Konqueror

Last updated
Konqueror
Developer(s) KDE
Initial release23 October 2000;23 years ago (2000-10-23)
Stable release
23.08.3 [1]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 9 November 2023;5 months ago (9 November 2023)
Preview release
21.11.90 [2]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 25 November 2021;2 years ago (25 November 2021)
Repository
Written in C++ (Qt)
Engines WebKit, KHTML, Qt WebEngine (Chromium)
Operating system Unix-like
Type Web browser, file browser
License GPL-2.0-or-later
Website apps.kde.org/konqueror/   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Konqueror is a free and open-source web browser and file manager that provides web access and file-viewer functionality for file systems (such as local files, files on a remote FTP server and files in a disk image). It forms a core part of the KDE Software Compilation. Developed by volunteers, Konqueror can run on most Unix-like operating systems. The KDE community licenses and distributes Konqueror under GNU GPL-2.0-or-later.

Contents

The name "Konqueror" references the two primary competitors at the time of the browser's first release: "first comes the Navigator, then Explorer, and then the Konqueror". [3] It also follows the KDE naming convention: the names of most KDE programs begin with the letter K. [4]

Konqueror first appeared with version 2 of KDE on October 23, 2000. [5] It replaced its predecessor, KFM (KDE file manager). [6] With the release of KDE 4 in 2008, the functionalities of web browser and file manager were separated: Dolphin replaced Konqueror as the default KDE file manager, while the KDE community continues to maintain Konqueror as the default KDE web browser.

Major supported protocols

Konqueror can utilize all KIOslaves installed on the user's system. Some examples include:

A complete list is available in the KDE Info Center's Protocols section.

User interface

Konqueror supports tabbed document interface and Split views, wherein a window can contain multiple documents in tabs. Multiple document interfaces are not supported, however it is possible to recursively divide a window to view multiple documents simultaneously, or simply open another window.

Konqueror's user interface is somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, though it is more customizable. It works extensively with "panels", which can be rearranged or added. For example, one could have an Internet bookmarks panel on the left side of the browser window, and by clicking a bookmark, the respective web page would be viewed in the larger panel to the right. Alternatively, one could display a hierarchical list of folders in one panel and the content of the selected folder in another. Panels are quite flexible and can even include, among other KParts (components), a console window, a text editor, and a media player. Panel configurations can be saved, and there are some default configurations. (For example, "Midnight Commander" displays a screen split into two panels, where each one contains a folder, Web site, or file view.)

Navigation functions (back, forward, history, etc.) are available during all operations. Most keyboard shortcuts can be remapped using a graphical configuration, and navigation can be conducted through an assignment of letters to nodes on the active file by pressing the control key. The address bar has extensive autocompletion support for local directories, past URLs, and past search terms.

Web browser

Konqueror specifications Konqueror 20.12.2 specifications screenshot.png
Konqueror specifications

Konqueror has been developed as an autonomous web browser project. It uses KHTML as its browser engine, which is compliant with HTML and supports JavaScript, Java applets, CSS, SSL, and other relevant open standards. An alternative layout engine, kwebkitpart, is available from the Extragear. [7]

While KHTML is the default web-rendering engine, Konqueror is a modular application and other rendering engines are available. In particular, the WebKitPart component using the KHTML-derived WebKit engine has seen a lot of support in the KDE 4 series. However, the KHTML rendering backend contains unique features, such as the ability to save a full archive of any given webpage into a single file with the ".war" extension.

Konqueror integrates several customizable search services which can be accessed by entering the service's abbreviation code (for example, gg: for Google, or wp: for Wikipedia) followed by the search term(s). One can add their own search service; for instance, to retrieve English Wikipedia articles, a shortcut may be added with the URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=\{@}&go=Go.

KHTML's rendering speed is on par with that of competing browsers, but sites with customized JavaScript are often problematic due to KHTML's much smaller mind- and market-share, resulting in fewer JavaScript features built into the JS engine.

Kubuntu's 10.10 Maverick Meerkat release switched the default browser from Konqueror to rekonq, as well as a Firefox installer being added. [8] Kubuntu subsequently switched from rekonq to Firefox, with the release of 14.04 Trusty Tahr. [9]

File manager

Konqueror also allows browsing the local directory hierarchy—either by entering locations in the address bar, or by selecting items in the file browser window. It allows browsing in different views, which differ in their usage of icons and layout. Files can also be executed, viewed, copied, moved, and deleted.

The user can also open an embedded version of Konsole, via KDE's KParts technology, in which they can directly execute shell commands. In addition to the Konsole KPart, Konqueror can also use a Filelight KPart, to view a radial diagram of the user's filesystem.

Although this functionality has not been removed from Konqueror, as of KDE 4, Dolphin has replaced Konqueror as the default file manager. Dolphin can – like Konqueror – divide each window or tab into multiple panes. Konqueror makes more powerful use of this feature, allowing as many vertically and horizontally divided panes as desired. Each can link to different content or even remote locations, so that Konqueror becomes a powerful graphical tool to manage content on multiple servers all in one window, "dragging and dropping" files between locations.

File viewer

Using the KParts object model, Konqueror executes components that are capable of viewing (and sometimes editing) specific filetypes and embeds their client area directly into the Konqueror panel in which the respective files have been opened. This makes it possible to, for example, view an OpenDocument (via Calligra) or PDF document directly within Konqueror. Any application that implements the KParts model correctly can be embedded in this fashion.

KParts can also be used to embed certain types of multimedia content into HTML pages; for example, the KMPlayer KPart enables Konqueror to show embedded video on web pages.

KIO

In addition to browsing files and websites, Konqueror utilizes KIO plugins to extend its capabilities well beyond those of other browsers and file managers. It uses components of KIO, the KDE I/O plugin system, to access different protocols such as HTTP and FTP (support for these is built-in), WebDAV, SMB (Windows shares), SFTP and FISH (a handy replacement to the latter when the SFTP subsystem is disabled on the remote host).

Similarly, Konqueror can use KIO plugins (called IOslaves) to access ZIP files and other archives, to process ed2k links (edonkey/emule), or even to browse audio CDs, ("audiocd:/") and rip them via drag-and-drop. Likewise, the "man:" and "info:" IOslaves can be used to fetch man and info formatted documentation.

Konqueror Embedded

Konqueror Embedded on a Linux PDA Konqueror-x11-embedded-linux.png
Konqueror Embedded on a Linux PDA

An embedded systems version, Konqueror Embedded was previously available. Unlike the full version of Konqueror, Embedded Konqueror is purely a web browser. It does not require KDE or even the X window system. A single static library, it is designed to be as small as possible, while providing all necessary functions of a web browser, such as support for HTML 4, CSS, JavaScript, cookies, and SSL. [10]

As of June 2019, this project's page on the KDE website has been taken down. [11]

Download manager

KGet
Initial releaseMay 26, 2002;21 years ago (2002-05-26) [12]
Stable release
22.12.0 [13]   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg / 8 December 2022;16 months ago (8 December 2022)
Repository invent.kde.org/network/kget
Engine
  • WebKit
  • KHTML
OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Type Download manager
License GPL-2.0-or-later
Website apps.kde.org/en/kget

KGet is a free download manager for KDE and is the default download manager for Konqueror. It is part of the KDE Network package. By default, it is the download manager used for Konqueror, but can also be used with Mozilla Firefox and Chromium-based web browsers [14] [15] as well as rekonq. KGet was featured by Tux Magazine [16] and Free Software Magazine . [17]

History

On KDE 3, KGet 0.8.x, 1 supported HTTP/FTP download. [18] On KDE Software Compilation 4, KGet 2 was released; it supported bandwidth throttling segmentation, multi-threading, and the BitTorrent protocol. [17]

Features

See also

Related Research Articles

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard communication protocol used for the transfer of computer files from a server to a client on a computer network. FTP is built on a client–server model architecture using separate control and data connections between the client and the server. FTP users may authenticate themselves with a plain-text sign-in protocol, normally in the form of a username and password, but can connect anonymously if the server is configured to allow it. For secure transmission that protects the username and password, and encrypts the content, FTP is often secured with SSL/TLS (FTPS) or replaced with SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHTML</span> Discontinued web browser engine

KHTML is a discontinued browser engine that was developed by the KDE project. It originated as the engine of the Konqueror browser in the late 1990s, but active development ceased in 2016. It was officially discontinued in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIO</span> System library

KIO is a system library incorporated into KDE Frameworks and KDE Software Compilation 4. It provides access to files, web sites and other resources through a single consistent API. Applications, such as Konqueror and Dolphin, which are written using this framework, can operate on files stored on remote servers in exactly the same way as they operate on those stored locally, effectively making KDE network-transparent. This allows for an application like Konqueror to be both a file manager as well as a web browser.

WebKit is a browser engine developed by Apple and primarily used in its Safari web browser, as well as all web browsers on iOS and iPadOS. WebKit is also used by the PlayStation consoles starting with the PS3, the Tizen mobile operating systems, the Amazon Kindle e-book reader, Nintendo consoles starting with the 3DS Internet Browser, and the discontinued BlackBerry Browser. WebKit's C++ application programming interface (API) provides a set of classes to display Web content in windows, and implements browser features such as following links when clicked by the user, managing a back-forward list, and managing a history of pages recently visited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate (text editor)</span> Text editor

The KDE Advanced Text Editor, or Kate, is a source code editor developed by the KDE free software community. It has been a part of KDE Software Compilation since version 2.2, which was first released in 2001. Intended for software developers, it features syntax highlighting, code folding, customizable layouts, multiple cursors and selections, regular expression support, and extensibility via plugins. The text editor's mascot is Kate the Cyber Woodpecker.

This is a comparison of both historical and current web browsers based on developer, engine, platform(s), releases, license, and cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krusader</span> Dual-pane file manager for KDE desktop environment

Krusader is an advanced orthodox file manager for KDE and other desktops in the Unix world. It is similar to the console-based GNU Midnight Commander, GNOME Commander for the GNOME desktop environment, or Total Commander for Windows, all of which can trace their paradigmatic features to the original Norton Commander for DOS. It supports extensive archive handling, mounted filesystem support, FTP, advanced search, viewer/editor, directory synchronisation, file content comparisons, batch renaming, etc.

Mozilla Firefox has features which distinguish it from other web browsers, such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of notable file managers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDE Software Compilation 4</span> Software

KDE Software Compilation 4 was the only series of the so-called KDE Software Compilation, first released in January 2008 and the last release being 4.14.3 released in November 2014. It was the follow-up to K Desktop Environment 3. Following KDE SC 4, the compilation was broken up into basic framework libraries, desktop environment and applications, which are termed KDE Frameworks 5, KDE Plasma 5 and KDE Applications, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDE Platform 4</span> Collection of software libraries and frameworks

KDE Platform 4 was a collection of libraries and software frameworks by KDE that served as technological foundation for KDE Software Compilation 4 distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL). KDE Platform 4 was the successor to KDElibs and the predecessor of KDE Frameworks. KDE Platform 4 is the only version of KDE Platform, and in 2013 it was replaced by KDE Frameworks 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolphin (file manager)</span> File manager for KDE desktop environment

Dolphin is a free and open source file manager included in the KDE Applications bundle. Dolphin became the default file manager of the KDE Plasma desktop environments in the fourth iteration, termed KDE Software Compilation 4. It can also be optionally installed on K Desktop Environment 3. It replaces Konqueror as the default file manager for KDE SC 4, but Konqueror can still be used as an alternative file manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K Desktop Environment 3</span> Free software

K Desktop Environment 3 is the third series of releases of the K Desktop Environment. There are six major releases in this series. After the release of KDE 4, version 3.5 was forked into the Trinity Desktop Environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K Desktop Environment 2</span> Free software

K Desktop Environment 2 was the second series of releases of the K Desktop Environment. There were three major releases in this series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firefox 4</span> Firefox browser released in 2011

Mozilla Firefox 4 is a version of the Firefox web browser, released on March 22, 2011. The first beta was made available on July 6, 2010; Release Candidate 2 was released on March 18, 2011. It was codenamed Tumucumaque, and was Firefox's last large release cycle. The Mozilla team planned smaller and quicker releases following other browser vendors. The primary goals for this version included improvements in performance, standards support, and user interface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDE Gear</span> Set of applications and supporting libraries

The KDE Gear is a set of applications and supporting libraries that are developed by the KDE community, primarily used on Linux-based operating systems but mostly multiplatform, and released on a common release schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDE Projects</span>

KDE Projects are projects maintained by the KDE community, a group of people developing and advocating free software for everyday use, for example KDE Plasma and KDE Frameworks or applications such as Amarok, Krita or Digikam. There are also non-coding projects like designing the Breeze desktop theme and iconset, which is coordinated by KDE's Visual Design Group. Even non-Qt applications like GCompris, which started as a GTK-based application, or web-based projects like WikiToLearn are officially part of KDE.

References

  1. ↑ "Konqueror - KDE Applications".
  2. ↑ "v21.11.90 · Tags · Network / Konqueror · GitLab".
  3. ↑ Compare: "Konqueror FAQ". konqueror.org. Retrieved 2017-08-23. Where does the name Konqueror come from? [...] It's a word play on the other browsers' names. After the Navigator and the Explorer comes the Conqueror; it's spelled with a K to show that it's part of KDE. The name change also moves away from "kfm" (the KDE file manager, Konqueror's predecessor) which represented only file management.
  4. ↑ K Desktop Environment (KDE) Archived 2007-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ K Desktop Environment - KDE 2.0 Release Announcement
  6. ↑ "Konqueror - Konqueror FAQ". Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  7. ↑ "Projects/WebKit/Part - KDE TechBase". KDE TechBase. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  8. ↑ Laishram, Ricky. "Rekonq To Be The Default Web Browser In Kubuntu 10.10". Techie Buzz. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "Kubuntu 14.04 LTS". Kubuntu.org. Archived from the original on 11 November 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Hausmann, Simon (2001-09-01). "Konqueror/Embedded: An Open-Source Web Browser For EmbeddedLinux Systems". Linux Journal . Slashdot Media. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  11. ↑ Konqueror - Konqueror Embedded at the Wayback Machine (archived 2019-06-19)
  12. ↑ "KGET Advanced Download Manage". SourceForge. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  13. ↑ "Releases 22.12.0 2022-12-08" . Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Upfold, Peter (July 23, 2008). "Using KGet Download Manager with Firefox". FOSSwire. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  15. ↑ Guilloux, Nicolas (2020-01-26). "KGet-Integrator". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  16. ↑ "Simplify Downloads With Kget". TUX Magazine. 2005-03-29. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  17. 1 2 Richmond, Gary (2007-10-08). "Managing and configuring downloads with KGet". Free Software Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  18. ↑ Marinof, Mihai (9 October 2006). "KGet Review". Softpedia. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  19. ↑ "'Multi segment KIO' is available by default in KGet".
  20. ↑ "Question: I want to download 1 file, but open, let's say, 8 connections for that file to a faster download".
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