Keyboard shortcuts in KDE4

[Duncan]

Sven posted on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:40:40 +0100 as excerpted:

> In my KDE 3.5 I access the KDE menu by pressing <alt> F1 then I can
> navigate the menu selecting programs using the arrow keys.
> 
> Is this possible in KDE4 ? I manage to open the K menu when pressing
> <ctrl> <esc> (I think) for several seconds but then need to grab the
> mouse for navigating.

It is indeed possible.

The thing is, in kde4, there's at least three possible kmenu alternatives, 
kickoff, lancelot, and classic, which work slightly differently.  
Meanwhile, they and other widgets found on the panels and desktop 
activities are called plasmoids, in keeping with the name of the desktop 
app, plasma.

Any plasmoid can have a hotkey associated with it.  Context-click on it 
(normally right click) and select settings for that plasmoid.  One of the 
sections (some have only one, some have more) should be keyboard 
shortcut.  Set that, and you should be able to access the plasmoid 
globally using that shortcut.

The below status is with 4.4.1 as installed here:

The default menu plasmoid is kickoff.  Using my assigned shortcut key 
indeed pops it up, with the cursor focus in the search box.  I am indeed 
able to use the arrows and enter key for navigation.

I don't have lancelot installed ATM so can't try it.

The classic menu seems to have a bug.  If I activate it with the mouse, 
arrow navigation works.  If I activate it with the hotkey, focus returns 
to the app I was in, and the arrow keys do nothing.  Unfortunately, that 
means keyboard-only activation and navigation is impossible -- it can be
/activated/ with the keyboard, but then at least one mouse click is 
required to refocus the menu, or activated by mouse and then /navigated/ 
with the keyboard, but it doesn't appear possible to both activate and 
navigate it with the keyboard, without at least one mouse click to focus 
on the menu.

I'm unaware if this bug has been filed.  Perhaps someone else will look it 
up and see.  Meanwhile, kickoff is the default menu.  Perhaps you can use 
it instead?  At least here, activation and navigation /do/ both work with 
it.  And I assume they work with lancelot as well, tho I've not verified 
it as I decided not to install it at the last upgrade.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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