Howto: Mastering KDE shortcut keys

[Hallvor]

Why did I write this?
This howto is for those of you who are new KDE users, and also maybe for those long time users with bad memory.


Why bother with shortcut keys?
There are two reasons why you should learn these shortcuts: Shortcuts are generally faster than using the mouse, so you can work faster. The second reason is that some shortcuts can open up new and useful functionality.


Global KDE shortcuts:

Open menu: Windows key
Open run command prompt: Alt + F2
Cycle through open windows: Alt + Tab
Browse through virtual desktops: Ctrl + F1, F2, F3, F4
Open desktop cube (if enabled): Ctrl + F11
Turn off desktop effects: Alt + Shift + F12
Unresponsive window killer: Ctrl + Alt + Esc
Minimize all windows: Ctrl + F12
Show all virtual desktops: Ctrl + F8
Show system monitor: Crtl + Esc
Next keyboard layout: Ctrl + Alt + K
Lock screen: Ctrl + Alt + L


Dolphin file manager shortcut keys:

Rename file: F2
Split screen: F3
Open console: F4
Refresh: F5
Editable address: F6
List folders: F7
Make new folder: F10
Send file to wastebin: Del
Permanently delete file: Shift + Del
Show filter line: Ctrl + I
Increase size: Ctrl+
Decrease size: Ctrl-

Important: All of these (and more) are found under Systemsettings --> Shortcuts. If you would like to edit the shortcut keys, it can be done there.

Edit: Added a few images.

The desktop cube (Ctrl + F11):


Showing all virtual desktops (Ctrl + F8):


Cycling through open windows (Alt + Tab):


Using Dolphin file manager:

[Gaius]

Speaking of Shortcut Keys:
I find it very useful and comfortable to assign shortcuts to some of the programmes I use most frequently.

I have assigned Alt+D to open Dolphin, Alt+F to start Firefox, and Alt+K for the Konsole.

To assign a shortcut to a programme (or 'applet', horrible term), simply add it to the Panel.
Once the panel icon is there, you can right-click on it and then choose 'Icon Settings'.
Now you can assign an available key combination of your choice to launch the programme quickly.

If you do not wish to have the icon in the panel, you may delete it again without affecting the shortcut.

Cheers,
Gaius

[Hallvor]

That was a nice tip. Thanks!

[Gaius]

Welcome.

One day I'll figure out how to do it without the detour of having to create a panel icon first ... there must be a way, I'm sure.

[Hallvor]

You are right, Gaius. There is another way.

1. Right click the Start menu icon and click Edit Applications.
2. Find and select the application you want to make the shortcut for.
3. Click Advanced on the right hand side tab.
4. Assign a shortcut. (Snøggtast in Norwegian.)

[Gaius]

Ah, yes, nice.
Thanks

Haha, I like "Snøggtast".
I'm German, and "key" is "Taste" in my language, which is similar.

I have no idea though how to pronounce the "ø" ... I guess it's similar to our "ö", which sounds very much like you'd pronounce the U in smurf.

[Hallvor]

Ah, yes, nice.
Thanks

Haha, I like "Snøggtast".
I'm German, and "key" is "Taste" in my language, which is similar.

I have no idea though how to pronounce the "ø" ... I guess it's similar to our "ö", which sounds very much like you'd pronounce the U in smurf.

Snøgg means fast. A direct translation would be Schnelltaste.

Off topic linguistic talk below:
Well, German and Norwegian are much more similar than German and English. Some small and common words are the same, for instance hand, auge, nase, finger. Quite a few words are German in origin, but somewhat changed. Most of these have the prefixes an- and be-, for instance angripe (angreifen), betale (bezahlen). Other words are very similar, like ålboge (ellbogen), tann (zahn), kne (knie), and then there are quite a few words that don't match at all, like penn (kugelschreiber).

Ö is not only similar, it is basically the same. The pronunciation is the same in German and Norwegian. In old Norwegian books you can still see the use of ö instead of ø. I am guessing they changed it in the 1950s.

[Gaius]

The method of assigning a shortcut to an Application Icon in the panel is only persistent as long as that icon is present in the panel.
If the icon gets removed, like described in my first post on this thread, the short cut is lost with the next reboot.
I originally thought it was persistent, but it only remains active for the session during which the icon has been removed.

To assign a shortcut to an application persistently, no matter which icons are active or present, use the method described by Hallvor in the fifth post of this thread.