The KNotes Handbook

The KNotes Handbook

Fabian Dal Santo

Greg M. Holmes

Reviewer: Lauri Watts
Revision 5.3.40 (Applications 16.08) (2016-07-28)

KNotes is a sticky notes application for the desktop.


Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 1. Introduction

KNotes is a program that lets you write the computer equivalent of sticky notes. The notes are saved automatically when you exit the program, and they display when you open the program.

You may print and mail your notes if you configure KNotes to use helper applications.

Display features of notes such as color and font may be customized for each note. You may also customize the defaults.

After starting KNotes for the first time you will have a resource installed that saves all notes in a maildir folder under notes in $(qtpaths --paths GenericDataLocation).

Chapter 2. Using KNotes

Chapter 2. Using KNotes

Creating a new note:

To create a new note right mouse button click on the KNotes tray icon and select New Note.

You can create a new note containing the contents of the clipboard by selecting New Note From Clipboard or use New Note From Text File.

Now a dialog will appear which allows you to select a folder to save your note:

Select Notes Folder

Select a default folder here to skip this dialog creating new notes.

Writing your note:

To write your note, simply type the note in the space provided. Normal keyboard and mouse editing functions are supported. Right clicking in the editing space provides the following menu options:

  • Undo (Ctrl+Z)

  • Redo (Ctrl+Shift+Z)

  • Cut (Ctrl+X)

  • Copy (Ctrl+C)

  • Paste (Ctrl+V)

  • Delete

  • Clear

  • Select All (Ctrl+A)

  • Check Spelling

  • Auto Spell Check

  • Allow Tabulations

  • Find (Ctrl+F)

  • Find Next (F3)

  • Replace (Ctrl+R)

  • Speak Text

  • Insert Date

  • Insert Checkmark

Text may be selected by holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse, or by holding down the Shift key and using the arrow keys.

Inserting the date:

To insert the current date in the note use the context menu of the editing space and select Insert Date.

The current date and time will be inserted at the cursor position in the text of the note.

Renaming a note:

To rename a note right mouse button click on the note titlebar and select Rename....

Type the new name of the note in the dialog that appears. To accept the new name, press the OK button. To exit the dialog without renaming the note, press the Cancel button.

Mailing a note:

To mail a note right mouse button click on the note titlebar and select Mail....

What happens next depends on how you configured the Mail action in the Settings dialog.

Printing a note:

To print a note right mouse button click on the note titlebar and select Print (Ctrl+P).

A standard KDE print dialog will open.

Deleting a note:

To delete a note right mouse button click on the note titlebar and select Delete.

Hiding a note:

To hide a note, click the X in the upper right corner of the titlebar of the note or select Hide (Esc) in the context menu. The note will no longer be displayed on the screen. The note itself will not be deleted.

Setting an alarm:

Select Set Alarm in the context menu of the note titlebar. Check Alarm at in the next dialog and adjust the date and time for the reminder. At alarm time a popup window will be displayed and list all notes with the actual alarm date.

Sending a note:

To send a note to an other computer select Send... in the context menu of the note titlebar. Add a hostname or ip or choose a recipient from the list of previously sent notes. If the recipients has enabled incoming notes, the note will appear on his screen, indicating the sender id in the titlebar.

Locking a note:

To prevent accidental changes in a note select Lock in the context menu of the note titlebar.

Saving a note:

To save a note select Save As... in the context menu of the note titlebar. The note can be saved as a plain text file or in HTML format, if Rich text is enabled.

Displaying notes:

When you start KNotes, all notes are hidden. If you want to display them, left mouse button on the KNotes panel icon and select the note you wish to display.

Searching in all notes:

Click with the right mouse button on the panel icon and select Find (Ctrl+F) in the context menu.

A standard KDE dialog will open where you enter the text to be searched for in all notes.

Desktop functions:

To send a note to a specific desktop, right mouse button click on the title bar of the note and select To Desktop. Choose the desktop desired, or alternatively, All Desktops

To make the note remain on top of other windows right mouse button click on the titlebar of the note and select Keep Above Others.

To return the note to more normal window behavior, select Keep Below Others.

Quitting KNotes

To quit KNotes right mouse button click on the panel icon and select Quit.

Chapter 3. Configuration

Chapter 3. Configuration

Configuring KNotes Default Settings

To configure KNotes right mouse button click on the panel icon. Select Configure KNotes... The KNotes KNotes Settings dialog will open.

The Display Section

Text color:

The color square shows the current text color. By clicking this color square you open the standard KDE color selection dialog.

Background color:

The color square shows the current background color. By clicking this color square you open the standard KDE color selection dialog.

Default width:

The width of the note in pixels. Edit this number as desired.

Default height:

The height of the note in pixels. Edit this number as desired.

Show note in taskbar

By default, KNotes notes do not show an entry in the taskbar for each note. If you prefer they do so, enable this option.

Remember desktop

If you use several virtual desktops and this option is selected, notes will appear only on the specific desktop.

The Editor Section

Tab Size

This is the size of the indent produced by the Tab key in spaces. Edit this number as desired.

Auto Indent

This is a check box. If selected, auto-indenting is on.

Rich text

Check this option to have a format toolbar at the bottom of any note window.

Title font:

You can change the font used for the title of your notes.

Click Choose... to open the standard KDE font selection dialog.

Text font

You can change the font used for the text of your notes.

Click Choose... to open the standard KDE font selection dialog.

The Actions Section

Mail action

Type a mail command and any required command line switches in this box.

By using %f in the command line you can pass the plain text of the note and by using %t the title of the note to the mail command.

The Network Section

Accept incoming notes

Enable this option to allow receiving notes from other computers.

Sender ID

The id will be shown in the note title together with the original title, hostname or ip and date of sending.

Port

The port used for sending the notes via the network, default is 24837.

The Print Section

Theme

The theme used to print the note.

The Collections Section

Folders

On this tab you can select which folders are shown activating the checkbox in front of folders, change the default saving folder and add subfolders for notes.

Accounts

On this tab you can edit the local maildir folders to be used for notes.

The Misc Section

Misc settings

Enable to display the number of notes in the tray icon

To customize the default title you can use %d for current date in short format, %I for current date in long format and %t for current time.

Customizing a Single Note Display

Customizing a Single Note Display

You can customize each note independently of the global settings. The settings you can customize are identical to those described in the Configuration section, but they will apply only to the note you are changing. Any other open notes, and any new notes you create, will use the default settings.

To customize a single note display right mouse button click on the note title bar and select Preferences....

A dialog with the Display Settings and Editor Settings pages will open, allowing you to configure the note.

Chapter 4. Credits and License

Chapter 4. Credits and License

KNotes

Program copyright 1997 Bernd Wuebben

Contributors:

  • Wynn Wilkes

Documentation copyright 2000 Greg M. Holmes

Documentation updated 2001 by Fabian Del Santo and 2003 by Lauri Watts .

This documentation is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

This program is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.