A desktop command-line widget
Controlling Music Players
When a music player designed for KDE is open, like Amarok or Clementine, you can use KRunner to control it. Entering the name of an artist, album, or song will add the result to the end of the current search, while play SONG search
will play the result immediately. When a song is selected, you can also use the commands play
, pause
, skip
, or next
.
Computer Management
From KRunner, you can go directly to a section of System Settings. As well, KRunner can be used to enter the usual shutdown controls: sleep
, lock
, restart
, and shutdown
. In addition, screen brightness PERCENTAGE
will adjust the monitor screen.
Limitations
KRunner is not a complete replacement for all aspects of Plasma. It is meant to perform a single operation and then close. It is not suitable, for instance, for compiling binary code, because you would want to see all the messages while building. The only solution I have found is to create a new Activity and leave it unpopulated so that typing with the Activity open automatically opens KRunner. Just as annoying, the documentation appears incomplete and is occasionally outdated, perhaps because of a lack of communication between the KRunner maintainers and other applications. Still another weakness is that KRunner is designed to work with standard Plasma applications and will not work as intended if you prefer other applications.
Yet despite these limitations, if you take the time to learn the parts of KRunner that fit with your workflow and work with your preferred apps, KRunner is often faster than the desktop. It is also more ergonomic and can save you hundreds of mouse clicks per day – proof once again that the command line can sometimes be mightier than a graphical interface.
Infos
- KRunner: https://docs.kde.org/trunk5/en/plasma-desktop/plasma-desktop/krunner.html
- Supported calculator functions: http://qalculate.github.io/manual/qalculate-definitions-functions.html
« Previous 1 2 3
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
OSJH and LPI Release 2024 Open Source Pros Job Survey Results
See what open source professionals look for in a new role.
-
Proton 9.0-1 Released to Improve Gaming with Steam
The latest release of Proton 9 adds several improvements and fixes an issue that has been problematic for Linux users.
-
So Long Neofetch and Thanks for the Info
Today is a day that every Linux user who enjoys bragging about their system(s) will mourn, as Neofetch has come to an end.
-
Ubuntu 24.04 Comes with a “Flaw"
If you're thinking you might want to upgrade from your current Ubuntu release to the latest, there's something you might want to consider before doing so.
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.