Plasma/FAQ/4.4/Configuration
Desktop
How do I move, rotate or resize an applet on the desktop?
First of all, hover over the applet you want to resize. The applet handle will appear.
The applet handle takes care of resize, rotate and move.
- To move an applet: Click on the handle, then drag the applet around.
- To rotate an applet: Click on the curved arrow then drag to rotate
- To resize an applet: Click on the square icon and then drag to resize the applet. You can constrain the resize operation to the applet's aspect ratio by holding down the Ctrl key.
How do I remove widgets?
If they're on the panel, right click on the widget and select "Remove this...". If the widgets are on the desktop, you have different options:
- If you hover over them, clicking the X on the applet handle will remove them;
- If you use the Add Widget dialog, you can click on the minus symbol icon next to the widget name to remove it.
How can I lock the positions of the widgets?
- Method 1: Right click on an empty area of the desktop and select "Lock Widgets" from the contextual menu. If you want to reverse that, right click again and select "Unlock Widgets". The same option is available if you right-click on the panel.
- Method 2: Select "Lock Widgets" from the Plasma cashew on the upper right corner or from the panel controller.
You can bring all the widgets to the front by pushing Ctrl-F12, which will bring the Plasma Dashboard to the front. When you are done, you can either push the Esc key or select the "Hide Dashboard" option from the cashew.
Right click on the menu icon and select "Switch to Classic Menu Style" (if using Kickoff) or "Switch to Kickoff Menu Style" (if using the classic menu). Alternatively, you can add either type of menu using the Add Applets dialog. You may also wish to explore the Lancelot menu.
Can the Dashboard show widgets other than those on my desktop?
Yes, it can. To configure it, click on the desktop cashew and zoom out. Choose "Configure Plasma" from the toolbox that it appears, and check the "Use a separate dashboard" option. Click on OK and you will have a different dashboard than your desktop when you access it.
Notifications take up too much screen - can I get rid of them?
For those who do not like it, there is a simple way to disable them. Right click on the system tray notification area (the "i" icon) and select "System Tray Settings". There you will have the options of disabling notifications for applications or for jobs (such as file transfers) by unchecking the relevant check boxes.
Working with Activities
How can I add/remove an activity?
- Adding an activity: Zoom out from your current desktop view by clicking on the desktop view cashew (the icon in the top right corner) and selecting Zoom out. You see a toolbar under your current desktop. Click on "Add Activity" to create a new desktop view.
- Removing an activity: Zoom out from your current desktop view and select the red cross from the toolbar that will appear to remove the activity.
Note: You must Unlock Widgets (Ctrl+L) before you can remove any activities.
KDE Forums user Fengshaun has made a screencast showing ZUI usage.
How can I quickly move between Activities?
The ZUI method is rather slow, so a better way is to use an Activity Bar. A short how-to here explains exactly what you need to do.
How can I use virtual desktops as activities ?
Zoom out by clicking on the desktop cashew and a new toolbox will open. Click on "Configure Plasma" then check the box "Different activity for each virtual desktop". Click on OK and you are done.
Panel
How can I add applets to the panel?
- Method 1: Open the Add Widgets dialog in the Plasma cashew (upper right corner of the screen) then select the widget of your liking and drag it directly (don't double click or use the Add Widget button) to the panel.
- Method 2: Drag an applet from the desktop to the panel.
- Method 3: Click on the cashew on the panel, and select "Add widgets". Once you have selected the applet, it will be automatically added to the panel.
Can I move the applets on the panel?
To do so, open up the panel controller (by clicking on the cashew or by right clicking on the panel and selecting "Panel Settings") and hover the mouse cursor over the applets. Its shape will turn into four arrows, and you'll be able to rearrange the applets as you wish.
How can I change the height and the size of the panel?
Click on the panel cashew (the small icon on the right side of the panel) to open the panel configuration interface. By clicking on "Screen Edge", you can position the panel on any of the edges of the screen. Clicking on height and dragging increases or decreases the size of the panel.
The arrows on the sides of the panel define its size: there are two, which define "minimum" and "maximum" sizes. The maximum size is the size at which the panel can expand when items are added, while the minimum size is the minimum size the panel can have. If they are set differently, the panel will readjust its size depending on the contents.
Under "More Options" there are additional options to align the panel and configure its behavior.
Can I auto-hide the panel?
Open the panel controller, select "More Options", then click on the relevant option.
How can I remove a panel?
Click on the panel cashew, click on "More settings", then select "Remove this Panel". Alternatively you can right click on the panel itself, select "Panel options" and choose "Remove this Panel".
General Panel Configuration Help
This forum page gives an illustrated guide to configuring the panel.
Multi-screen
I am using two screens, and I used to have kicker over the two displays. Can I do that with Plasma?
No. The reason is that having a panel over two displays adds a great deal of complexity, especially when the two displays have different resolution. As a result of this added complexity, this feature would not be guaranteed to work in all cases, hence it was not implemented.
Can I put the panel on only one screen?
All Plasma panels live in one screen. If you want panels on multiple screens, you can add panels and drag them to your preferred location using the panel controller you get when clicking on the Plasma icon in "Unlocked" mode.
On multi screen setups, the ZUI operates on all screens, the Dashboard just on one. Why is that?
The workflows are different. When zooming out, the user wants to get an overview, therefore activities on all screens are zoomed out. Whereas when using the Dashboard, the user usually wants to access specific functionality and might not want to interrupt his or her workflow on other activities.
Working with Keyboard Shortcuts
Are there any keyboard shortcuts for Plasma?
In addition to the mouse, there is a number of shortcuts available:
- Lock widgets: Ctrl-L
- Zoom out: Ctrl- -
- Zoom in: Ctrl- = or Ctrl-+
- Next applet: Ctrl-N
- Previous applet: Ctrl-P
- Add activity: Shift-Ctrl-A
- Next activity: Shift-Ctrl-N
- Previous activity: Shift-Ctrl-P
- Applet settings: Ctrl-S
- Remove applet: Ctrl-R
To change shortcuts, click on the desktop cashew and select "Shortcut settings".
How can I associate a keyboard shortcut with an applet?
Simply select an applet's settings (the wrench icon on the applet handle) and then click on "Kyeboard Shortcut". You will then be able to define a keyboard shortcut for your applet. Notice that some applets do not offer this feature (generally the ones that have no configuration).