Linux: KDE is one of our favorite desktop environments for Linux, and this week it released an update that brings increased stability, performance, and apps to the Linux desktop.

A project to port the KDE Linux Desktop's apps to Windows has been slowly gathering steam for some time now, but installing some of the more noteworthy apps, including the Kopete messenger, Amarok media manager, and Konqueror browser, can be a bit wonky. The Simple Help blog has a helpful screen-by-screen explanation of how to install KDE's backend in Windows and get your favourite apps installed and running. Not every project ports perfectly—Amarok, for example, requires some tweaking to get sound working—but some work just fine. For a fuller virtualization of KDE (or GNOME) apps in Windows, check out Adam's guide to running Linux apps seamlessly in Windows. How to install and run KDE programs in Windows

Windows only: Free, open-source application KDE Window-Sizer resizes and moves windows when you click anywhere inside the window while holding the Alt key. To move a window, then, hold Alt and left-click and drag anywhere in the window to move it—this behaviour mimics the move behaviour available in the KDE Linux desktop environment. Likewise, to resize a window from anywhere, just hold Alt and then right-click and drag anywhere in the window. Additionally, the application will snap any window to the edge of your monitor by Alt-right-clicking or Alt-resizing the window, which really helps maximise screen real estate. It may sound confusing at first, but give it a try and you'll quickly appreciate the new functionality, or check out the video demonstration of the similar, previously mentioned WinMover. KDE Window-Sizer is free, Windows only. Thanks Paul! KDE Window-Sizer

One of the best things about KDE 4, the newest release of the mainstream Linux desktop manager, is something it doesn't do—force you to adapt to its way of running a computer desktop. Sure, the desktop environment boasts new 3-D effects, a polished theme, and improved functionality. But what KDE 4 does best is give users the ability to almost completely re-design their desktops, putting their programs, icons, and useful widgets wherever they see fit, on as many desktops as they want, to create their ideal workspace. I spent some time exploring the features of the less-than-week-old system, the results of which are after the jump.

Dearest Lifehacker,
I am using Win XP at the office, and—obviously—my default browser is Firefox. The thing is, I have some "intranet" stuff that must be viewed on Internet Explorer, so I want to make a shortcut to open some specific URLs in iexplorer.exe and not in my default browser. Can this be done?
Signed,
IE Browser Blues

My good friend Blues,
Even if Firefox is your default browser, you can create Windows Explorer shortcuts or even bookmarks in Firefox that will open your Internet Explorer-only sites directly in IE in a couple of simple ways.