# The window manager

The default window manager provided by &kde; is the K Window Manager (&kwin;). Please read The K Window Manager Handbook (which should be accessible from the &kde; Help Center) for usage information.

Are there keyboard shortcuts for &kwin; operations?

Yes. Please refer to "The K Window Manager Handbook" for the list of shortcuts available.

Can I define my own set of keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. Launch the &kde; Control Center and select Regional & Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts to configure window manager bindings like maximizing windows, &etc;.

When I "iconify" a window, it disappears. Where does it go?

With many &X-Window; &GUI;s, the minimize button (a little dot) will erase the window that the program is running in and create, instead, an icon on the desktop. &kde; does not do this. Instead, when a window is iconified it is simply hidden (but the program is still running).

There are a few ways to access disappeared windows:

- If you are running the taskbar part of &kicker;, you can choose to have a list of tasks displayed on your desktop. Iconified tasks will have their names displayed in gray.

- If you click the &MMB; on the root window (&ie;, the background of the desktop), &kwin; will give you a list of all available tasks.

How do I maximize windows only vertically or horizontally?

Provided your window is not already maximized, clicking on the maximize button with the &LMB;/&MMB;/&RMB; will maximize fully/vertically/horizontally respectively.

What is shading a window?

By shading a window we mean rolling up the window leaving just the title bar visible. You can do this by double clicking on the window title bar.

How can I start an application with special window options, like maximized/minimized/to stay on top?

Use the `kstart` command. As an example, to open &kcalc; with the Stay on Top option, use:

    % kstart --ontop kcalc

For maximized windows, use the `--maximize` option, for minimized windows, use `--iconify`. You can see a full list of `kstart` options with ``kstart` `--help-all``.

If you're using `kstart` to start applications at &kde; startup, you should use the `--window` option. See the &kde; User Guide, section Advanced Window Management for more information about this feature.