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This page sets out to provide a non-technical reference, together with links for further information or demonstration.  It should be noted that not all of the KDE 4 developments are available in 4.0.  Some maynot be ready for 4.1.
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==A General Overview==
<!--T:2-->
[http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.0/desktop.php A KDE 4.0 Visual Guide:] and a [http://media.ereslibre.es/2008/06/kde41.ogg 4.1 screencast] give an excellent overview of KDE 4.
This page sets out to provide a non-technical reference, together with links for further information or demonstration. See also [[Special:myLanguage/Jargon File|Jargon File]].


The following table is intended to help you find your way through the mists of new names and new concepts.  In some cases you can find a link from a KDE 3 component to its equivalent in KDE 4.
</translate><span id="Activities"></span><translate>


===Activities=== <!--T:6-->
:'''Activities''' are sets of '''Plasma''' ''widgets'' that have their own wallpaper. A bit like [[#Virtual Desktops|Virtual Desktops]], but not quite.


{| border=1
<!--T:7-->
|'''Activities'''|| Activities are sets of Plasma widgets that have their own wallpaper. A bit like virtualdesktops, but not quite.
:For example you have a "work activity" with commit rss feeds, a note with your TODO, a ''Folder View'' with your work related files, and a subtle wallpaper.


For example you have a &quot;work activity&quot; with commit rss feeds, a note with your TODO, a folderview with your work related files, and a subtle wallpaper.   
<!--T:8-->
:Next to it, you have your "freetime activity", with previews of family photos and dogs, rss feeds from your favourite blogs, a Folder View showing your movie collection, a twitter applet and of course that Iron Maiden wallpaper you have been loving since the early 80s.   


Next to it, youhave your freetime activity, with previews of family photos and dogs, rss feeds from your favourite blogs, a folderview showing your movie collection, a twitter applet and of course that Iron Maiden wallpaper you have been loving since the early 80s.
<!--T:9-->
:At 1700 hours sharp you switch from the "work activity" to your "freetime activity".


At 1700 hours sharp you switch from the work activity to your freetime activity.
<!--T:10-->
    || More info:  
'''More Information''':  
[http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Plasma/FAQ#How_can_I_add.2Fremove_an_activity.3F Creating Activities]
* [[Special:myLanguage/Plasma#Activities|Creating Activities]]
|-
|'''Akonadi''' || The data storage backend for all PIM (Personal Information Manager) data in KDE 4.  One  single storage and retrieval system allows efficiency and extensibiliy not possible under KDE3, where each PIM component had its own system. || More info:


[http://pim.kde.org/akonadi/ Akonadi - KDE PIM]
</translate><span id="Akonadi"></span><translate>


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akonadi Wikipedia - Akonadi]
===Akonadi=== <!--T:11-->
:The data storage access mechanism for all ''PIM'' (Personal Information Manager) data in ''KDE''. This allows various applications to access the required information in one place. Note that use of '''Akonadi''' does not change data storage formats (''vcard'', ''iCalendar'', ''mbox'', ''maildir'' etc.) - it just provides a new way of accessing and updating the data.


[http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/PIM/Akonadi Techbase - Akonadi]
<!--T:12-->
|-
:The main reasons for design and development of '''Akonadi''' are of a technical nature, i.e., having a unique way to access PIM-data (contacts, calendars, emails..) from different applications ('''KMail''' and '''Calligra''', for instance), thus eliminating the need to write similar code over and over again.
|'''aRts''' || The sound framework in KDE 2 and 3. Its single-tasking nature caused problems when two sources of sound were encountered.  In KDE 4 it is replaced by [[Phonon]] || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARts Wikipedia - aRts]
<!--T:13-->
:Another reason is to de-couple GUI applications like '''KMail''' from directly accessing external resources like mail-servers -- this was a major reason for bug-reports/wishes with regard to performance/responsiveness in the past.


[http://www.arts-project.org/gen/newsarchive/news_2000.html aRtsHome Page]
<!--T:14-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Containment''' || A Containment is a top level grouping of widgets. Each Containment manages the layout and configuration data of its set of widgets independently from other Containments.
* [[Akonadi|for KDE's PIM]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akonadi Wikipedia - Akonadi]  
* [https://techbase.kde.org/Projects/PIM/Akonadi Techbase - Akonadi]


The end result is that you can group widgets within a containment according to the significance to your working pattern, rather than by directory grouping.   
</translate><span id="Containment"></span><translate>
|-
|'''D-Bus || An inter-service messaging system.  Developed by RedHat, it was heavily influenced by KDE&#039;s DCOP, which it supercedes. || More info:


[http://tinyurl.com/2a9h8o FreeDesktop.org: What is D-Bus?]
===Baloo=== <!--T:84-->
[[Special:myLanguage/Baloo|Baloo]] is a file indexing and search service that '''Dolphin''' and '''Elisa''' use to get metadata for files and to allow global searches. In a terminal type, <code>balooctl check</code> to find out whether an index was created already. <code>balooctl disable</code> and <code>balooctl status</code> are helpful instructions as well.


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Bus Wikipedia: D-Bus]
<!--T:85-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Decibel''' || Using [#D-Bus D-Bus], Decibel is the framework to manage all communication protocols including IM, email and VOIP through a unified system. Decibel is expected to be fully functional by KDE 4.2. || More info:
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baloo Baloo]


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decibel_(KDE) Wikipedia - Decibel]
</translate><span id="Containment"></span><translate>


[http://techbase.kde.org/Development/Architecture/KDE4/Decibel Techbase - Decibel]
===Breeze=== <!--T:93-->
Breeze is the default theme starting with Plasma 5.


[http://decibel.kde.org/ Decibel website]
<!--T:94-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Dolphin''' || The default file manager in KDE4. It has a side panel, but navigation is mainly by the &#039;breadcrumb&#039; trail above the main window. Split windows are possible, and views can be applied to individual windows. Mounting and umounting USB devices can be done in the side-panel. || More info:
* [https://cgit.kde.org/breeze.git/ Git repository]


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(software) Wikipedia- Dolphin_(software)]
===Containment=== <!--T:17-->
:A ''Containment'' is a top level grouping of widgets. Each Containment manages the layout and configuration data of its set of widgets independently from other Containments.


[http://dot.kde.org/1172721427/ Road to KDE 4: Dolphin and Konqueror]
<!--T:18-->
:The end result is that you can group widgets within a Containment according to the significance to your working pattern, rather than by directory grouping.  


[http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070405-afirst-look-at-dolphin-the-kde-4-file-manager.html Ars Technica: A First Look at Dolphin]
</translate><span id="D-Bus"></span><translate>


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4HS1v0a9Xs Youtube - KDE 4 rev 680445 - Dolphin]
===D-Bus=== <!--T:19-->
:An inter-service messaging system. D-Bus allows multiple programs to interact. Developed by Red Hat<sup>®</sup>, it was heavily influenced by KDE3's ''DCOP'', which it supersedes.


[http://introducingkde4.blogspot.com/2007/12/dolphin.html Introducing KDE 4 Blog - Dolphin]
<!--T:20-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Extender''' || A graphical element that can be used by any widget to provide extended information, such as the tags on the music playing, the progress of a file copy, or reminders from your diary || More info:  
* [https://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/dbus FreeDesktop.org: What is D-Bus?]  
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Bus Wikipedia: D-Bus]


[http://kde-look.org/content/show.php/KDE+Extender+Mockup?content=30012 Mockup Screenshots]
</translate><span id="Dolphin"></span><translate>


[http://plasma.kde.org/cms/1069 The Elements of Plasma]
===Dolphin=== <!--T:21-->
|-
:The default file manager in KDE Plasma.  It has a side panel (''Places''), but navigation is mainly by the ''breadcrumb'' trail above the main window. It has various advanced features such as split windows and individual views in different windows. Mounting and umounting USB devices can be done in the side-panel. Other directories can be added to the Places panel.  A ''Tree view'' is also possible.
|'''Flake''' || Flake is a programming library to be used in KOffice2. Functionally, it provides Shapes to display content and Tools to manipulate content. Shapes can be zoomed or rotated and can be grouped towork as a single Shape, around which text flow is possible. || More info:


[http://wiki.koffice.org/index.php?title=Flake KOffice Wiki - Flake]
<!--T:22-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Kcontrol''' || KDE Control Center, for setting global preferences in KDE3. Replaced by KDE4&#039;s [[System Settings]] interface. ||
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_(software) Wikipedia - Dolphin (software)]
|-
* [[Special:myLanguage/Tutorials/File_Management|The UserBase File Management Tutorial]]
|'''Kicker''' || In KDE 3, the relocatable bar, usually at the bottom of the screen (sometimes called the [[Panel]]), on which application launchers, the pager, and buttons for running applications reside.  See [[Panel]] ||


|-
</translate><span id="Flake"></span><translate>
|'''Kickoff''' || In KDE 4 (and some late versions of KDE 3), a launch menu in which apps are sorted by functional group.  &#039;Favorites&#039; replaces the &#039;Most used applications&#039; in Classic Menu, and applications can be added to it.  Right-click also offers the possibility of adding applications to the desktop or panel.  Rapid access to a less-used application can be by the search box. Other menus are being worked on, since KDE 4 can be used with more than one launcher, should that be required. || More info:
[http://home.kde.org/~binner/kickoff/sneak_preview.html Kickoff Sneak Preview]
|-
|'''KJS''' || KDE&#039;s JavaScript engine. ||
|-
|'''KDOM''' || A [#KPart|KPart] module making KHTML DOM (Document Object Model) rendering capabilities available to all applications. [[KSVG2]] is built on KDOM for KDE 4. ||
|-
|'''KHTML''' || KHTML is the HTML rendering engine for the KDE desktop, as used by KDE&#039;s Konqueror Browser. It also provides a KPart that enables all KDE applications to display web content. KDE4 also sees the introduction of Qt WebKit for Plasma and other applications. ||
|-
|'''KIO''' || KDE Input/Output framework provides a single API for operating on files, whether local or on aremote server.  Additionally, KIO Slaves provide support for individual protocols.  Some particularly useful ones are http, ftp, sftp, smb, nfs, ssh (fish), man, tar and zip.  || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIO Wikipedia - KIO]  
===Flake=== <!--T:25-->
:''Flake'' is a programming library to be used in [https://krita.org/en/ Krita] and [[Special:myLanguage/Calligra|Calligra]]. Functionally, it provides ''Shapes'' to display content and ''Tools'' to manipulate content. Shapes can be zoomed or rotated and can be grouped to work as a single Shape, around which text flow is possible.


[http://www.linux.com/feature/124686 Linux.com - Master the KIO slaves]  
<!--T:26-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://community.kde.org/Calligra/Libs/Flake KDE Community Wiki - Flake]  


[http://osdir.com/Article2159.phtml Breaking the Network Barrier]
</translate><span id="Get Hot New Stuff"></span><translate>
|-
|'''Kinfocenter''' || Kinfocenter originated as part of [[Kcontrol]] standing alone from KDE 3.1.  In KDE 4 it is replaced by modules configured in [[System Settings]], notably [[Solid]] || More Info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinfocenter Wikipedia - KInfoCenter]
===Get Hot New Stuff=== <!--T:27-->
|-
:''Get Hot New Stuff (GHNS)'' is an open standard that makes it easy for users to download and install various extensions for their applications. Our implementation of GHNS is used by Plasma (for example to get new desktop themes), and by many applications and widgets.
|'''Kiosk''' || Kiosk is a framework for restricting user capabilities on a KDE system, ideal for use in locked-down environments such as Internet cafés.  Currently available in KDE 3 only. ||
|-
|'''KPart''' || A KPart is an individual component of the KDE desktop environment and allows applications toshare their services with other applications. KParts allow KMail and KOrganizer to integrate into the Kontact suite, or KHTML to display sites in Akregator. ||
|-
|'''Kross''' ||  Kross is a scripting framework, enabling KDE 4 support for multiple scripting languages.  Aplugin system allows for the support of further languages in the future. ||
|-
|'''KRunner'''|| the mini-command-line that is accessed from the KDE Classic menu, the keyboard shortcut Alt+F2, or a right-click on the desktop. In KDE4 a partial name will display all possible matches || More info:


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1-SFSmwTXw Youtube - KDE 4.1 KRunner]
<!--T:28-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''KSVG''' ||  KSVG enables support for scalable vector graphics in a khtml browser.  KSVG2 extends this for KDE 4. ||
* [https://store.kde.org The KDE Store]
|-
|'''KWin''' || KWin is the window manager. This is where window decorations can be changed and themes applied. KDE4 extends KWin to provide support for 3D Compositing effects on the desktop. || More info:


[http://dot.kde.org/1180541665/ Road to KDE 4: KWin Composite]
</translate><span id="Home Directory"></span><translate>


[http://francis.giannaros.org/blog/2007/12/03/kde4-desktop-effects-kwin-composite-video-tour/  KDE4 Desktop Effects Video Tour]
===Home Directory=== <!--T:29-->
:That's the place in your system where all your files are kept. You can write your files outside of this folder, but all applications are configured to propose this folder as place to write your files to. It is easier when you keep your things here.


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrFz7IxXppU Youtube - KDE 4.0 KWin Composite Showcast]  
<!--T:30-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_directory Wikipedia - Home directory]  


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WBLlc6xCQ4 Youtube - KWin compositing config &amp; intro]
</translate><span id="KHTML"></span><translate>
|-
|'''Mini-CLI''' || See [[KRunner]]||
|-
|'''Nepomuk''' ||    &#039;Networked Environment for Personalized, Ontology-based Management of Unified Knowledge&#039;, Nepomuk aims to remove artificial barriers between information to allow dynamic classification, organisation and presentation of data to the user.  Whether downloaded from the internet, received inan email or scribbled in a note, information is globally searchable and tagged with intelligent data.  See [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_desktop The Semantic Desktop] for further discussion of this concept. || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_desktop Wikipedia - Semantic Desktop]
===KHTML=== <!--T:33-->
:''KHTML'' is a HTML rendering engine that was the base of WebKit, the engine that powers many browsers still in use today (e.g. Safari).  


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEPOMUK_(framework)  Wikipedia - NEPOMUK Framework]
</translate><span id="Kirigami"></span><translate>


[http://nepomuk.semanticdesktop.org/xwiki/bin/view/Main1/ NEPOMUK website]
===Kirigami=== <!--T:91-->
:'''Kirigami''' is a set of components allowing developers to create applications that looks good and works well on mobile platforms as well as on the desktop.


[http://nepomuk.kde.org/discover/user NEPOMUK KDE]
<!--T:92-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''Oxygen''' || Oxygen is the default theme of KDE4. Designed to bring &#039;a breath of fresh air&#039; tothe desktop by removing the simplistic, cartoonish icons, and replacing them with a clean theme and photo-realistic icons. Oxygen uses a desaturated palette to avoid the icons becoming a distraction and uses detailed scalable graphics (SVG). || More info:
* [https://www.kde.org/products/kirigami/ Kirigami on kde.org]


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_Project Wikipedia - Oxygen Project]
</translate><span id="Kickoff"></span><translate>


[http://www.oxygen-icons.org/?cat=3 Oxygen Icons]
===Kickoff=== <!--T:35-->
|-
:Kickoff is a launch menu in KDE Plasma in which apps are sorted by functional groups. Right-click also offers the possibility of adding applications to the desktop or panel. Rapid access to a less-used application is made possible with the search box. There are also alternatives, such as the fullscreen app dashboard.  
|'''Pager''' || A pager is a small program or panel applet which shows the position of windows on your desktop and usually if you have several [[Virtual_Desktops]] gives an overview over all. ||
|-
|'''Panel'''  || See [[Kicker]].  In KDE4 the name &#039;kicker&#039; is dropped, and the name &#039;panel&#039; is the norm. &#039;Applets&#039; are replaced by [[Widgets]] ||
|-
|'''Phonon''' || A cross-platform multimedia API, interfacing with existing frameworks, such as gstreamer and xine engines. KDE 2 and 3 depended on aRts for sound.  Phonon replaces it. || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon_(KDE) Wikipedia - Phonon (KDE)]  
<!--T:36-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://en.opensuse.org/Kickoff Design documentation]


[http://phonon.kde.org/cms/1030 Phonon website]
</translate><span id="KJS"></span><translate>
|-
|'''Plasma''' || In KDE 4 Plasma replaces KDesktop, kicker and the superkaramba widget engine.  The applets are called Plasmoids, and range from informational widgets to mini-apps such as a calculator or dictionary. || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(KDE) Wikipedia - Plasma (KDE)]
===KJS=== <!--T:37-->
:KDE platform's ''JavaScript'' engine.


[http://plasma.kde.org/cms/1107 Plasma website]
</translate><span id="KInfoCenter"></span><translate>


[http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Plasma/FAQ Techbase - Plasma]
===KInfoCenter=== <!--T:38-->
:'''KInfoCenter''' originated as part of [[#KControl|KControl]] standing alone from KDE 3.1. It can display data about your system such as energy usage, hardware info and many more.


[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5RpH9HOXJA&amp;feature=related  Youtube - Plasma Applets Galore (Part 1)]
<!--T:39-->
'''More Information''':
* [[Special:myLanguage/KInfoCenter|KInfoCenter]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinfocenter Wikipedia - KInfoCenter]


[http://liquidat.wordpress.com/ Liquidat&#039;s Blog]
</translate><span id="KIO"></span><translate>
|-
|'''Qt''' || (Pronounced &#039;cute&#039;) A framework/toolkit for writing cross-platform applications. It is used by many cross-platform applications such as Opera browser, GoogleEarth and Skype. Qt is developed by Trolltech, who are now part of the Nokia.  Qt forms the underlying library KDE is built on. || More info:


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_(toolkit) The Qt Toolkit]
===KIO=== <!--T:40-->
:''KDE Input/Output framework'' provides a single ''API'' for operating on files, whether local or on a remote server. Additionally, ''KIO Slaves'' provide support for individual protocols. Some particularly useful ones are ''http'', ''ftp'', ''sftp'', ''smb'', ''nfs'', ''ssh (fish)'', ''man'', ''tar'', ''google drive'', and ''zip''. 


[http://trolltech.com/products/qt/learnmore/demo Qt Demo Videos]
<!--T:41-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|''' Raptor''' || Raptor is the third application menu available for KDE4 and uses a style similar to music hardware interfaces. Raptor is not finished yet. Other menus are also in preparation || More info:
* [[Special:myLanguage/File transfers|A tutorial on file transfers]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIO Wikipedia - KIO]
* [https://www.linux.com/feature/124686 Linux.com - Master the KIO slaves]


[http://raptor-menu.org/ Raptor home page]
</translate><span id="Kiosk"></span><translate>


[http://www.raiden.net/?cat=2&amp;aid=411 Raptor review]
===Kiosk=== <!--T:42-->
|-
* [https://techbase.kde.org/KDE_System_Administration/Kiosk/Introduction Kiosk] is a framework for restricting user capabilities on a ''KDE platform'' system, ideal for use in locked-down environments such as Internet cafés. It has been unmaintained for quite some time now.
|'''Solid''' || Solid provides a single API for hardware management. Hardware is grouped into &#039;domains&#039;.  The initial domains relate to HAL, NetworkManager and the Bluetooth stack.Since the backends for Solid are pluggable, Solid helps application developers write less code, and have it platform independent. || More Info:


[http://solid.kde.org/cms/1058 Discover Solid]
</translate><span id="KPart"></span><translate>


[http://dot.kde.org/1177385913/ Solid Brings Hardware Configuration and Control to KDE]
===KPart=== <!--T:43-->
|-
:A ''KPart'' is an individual component of the ''KDE Plasma desktop'' and allows applications to share their services with other applications. KParts allow '''KMail''' and '''KOrganizer''' to integrate (as plugins) into the '''Kontact''' suite, or [[#KHTML|KHTML]] to display sites in '''Akregator'''.
|'''Sonnet''' || Sonnet is a multilingual spell-checker planned for KDE 4. One of its strengths is the ability to recognise the language in use and call up the appropriate dictionary. || More info:


[http://www.linux.com/articles/59963 KDE 4&#039;s Sonnet will turbocharge language processing]
</translate><span id="Kross"></span><translate>


[http://liquidat.wordpress.com/2007/01/09/kde-4-sonnet/ Liquidat&#039;s blog, January 2007]
===Kross=== <!--T:44-->
|-
: ''Kross'' is a scripting framework, enabling support for multiple scripting languagesA plugin system allows for the support of further languages in the future.
|'''Soprano''' || Soprano is a sub-project of [[Nepomuk]], providing a repository for gathered information such as tags, ratings, etc.This makes the information available to [[Strigi]] || More info:


[http://tinyurl.com/334u7r More about Nepomuk-KDE: Soprano and KDE integration]
</translate><span id="KRunner"></span><translate>
|-
|'''Strigi''' || A deep-indexed search daemon, Strigi aims to be fast and light-weight.  It also uses SHA-1 hash which will help in the identification of duplicate files. || More info:


[http://strigi.sourceforge.net/ Strigi - the fastest and smallest desktop searching program]
===KRunner=== <!--T:45-->
:The mini-command-line that is accessed from the Classic menu, the keyboard shortcut ''Alt+F2'', or a right-click on the desktop.


[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigi Wikipedia - Strigi]
<!--T:46-->
|-
'''More Information''':
|'''System Settings''' ||  KDE 4&#039;s replacement for [[Kconntrol]] (Control Center) providing modular control over the KDE system. || More info:
* [[Special:myLanguage/Plasma/Krunner|KRunner wiki]]


[http://www.lazytechguy.com/2008/01/kde4-system-settings.html KDE4 System Settings illustrated]
|-
|'''Threadweaver''' || This thread programming library spreads work among multiple-core processors where available, prioritising them before queueing them for execution. ThreadWeaver provides a high-level job interface for multithreaded programming. || More info:


[http://tinyurl.com/5edc2k Why Multithreading? (Technical article)]
</translate><span id="KWin"></span><translate>
|}
 
__Virtual_Desktops__ | A popular concept off Unix based window managers is the one of virtual desktops. This means you have not only one screen where you can place your windows on but several. When you switch to a different desktop (usually with a pager) you will only see the windows which you started on your newdesktop or moved to it. A window can also be made &quot;sticky&quot; which means it appears on all virtual desktops. |
===KWin=== <!--T:48-->
__WebKit__ | HTML rendering engine, originating from a fork of [#KHTML|KHTML]. Adopted by Apple and developed for Safari. Webkit brings the whole functionality back to KDE 4, where it is available through Qt. | More info: *[http://webkit.org/|The Webkit home page] %%%[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webkit| Wikipedia - Webkit]
:''KWin'' is the window manager of KDE. This is where window decorations can be changed and themes applied.
__Widget__ | Collins English Dictionary: &quot;Any small mechanism or device the name of which is unknown or temporarily forgotten.&quot;%%%In KDE terms, a widget is a single component on the canvas. Other common names that are analogous are &quot;applet&quot; or &quot;gadget&quot;. Superkaramba Themes, Apple&#039;s Dashboard, Google Gadgets, Yahoo Widgets, Vista Sidebar Widgets, Opera Widgets are all examples of other widget systems (some of which are supported by Plasma as well).|
 
__X-Server__ | The X-Server represents a basic layer upon which the various GUIs like KDE are built. It manages the basic mouse and keyboard input (from the local host as well as from remote hosts) and provides elementary graphic routines to draw rectangles and other primitives. |
<!--T:49-->
__XMLGUI__ | A programmers&#039; framework for designing the user interface.  It is extensively used by [#KParts|kparts] | More info: %%%[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMLGUI|Wikipedia - XMLGUI] %%%[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_Style_Sheets|Wikipedia - Qt Style Sheets]
'''More Information''':
__ZUI__| The Zooming User Interface.  &quot;By zooming out, users can get an overview of all the object groupings that they have made. These groupings may reflect the projects they are working on, be ways to keep different sets of files organized, etc. By hovering or clicking on one of these groups when zoomed out, users can either get a preview/snapshot of what is in the grouping, or zoom in on that grouping so that it is displayed full size on the physical screen.&quot; aseigo. | More info: %%%[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhODrJkoidA|Youtube ZUI demo]
* [[Special:myLanguage/KWin|KWin]]
 
</translate><span id="Pager"></span><translate>
 
===Pager=== <!--T:55-->
:A ''pager'' is a small program or panel applet which shows the position of windows on your desktop and usually, if you have several [[#Virtual Desktops|Virtual Desktops]], gives an overview over all.
 
</translate><span id="Panel"></span><translate>
 
===Panel=== <!--T:56-->
:See [[#Kicker|Kicker]]. In '''KDE Plasma''' the name "kicker" is dropped, and the name "panel" is the norm.  "Applets"; are largely replaced by [[#Widget|Widgets]]
 
<!--T:87-->
'''More Information''':
* [[Special:myLanguage/Plasma/Panels|Panels]]
 
</translate><span id="Phonon"></span><translate>
 
===Phonon=== <!--T:57-->
:A cross-platform multimedia API, interfacing with existing frameworks, such as ''gstreamer'' and ''xine engines''.
 
<!--T:58-->
'''More Information''':
* [[Special:myLanguage/Phonon|Phonon]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon_(KDE) Wikipedia - Phonon (KDE)]
* [https://phonon.kde.org/ Phonon website]
 
</translate><span id="Plasma"></span><translate>
 
===Plasma=== <!--T:59-->
:Plasma is the desktop environment from KDE. It is the part of the desktop that you can see. Plasma also acts as a glue between panels, plasmoids and Kickoff. Plasma Mobile allows Plasma to run on smartphones and uses the same underlying code base.
 
<!--T:60-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(KDE) Wikipedia - Plasma (KDE)]
* [https://plasma.kde.org/cms/1107 Plasma website]
* [[Special:myLanguage/Plasma|The Plasma main page]]
* [[Special:myLanguage/Plasma/FAQ/Index|The Plasma FAQ's]]
 
</translate><span id="Qt"></span><translate>
 
===Qt=== <!--T:61-->
:(Pronounced "cute") A framework/toolkit for writing cross-platform applications. It is used by many cross-platform applications such as '''Krita''', '''GoogleEarth''' and many others.  Qt forms the underlying library KDE software is built on.
 
<!--T:62-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_(toolkit) The Qt Toolkit]
 
</translate><span id="Solid"></span><translate>
 
===Solid=== <!--T:63-->
:''Solid'' provides a single API for hardware management.  Hardware is grouped into "domains".  The initial domains relate to ''HAL'', ''NetworkManager'' and the ''Bluetooth'' stack. Since the backends for Solid are pluggable, Solid helps application developers write less code, and have it platform independent.
 
<!--T:64-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://solid.kde.org/cms/1058 Discover Solid]
 
</translate><span id="System Settings"></span><translate>
 
===System Settings=== <!--T:69-->
:The system settings are the unified place where you can change and customize many aspects of the Plasma desktop and KWin such as icon themes, desktop effects and shortcuts.
 
<!--T:70-->
'''More Information''':
* [[Special:myLanguage/System Settings|System Settings]]
 
</translate><span id="Threadweaver"></span><translate>
 
===Threadweaver=== <!--T:71-->
:This thread programming library spreads work among multiple-core processors where available, prioritising them before queueing them for execution. ''ThreadWeaver'' provides a high-level job interface for multithreaded programming.
 
<!--T:86-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://www.englishbreakfastnetwork.org/apidocs/apidox-kde-4.0/kdelibs-apidocs/threadweaver/html/Why.html Why Multithreading? (Technical article)]
 
</translate><span id="Virtual Desktops"></span><translate>
 
===Virtual Desktops=== <!--T:73-->
:A popular concept of Unix based window managers is the one of ''virtual desktops''. This means you have not only one screen where you can place your windows on but several. When you switch to a different desktop (usually with a pager) you will only see the windows which you started on your new desktop or moved to it. A window can also be made "sticky" which means it appears on all virtual desktops.
 
</translate><span id="WebKit"></span><translate>
 
===WebKit=== <!--T:74-->
:HTML ''rendering engine'', originating from a fork of [[#KHTML|KHTML]]. Adopted by Apple and developed for Safari.  
 
<!--T:75-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://webkit.org/ The Webkit home page]  
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webkit Wikipedia - Webkit]
 
</translate><span id="Widget"></span><translate>
 
===Widget=== <!--T:76-->
:Collins English Dictionary: "Any small mechanism or device the name of which is unknown or temporarily forgotten." In KDE software terms, a '''widget''' is a single component on the canvas. Other common names that are analogous are "applet" or "gadget". Superkaramba Themes, Apple's Dashboard, Google Gadgets, Yahoo Widgets, Vista Sidebar Widgets, Opera Widgets are all examples of other widget systems (some of which are supported by Plasma as well).
 
</translate><span id="X-Server"></span><translate>
 
===X Server=== <!--T:77-->
:The ''X Server'' represents a basic layer upon which the various GUIs like the KDE Plasma desktop are built. It manages the basic mouse and keyboard input (from the local host as well as from remote hosts) and provides elementary graphic routines to draw rectangles and other primitives.
 
</translate><span id="XMLGUI"></span><translate>
 
===XMLGUI=== <!--T:78-->
:A programmers' framework for designing the user interface.  It is extensively used by ''KParts''
 
<!--T:79-->
'''More Information''':
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMLGUI Wikipedia - XMLGUI]  
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_Style_Sheets Wikipedia - Qt Style Sheets]
 
<!--T:90-->
{{Prev|Special:myLanguage/An_introduction_to_KDE|An Introduction to KDE}}
 
<!--T:83-->
[[Category:Getting Started]]
[[Category:System]]
</translate>

Latest revision as of 13:27, 7 October 2022

This page sets out to provide a non-technical reference, together with links for further information or demonstration. See also Jargon File.

Activities

Activities are sets of Plasma widgets that have their own wallpaper. A bit like Virtual Desktops, but not quite.
For example you have a "work activity" with commit rss feeds, a note with your TODO, a Folder View with your work related files, and a subtle wallpaper.
Next to it, you have your "freetime activity", with previews of family photos and dogs, rss feeds from your favourite blogs, a Folder View showing your movie collection, a twitter applet and of course that Iron Maiden wallpaper you have been loving since the early 80s.
At 1700 hours sharp you switch from the "work activity" to your "freetime activity".

More Information:

Akonadi

The data storage access mechanism for all PIM (Personal Information Manager) data in KDE. This allows various applications to access the required information in one place. Note that use of Akonadi does not change data storage formats (vcard, iCalendar, mbox, maildir etc.) - it just provides a new way of accessing and updating the data.
The main reasons for design and development of Akonadi are of a technical nature, i.e., having a unique way to access PIM-data (contacts, calendars, emails..) from different applications (KMail and Calligra, for instance), thus eliminating the need to write similar code over and over again.
Another reason is to de-couple GUI applications like KMail from directly accessing external resources like mail-servers -- this was a major reason for bug-reports/wishes with regard to performance/responsiveness in the past.

More Information:

Baloo

Baloo is a file indexing and search service that Dolphin and Elisa use to get metadata for files and to allow global searches. In a terminal type, balooctl check to find out whether an index was created already. balooctl disable and balooctl status are helpful instructions as well.

More Information:

Breeze

Breeze is the default theme starting with Plasma 5.

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Containment

A Containment is a top level grouping of widgets. Each Containment manages the layout and configuration data of its set of widgets independently from other Containments.
The end result is that you can group widgets within a Containment according to the significance to your working pattern, rather than by directory grouping.

D-Bus

An inter-service messaging system. D-Bus allows multiple programs to interact. Developed by Red Hat®, it was heavily influenced by KDE3's DCOP, which it supersedes.

More Information:

Dolphin

The default file manager in KDE Plasma. It has a side panel (Places), but navigation is mainly by the breadcrumb trail above the main window. It has various advanced features such as split windows and individual views in different windows. Mounting and umounting USB devices can be done in the side-panel. Other directories can be added to the Places panel. A Tree view is also possible.

More Information:

Flake

Flake is a programming library to be used in Krita and Calligra. Functionally, it provides Shapes to display content and Tools to manipulate content. Shapes can be zoomed or rotated and can be grouped to work as a single Shape, around which text flow is possible.

More Information:

Get Hot New Stuff

Get Hot New Stuff (GHNS) is an open standard that makes it easy for users to download and install various extensions for their applications. Our implementation of GHNS is used by Plasma (for example to get new desktop themes), and by many applications and widgets.

More Information:

Home Directory

That's the place in your system where all your files are kept. You can write your files outside of this folder, but all applications are configured to propose this folder as place to write your files to. It is easier when you keep your things here.

More Information:

KHTML

KHTML is a HTML rendering engine that was the base of WebKit, the engine that powers many browsers still in use today (e.g. Safari).

Kirigami

Kirigami is a set of components allowing developers to create applications that looks good and works well on mobile platforms as well as on the desktop.

More Information:

Kickoff

Kickoff is a launch menu in KDE Plasma in which apps are sorted by functional groups. Right-click also offers the possibility of adding applications to the desktop or panel. Rapid access to a less-used application is made possible with the search box. There are also alternatives, such as the fullscreen app dashboard.

More Information:

KJS

KDE platform's JavaScript engine.

KInfoCenter

KInfoCenter originated as part of KControl standing alone from KDE 3.1. It can display data about your system such as energy usage, hardware info and many more.

More Information:

KIO

KDE Input/Output framework provides a single API for operating on files, whether local or on a remote server. Additionally, KIO Slaves provide support for individual protocols. Some particularly useful ones are http, ftp, sftp, smb, nfs, ssh (fish), man, tar, google drive, and zip.

More Information:

Kiosk

  • Kiosk is a framework for restricting user capabilities on a KDE platform system, ideal for use in locked-down environments such as Internet cafés. It has been unmaintained for quite some time now.

KPart

A KPart is an individual component of the KDE Plasma desktop and allows applications to share their services with other applications. KParts allow KMail and KOrganizer to integrate (as plugins) into the Kontact suite, or KHTML to display sites in Akregator.

Kross

Kross is a scripting framework, enabling support for multiple scripting languages. A plugin system allows for the support of further languages in the future.

KRunner

The mini-command-line that is accessed from the Classic menu, the keyboard shortcut Alt+F2, or a right-click on the desktop.

More Information:

KWin

KWin is the window manager of KDE. This is where window decorations can be changed and themes applied.

More Information:

Pager

A pager is a small program or panel applet which shows the position of windows on your desktop and usually, if you have several Virtual Desktops, gives an overview over all.

Panel

See Kicker. In KDE Plasma the name "kicker" is dropped, and the name "panel" is the norm. "Applets"; are largely replaced by Widgets

More Information:

Phonon

A cross-platform multimedia API, interfacing with existing frameworks, such as gstreamer and xine engines.

More Information:

Plasma

Plasma is the desktop environment from KDE. It is the part of the desktop that you can see. Plasma also acts as a glue between panels, plasmoids and Kickoff. Plasma Mobile allows Plasma to run on smartphones and uses the same underlying code base.

More Information:

Qt

(Pronounced "cute") A framework/toolkit for writing cross-platform applications. It is used by many cross-platform applications such as Krita, GoogleEarth and many others. Qt forms the underlying library KDE software is built on.

More Information:

Solid

Solid provides a single API for hardware management. Hardware is grouped into "domains". The initial domains relate to HAL, NetworkManager and the Bluetooth stack. Since the backends for Solid are pluggable, Solid helps application developers write less code, and have it platform independent.

More Information:

System Settings

The system settings are the unified place where you can change and customize many aspects of the Plasma desktop and KWin such as icon themes, desktop effects and shortcuts.

More Information:

Threadweaver

This thread programming library spreads work among multiple-core processors where available, prioritising them before queueing them for execution. ThreadWeaver provides a high-level job interface for multithreaded programming.

More Information:

Virtual Desktops

A popular concept of Unix based window managers is the one of virtual desktops. This means you have not only one screen where you can place your windows on but several. When you switch to a different desktop (usually with a pager) you will only see the windows which you started on your new desktop or moved to it. A window can also be made "sticky" which means it appears on all virtual desktops.

WebKit

HTML rendering engine, originating from a fork of KHTML. Adopted by Apple and developed for Safari.

More Information:

Widget

Collins English Dictionary: "Any small mechanism or device the name of which is unknown or temporarily forgotten." In KDE software terms, a widget is a single component on the canvas. Other common names that are analogous are "applet" or "gadget". Superkaramba Themes, Apple's Dashboard, Google Gadgets, Yahoo Widgets, Vista Sidebar Widgets, Opera Widgets are all examples of other widget systems (some of which are supported by Plasma as well).

X Server

The X Server represents a basic layer upon which the various GUIs like the KDE Plasma desktop are built. It manages the basic mouse and keyboard input (from the local host as well as from remote hosts) and provides elementary graphic routines to draw rectangles and other primitives.

XMLGUI

A programmers' framework for designing the user interface. It is extensively used by KParts

More Information: