver" option on the left edge of the Desktop Settings window.
• If you don't like the screen that is displayed while KDE initializes after you log on, you can use the "Spash Screen" option in the "Look & Feel" section of the System Settings window to select a different one.
• To get back to the main System Settings selections, click "Back" at the top-left of the window. By default, KDE is a single-click environment. If you want to use double-clicks to open files and start programs, go to "Keyboard & Mouse" in the main System Settings window, and then click on "Mouse". Under "Icons" in the "General" tab, change the setting from "Single click to open files and folders" to "Double click to open files and folders."
• To configure the "panel" on the bottom of the KDE screen, right-click on the panel. A pop-up menu will appear. Go to the "Panel Menu" and then to the "Configure Panel" command. A window appears where you can configure the panel. Select "Configure Panel" from the pop-up menu to see a dialog box with various configuration options. For example, you will see a pop-up menu labeled "Size" where you can change the height of the panel.
• If you want to add a button to the Panel for starting some program, right-click the Panel, then go into the "Panel Menu" sub-menu, and then into the the "Add to Panel" sub-menu of that. From there, go into the "Application Button" menu. Just select the program that you want, and an icon for starting that program will be added to the Panel. To move an icon from one position to another on the panel, right-click the icon and select "Move"; you will be allowed to drag the icon into position.
• To add a program icon to the desktop, right-click the desktop and go to "Create New" / "Link to Application" in the pop-up menu. In the dialog box that appears, under the "General" tab, enter the name for the icon and, if you like, click on the "gear" icon button to select a different icon. Them, under the "Execute" tab, type in the "Command" that should be run when you click the icon. Click "OK" to finish. The icon should appear on the desktop.

If you want to experiment further with KDE look-and-feel, take a look at some of the other options under the "Look & Feel" section of the System Settings.