[kde-linux] Debian 5.0, KDE: getting konqueror to open links from kmail in the background (and not interfere with other behaviors)

[James Richard Tyrer]

Randy Kramer wrote:
> This question doesn't go into detail on all the things I've tried so 
> far--I have googled, experimented, and read documentation but haven't 
> found anything that resolves this for me.  I thought I'd try to ask it 
> generally before trying to get more specific.
> 
> Here's the problem:
> 
> On Mandriva2006, KDE behaved as follows:
>    * on pressing <alt><F2>, regardless of the location of the mouse, 
> focus was shifted to the "Run Command" popup and I could type into the 
> combo box
>    * all popup dialogs on konqueror or other things (like the KDE 
> control center) like those requesting me to type in the root password 
> appeared on top of the application it was called from
>    * in kmail, and with an instance of konqueror open on the same 
> desktop, if I click on a link in an email, it is opened in a new tab in 
> the open instance of konqueror (usually anyway--maybe there is some 
> limit to the number of tabs that will be opened that way before a new 
> instance of konqueror is started), and *konqueror remains in the 
> background*.
> 
> To the best of my recollection, I did not have to do anything in the way 
> of tweaking KDE, konqueror, or kmail configuration settings to get that 
> behavior.
> 
> In Debian 5.0, the behavior is different, and none of the options I've 
> tried have let me get the same behavior.  As installed, the first two 
> items behave the same, but clicking a link in kmail causes konqueror to 
> open the link in the foreground.  
> 
> (Aside: And, initially, as a new instance of konqueror instead of a tab, 
> but I quickly found the konqueror settings to have external links 
> opened as a tab in the background:
> 
>    * Open links in new tab instead of in new window
>    * Advanced: Open new tabs in the background
>    * Advanced: Open popups in new tab instead of in new window
>    * Advanced: Open as tab in existing konqueror when URL is called 
> externally
> )
> 
> If I start to fool around to change the behavior, primarily with the 
> Configure Window Behavior -> Advanced -> Focused stealing prevention 
> level:  like changing it from low to normal or high, I eventually get 
> to the point where konqueror will open links clicked in kmail (in tabs) 
> in the background, but at that point, authorization dialogs open in the 
> background and the Run Command dialog (from <alt><F2>) doesn't open 
> with the focus unless the mouse pointer happens to be within the 
> boundaries of the dialog when it opens.
> 
> My first question is--does anybody have it working the way I prefer 
> (i.e., as it did in Mandriva2006) under any of:
> 
>    * Debian 5.0
>    * KDE 3.5.10--I should point out that Debian 5.0 is sort of a hybrid 
> somehow of 3.5.10 and 3.5.9--I can't explain what all that means,  
> kmail is 1.9.9 and konqueror is 3.5.9
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Randy Kramer

The command is:

	kfmclient newTab <URL>

However, this will only open it in an instance of Konqueror on the same 
desktop.  Unfortunately, you can not specify a Profile with this command.

See:

	kfmclient --commands

Then there is the command:

	kstart --desktop <number> <command>

See:

	kstart --help

that you can use to select a desktop.

The problem is that they don't work together.  This is probably a bug, 
but the command:

  	kstart --desktop 4 kfmclient newTab <URL>

will not do what you would expect.

-- 
JRT

Linux (mostly) From Scratch