I've been using Linux for over a month
KDE-specific things I had to get used to
I have to start this off by saying there are several Linux desktop environments (such as XFCE, LXDE, LXQt) aside from KDE. What I'm going to say here only applies to KDE.
Everything on the graphical end to do with KDE is done from System Settings, and there are a lot of settings. Some of it is very straightforward while other stuff is buried.
An example of buried: Changing sound events, such as if you wanted to change the login sound, is done from Notifications > Configure (button) > Plasma Workspace > Configure Events. Not exactly intuitive.
An example of straightforward: Changing how the desktop acts after login is Startup and Shutdown > Desktop Session. I can configure the session to remember everything where the session is saved and restored on next login, or have it where it's an empty session after each login (which is how Windows does it). From this same screen I can instruct KDE whether to offer me options when I ask to shut down or just shut down immediately when I instruct it to.
Another example of straightforward: Changing how the mouse cursor looks. Appearance > Cursors. Change the mouse pointer color, style, size, whatever. Easy.
Configuring the taskbar area is weird at first only because I'm given so many options. And to be honest, it's very easy to screw things up. For a Windows-ish look, right-click anywhere on the taskbar, then "Enter Edit Mode". From there I hover over what I want to change, then configure to suit.
An example of this is the Task Manager. I don't like the default way KDE in stock Kubuntu with that grouped icon crap, so I change it over to the more Windows-ish look I want (or should I say vintage Windows-ish now?):
You will notice it's labeled as a widget. In Windows, widgets are annoying, but in KDE it makes more sense, because if you want to, you can absolutely remove EVERYTHING. Don't want any menus or taskbar AT ALL? You can totally remove them. And I'm not talking about auto-hiding, which you can totally do:
I mean that if you want an absolutely totally blank menu-less, widget-less, panel-less, icon-less desktop, yes you can do that. That's not something I'd want, but the fact you can do that gives you absolute total control over what your desktop looks like and how it functions.
My desktop acts more or less like a "modernized Windows 2000", so to speak, because that's what I like.
Published 2023 Jul 20
