KDE-PIM Suite


The KDE-PIM Suite is the collective name for the individual programs that handle functions that traditionally fall under the term "personal information management." Whereas Evolution is one program with many components, each part of the KDE-PIM Suite is a standalone program. One new member of the PIM suite is Kontact, which is a container program that allows all the individual programs to be accessed as one, similar to Outlook and Evolution. Because the PIM suite programs can still be accessed and used separately, that is how we will go through them.

Kontact

Program Info

Terminal command

kontact

Program URL

http://pim.kde.org/


Kontact groups all the components of the KDE-PIM Suite into one easy-to-use interface. The PIM programs used to be a collection that sorta, kind of worked together as one in a clumsy way. Kontact brings most of the PIM functions together smoothly. Kontact even has the component buttons running down the left side of the window, as Outlook and Evolution do. This program makes access to groupware functions much easier and features a Summary screen.

Kontact links to the Summary component (see Figure 7.7), Mail (KMail), Contacts (KAddressBook), To-Do List (the to-do portion of KOrganizer), Calendar (KOrganizer), News (KNode), and Notes (KNotes). The Summary screen only lets you customize the weather, but otherwise Kontact makes using the KDE-PIM Suite a better experience.

Figure 7.7. The Kontact Summary component.


KMail

KMail is covered in detail in Topic 6. KDE lists KMail as a part of the PIM suite. KMail uses KAddressBook for contact management.

KAddressBook

Program Info

Fedora/GNOME menu

Office > Address Manager

Mandrake/KDE menu

Office > Address Books > Address Manager

Terminal command

kaddressbook

Program URL

http://pim.kde.org/


The interface of KAddressBook is similar to many other KDE programs (see Figure 7.8). Standard icons for common toolbar buttons make you feel at home if you have been using KDE a lot. The program is simple and concentrates on giving you flexible options for viewing your contacts. If you only need to manage a personal address book and prefer to have the most simplicity possible, KAddressBook might be the best choice.

Figure 7.8. The default view of KAddressBook.


UNDER THE HOOD

K-K-K-K-K'D OUT

If you haven't figured it out already, you can tell a KDE program by the K in front of the program name. Similarly, many GNOME programs start with a G, but not all of them do. This naming convention makes things easy on your memory but jarring on your senses at times. If you start to think you are developing a stutter saying KMail, KAddressBook, and KOrganizer, just get a drink of kwater and relax.


The KAddressBook toolbar is below the menu bar, with the usual buttons you expect to see, but you also have special buttons for searching, changing your view, and sorting contacts on a second toolbar below. There are two search options on the toolbar. The Incremental Search bar is a simple search with no case-sensitive limitation. Another toolbar button looks like it should be a search also. It sort of is, but the Look Up Addresses in Directory button on the toolbar is used only when you have an LDAP server set up. If you don't know what an LDAP server is, we can probably guess that you don't have one set up. The last item of interest on the toolbar is the Filters choice. You can filter only by categories. There are plenty of default categories, but you can edit the categories list. The editor for the categories is buried in the Edit Contact dialog box at the bottom of the window.

TOOL KIT 7.4

Add a New Contact in KAddressBook

(14:10:03) susan: I got your offline message. did you forget how to use Evolution?

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: no. it was easy. i need a new program.

(14:10:03) susan: you didn't like that one?

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: well, i got another date.

(14:10:03) susan: you did? you haven't had a date in over 20 years. you have two now? what's in your wheaties? :)

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: well, i got online and there are lots of ladies onlineladies who don't know me.

(14:10:03) susan: lol but why do you need a new program?

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: i can't mix up their numbers. i've seen tv shows where that happens.

(14:10:03) susan: you can have separate entries.

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: no, it's too dangerous. isn't there another program?

(14:10:03) susan: yep. it's linux, there's always another program.

1.

You have three ways to add a new contact. Go to File > New Contact, use the New Contact button on the toolbar, or press Ctrl+N.

2.

The Edit Contact dialog box (see Figure 7.9) pops up. There is a General tab and a Details tab. The General tab has the basics. Fill in at least your name and e-mail, along with anything else that you want. You can categorize the new contact and decide whether it is public if you are using groupware on your network.

Figure 7.9. The details of a contact in KAddressBook.


3.

Notice that a few of the sections on the General tab have pop-up dialog boxes or drop-down choices. The name section has a button to pop up a place to complete all the name details. The phone choices have drop-down options for the labels. Each label stores data separately. The snail mail address section also pops out to a dialog box to fill in and has a drop-down of label choices.

4.

The Details tab has, well, details. They are mostly business related. There is also a place for personal details, such as birthday, and for notes.

5.

On the Misc tab are a few fun options. Use Geo Data is a way to identify and display the contact's location for use with a mapping extension. You can also add a photo or logo for the contact and associate a sound with the contact.

6.

When you have everything as hunky-dunky as you want it, click OK to save your new contact.

7.

Don't forget to save before exiting KAddressBook.


KOrganizer

Program Info

Fedora/GNOME menu

Office > Korganizer

Mandrake/KDE menu

Office> Time management > KOrganizer

Terminal command

korganizer

Program URL

http://pim.kde.org/


Why organize when you can korganize? Er, something like that. This is the calendar and task portion of the KDE-PIM Suite. With KOrganizer, you can manage your schedule, keep a journal, and manage tasks.

The layout of KOrganizer is pretty simple. The current calendar month you are working in stays handy in the upper-left corner of the window. To-do items are listed below that. There is an area to manage multiple calendars on the bottom left. To the right is a large main content area. In many cases, depending on the themes you are using in your desktop environment, KDE programs are better looking than lots of GNOME/Gtk programs. KOrganizer has decided to be the exception to the rule (see Figure 7.10). The program is very usable and easy to learn, but much of the calendar displays are clumsy looking and not up to usual KDE standards. The KOrganizer calendar display from within the Kontact container is much cleaner and better looking.

Figure 7.10. The default view of KOrganizer.


Just like the lint in your dryer, KOrganizer isn't very pretty but has some unique aspects to it. (Yes, dryer lint is unique. Stick an old receipt and a red sock in there at the same time, and you'll see what I mean.) KOrganizer's unique aspects come in the guise of a few features in the program that are different.

In the Import and Export submenus are two options that make me smile. You can Get Hot New Stuff and Upload Hot New Stuff from the menu. Now, I don't know about you, but I get happy sugar puppy excited at the prospect of "Hot New Stuff"! I mean, what could it be? The next new boy band? A preview of the latest David Hasselhoff CD? A new element on the periodic table? I know, we're all excited to see this hot new stuff. What is it? This is actually an interesting idea the folks working on KOrganizer had, despite the anticlimactic title. The Hot New Stuff feature is a way to share calendar entries with other KOrganizer users. KDE lists examples such as the World Cup soccer match or local Linux user group (LUG) meetings. To use the feature, you can download calendars from KOrganizer's Web site at http://KOrganizer.kde.org/calendars/hotstuff.html. You can keep looking for hot new stuff, but I never find any. Maybe someone will upload that David Hasselhoff info for us.

KOrganizer's other fun features don't involve David Hasselhoff. I like the ability to create sub-to-do items. Let's say you have a to-do task that is "Go to the store." You could create new sub-to-do items for that task, such as "Buy live wombats; Pick up new clown suit; Don't forget to pay before leaving the store." You can also take a sub-to-do and break it out to stand alone with the Make Sub-To-Do Independent option. KOrganizer can also use a Microsoft Exchange plug-in for group features that adds an Exchange menu when it is installed. What's Next is a feature that shows you the next event in that day. It's a handy view option for anyone with a busy schedule.

The to-do list is KOrganizer's task manager. The list is viewable in all calendar views to the left of the main calendar area; however, changing to the to-do list view brings your to-do list to fill the whole window, with no calendar views to distract you from chronic list making.

UNDER THE HOOD

SAVE ANYWHERE YOU LIKE

In KOrganizer, you can save to more places than your local or network files. You also can save calendars to a URL, such as an FTP location.


The Journal is a big note window to type text into. There are no word- processing functions in the journal; it's just a plain-text area. There is one journal space for each calendar day. This simplicity makes the journal flexible to be used as simple day notes or a diary.

TOOL KIT 7.5

Add Calendar Item and Task in KOrganizer

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: ok, now i need another calendar.

(14:10:03) susan: are you going to mix those up, too?

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: i figure, why risk it?

(14:10:03) susan: just don't mix up their names while you're on your dates.

(14:10:03) unclemarvin1950: aww, crap. how do i not do that?

(14:10:03) susan: one problem at a time. let's get your date info into the new calendar.

Calendar Event

1.

You might think that New in KOrganizer creates a new calendar entry. Nope. New creates a whole new calendar so that you can keep multiple calendars separately. To create a new appointment, either click on the calendar in the main content area or go to Actions > New Event. You can also double-click the calendar in the main view to open the Edit dialog box.

2.

The Edit Event dialog box (see Figure 7.11) pops up with five tabs to fill in information about your event. The General tab has the fields that you will need for most events. Titles are nice, so fill those in. Location is optional. You can complete the time or choose whether this is an all-day event with the No Time Associated check box.

Figure 7.11. Add a calen dar entry in KOrganizer.


3.

The options to set a reminder are different in KOrganizer than in other programs. Check the Reminder box; set the time in minutes, hours, or days; and then choose a type of reminder. You have choices to use any or all of playing a sound, running a program, or displaying a message.

4.

Now you can fill in the other event details. The other options to complete on the General tab are for Categories, Access, and Template. The Attendees tab is a place to set up a list of attendees, such as for a meeting, and e-mail them about the event. To have your event recur, go to the Recurrence tab and click the Enable Recurrence check box. On the Attachments tab, you can add an associated file or Web address. At any time while you are completing options, you can click the Apply button to save the options that are completed so far.

5.

When you are done, click OK. You can see your new event listed on your calendar. Click that event to edit it.

To-Do Item

1.

To enter a new to-do item, right-click in the to-do area when you are in calendar view. You can also right-click the main content area when you are in the to-do view or choose Actions > New To-Do from the menu.

2.

Here we have the Edit To-Do dialog box (see Figure 7.12) with a General tab, an Attendees tab, and an Attachments tab. On the General tab, at least complete the Summary. You can also complete a due date and time, percent that the task is completed, a priority level, Categories, and Access. The Reminder and Template options are the same as they are for calendar events. I'm not sure why you would need people to attend your to-do item, but you have the Attendees tab, just in case. You can attach an associated file or address to your to-do item on the Attachments tab. You can click Apply at any time to save options you have entered so far.

Figure 7.12. Add a to-do item in KOrganizer.


3.

Click OK when you are done. You can edit your task by double-clicking the task in either the to-do view or any of the calendar views.


Other KDE-PIM Modules

KAlarm

The program is a simple alarm program with a list interface to save multiple alarms. You can have the program run in the background to have alarm messages pop up after you have closed the main program window.

Kandy

With this program, you can sync much of the data in KDE-PIM Suite programs with a cell phone. Check out the Kandy Handbook under the Help menu for more info and to see if your phone is supported. You really need to know what you're doing to use this part of the PIM suite.

Karm

This is a great little program for timing how long you are spending on certain tasks. If you work with billable hours, this is a simple way to track time spent on projects. If you spend all your time goofing around, wouldn't you like to know how much time you have been spending on solitaire games?

KNotes

Do you miss sticky notes? KNotes is a desktop sticky note program for jotting down notes and reminders. You can also e-mail your notes. KNotes uses KMail by default, but the command can be changed in the preferences.

KonsoleKalendar

You can perform functions such as adding, deleting, and editing calendar events from the command line with this program. This is handy for performing calendar functions from within a script. All these functions can be useful if you need to access your computer remotely in a terminal.



Linux Desktop(c) Garage
Linux(R) Desktop Garage
ISBN: 0131494198
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 141

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