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7.If the file ends in .gz, .zip, .tar.gzip, or .tar.bz2, uncompress thefile. (If you re not sure how to uncompress the file, see Chapter 12.) The file may instead end in .kthor .ktheme. In this case, you don t needto open it up, so skip to Step 11.8.If you had to uncompress the file, open a command line terminal. If you don t know how to open a command line terminal, see Chapter 14.9.Use the cdcommand to change into the directory containing the filesyou extracted. 10.Put the theme files in their proper places: If installation instructions appear on the item s page, follow themnow. If no installation instructions appear and the files you createdaren t .kthor .kthemefiles, you should see an INSTALL orREADME file explaining what to do. Follow those instructions. If you created a .kthor .kthemefile, continue to the next step. 11.Open your KDE Control Center. To do so in: Fedora: From the main menu, choose Control Center.Appearances& Themes.Theme Manager. Linspire: From the main menu, choose Settings.Control Panel. Look & Feel.Theme Manager. Mandrake: From the main menu, choose System.Configuration. Configure Your Desktop.Look & Feel.Theme Manager SuSE: From the main menu, choose Control Center.Appearances& Themes.Theme Manager. Xandros: From the main menu, choose Control Center.Display. Background. 12.If you see the theme you downloaded already there, select it andyou re done! Otherwise, open your file browser (see Chapters 10 and 12) and browse to the directory you saved the theme into. 13.Drag the theme file onto the Control Center dialog box. Your theme should now appear. Select it, and have fun trying it out! You may find that you have to look in the various sections (Background, Colors, Window Decorations, Icons, and so on) to find all the pieces of the304Part III:Getting Up to Speed with Linux

13.Select your new theme in the listing. Your desktop changes to match the theme. 14.Click Close when you re finished, and the Theme Preferences dialogbox closes. Adding themes to KDEJust as with GNOME, many themes are available for the KDE desktop. Most of the distributions covered in this book are using KDE version 3.3, so I amgoing to focus on this version. If you are a Xandros 2.5 or Linspire 4.5 user, you are using KDE 3.1. Mandrake 10.1 folks are using KDE 3.2. However, Xandros will be updated to version 3 by the time this book is released, and Linspire will update as well soon thereafter. Plus, Linspire offers lots of themes through its Click and Run Warehouse, so see Chapter 12 for how to add them. If you have updated your Mandrake system as discussed in Chapter 12, you are also probably using KDE 3.3. To find and add themes for KDE 3.3: 1.Point your Web browser to www.kde-look.org. 2.Under Themes/Styles, click KDE>3.2.3.Among the tabs on the top, click the choice that will sort the themesin the method you prefer. For example, you might click Highest Rated in order to see the themespeople like the most. 4.Browse and click the name of the theme you want to try. This action takes you to the theme s page. Here, you find informationabout the theme, perhaps instructions on how to install it (unfortu- nately. there doesn t seem to be a lot of consistency here), and more. Ifyou are nervous or have been having trouble getting themes to install, make sure to look for a theme that lists KDE 3.3 specifically. Folks feelingmore adventurous might choose one for the 3.2 series. Reading the usercomments can also be helpful in telling you if the theme is easy or diffi- cult to install. 5.Scroll down to the Download link and click it. This link is usually at the base of the initial description information. When you click, a file browser dialog box appears. 6.Browse to where you want to save the file and click Save. The file is saved into the location you chose. 303Chapter 15: Gettin Gooey with the GUIs21_

Your browser asks for specifics on where you want to place the file. Ifyou want to use this theme only for yourself, place it in your home direc- tory or a subdirectory within your home. If you want to share the themewith others, place it in a directory that everyone can reach you mayneed to make one and set its permissions appropriately. 7.From the main menu, choose Preferences.Theme. This action opens the GNOME Theme Preferences dialog box, shown inFigure 15-2.8.Double-click your user sHome directory icon on your desktop. The File Manager opens. 9.Browse to where you stored the theme. 10.Make sure that the theme file is a .tar.gzfile. If not, you need to see Chapter 12 on how to convert this file to thisformat. 11.Select the theme file and drag it into the left (Installer) pane of theTheme Preferences dialog box. An installer dialog box opens. 12.Click Install. Your new theme is added to the themes list. Figure 15-2: The GNOMEThemePreferencesdialog box. 302Part III:Getting Up to Speed with Linux

sounds applied to all portions of the desktop window borders, fonts, icons, sound effects, and more as part of a single, centralized entity. Many peopleare happy to find out that themes are available in the Linux world, too. Many distributions offer collections of backgrounds you can download orthat are already included. Chapter 12 includes pointers for the downloadableones, and you can find the already installed ones usually by right-clicking onyour desktop and choosing the option similar to Change DesktopBackground. Adding themes to GNOMEA large number of themes is available on the Internet for the GNOME desktopenvironment. To find and grab these themes for your own use, follow thesesteps: 1.Point your Web browser to http://themes.freshmeat.net. You re taken to the Themes Web site, where any number of GUI cus- tomization items is offered. If you re heavy into playing with customization, you can also check outhttp://art.gnome.org. 2.Click GTK, which is part of the GNOME desktop environment. This action brings you to the appropriate section, to ensure that youchoose themes that work with your system. 3.Select the GTK 2.X area. Now you re in the section for the latest version of GNOME. 4.Browse and choose the theme you want to try. You can use the Sort Order drop-down list box to change the order inwhich the items are displayed. Keep your eye out for the requirements(sometimes called dependencies ) that go with the theme. Some themesrequire additional engines (software that runs behind the scenes), andyou want to avoid them if you re uncomfortable with finding and addingsoftware at this point. You re safe if you re looking for GTK themes and itmentions Metacity that s part of the Fedora Core GNOME setup. 5.After you have chosen your theme, click its name to go to the theme- specific page. There, you can find any comments someone has about the theme. 6.Scroll down if necessary and click the link under Tar/GZ or Tar/BZ2.301Chapter 15: Gettin Gooey with the GUIs21_

Cluttering the desktop with iconsKDE allows you to alter which applets and programs appear on your panel, and on your desktop. Managing these shortcuts is a simple operation afteryou understand how it works. Adding a program to the desktopThe panel has only so much room. Maybe you would rather have your pro- gram shortcuts lined up on the desktop as you do in Windows. To add one ofthese shortcuts, follow these steps: 1.Click the Main Menu button to open the KDE main menu. 2.Open the submenu containing the program for which you want tomake a shortcut. For example, if you want to add The GIMP, open the Graphics submenu. 3.Choose the program for which you want to make a shortcut. Don t open the program. For example, to add The GIMP, you move yourmouse to the program and then click and hold the mouse button. 4.Drag the program to the desktop. A little graphic follows your mouse pointer until you release the mousebutton, at which point you re asked whether you want to add the short- cut to the desktop but not remove it from the menu (Copy Here); addthe shortcut to the desktop and remove it from the menu (Move Here); or make an obvious shortcut that looks more like a Windows shortcut(Link Here). Typically, you choose Link Here. If you re not happy with where a desktop icon is placed, click it and then dragit to a new location. Removing a program from the desktopIf you want to remove one of the programs from the desktop, just right-clickthe icon you want to remove and choose Delete or Move To Trash, dependingon which option is available if you move items into the trash, remember toempty the trash later. The icon vanishes from the panel or desktop. That s it! Prettying Up Your Desktop with ThemesYou may be familiar with the ability to install desktop themes under MicrosoftWindows. A themein the desktop world refers to color schemes, images, and300Part III:Getting Up to Speed with Linux

2.Choosethe appropriate command from the shortcut menu. If you see a Configure or Preferences dialog box, make your changes andclick Apply to see how that affects your applet without closing thedialog box. You may see more than one configuration dialog box or sub- menu, as is the case for the KNewsTicker applet. 3.Alter the selections in the dialog box tocustomize this applet s behavior. Experiment as much as you want. Just remember that you can always goback and change the settings or remove the applet from your panel later. 4.Close the dialog box. In a Preferences dialog box, click OK to close the window. Settings dialogboxes typically have a button, aptly named Defaults, that enables you torestore your defaults. Removing an appletYou have room for only so many applets. And, if you re like me, you probablydon t want to have every bit of free space cluttered with icons. To remove anapplet from the panel, follow these steps: 1.Right-click the panel on an empty spot. 2.Choose Remove.Applet. The series of submenus opens, and you re finally looking at a list of theapplets you now have on your panel. 3.Choose the applet you want to remove from the panel. The applet is no longer on your panel. Adding programs to your panelYou can also add programs to your KDE Panel. To do so: 1.Right-click on a blank spot on your panel. 2.From the shortcut menu, choose Add.Application Button. 3.From the Application Button submenu, browse to the program youwant to add and select it. The program appears on the left or right of your panel, depending onwhere you have room. (You remove programs from the panel the sameway that you remove applets.) 299Chapter 15: Gettin Gooey with the GUIs21_

Applets keep fallin on my headApplets are miniprograms that do all sorts of things. An applet may displaythe time, show system status, or even offer a little frivolous fun. All kinds ofapplets are available out in the great big world of computer programming. A number of applets are included with your default KDE installation, thoughsome of them are more useful than others. Adding an applet icon to the panelAn interesting combination of applets is available in KDE, and you can easilyadd and remove these little gems from your KDE Panel as suits your needs. To add an applet to the panel (remember that the panel is the bar along thebottom of your screen) in KDE, follow these steps: 1.Right-click a blank spot on the panel. The panel s menu opens. 2.Choose Add.Applet. You find yourself looking at the Applet submenu s contents. 3.Choose the applet you want to add to the Panel. On a particularly crowded panel bar, you may have to use the right and leftarrow bars at the panel s ends to see the applet. You may need to delete fromthe panel, in fact, any items you don t use, to ensure that everything canshow up. (See the section Removing an applet, later in this chapter.) See those vertical bars between various panel entries? Hover your mousepointer over them, and the pointer changes into a two-headed arrow. You candrag those vertical bars left and right to expand and contract various parts ofyour panel. You can also click the little arrows at the top to open menusrelated to the applets. Configuring an appletSome applets have options that let you customize how they behave. Othersare more boring and just do the same old thing no matter what you wouldprefer. To check which configuration and other options are available for yourapplet, follow these steps: 1.Right-click the applet and examine the shortcut menu that appears. This shortcut menu is different from applet to applet. In fact, there doesn t seem to be any real consistency in the menu options! (And not every applet even has a shortcut menu.) Look for entries such as Preferences, Settings, or the word Configure. 298Part III:Getting Up to Speed with Linux

5.Choose either Add This As Drawer To Panel or Add This As Menu ToPanel. A drawer shows you its contents in icons only, while a menu looks morelike the actual submenu from the main menu. Removing a program from the panelIf you want to remove one of the programs on the panel, just right-click theicon you want to remove and choose Remove From Panel from the shortcutmenu that appears. The icon vanishes from the panel. That s it! Adding a program to the desktopThe panel has only so much room. Maybe you would rather have your pro- gram shortcuts lined up on the desktop as you do in Windows. To add a program to the desktop, follow these steps: 1.Click the Main Menu button to open the GNOME main menu. 2.Browse to the submenu containing the program you want to add tothe desktop. 3.Select the program you want to add to the desktop. Don t open the program just move your mouse pointer to it. Forexample, to add The GIMP, you move your mouse to the words The GIMPso that they re highlighted. 4.Click and hold the mouse button on the program name and drag it tothe desktop; then let go of the button. Be sure to drag this item to the side (not up through the menu). A littlepiece-of-paper graphic follows your mouse pointer until you release the mouse button. After you do so, your new shortcut is added to the desktop. If you re not happy with where a desktop icon is placed, click it and then dragit to a new location. Removing a program from the desktopTo get rid of an icon you have on your desktop, right-click the icon andchoose Move To Trash from the shortcut menu that appears. Customizing KDEDon t worry, you KDE users: You have plenty of options, too. You can cus- tomize your KDE setup in lots of ways, from the fun to the practical, so thatyou truly enjoy using it. As with GNOME, in fact, you can choose from farmore features than I have room to cover in this chapter, so if you enjoy fiddling with the look and feel of your GUI, do some exploring on your own! 297Chapter 15: Gettin Gooey with the GUIs21_

4.Click Close to save your changes and close the dialog box. Ditching an appletYou have room for only so many applets. And, if you re like me, you probablydon t want to have every bit of free space cluttered with icons. To remove anapplet from the panel, simply right-click the applet you want to remove andchoose Remove From Panel from the shortcut menu that appears. With narya whimper, the applet vanishes from the panel. Don t forget the programsYou may be looking at your panel and wondering whether you can make anychanges to the programs listed there, like you can with applets. The goodnews is that you canchange the programs on the bar! They fit in the sameempty spaces that applets do. You can also add a program to your desktopitself, if you want. Adding a program to the panelIf you have a program you end up using often, you can add it to your panel byfollowing these steps: 1.Click Applications in Fedora or (if you re using GNOME in another dis- tribution) the distribution s Main Menu button and browse to the pro- gram you want to add to the bar. Don t open the program. Just point to the menu item with your mousepointer. 2.Right-click the program and choose Add This Launcher To Panel. An icon for this program appears on your panel. After you have your program on the panel, you can run the program just byclicking its icon. You can also add a drawer(menu button) to your panel for an entire menu. Todo so: 1.Open the main menu and browse to the submenu you want to add. 2.Enter that submenu. For example, if you want to add a button for the Graphics menu to yourpanel, open the main menu, move your mouse to the Graphics menu, and then move your mouse to the right into the contents of the Graphicsmenu. 3.Right-click to open the context menu. 4.Choose Entire Menu. 296Part III:Getting Up to Speed with Linux

Configuring an appletAfter you have an applet placed and running, you may be able to play withconfiguration options. Some of these options enable you to change whatinformation is displayed. Others have a variety of look-and-feel settings. To check for which configuration and other options are available for yourapplet, follow these steps: 1.Right-click the applet and examine the shortcut menu that appears. This shortcut menu is different from applet to applet. The bottom por- tion is always the same: Remove From Panel and Move. Common entriesfor the top portion are Help and About. The rest of the items are eitherconfiguration options (see Step 2) or special applet features, such as theability to copy the date from the Clock applet. 2.Choose Preferences from the shortcut menu. Not every applet has a Preferences dialog box. If this one does, thedialog box opens when you choose this option, and whichever configu- ration features this applet has are displayed. 3.Alter the selections in the Preferences dialog box tocustomize thisapplet s behavior. Now you get to have some fun. Make changes so that you can see whatthis applet can do as you make your changes, they appear in theapplet on your panel. Each applet has its own set of features, so I can tdo a general walkthrough here. Just remember that you can always goback and change the settings or remove the applet from your panel later. Figure 15-1: The GNOMEandFedora 3Add ToBottomPaneldialog box. 295Chapter 15: Gettin Gooey with the GUIs21_