5 Cool Konqueror Tricks.
Note: This is a repost from my personal blog, Tales from the Motherboard.
Konqueror is the file manger, ftp client, web browser, terminal window, jack of all trades tool within the KDE desktop. You could spend a month reading up on Konqueror and still not uncover half of the neato things that you can do with this baby.
Personally, I use it as my web browser, file manager, and ftp client when I can. Some sites have a problem with how Konq transfers files (or something) and I can’t do it, but when I can - I do!
It’s really cool to have an all-in-one tool that really can do it all. Konq isn’t some hack-n-slash attempt to build an uber-tool. It’s a well thought out and highly developed part of the KDE desktop.
OK, enough drooling. What’s the top 5 things I like to do with Konq? Read on…
Jon’s Top 5 Konqueror Tricks
- URL Shortcuts: Unlike every other browser on the market, Konq allows you to define your own URLs. So what? Check out the ones Konq ships with. Type gg: dogs into the location field and presto! A Google search for dogs appears. Not good enough? OK, try imdb to do a Internet Movie Database search or froogle to do a Froogle search. There’s hundreds of them and you can invent your own. To see all of the neato URL shortcuts you can use go to Settings -> Configure Konqueror -> Web Shortcuts.
- Extensions: Konq ships with a few useful extensions. Aaron Seigo put me on to this one: The Babel Fish extension. Go to a website that’s written in a language you can’t read and then try Tools -> Translate Webpage -> Select your language. Very cool.
- Profiles: You can set Konq to look and behave like pretty much any kind of animal you want. To go into FTP profile, select Settings -> Load View Profile -> Midnight Commander. Or for that matter, go to Dateimanagement (that may be in German because I run Kanotix - you may see Datamanagement) to turn Konq into a local file manager. Don’t see the profile you’d like? Make your own and then use Settings -> Save Profile [name] -> Press enter or type in a new name to save this layout as a new profile.
- Split Windows: Want the window you’re looking at split into two so you can scroll to different part of them? What are you, on drugs? OK…whatever. Go for it - click Window -> Split View Left/Right or Split View Top/Bottom. Takes a little getting used to, but very cool once you do.
- Mini-tools: Another way to extend Konqueror’s abilities is through the addition of Mini-tools. The Del.icio.us mini-tool is a nice example of how you can add the ablility to throw things into your del.icio.us account with the click of a button. To see what Mini-tools you have or to add new ones, go to Tools -> Mini-Tools.
That’s it - my top 5 tricks. There’s a million and one of the them, though.
You might want to check out the original post to see some tips and tricks that other people have added to the mix.
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POSTED IN: Geeky Fun
7 opinions for 5 Cool Konqueror Tricks.
Jeff
Oct 14, 2005 at 7:28 pm
I liked how you could drag one toolbar into the other toolbar so that they set side by side, allowing for a larger area for viewing content. I say liked because now I can’t get it to do it anymore.
Jon
Oct 15, 2005 at 10:48 am
Good question. Let me look into that!
Geoff
Oct 15, 2005 at 5:32 pm
I tried the trick about splitting the browser window into two (tip 4), but then could not find a way to revert back to one again. Clicking the “Close Tab” button closes both.
Jon
Oct 15, 2005 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for the tip. Sometimes I get so wrapped in how to do something that I forget to tell people how to ‘undo’ it :)
Jon
Oct 15, 2005 at 6:19 pm
Jeff:
Is this what you’re talking about? I’ve moved the Kanotix and klick menu from below the location bar to above it. I did this just by dragging it up there by the little || double lines on the left side of bar.
Geoff
Oct 15, 2005 at 9:00 pm
So…how do you “undo” it?
Jon
Oct 15, 2005 at 10:29 pm
Oh..laugh - I thought you were telling us how to undo it.
To get yourself back into one window if you’ve split them, try this:
At the bottom left of each window is a little light. On the active windowpane that light will be green. Try clicking back and forth between the panes to see the light turn green as you click.
To close a pane, click the one you want to close it so that its light is green. Then click Window -> Close Active View.
That should work.
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