Customizing KDE

KDE allows you to configure the desktop and your system to suit your needs. The KDE Control Center, available by clicking the Main Menu button and choosing Control Center, lets you customize the look and behavior of the desktop. The following list explains some of the configuration options in detail:

• File Browsing — This section lets you configure the Konqueror file manager and customize certain file operations. You can also associate files to applications that you prefer (for example, assigning all digital music files to open in XMMS instead of the default player).

• Look & Feel — This section allows you to customize the visual aspect of your desktop environment. You can customize background images and configure fonts, themes, icons, Panel elements, screensavers, and window header decorations. You can also customize mouse and keyboard events, which makes working with the desktop as efficient for your needs as possible.

  Note

  KDE features support for smooth (anti-aliased) fonts. However, not all fonts are smooth by default. In order to have smooth fonts for your entire desktop (whether you are reading text files, Web pages, or text in menus and icons), you must choose fonts that are designed to be anti-aliased, such as LucidaTypewriter or Courier).

• Personalization — This section allows you to set country and language options to your particular locale. You can also configure accessibility features such as audible and visual cues and keyboard/mouse customization. You can also configure your shell prompt settings via the Konsole option. Privacy and encryption settings can be configured via the Crypto option.

• System — This section is an advanced administration interface. You will need your root password to configure most of these options. This section allows you to configure system boot settings, Linux kernel configuration, printer settings, and install fonts system-wide. It is strongly recommended that you leave these settings at their default values unless you understand the consequences of changing them.

• Web Browsing — This section allows you to configure the Konqueror Web browser. You can configure options such as cache sizes, website cookies, plug-ins, proxy settings (if available), and enhanced browsing using keyword shortcuts.