8.1.1. Discovering KDE

Here is the whole KDE desktop . The panel will be evoked later on. Different icons are directly available on the desktop:

Table 8-1. KDE's Desktop Icons

	Access to the Mandrake Control Center, described in the "Mandrake Control Center" chapter.
	Configuring or monitoring your network access (please refer to "Configuring Internet Connections").
	Mandrake News.
	Mandrake Expert.
	Mandrake online services (Mandrake Online).
	Mandrake Store, the online MandrakeSoft shop.
	Access to printing interface tool.
	Launches the file manager from your home directory (please refer to the Konqueror: KDE's File Manager chapter).
	Launches the file manager in order to browse the CD-ROM's contents.
	Launches the file manager in order to browse the floppy disk's contents.
	Tool used to rapidly close ("kill") an application which is not working correctly.

8.1.2. The Panel

Table 8-2. The KDE Panel

	K menu used to access the software installed on your machine.
	Show Desktop: minimizes all your windows. Click again to maximize them.
	Launches the konsole program to use the command line (please refer to the Reference Manual for extensive information on its use).
	Launches the KDE Control Center used to configure your environment. Please refer to the Changing Styles section.
	Direct access to KDE's Internal Help.
	Also launches the file manager from your home directory.
	Launches the Konqueror web browser.
	Starts KDE's mail client.
	Opens up Kwrite, a powerful text editor.
	These buttons allow to switch from one "virtual desktop" to another. Please refer to the Manipulating Virtual Desktops section.
	The taskbar, which holds a button for every launched application.
	Allows to lock your screen.
	Allows to log out of KDE.
	The clipboard and its parameters.
	The clock, which can also display the date (right-click on it and choose Preferences->Digital Clock. Then, select Show date). Click on it to get a complete calendar.
	Click on this button to minimize the toolbar on the right of the screen.