Version 7 of KDE

Updated 2003-08-27 14:41:40

KDE [L1 ] is a desktop environment that works with many platforms. It uses the Qt toolkit by Trolltech [L2 ]


Tk_Theme [L3 ] is an extension that provides a -kdesystray option that allows you to write applications that use the KDE system tray.

 [TODO write about the Tk extension that makes Tk use the Qt colors]

recently on comp.lang.tcl someone mentioned http://www.mosfet.org/liquid.html which appears to be some sort of theming engine for KDE. They were asking about a Tk like extension based on it.


TV '(aug 27 2003)' There is also a port on

   http://kde-cygwin.sourceforge.net/

To run the KDE environment on XFree86 on cygwin, which are both free (though bulky) packages for (ms) windows. Because KDE is X based, one can play around with window managers, such as I did here, where KDE runs its menus and even a web browser and the windows are managed by wmaker, which is supplied with cygwin, and is a gnu (re-) implementation of NeXTSTEP.

http://195.241.128.75/Wiki/screenwmkde2.jpg

(I put on a png version, but it took 600+k, the server I can luckily run won't like that, or at least the inet link, so this is a bit degraded but decently sized jpg)

First, you must have cygwin:

   http://www.cygwin.com/

Download setup, run it, select at least the basic XFree86 packages (or all if you don't know what that means) get your DSL or T1 or what gives you enough bandwidth, and wait for the install to complete. I used it on most versions of windows, it should be fine.

Download KDE, (I only used the biggest file on the sourceforge distribution, yet) run it, it installs pretty much itself, though for the cygwin users, keep an eye on what happens to PATH variables, and possible use 'regedit' and search for and go over all 'cygwin' entries (few dozen only) to make sure or correct.

Start kde (it creates an icon on the desktop), which should work out of the box (it did for me), and wait till the whole KDE thing takes of, sort of like on linux.

Now open a terminal, (shell button in the kde task bar), and use ps to figure out which process id is 'kwin', and 'kill (that pid)' it. Now type (the window borders shrink, but the shell should still be there, fixed in place): wmaker &, that should give you the above setup, minus all the adjustable stuff, the background, types of borders, colours, which can be adjusted in openstep.

What is the point for tcl/tk? Well, if you like the kde (or as I, the wmaker with added webbrowser and more) feel, you can run tcl in it, and develop tk sources.

A much better point is that I compiled tcl/tk 8.4 something to run on windows but with X based UI, which makes a perfect team with the above. Page will follow. I'll make the bins or instructions available. Basically you need cygwin, and compile the linux version.


See http://www.ue.eti.pg.gda.pl/tcl/Ktk.html for an article on Writing KDE Applications using Tcl/Tk.


See http://users.rcn.com/mghall/tcltk/tcltk.html , where there are various extensions, include one which invokes KDE dialogs for various Tk commands.

Has anyone seen the book:

  • Title: KDE Application Development (MTP OTHER)
  • Author: Uwe Thiem
  • Textbook Binding: 189 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.53 x 8.99 x 6.04
  • Publisher: Que; 1st edition (December 9, 1999)
  • ISBN: 1578702011

Google tied tcl and tk references to this book...


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