How to Configure a KDE Panel | |  |
The KDE desktop is known for it's configurability. In this article, we will look at the basic configuration of a KDE Panel. The following screenshots are taken from the KDE Plasma Desktop of Kubuntu 12.04.
KDE Panel Configuration is [..] geared around two main constructs: [..] the Panel [and] [..] the Widget
KDE Panel Configuration is, in many ways, similar to that of Gnome 2.x (-all of which disappeared with Gnome 3.x and Unity) and is geared around two main constructs:
The Panel : this is an area of the screen (-normally anchored to one of the screen edges) which can contain multiple Widgets
The Widget : this is a sub-component of a Panel - often an icon or shortcut to a function
Before you can alter the Desktop, you need to unlock the Widgets (-if not done already). This can be done by clicking on the Desktop Cashew (in the top right corner of the desktop) then selecting the "Unlock Widgets" option:
Once unlocked, click on the "Add Panel" option from the same menu and choose either "Empty Panel" or "Default Panel": the latter will create a duplicate of the KDE Panel at the bottom of the screen:
A new Panel will then be created - by default at the top of the Desktop (-unless already occupied).
Once you have created your Panel, you can begin to add Widgets to it. You can also, of course, add Widgets to any existing Panel - including the default KDE Panel at the bottom of the screen. When you are ready, click on the Desktop Cashew (in the top right corner of the desktop) then select the "Add Widgets" option:
This will display a scrollable list of available Widgets at the bottom of the Desktop:
Hovering the mouse over each Widget, you will see a description of what it does, so you can decide if it is something you would find useful on your desktop:
Once you locate the Widget that you want, click and drag it to the required position in the desired Panel - then release the mouse button to "drop" it there:
Note: if you do not find a suitable Widget you can download new KDE Widgets from the web and add them to your "Widget Bank" by clicking on the "Get New Widgets.." button
You should then see your new Widget in the desired Panel:
By default, Panels are displayed at screen edges, as a strip just high enough to display the Widget icons without truncating them (-again, this is akin to those the old Gnome 2.x). However, KDE allows you to both resize and reposition Panels as you desire!
Note: KDE Panels still need to be rooted to a screen edge, but you can move them around within an edge
To change the position or size of a Panel, first click on the Cashew icon at the right hand side of the required Panel:
To move a Panel to a different screen edge, click on the "Screen Edge" icon and drag the Panel to the top, bottom, left or right edge of the screen, before releasing the mouse:
To resize the Panel, click-drag the top and/or bottom margin arrows and release them at the desired location:
To alter the width of the Panel, click on the "Width" icon and drag the Panel in or out as desired, before releasing the mouse:
Further configuration options can be accessed by clicking "More Settings" button; this will display a pop-up menu allowing you to specify things like whether the Panel is always visible or only appears when you hover the mouse over it's position, etc:
To quit Panel configuration, simply click on the close icon: . You should then see your customised Panel displayed:
You can also add Applications to a KDE Panel, by right-clicking on the desired Application in the Main Menu and choosing the "Add to Panel" option:
You should then see the icon for that Application listed in your KDE Panel (-here it is the File Manager icon):
Once you have configured the Desktop the way that you want it, don't forget to lock your Widgets, to avoid accidental change. This can be done by clicking on the Desktop Cashew (in the top right corner of the desktop) then selecting the "Lock Widgets" option: