[lug] KFM

[Alan Robertson]

Alan wrote:
> 
> I am learning Linux via Mandrake 6.5.  I have installed the KDE desktop and
> was reading about the file manager KFM.  I found it, started it
> (/usr/bin/kfm) and used it for a few minutes.  I then stopped it and tried
> to restart it later, only to get a message that says 'KFM is already
> running'.  It was nowhere I could see on the desktop, even minimized.  I ran
> ps -a and there it was with the other processes.  I issued a kill command
> for the KFM process, whereupon all the icons on the desktop disappeared.
> After rebooting everthing is back, but I still can't get the KFM window up
> on the desktop because it is 'already running'.  So I have some questions:
> -Why could I see it on the desktop the first time I started it, but never
> again?
> -How do I get it to start visibly so I can use it?
> -Why did the icons all disappear when I killed the KFM process?

KFM and GMC both take their clues here from the MS file manager (explorer).

The desktop icons are displayed by an active, running version of KFM. 
Killing kfm means theres no one displaying them any more.  So, they go away.

To make kfm (which is already running) display a window manager screen, you
can double-click on any of the folder icons on your desktop.

OK?

	-- Alan Robertson
	   alanr at suse.com