Combining Configurable Button Widgets With Kwin's Shortcuts to Transform Your KDE Experience

Are you a KDE power user? Then you're likely familiar with configurable buttons – one of KDE's most potent widgets. If not, prepare to be amazed! By mastering this technique, you'll streamline your KDE workflow, especially on multi-monitor setups.

My initial foray involved using a configurable button to execute an xrandr command, dynamically adjusting my external monitor's brightness. This eliminated the need to manually run the command in Konsole after each boot. Here's the command:

<code>xrandr --output VGA-1 --gamma .45:.50:.66.</code>

But this is just the beginning. This article demonstrates how to leverage Plasma's qdbus command to trigger any Kwin keyboard shortcut with a single mouse click. You can even chain multiple shortcuts together for complex window management actions. My personal favorite combines three actions: moving a window to the next monitor, expanding it horizontally, and maximizing it vertically – all with one click!

Let's get started. You'll need the Configurable Buttons widget, readily available in the KDE Store. Install it, then add the widget to your desktop.

The qdbus commands, courtesy of Luis Bocanegra from KDE Discuss, are key. This command lists all available Kwin shortcuts:

<code>qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.shortcutNames</code>

Run this in Konsole, copy the output, and save it for future reference.

To trigger a shortcut, use this template, replacing "Shortcut Name" with the actual shortcut name from the previous command:

<code>qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Shortcut Name";0</code>

The ;0 at the end is recommended. Paste this entire command into a configurable button widget.

Next, identify the Kwin shortcuts you want to map. Choosing icons can be time-consuming; I utilize the "actions" icon set. Searching for keywords like "go" or "move" can help. (See example screenshot using "GO" to find arrow icons for horizontal window movement).

Here are some examples of commands I use:

<code># Two-fer: Grow horizontally, then maximize vertically
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Grow Horizontal";qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Maximize Vertical";0

# Other useful commands:
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window to Next Screen"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Maximize"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Maximize Vertical"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Shade"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Quick Tile Left"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Quick Tile Right"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Minimize"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window Grow Horizontal"; exit 0
qdbus org.kde.kglobalaccel /component/kwin org.kde.kglobalaccel.Component.invokeShortcut "Window No Border"; exit 0</code>

Remember, window behavior varies across applications, especially with WINE. Experiment, refine your button collection, and enjoy a significantly enhanced window management experience! For consistent results, position windows initially, then use the buttons to fine-tune their placement.

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