I sincerely want you to have an easy time migrating from Windows to Linux. I still maintain that OpenSUSE is the shortest path of migration for Windows users, even more than Kubuntu. That’s because with the YaST configuration tool, there is almost nothing you can’t configure with a nice GUI tool. I sincerely believe Linux will offer more freedom of control regardless which brand you choose, but SUSE is about as close as you can get without learning everything from scratch.
Note: By default, everything in KDE is one-click. There is little use for double-clicking. Because of this, in most file dialogues, you have the option to click the upper left of the icon field and add it to the next action, or subtract it. Clicking anywhere else on the icon and it activates/launches.
It’s possible the default desktop will be fine for you. However, you should be aware that SUSE tends to lock stuff down in the sense of saving you from what you don’t know. So that sexy black theme with the transparent taskbar (actually called the Panel) at the bottom of the screen can’t be adjusted much. For example, you can’t move it to another margin of the screen. And the default KDE menu is altogether annoying to someone who has some idea what’s on the system.
One of the first things I do is find and click on the “Configure Desktop” menu item. First, take notice of the back button on the upper left — “Overview” is grayed out, but becomes active when you zero in on any of the items. That’s how you come back out to the overview.
In the top row, the second item is “Application Appearance.” Take a look at the items in the left vertical pane. You might want to select a different widget style. I prefer Cleanlooks. Next item down is color; I’m not a fan of green and black, so I chose Steel and made some adjustments to darken everything. You can work that out for yourself. Under “Fonts” I had added a bunch of Windows fonts and used them for some parts of the interface. I also enabled the anti-aliasing and under the “Configure” button I set it to full hinting.
Back in the main overview window, second row and second item is “Workspace Appearance.” Again, the left vertical pane is your cues. For decorations, I chose Plastik. The really big change is the “Desktop Theme.” Pick almost anything except “openSUSE” and you regain the freedom to change things around a bit. Back in the overview, the same row and last item is “Workspace Behavior” — poke around and you can disable that annoying business of maximizing the window when you bump the top of the screen with it.
Back in the overview window, it was the fifth line down where you find a place to add your own fonts: “Font Management.” In the left pane select “Personal fonts” and then hit the Add button at the bottom. From there, navigate to wherever you have your font collection. Pick your fonts and add them to your usable collection. Get used to that file manager window; you’ll see it a lot. It should be about as self-explanatory as the one for Win7.
Most everything else in this settings panel is fairly self-explanatory, but comes with things you’ll never see in Windows, so be warned. Ask questions. One of the biggest changes for Windows users is multiple virtual desktops. On that Panel next to the menu button is a small icon showing two rounded rectangles stacked vertically. Right-click on that and you can change things, including how many virtual desktops you can have. I use four most of the time, and I hate having them stacked. You can change the arrangement in the dialog under “Virtual Desktops.”
I never have any use for the “Activities” and always remove it. Again, right-click to see the options. You can also select “Panel Options” and get a chance to add or change some of what’s on the panel. I hate the default menu, so I remove that add back the old simplified one featured next to it in the list that displays when you select “Add Widgets.” You can play with them. Click on the widget and drag it where you want it on the panel, then let it go. You might need to play with it to make it work.
I usually change the clock display. You can add all kinds of system monitoring stuff. One of the bad things is how little you can do with them in some cases. They don’t all do very much that’s useful. On the other hand, Linux is notorious for having way too many options in general, and KDE is far more complex and confusing than the Windows desktop.
Under Panel Options you can select “Panel Setting” and get a chance to move the panel or change it’s width. Once you have everything the way you like it, I would recommend you select “Lock Widgets” to prevent accidental changes. If you need to make intentional chances, you have to select “Unlock Widgets” first.
Finally, I really hate having that folder window sitting on the desktop background. Right-click on the background and select the option at the bottom; the name of it changes with what you do next. It opens a dialog and I always preferred the “Folder View” because it allows dropping icons directly on the desktop the way it works in Windows. Then I remove some of the default icons and add my own, dragging them out from the menu. First time around you’ll have to tell the system you trust the icon. After that it works fine.
Post queries or additional items you think would surprise a Windows user. Let’s make this easy for folks migrating.
You can adjust the panel however you want and create as many panels as you want. Click the cashew on the far right and you’ll have options to resize it, move it, add widgets, and do whatever else you want to it.
At the time I was testing it, the default panel when the desktop first comes up was uncooperative. Opening the configuration options still would not allow me to move the panel. I had to change the desktop theme away from the OpenSUSE default to move it.