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<title>Introduction to Desktop Customization</title>
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One great thing about KDE is the ability to customize just about every aspect
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One great thing about &kde; is the ability to customize just about every aspect
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of the desktop environment. Wallpapers, themes, widgets, color schemes, splash
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screens and more, the options for customization are endless.
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<ulink url="http://www.kde-look.org">KDE-Look.org</ulink> is the number one
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location to find customized settings for the KDE desktop. Some of the
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applications within KDE even allow direct connections to KDE-Look to download a
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new configuration or image.
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For further information concerning Desktop Customization, please review the
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screens, and more — the options for customization are endless.
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<ulink url="http://www.kde-look.org">&kde;-Look.org</ulink> is the number one
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location to find customized settings for the &kde; desktop. Some of the
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applications within &kde; even allow direct connections to &kde;-Look to
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download a new configuration or image.
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For further information concerning desktop customization, please review the
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<ulink type="help" url="help:/kubuntu/system-settings">System Settings
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Documentation</ulink>.
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<sect2 id="kde-startup" status="complete">
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<title>Run programs automatically when KDE starts</title>
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<title>Run programs automatically when &kde; starts</title>
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The easiest way to run programs automatically when KDE starts is to use the
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<emphasis>Startup and Shutdown</emphasis> feature of KDE. KDE can be set up to be
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exactly right with every login.
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The easiest way to run programs automatically when &kde; starts is to use the
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<emphasis>Startup and Shutdown</emphasis> feature of &kde;. &kde; can be set
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up to be exactly right with every login.
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Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Kickoff Application
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Launcher</guimenu><guisubmenu>System
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Settings</guisubmenu><guimenuitem>Startup and Shutdown</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
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Go to <application>System Settings</application> by going to &menusysset;.
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from the <guilabel>System Administation</guilabel> section at the bottom.
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Another method to start programs automatically with login is to copy the desktop
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entry of the application from <filename>/usr/share/applications</filename> to
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the <filename>~/.kde/Autostart</filename> directory.
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Another method to start programs automatically with login is to copy the
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desktop entry of the application from
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<filename>/usr/share/applications</filename> to the
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<filename>~/.kde/Autostart</filename> directory.
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<sect2 id="login-kde-automatic" status="complete">
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<title>Login automatically to KDE when the computer starts</title>
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<title>Login automatically to &kde; when the computer starts</title>
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It is possible to login a user automatically when the computer boots. This is
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not recommended for most computers, as it is not secure and may allow other
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users access to private information.
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It is possible to log a user in automatically when the computer boots. This is
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not recommended for most computers, however, as it is not secure and may allow
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other users access to private information.
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Under the <guilabel>System Administation</guilabel> section, select the <guilabel>Login
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Under the <guilabel>System Administation</guilabel> section, select the
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<guilabel>Login Screen</guilabel>.
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Select the <guibutton>Convenience</guibutton> tab. Check the <guilabel>Enable
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Autologin</guilabel> and select the user to autologin from the drop-down menu
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Select the <guibutton>Convenience</guibutton> tab. Check <guilabel>Enable
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Autologin</guilabel>, select the user to autologin from the drop-down menu,
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and select an appropriate time delay.
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Under the <guilabel>Keyboard</guilabel> section, click on the <guilabel>Hardware</guilabel> tab, locate the subsection titled
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<guilabel>NumLock on KDE Startup</guilabel>, enable the <guibutton>Turn
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On</guibutton> checkbox. Click on <guibutton>Apply</guibutton> to save the
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Under the <guilabel>Keyboard</guilabel> section,
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<mousebutton>click</mousebutton> on the <guilabel>Hardware</guilabel> tab,
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locate the subsection titled NumLock on &kde;
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Startup, enable the <guibutton>Turn On</guibutton> checkbox.
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<mousebutton>Click</mousebutton> on <guibutton>Apply</guibutton> to save the
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The change will take effect with the next log-in to KDE. To test it right away,
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turn off NumLock and restart KDE.
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The change will take effect with the next log-in to &kde;. To test it right
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away, turn off <keycap>NumLock</keycap> and restart &kde;.
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<title>Edit Kickoff Application Launcher</title>
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Kubuntu comes with the <application>KDE Menu Editor</application>, so menus
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&kubuntu; comes with the <application>KDE Menu Editor</application>, so menus
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can be customized and entries added for applications that don't automatically
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appear after they are installed. To add, remove, or modify an entry, use the
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Open <application>KDE Menu Editor</application> by
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<mousebutton>right</mousebutton> clicking on <application>Kickoff Application
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Launcher</application> icon (the KDE Menu) and choosing <guimenuitem>Edit Applications...</guimenuitem>. If the <application>Kicker</application> is locked,
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<application>KDE Menu Editor</application> can be opened by pressing
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<keycombo><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F2</keycap></keycombo> and typing
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<userinput>kmenuedit</userinput> followed by pressing the <keycap>Enter</keycap>
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Open <application>&kde; Menu Editor</application> by
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<mousebutton>right</mousebutton>-clicking on <application>Kickoff Application
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Launcher</application> icon (the &kde; Menu) and choosing <guimenuitem>Edit
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Applications...</guimenuitem>. If the <application>Kicker</application> is
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locked, <application>&kde; Menu Editor</application> can be opened by pressing
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<keycombo><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F2</keycap></keycombo> and typing
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<userinput>kmenuedit</userinput> followed by pressing the
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<keycap>Enter</keycap> key.
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In <application>KDE Menu Editor</application>'s left-hand pane, choose the
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In <application>&kde; Menu Editor</application>'s left-hand pane, choose the
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submenu the new entry should appear in.
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<para>Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>New
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Item</guimenuitem></menuchoice> or press the <guibutton>New Item</guibutton>
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button. In the <guilabel>New Item</guilabel> window, choose a
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<guilabel>Name</guilabel>. Then add the <guilabel>Description</guilabel>,
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<guilabel>Comment</guilabel>, and <guilabel>Command</guilabel>. Select the icon
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by clicking on <guilabel>Icon</guilabel>. The <guilabel>Command</guilabel> will
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usually be the package name, <guilabel>Name</guilabel> is what will appear on
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the menu, and the <guilabel>Comment</guilabel> will appear in the tooltip that
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appears near the menu entry. <guilabel>Icons</guilabel> are chosen from
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<filename>/usr/share/icons/icon_theme</filename> directory by default, or can be
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chosen from any directory.
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Item</guimenuitem></menuchoice> or <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click the
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<guibutton>New Item</guibutton> button. In the <guilabel>New Item</guilabel>
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window, choose a <guilabel>Name</guilabel>. Then add the
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<guilabel>Description</guilabel>, <guilabel>Comment</guilabel>, and
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<guilabel>Command</guilabel>. Select the icon by clicking on
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<guilabel>Icon</guilabel>. The <guilabel>Command</guilabel> will usually be the
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package name, <guilabel>Name</guilabel> is what will appear on the menu, and
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the <guilabel>Comment</guilabel> will appear in the tooltip that appears near
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the menu entry. <guilabel>Icons</guilabel> are chosen from
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<filename>/usr/share/icons/icon_theme</filename> directory by default, or can
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be chosen from any directory.
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To change the order of menu entries, click and drag the entry in the
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<application>KDE Menu Editor</application> window.
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<application>&kde; Menu Editor</application> window.
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&kubuntu; allows themes to be changed simply. Go to the
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<application>Kickoff Application Launcher</application> (K Menu)
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Open <application>System Settings</application>.
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In the <guilabel>Worksapce Appearance and Behavior</guilabel> section, click on <guibutton>Workspace Appearance</guibutton>
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<application>Kickoff Application Launcher</application> (K Menu).
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<mousebutton>Left</mousebutton>-click on <guilabel>Computer</guilabel>.
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Open <application>System Settings</application>, thru &menusysset;.
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In the <guilabel>Worksapce Appearance and Behavior</guilabel> section,
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<mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click on <guibutton>Workspace
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Appearance</guibutton>.
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From here, it's possible to choose from the list of installed themes.
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From here, it's possible to choose from the list of installed themes.
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To install a new theme, click on the button at the bottom right.
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To install a new theme, <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click on the
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<guibutton>Get New Decorations...</guibutton> button on the bottom right.
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<title>Adding New Plasmoids to the Desktop</title>
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Adding Plasmoids (also called Widgets) is done from the desktop itself.
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Adding Plasmoids (also called Widgets) is done from the desktop.
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Find the small cashew-shaped button and click on it to bring up a menu.
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Select the Add Widets... button to bring up a list of widgets.
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From here select the desired widget.
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Find the <guibutton>New Activity</guibutton> button in the upper right corner
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of your desktop and <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click it to bring up a
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Select <guilabel>Add Widgets...</guilabel> to bring up a list of Widgets.
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From here, select the desired Widget.
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To install a new widget, select the Get New Widgets button on the upper left of
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To install a new Widget, <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click the
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<guibutton>Get New Widgets...</guibutton> button on the upper right corner of
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Select search and download or install from file, and follow the
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on screen instructions from there.
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Select <guilabel>Download New Plasma Widgets</guilabel> or <guilabel>Install
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Widget From Local File...</guilabel>, and follow the on-screen instructions
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Find the small cashew-shaped button and click on it to bring up a menu.
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Find the new panel cashew and <mousebutton>Left</mousebutton> click on it to
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alter the properties of the panel.
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Find the <guibutton>New Activity</guibutton> button in the upper right corner
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of your desktop and <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click it to bring up a
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<mousebutton>Left</mousebutton>-click on <guilabel>Add Panel</guilabel>.
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Find the new panel cashew and <mousebutton>left</mousebutton>-click it to
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alter the properties of the panel, like changing its height or width, or
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adding Widgets, for example.
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There are settings for height, width, add widgets and all of the other
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properties of the panel.