Use the System Settings
applet[1] to customize your desktop features (see Figure 1.6, “KDE System Settings”). Configurable features are grouped into
categories, for example to change the screen resolution click on
Display inside the Computer
Administration category.
Click on Appearance inside the Look & Feel category, then on the Colors section (see Figure 1.7, “Changing KDE's Color Scheme”). In the Scheme tab the Color Scheme list has predefined color schemes, select the one you like and click .
You can also define custom color schemes: Open the Colors tab, select the item you want to change from the list and click the color button. Then, choose the color you like and click to apply it.
Once you have customized your color scheme, open the Scheme tab again and click on to store your color scheme for later use. Fill its name and click . Clicking Remove removes the currently selected customized color scheme, predefined color schemes cannot be removed.
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Warning |
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You are not asked for confirmation before removing a color scheme. Therefore use the button carefully. |
To change the desktop background right click on an empty place in the desktop and choose . Select the Image option in the first pulldown list; then choose a picture in the Picture pulldown list or click the disk icon to browse for your own pictures. Configure other settings to your liking and click on to accept.
KDE's panel is highly customizable. All features, from the panel's position to its appearance and the icons it has, can be set up to better suit your preferences. Right click on the panel and choose from the menu[2]. The panel settings window (see Figure 1.9, “Panel Settings Window”) appears near the panel. Drag the panel settings window and drop it at the desired edge to move the panel from the bottom edge to a different edge.
The panel adjusts its size dynamically to fit its contents. Use the sliders to set the relative position (the gray one in the middle), and minimum (green, pointing up) and maximum (blue, pointing up) sizes the panel can have.
You can also enrich the panel with the applets or plasmoids you use most frequently to have them handy. Click on the button in the panel settings window, select the one you want then click on . In the example (see Figure 1.10, “Adding a Battery Monitor to the Panel”) we add a battery monitor. Click on the red minus icon to remove an existing widget.
With the Panel Settings window open, hover the mouse over a widget
and a move emblem appears, click on the widget, move it to its
desired location, and click again to place it there.