Plasma/Krunner: Difference between revisions

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'''KRunner''' is a tool for searching and launching files and applications. It can also be used for more generic operations such as calculator or unit converter. ''On most systems KRunner can be activated by pressing the <keycap>Alt + F2</keycap> key combination.''
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'''KRunner''' is the launcher built into the Plasma desktop. While its basic function is to launch programs from a sort of mini-command-line, its functionality can be extended by "runners" to assist the user to accomplish a lot of tasks.


<!--T:36-->
[[Image:KRunner.png||center]]
[[Image:KRunner.png||center]]


==Basic control== <!--T:6-->
==Introduction==
 
This woefully incomplete list attempts to present some basic examples of KRunner use. Discover more by clicking on the '?' icon in KRunner!
 
===Start and stop applications===
 
You can launch programs by simply typing the name of the application you want to launch. You need to type at least three characters to start finding matches. Matches will be found to applications in your applications menu.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
| <code> gwe </code> || ''(starts [[Special:myLanguage/Gwenview|Gwenview]])''
|}
 
You can use KRunner to kill applications, too. Type in the keyword <code>kill</code> followed by a process name and KRunner will provide options to close the application (SIGTERM) or forcibly quit it (SIGKILL). KRunner will match partial process names (at least three characters) to running processes.


===Open KRunner=== <!--T:39-->
Note that the keyword <code>kill</code> can be changed in the "Terminate Applications" runner to avoid confusion with the shell command kill which accepts process IDs.


<!--T:40-->
===Issue (shell) commands===
There are several ways you can open '''KRunner''':
 
In addition to applications listed in the applications menu, KRunner can also be used to run shell commands, including launching binaries. Note that when entering shell commands, KRunner will not accept partial commands or offer command auto completion.
 
Running a command like this brings up a wrench icon which offers additional options. You can choose to spawn a terminal and run the command there (this can be useful if your command produces text output that you want to read), or choose to run the program as a different user (by providing the username and password of that user).
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> ls ~/Documents </code> || ''lists contents of ~/Documents (preferably in a terminal''
|-
|<code> cp ~/Documents/myFile ~/myFile </code> || ''copies myFile from ~/Documents to ~/''
|-
|<code> mplayer myMovie.mkv </code> || ''plays myMovie.mkv in mplayer''
|}
 
Incidentally, if the command line is your thing, you may appreciate the built in integration to man pages. Simply type a command name preceded by a <code>#</code> to open the man page formatted for easy readability in your browser.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> #ls </code> || ''opens the manual for ls in a browser''
|}
 
===Browse websites===
 
You can simply start typing the URL of a website to open it in your default browser. You may even type in the name of a bookmark from [[Special:myLanguage/Konqueror|Konqueror]] and KRunner will open it for you. If you have visited the website in the past, KRunner can fetch you results from your browser's history, too.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> myBookmark </code> || ''opens the bookmark in a browser''
|-
|<code> kde.org </code> || ''opens the [http://www.kde.org KDE homepage] in a browser''
|-
|<code> http://userbase.kde.org/ </code> || ''opens [http://www.userbase.kde.org/ Userbase] in a browser'
|}
 
KRunner already knows your web shortcuts in [[Special:myLanguage/Konqueror|Konqueror]], so you can directly start using them.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> gg:KDE </code> || ''searches Google for KDE''
|-
|<code> wp:krunner </code> || ''searches Wikipedia for krunner''
|}
 
KRunner also provides options to download files from the web using [[Special:myLanguage/KGet|KGet]] by providing their URL.
 
Additional runners exist for fast searching on Wikipedia, Wikitravel and KDE Techbase.
 
===Open files, folders and devices===
 
KRunner can also open files and directories on your local machine for you. If you want to browse remote machines, you can do that, too. Notice how KRunner uses kioslaves for ssh (fish:) and samba (smb:).
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> file:/home/ </code> || ''opens file:///home/ (the Home directory) in [[Special:myLanguage/Dolphin|Dolphin]]''
|-
|<code> file:myMovie.mkv </code> || ''opens /home/myMovie.mkv''
|-
|<code> fish:you@server.com </code> || ''opens fish:/you@server.com/ via fish (file over ssh) protocol''
|-
|<code> smb:myWindowsBox </code> || ''opens smb:/myWindowsBox via Samba''
|}
 
If you don't know the path to a file, simply type the name of the file. If the file is a recently opened document, KRunner will list it for you. If you have the [[Special:myLanguage/Nepomuk|Nepomuk]] subsystem installed, you can also search your computer for the file by its indexed contents. Krunner will also open folders you've bookmarked in [[Special:myLanguage/Dolphin|Dolphin]] (in your Places sidebar) if you type their name in. What's more, if you want to access devices on your system (both mounted and unmounted), you can do that, too. Krunner will even provide device-specific options.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> Home </code> || ''opens the Home directory in [[Special:myLanguage/Dolphin|Dolphin]]''
|-
|<code> myFlashDrive </code> || ''shows options to mount or open the contents of myFlashDrive''
|}
 
===Multitask with sessions, windows, desktops and activities===
 
Several KDE applications allow you to save and load sessions. KRunner allows you to launch these sessions. You can either type in the name of the application or directly type in the name of the session. Runners exist for opening sessions saved in [[Special:myLanguage/Kate|Kate]],[[Special:myLanguage/Konqueror|Konqueror]],[[Special:myLanguage/Konsole|Konsole]], etc.
 
KRunner is a multitasker's dream. If you have too many windows open, just type in the title of the window and switch directly to it. You can similarly type in the name of a virtual desktop and switch directly to it. If you roll with activities, switch activities by typing their name in. KRunner will find a match as soon as you type three characters in.
 
KRunner will even switch desktop sessions for you. Type in the keyword <code>switch</code> or <code>new session</code> to start a separate X session. You can switch back and forth between sessions by using the <code>switch</code> keyword.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> Desktop 1 </code> || ''switches the virtual desktop to Desktop 1''
|-
|<code> myWorkActivity </code> || ''switches the activity to myWorkActivity''
|-
|<code> switch </code> || ''shows options to switch to an existing session or start a new one''
|}
 
Several plasma widgets can be launched as windowed applications. You can simply type the name of a widget and KRunner will launch a window for you.
 
===Talk to people===
 
Type in the name of a contact in your [[Special:myLanguage/KAddressbook|KAddressbook]] to get a list of options to contact them. Typing in an email address into Krunner will open a [[Special:myLanguage/KMail|KMail]] composer window. You can also search through contacts in your [[Special:myLanguage/Kopete|Kopete]] contact list.
 
The addressbook and kopete runners don't seem to be working in SC 4.8.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> kde@mail.kde.org </code> || ''compose a mail to the KDE mailing list''
|-
|<code> myContact </code> || ''show options to contact myContact''
|}
 
===Listen to some music===
 
You can control any modern audio player such as [[Special:myLanguage/Amarok|Amarok]] using krunner. You can use several keywords (all configurable) to <code>play</code>, <code>pause</code> or skip songs. Typing in the name of an artist, album or song that is in [[Special:myLanguage/Amarok|Amarok]]'s library will let you either play immediately, play next (<code>queue</code>) or play at the end (<code>append</code>) of the current playlist. You can use keywords to <code>increase</code> or <code>decrease<code> the volume of the player, or even to <code>mute</code> or <code>quit</code> it.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> play ''song search'' </code> || ''plays a song immediately''
|-
|<code> pause </code> || ''pauses [[Special:myLanguage/Amarok|Amarok]] or your designated music player''
|-
|<code> next </code> || ''plays next song in playlist''
|}
 
===Be on time===
 
You can get the current date or time by typing in the keywords <code>date</code> or <code>time</code>. Selecting the result will copy it to your clipboard so you can paste it elsewhere. The format of the date and time respects your system settings.
 
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> date </code> || Today's date is ...
|-
|<code> time </code> || The current time is ...
|}


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You can even get the date and time at another location by specifying the time zone or the city listed in the TZ database.
* Press its global shortcut (<keycap>Alt + F2</keycap> by default)


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Examples:
* Right click on your [[Special:mylanguage/Plasma|Plasma ]] workspace and choose <menuchoice>Run Command...</menuchoice>
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> time UTC </code> || The current time in UTC is ...
|-
|<code> time oslo </code> || The current time in Europe/Oslo is ...
|-
|<code> time kolkata </code> || Today's date in Asia/Kolkata is ...
|}


<!--T:43-->
There is a runner for interfacing with [[Special:myLanguage/KOrganizer|Korganizer]] and fetching events, but it doesn't seem to be working in SC 4.8.
* Run "krunner" command from a console


===Krunner syntax=== <!--T:7-->
===Calculator===


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KRunner features a very versatile calculator that can be called by starting or ending a calculation with an <code>=</code> sign. In addition to basic arithmetic, you can call scientific functions like <code>sqrt()</code>, <code>sin()</code>, <code>log()</code>, etc. A list of the supported functions is [http://qalculate.sourceforge.net/gtk-manual/apa.html here]. Note that trigonometric functions like <code>sin()</code>, <code>cos()</code>, etc expect the angle in radians. KRunner understands <code>pi</code> in expressions.
The '?' icon to the right of the entry field explains the syntax of each of the active''Runners''. Scroll to see all the possible keywords and syntaxes that Runners recognise.


</translate><span id="Navigating through results"></span><translate>
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> 32*12 = </code> || 384
|-
|<code> = sqrt(4) + 32*sin(30*pi/180) </code> || 18
|}


===Navigating through results=== <!--T:5-->
KRunner can also handle symbolic mathematics and perform integration and differentiation on expressions


<!--T:44-->
Examples:
When search brought more than one result, you can use <keycap>Tab</keycap>/<keycap>Tab + Shift</keycap> and <keycap>arrow keys</keycap> to move forward and backward in result list and use <keycap>Enter</keycap> to select a result in addition to using mouse.
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> = integrate( -x/y^2, y ) </code> || -x/y
|-
|<code> diff( log(x) ) = </code> || 1/x
|}


==Exploring KRunner's Functions== <!--T:9-->
You can also use KRunner to solve polynomial functions to find its roots.


</translate><span id="Using as a calculator"></span><translate>
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> = solve( x^2 + 4*x - 21 = 0 ) </code>|| [7, -3]
|}


===Using as a calculator=== <!--T:10-->
KRunner intelligently handles units as part of the calculations. Try the following examples to see how.


<!--T:11-->
Examples:
You can use '''KRunner''' as a calculator. Just open '''KRunner''' and type the expression you want to evaluate such as 32*12= or =32*12. You can put the = sign before or after the expression.
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> = 2.5 kg * 10 m/s^2 </code> || 25 N
|-
|<code> 220 V / 10 A = </code> || 22 ohms
|}


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Since KRunner understands most units, you can use it to convert them very quickly. Note that unit conversions don't require an <code>=</code> sign.
It is possible to evaluate more sophisticated expressions such as: <code>=sqrt(4) + 32 * sin(60)</code>


<!--T:45-->
Examples:
Since SC 4.5, additional features have been added to the calculator runner, such as equation solving, support for expressions containing units, and more. For a brief overview of these features and an example of the usage, you might be interested in the following [http://sciencekde.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/advanced-calculator-runner/ blog post]. Additionally, a list of the supported functions is provided [http://qalculate.sourceforge.net/gtk-manual/apa.html here].
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> 30 F </code> || -1.11111 degrees C (°C), 273.039 K, ...
|-
|<code> 27.8 km </code> || 1.09449e+06 inches (in), 17.2742 miles (mi), ...
|-
|<code> 5 gallons in liters </code> || 18.9271 liters (l)
|}


</translate><span id="Using as an application launcher"></span><translate>
KRunner knows currencies, too. Conversions between currencies is done by fetching the exchange rate from the [http://www.ecb.int/stats/exchange/eurofxref/html/index.en.html European Central Bank] website.


===Using as an application launcher=== <!--T:13-->  
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> 1 dollar </code> || 0.657002 pounds sterling (GBP), 0.742501 euros (EUR), ...
|-
|<code> 125 euros </code> || 110.606 pounds sterling (GBP), 15,785 yen (JPY), ...
|-
|<code> 30 JPY in RUB </code> || 9.40731 rubles (RUB)
|}


<!--T:14-->
===Go places===
This you probably already knew, '''KRunner''' can also launch applications.  Start '''Krunner''' (<keycap>Alt + F2</keycap>) and type the name of the application you want to run. For applications that appear in the applications menu, you may type a portion of the application name or keywords from its description. You may also use the names or descriptions of individual control panels to launch them.


</translate><span id="Running BASH commands"></span><translate>
If you have bookmarked locations in the '''Marble''' (in OpenStreetMap), KRunner can open the map directly.


===Running BASH commands=== <!--T:15-->
===Spell checking and special characters===


<!--T:16-->
KRunner can tell you whether your spelling is correct and/or suggest corrections. The default keyword to start the spellchecker is <code>spell</code> and can be configured.
In addition to applications '''KRunner''' also recognizes all binaries throughout your system. You can use this ability to run bash commands such as cp, mv, etc.


<!--T:17-->
Examples:
To do so, start '''KRunner''' (<keycap>Alt + F2</keycap>) and type the commands just as you would in [[Special:myLanguage/Konsole|Konsole]]:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> spell linux </code> || Suggested words: Linux, lynx, ...
|}


<!--T:18-->
KRunner can also allow you to pick special characters if you can specify the hexadecimal unicode for the character, preceded by a <keycap>#</keycap> sign.
<code>cp ~/Documents/myFile ~/myFile</code> (not a useful example but you get the idea)


===Launching websites=== <!--T:19-->  
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> #03b2 </code> || β
|-
|<code> #00b1 </code> || ±
|}


<!--T:20-->
===Manage your computer===
Enter a URL - <code>http://www.somewhere.com</code> - and the page will pop up in your browser.


===Using web shortcuts=== <!--T:21-->
You can directly open system settings control modules from KRunner. Often, if you want to change something, just type associated terms and KRunner will find the control module with the settings you want.


<!--T:22-->
Examples:
You can also use web shortcuts with '''KRunner'''. Example: <code>gg:some-term</code> will bring up Google search results.
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> keyboard </code> || ''opens the Keyboard settings control module''
|-
|<code> fonts </code> || ''opens the fonts settings control module''
|-
|<code> password </code> || ''opens the Password & User account control module''
|}


<!--T:23-->
KRunner can also be used to adjust the screen brightness by using the keywords "screen brightness". You can specify a percentage or just turn the brightness halfway or fully down. Additionally, keywords exist to suspend, logout, shutdown or restart your machine.
In order to use a web shortcut, first make sure it exists and is checked. You can manage them through [[Special:myLanguage/Konqueror|Konqueror's]] configuration, [[Special:myLanguage/Rekonq|Rekonq's]], or try writing <code>Web Shortcuts</code> in '''KRunner'''.


</translate><span id="KRunner as a unit converter"></span><translate>
Examples:
{|class="tablecenter" style="border: 1px solid grey"
| Input || Output
|-
|<code> screen brightness 100 </code> || ''increases screen brightness to 100%''
|-
|<code> sleep </code> || ''suspends computer to RAM''
|-
|<code> lock </code> || ''locks the screen''
|}


===KRunner as a unit converter=== <!--T:24-->
==Usage==


<!--T:25-->
===Open KRunner===
'''KRunner''' can help you convert numbers from one unit to another for area, length, mass, speed and volume in KDE SC 4.2 and currency, energy, pressure and  temperature in KDE SC 4.3. For each category, a default unit is set.


<!--T:26-->
The easiest way to open KRunner is to trigger its global shortcut (<keycap>Alt+F2</keycap>, by default). In some activities (e.g. Desktop), you can simply click on the desktop and start typing. In others (e.g. Search and Launch), KRunner may be built into the activity itself.
''Example'': <code>6 feet in meters</code> will output <code class="output">1.8288 m</code>.


<!--T:27-->
You can also right-click on your plasma workspace and select <menuchoice>Run Command...</menuchoice> or just simply launch it from the commandline by typing <code>krunner</code>.
When you don't give the target unit, conversion is done automatically into default unit of the category.  


<!--T:28-->
===Use KRunner===
''Example'': <code>10 acres</code> will output <code class="output">40469 m²</code>.


</translate><span id="Controlling Power Management via PowerDevil addon"></span><translate>
Use <keycap>Tab</keycap> or <keycap>Shift+Tab</keycap> to navigate up and down results. Use <keycap>arrow keys</keycap> to move between options (if any) in a result. Use <keycap>Enter</keycap> (or left click) to select a result.


===Controlling Power Management via PowerDevil addon=== <!--T:29-->
===Discover KRunner===


<!--T:30-->
Click on the wrench icon to bring up configuration options where you can enable/disable/configure runners that will process your searches. Additional options are available to change the position on the screen where krunner appears. You can even change the style to a task-oriented interface, if you like.
It is possible to control the various '''PowerDevil''' options via '''Krunner''':


<!--T:31-->
Clicking on the waveform icon will open the System Monitor.
*<code>power profile</code> brings up available profiles.
*<code>screen brightness</code> turns off or dims screen.
*<code>screen brightness <percent></code> sets the brightness percent of the screen.
*<code>suspend</code> brings up suspend options.
*<code>power governor</code> sets the cpu governor.
*<code>power scheme</code> sets the power scheme.


===Windows=== <!--T:33-->
Clicking on the '?' icon opens a scrollable list that explains the syntax of all the available runners. This is a good way to discover new functionality!


<!--T:34-->
==Tips, Tricks and FAQs==
This plug-in allows you to switch to windows or virtual desktops by entering its name. It matches partial window titles, application names (if it can be extracted from the window title) and virtual desktop names.


==Advanced Usage with Single Runner Mode== <!--T:37-->
You can use KRunner in a special "single runner" mode. While in this mode, krunner will only have one active runner to process your searches. This feature isn't supported by all runners, but quite a few already do. Open the global keyboard shortcuts control module directly from krunner and choose the "Run Command Interface" to see what's available. Set a global shortcut for the mode you want and launch krunner in that mode. You can have as many modes as you can find shortcuts for. :)


<!--T:38-->
This [http://sciencekde.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/advanced-calculator-runner/ blog] covers some of the advanced usage of the calculator runner.
You can use '''KRunner''' in a special mode called "Single Runner Mode", which allows you to restrict your search results to those given by a specific plug-in. For instance, you can restrict search results to the "Windows" runner and browse open windows enjoying the filtering features of the plug-in. Another example would be using the "Devices" runner so that you would be able to browse, mount or unmount devices from within '''KRunner'''.<br />
An increasing number of plug-ins allow this mode; it is simple to activate it by assigning the corresponding shortcut via the "Global keyboard shortcuts" systemsettings module.




<!--T:32-->
[[Category:Tutorials]]
[[Category:Tutorials]]
[[Category:System]]
[[Category:System]]
</translate>

Revision as of 12:48, 7 April 2012

Other languages:


KRunner is the launcher built into the Plasma desktop. While its basic function is to launch programs from a sort of mini-command-line, its functionality can be extended by "runners" to assist the user to accomplish a lot of tasks.

Introduction

This woefully incomplete list attempts to present some basic examples of KRunner use. Discover more by clicking on the '?' icon in KRunner!

Start and stop applications

You can launch programs by simply typing the name of the application you want to launch. You need to type at least three characters to start finding matches. Matches will be found to applications in your applications menu.

Examples:

Input Output
gwe (starts Gwenview)

You can use KRunner to kill applications, too. Type in the keyword kill followed by a process name and KRunner will provide options to close the application (SIGTERM) or forcibly quit it (SIGKILL). KRunner will match partial process names (at least three characters) to running processes.

Note that the keyword kill can be changed in the "Terminate Applications" runner to avoid confusion with the shell command kill which accepts process IDs.

Issue (shell) commands

In addition to applications listed in the applications menu, KRunner can also be used to run shell commands, including launching binaries. Note that when entering shell commands, KRunner will not accept partial commands or offer command auto completion.

Running a command like this brings up a wrench icon which offers additional options. You can choose to spawn a terminal and run the command there (this can be useful if your command produces text output that you want to read), or choose to run the program as a different user (by providing the username and password of that user).

Examples:

Input Output
ls ~/Documents lists contents of ~/Documents (preferably in a terminal
cp ~/Documents/myFile ~/myFile copies myFile from ~/Documents to ~/
mplayer myMovie.mkv plays myMovie.mkv in mplayer

Incidentally, if the command line is your thing, you may appreciate the built in integration to man pages. Simply type a command name preceded by a # to open the man page formatted for easy readability in your browser.

Examples:

Input Output
#ls opens the manual for ls in a browser

Browse websites

You can simply start typing the URL of a website to open it in your default browser. You may even type in the name of a bookmark from Konqueror and KRunner will open it for you. If you have visited the website in the past, KRunner can fetch you results from your browser's history, too.

Examples:

Input Output
myBookmark opens the bookmark in a browser
kde.org opens the KDE homepage in a browser
http://userbase.kde.org/ opens Userbase in a browser'

KRunner already knows your web shortcuts in Konqueror, so you can directly start using them.

Examples:

Input Output
gg:KDE searches Google for KDE
wp:krunner searches Wikipedia for krunner

KRunner also provides options to download files from the web using KGet by providing their URL.

Additional runners exist for fast searching on Wikipedia, Wikitravel and KDE Techbase.

Open files, folders and devices

KRunner can also open files and directories on your local machine for you. If you want to browse remote machines, you can do that, too. Notice how KRunner uses kioslaves for ssh (fish:) and samba (smb:).

Examples:

Input Output
file:/home/ opens file:///home/ (the Home directory) in Dolphin
file:myMovie.mkv opens /home/myMovie.mkv
fish:you@server.com opens fish:/you@server.com/ via fish (file over ssh) protocol
smb:myWindowsBox opens smb:/myWindowsBox via Samba

If you don't know the path to a file, simply type the name of the file. If the file is a recently opened document, KRunner will list it for you. If you have the Nepomuk subsystem installed, you can also search your computer for the file by its indexed contents. Krunner will also open folders you've bookmarked in Dolphin (in your Places sidebar) if you type their name in. What's more, if you want to access devices on your system (both mounted and unmounted), you can do that, too. Krunner will even provide device-specific options.

Examples:

Input Output
Home opens the Home directory in Dolphin
myFlashDrive shows options to mount or open the contents of myFlashDrive

Multitask with sessions, windows, desktops and activities

Several KDE applications allow you to save and load sessions. KRunner allows you to launch these sessions. You can either type in the name of the application or directly type in the name of the session. Runners exist for opening sessions saved in Kate,Konqueror,Konsole, etc.

KRunner is a multitasker's dream. If you have too many windows open, just type in the title of the window and switch directly to it. You can similarly type in the name of a virtual desktop and switch directly to it. If you roll with activities, switch activities by typing their name in. KRunner will find a match as soon as you type three characters in.

KRunner will even switch desktop sessions for you. Type in the keyword switch or new session to start a separate X session. You can switch back and forth between sessions by using the switch keyword.

Examples:

Input Output
Desktop 1 switches the virtual desktop to Desktop 1
myWorkActivity switches the activity to myWorkActivity
switch shows options to switch to an existing session or start a new one

Several plasma widgets can be launched as windowed applications. You can simply type the name of a widget and KRunner will launch a window for you.

Talk to people

Type in the name of a contact in your KAddressbook to get a list of options to contact them. Typing in an email address into Krunner will open a KMail composer window. You can also search through contacts in your Kopete contact list.

The addressbook and kopete runners don't seem to be working in SC 4.8.

Examples:

Input Output
kde@mail.kde.org compose a mail to the KDE mailing list
myContact show options to contact myContact

Listen to some music

You can control any modern audio player such as Amarok using krunner. You can use several keywords (all configurable) to play, pause or skip songs. Typing in the name of an artist, album or song that is in Amarok's library will let you either play immediately, play next (queue) or play at the end (append) of the current playlist. You can use keywords to increase or decrease the volume of the player, or even to mute or quit it.

Examples:

Input Output
play song search plays a song immediately
pause pauses Amarok or your designated music player
next plays next song in playlist

Be on time

You can get the current date or time by typing in the keywords date or time. Selecting the result will copy it to your clipboard so you can paste it elsewhere. The format of the date and time respects your system settings.

Examples:

Input Output
date Today's date is ...
time The current time is ...

You can even get the date and time at another location by specifying the time zone or the city listed in the TZ database.

Examples:

Input Output
time UTC The current time in UTC is ...
time oslo The current time in Europe/Oslo is ...
time kolkata Today's date in Asia/Kolkata is ...

There is a runner for interfacing with Korganizer and fetching events, but it doesn't seem to be working in SC 4.8.

Calculator

KRunner features a very versatile calculator that can be called by starting or ending a calculation with an = sign. In addition to basic arithmetic, you can call scientific functions like sqrt(), sin(), log(), etc. A list of the supported functions is here. Note that trigonometric functions like sin(), cos(), etc expect the angle in radians. KRunner understands pi in expressions.

Examples:

Input Output
32*12 = 384
= sqrt(4) + 32*sin(30*pi/180) 18

KRunner can also handle symbolic mathematics and perform integration and differentiation on expressions

Examples:

Input Output
= integrate( -x/y^2, y ) -x/y
diff( log(x) ) = 1/x

You can also use KRunner to solve polynomial functions to find its roots.

Examples:

Input Output
= solve( x^2 + 4*x - 21 = 0 ) [7, -3]

KRunner intelligently handles units as part of the calculations. Try the following examples to see how.

Examples:

Input Output
= 2.5 kg * 10 m/s^2 25 N
220 V / 10 A = 22 ohms

Since KRunner understands most units, you can use it to convert them very quickly. Note that unit conversions don't require an = sign.

Examples:

Input Output
30 F -1.11111 degrees C (°C), 273.039 K, ...
27.8 km 1.09449e+06 inches (in), 17.2742 miles (mi), ...
5 gallons in liters 18.9271 liters (l)

KRunner knows currencies, too. Conversions between currencies is done by fetching the exchange rate from the European Central Bank website.

Examples:

Input Output
1 dollar 0.657002 pounds sterling (GBP), 0.742501 euros (EUR), ...
125 euros 110.606 pounds sterling (GBP), 15,785 yen (JPY), ...
30 JPY in RUB 9.40731 rubles (RUB)

Go places

If you have bookmarked locations in the Marble (in OpenStreetMap), KRunner can open the map directly.

Spell checking and special characters

KRunner can tell you whether your spelling is correct and/or suggest corrections. The default keyword to start the spellchecker is spell and can be configured.

Examples:

Input Output
spell linux Suggested words: Linux, lynx, ...

KRunner can also allow you to pick special characters if you can specify the hexadecimal unicode for the character, preceded by a # sign.

Examples:

Input Output
#03b2 β
#00b1 ±

Manage your computer

You can directly open system settings control modules from KRunner. Often, if you want to change something, just type associated terms and KRunner will find the control module with the settings you want.

Examples:

Input Output
keyboard opens the Keyboard settings control module
fonts opens the fonts settings control module
password opens the Password & User account control module

KRunner can also be used to adjust the screen brightness by using the keywords "screen brightness". You can specify a percentage or just turn the brightness halfway or fully down. Additionally, keywords exist to suspend, logout, shutdown or restart your machine.

Examples:

Input Output
screen brightness 100 increases screen brightness to 100%
sleep suspends computer to RAM
lock locks the screen

Usage

Open KRunner

The easiest way to open KRunner is to trigger its global shortcut (Alt+F2, by default). In some activities (e.g. Desktop), you can simply click on the desktop and start typing. In others (e.g. Search and Launch), KRunner may be built into the activity itself.

You can also right-click on your plasma workspace and select Run Command... or just simply launch it from the commandline by typing krunner.

Use KRunner

Use Tab or Shift+Tab to navigate up and down results. Use arrow keys to move between options (if any) in a result. Use Enter (or left click) to select a result.

Discover KRunner

Click on the wrench icon to bring up configuration options where you can enable/disable/configure runners that will process your searches. Additional options are available to change the position on the screen where krunner appears. You can even change the style to a task-oriented interface, if you like.

Clicking on the waveform icon will open the System Monitor.

Clicking on the '?' icon opens a scrollable list that explains the syntax of all the available runners. This is a good way to discover new functionality!

Tips, Tricks and FAQs

You can use KRunner in a special "single runner" mode. While in this mode, krunner will only have one active runner to process your searches. This feature isn't supported by all runners, but quite a few already do. Open the global keyboard shortcuts control module directly from krunner and choose the "Run Command Interface" to see what's available. Set a global shortcut for the mode you want and launch krunner in that mode. You can have as many modes as you can find shortcuts for. :)

This blog covers some of the advanced usage of the calculator runner.

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