In this post I would like to put the spotlight on a very nice Kubuntu feature that will help you a great deal if you regularly work with Ubuntu project services (such as the wiki) or Launchpad.

Kubuntu has this very nice package called kubuntu-konqueror-shortcuts. While I actually would like to have that renamed to something more suitable, I (or rather my minion ;)) did not yet get to rename it. Anyhow…

The shortcuts package was started in 2005 and is a collection of KDE web shortcuts related to Kubuntu and the Ubuntu project. Web shortcuts are one of the most used KDE features on my system. It allows you to enter things like “gg:kubuntu” in your browser’s URL bar to do a Google search on Kubuntu, or “kde:krecentdocuments” to lookup KDE API documentation. The nice thing about this is that it works in both Konqueror and Rekonq, as well as KickOff (the application menu) and KRunner (the thing that appears when you press ALT+F2 – actually it only works here if you have activated the shortcut explicitly in either System Settings or the settings of one of the browsers). Suffice to say those shortcuts are quite efficient when you keep finding yourself doing searches on different sites multiple times a day.

What I probably like best about it, is that those shortcuts are not necessarily bound to a search box (as has long been the case with some popular browser out there – that said, if you use KRunner or KickOff and have a different browser set it will also work ;)). So you can swiftly do ‘CTRL+T => gg:Harald Sitter => CTRL+T => gg:John Cleese’ to find out that apparently I am not as internet famous as John Cleese. Surprise.

KDE SC already comes with a vast amount of common shortcuts for just about everything one needs, Google, Yahoo, YouTube, various news sites… Back in 2005 Stephan Hermann thought that it also made sense to use this goodness for Ubuntu developers and Launchpad users. The Kubuntu web shortcuts were born.

With an Ubuntu focus you can currently use the following shortcuts:

idea :kde

To search on brainstorm.ubuntu.com for ideas with the keyword kde

:kde To search on brainstorm.ubuntu.com for ideas with the keyword kde ubw :HaraldSitter

To directly access my Ubuntu wiki page

:HaraldSitter To directly access my Ubuntu wiki page ubws :Kubuntu

To search for Kubuntu pages on the Ubuntu wiki

:Kubuntu To search for Kubuntu pages on the Ubuntu wiki uhelp :BinaryDriverHowto

To directly access the binary driver howto on help.ubuntu.com

:BinaryDriverHowto To directly access the binary driver howto on help.ubuntu.com uhelps :MP3

To search for MP3 pages on help.ubuntu.com

:MP3 To search for MP3 pages on help.ubuntu.com uman :screen

To search for manpages named screen on manpages.ubuntu.com (this will only work on Kubuntu 11.04+)

:screen To search for manpages named screen on manpages.ubuntu.com (this will only work on Kubuntu 11.04+) upkg :kde-l10n

To search packags.ubuntu.com

:kde-l10n To search packags.ubuntu.com kpackagecode:kdelibs

Goes to the Kubuntu source branch of a KDE core component

With a Launchpad focus we have:

ubug :37657

Go to a bug on Launchpad, or search if the bug is not existing

:37657 Go to a bug on Launchpad, or search if the bug is not existing lpbugprojec t:amarok

Goes to the product’s bug page

t:amarok Goes to the product’s bug page usrc :amarok

Goes to the source package page of Amarok in Ubuntu

:amarok Goes to the source package page of Amarok in Ubuntu lpuser :smarter

Directly go to a user’s page on Launchpad

:smarter Directly go to a user’s page on Launchpad upeople :smarter

Search for people on Launchpad

:smarter Search for people on Launchpad lpcve :1245

Searches for a CVE report on Launchpad

:1245 Searches for a CVE report on Launchpad lpblueprint:rocks

Search for a blueprint on Launchpad

So there are plenty of useful things for everyone who works with Launchpad/Ubuntu regularly. I can honestly say, without those shortcuts I would be only half as efficient. In fact, when I am developing I probably only browse using shortcuts.

They are so incredibly amazing – give them a try! 🙂

Stay friendly 🙂