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Complete Idiot's Guide to Linux
(Publisher: Macmillan Computer Publishing)
Author(s): Manuel Ricart
ISBN: 078971826x
Publication Date: 12/22/98
Part 1 Working with Linux in a Graphical EnvironmentThe KDE Desktop
Okay, so youve installed Linux (Part 4 walks you through that), and youre ready to face the beast. Guess what: Youre in for a surprise! Part 1 gives you a look at the kindler, gentler side of Linuxthe K Desktop Environment, or KDE. The chapters in this section walk you through working with applications, teaching your files whos boss, and communicating on the Web. We even take a look at how to customize KDE so that it looks and works the way you want it to. Are you ready to get this adventure started? Slide into your walking shoes, grab some snacks for the trip, and lets get moving!
Chapter 1 The First Login on the KDE Desktop
This section assumes that you have already installed Caldera OpenLinux. If you didnt read the introduction, I recommend that you do so now, as the introduction explains the logical order for this book and some of the conventions used throughout.
In This Chapter
- Getting into Linux
- A first look at Linux under KDE
- Useful mouse and keyboard techniques
- Shutting down Linux
In this chapter you will learn how to get in and out of Linux using the K Desktop Environment, or KDE for short. KDE is a graphical user environment where you use icons, menus, and windows to do your work. Youll embark on a short tour of the screen and some of the user-interface (UI) elements provided by the KDE environment.
Logging In
Before you can use Linux, you have to log in. Logging in allows you to use the computer and protects your work from other users by allowing only you to access your files. Linux is a multiuser operating system in which many users can work at the same time. Login ensures that only authorized users are able to work with the computer.
If you installed Caldera OpenLinux and KDE (which is installed by default with the standard system install) as I suggest in Appendix A, your login prompt will look similar to this:
Caldera OpenLinux(TM)
Version 1.3
Copyright 1996-1998 Caldera Systems, Inc.
login:
The login process is simple: You provide your username and password. Your username and password are established when you install the system. If you are using an already configured system, you will need to contact your system administrator to find out what these are.
If you make a mistake while typing your username or password, you can press the Backspace key to erase the characters you want to retype. Note that you will not see your password on the screen as you type it. Not echoing your password to the screen helps to protect you and your account from nearby prying eyes.
After you have entered the correct information, the login panel will disappear, and youll enter your desktop. If you made a mistake typing your password, you will see a message telling you that your login was incorrect and that you need to reenter your login and password again.
On a successful login, you will be let into the system. However you will be facing a text interface. To start up the graphical interface type kde at the prompt. (Note: Having to manually start the kde appears to be a bug with Caldera OpenLinux 1.3 and may be fixed by future patches available at the Caldera Web site.)
The KDE Desktop
A desktop is where you do your work on the computer. It is the workspace where you can start and run programs, create files, organize files, and do whatever it is you want to do with your computer. When you first enter your desktop, it will look similar to the one shown in the following figure.
 Linux looks like this with the KDE desktop active.
If you have used other operating systems with a graphical user interface (GUIyou might hear some people pronounce this term gooey, but the correct usage is G-U-I), you can probably go right to it and get some work done. The KDE desktop is similar to other windowed environments such as any flavor of Windows or the Macintosh; there are, however, some small and not-so-small differences in the way some things work.
Lets take a look at the KDE desktop components:
- The panel at the bottom of the screen
- The taskbar at the top of the screen
- The desktop
The Panel
The panel is the bar with icons at the bottom of your screen. It is used to launch applications; each of the icons represents an application, a command, or a menu (menus have a black triangle on them). Menus provide access to other features and applications.
The panel offers facilities for switching among various virtual desktops. With virtual desktops, you can reduce the clutter in your screen by running applications under separate desktops. You can switch between desktops easily by clicking a button (on the panel these buttons are labeled One, Two, Three, and Four). You will learn more about virtual desktops in Chapter 4, Working with Applications.
 The panel gives you access to applications and virtual desktops.
 The Application Starter gives you access to your applications and the ability to log out of the system.
The Taskbar
The bar at the top of the screen is called the taskbar. Whenever you start a new application, a new button is displayed thats named after the application. Each of these buttons represents a task or application executing in the KDE environment. Clicking the mouse on a task button takes you to the application. The button that looks pressed belongs to the currently active application. If the application is hidden, its name is displayed in parenthesis. To show the application, just click its button. Right-clicking a button displays a menu that allows you to control some options of the applications window.
 Each button on the taskbar represents a running application.
Both the panel and taskbar are services provided by an application called KPanel that runs whenever you log into your system and work under the KDE.
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