[SOLVED] KDE-Spectacle

[bbuske]

Hi,

I am using Mint 19. I have installed KDE-Spectacle from the software manager, because the xfce4-screenshooter only allows for taking screenshots in PNG format. However, since I take a lot of screenshots and post them directly into forums and applications, which only allow .jpg images to be inserted, I have found that the KDE Spectacle tool would be a nice replacement.

The package has been installed fine. However, it looks like I can't find the location of it. I went into the keyboard shortcuts to replace it, but without finding the package executable this is quite difficult. I have tried the find command but the only entries that came up were in /usr/share/docs and some other folder with no executable in it. I tried to install it again from the terminal, thinking of some error, but it said that the package kde-spectacle is already installed.

So does anyone know where this is installed? How to get it to work? Any help would be really nice.

Cheers

[aes2011]

What happens if you run spectacle -b -a -o ~/Pictures/$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S).jpg from your terminal? After you do, is there an image of your terminal in your Pictures folder?

Also, run which spectacle because which kde-spectacle comes up empty.

[bbuske]

Hi,

thanks for your reply. Yes, that worked:

Code: Select all

bbuske@BUSB1:~$ spectacle -b -a -o ~/Pictures/$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S).jpg
qt5ct: using qt5ct plugin
kf5.kservice.sycoca: Parse error in  "/home/bbuske/.config/menus/applications-merged/xdg-desktop-menu-dummy.menu" , line  1 , col  1 :  "unexpected end of file"
kdeinit5: preparing to launch '/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libexec/kf5/klauncher'
kdeinit5: Launched KLauncher, pid = 9873, result = 0
qt5ct: using qt5ct plugin
Connecting to deprecated signal QDBusConnectionInterface::serviceOwnerChanged(QString,QString,QString)
kdeinit5: opened connection to :0.0
kdeinit5: Got EXT_EXEC '/usr/bin/gimp-2.8' from launcher.
kdeinit5: preparing to launch '/usr/bin/gimp-2.8'

Still, I can't seem to be able to find the executable so that I can set it up in the keyboard shortcut.

Cheers

[aes2011]

Still, I can't seem to be able to find the executable so that I can set it up in the keyboard shortcut.

On Kubuntu 18.04,

Code: Select all

$ which spectacle                                                                                                                    
/usr/bin/spectacle                                                                                                                                   
$

[bbuske]

Thanks!

That worked. I was looking for kde-spectacle. That was why it did not show up.
Also I had to change the files from executables to all so that it was visible there. It has worked now.

To my disappointment, I have noticed though, that the screenshots saved to the clipboard are also stored in PNG file format and there is no way to change this to jpg. This said, there is no reason for using it. I can as well stay with the default xface4-screenshooter that has a nicer UI.

Too bad...

[aes2011]

To my disappointment, I have noticed though, that the screenshots saved to the clipboard are also stored in PNG file format and there is no way to change this to jpg.

If you don't mind, post the contents of ~/.config/spectaclerc.

[phd21]

HI bbuske,

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

Once most applications are installed, you can just use their launcher command like "spectacle" to start them even in desktop shortcut launchers or menu items without having to specify the exact "path" to the program (usually).

FYI - "ksnip" really nice screen capture app with Imgur upload and built-in painter functions. You can easily change the default save location and filename and file type like ".jpg" in the settings.
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=260112&hilit=ksnip

Uploading a screenshot, image, or images to this forum - Linux Mint Forums
viewtopic.php?f=42&t=232332&hilit=screenshot+forum

Hope this helps ...
.

spectacle1.jpg

[bbuske]

Hi,

thanks for your comment. I did not know that. It is good for the future, to know that I can use just the launcher command.

As for the screenshot tool: As I stated above, I work a lot with screenshots for my job. So I take them, copy them to the clipboard and paste them. For most part this works fine, like on Skype or WhatsApp. However, more and more websites and forums are putting restrictions in place. Two forums, I post in a lot (including screenshots), do not allow to post PNG files any more but only JPG. This causes two issues:

First: I have to take the screenshot, save it and then attach it to the post. This is taking a lot more time than just copy & paste.

Second: I cannot insert the taken screenshot directly, for example after a paragraph or within a paragraph, table, etc. But I have to attach it to the post, so it will show up at the end of it.

Hence I was looking for a tool, that allows taking shots, saving them to the clip board in JPG format and then allow me to paste them directly into where I need them to. Someone mentioned on a different site, that KSnapshot / Spectacle would allow doing this. This was the reason why I got it. It did not however. It works the same way as the default tool and there is no way to copy screenshots to clipboard using JPG formal. So it was kind of useless.

I hope this explains somewhat better, what I am trying to archive and why. It is just annoying, to take a screen, having to save it, insert it, then delete it. Copy and paste right out of the clipboard would be what I want.

Cheers

[phd21]

Hi bbuske,

I updated my reply when you answered. You may be able to change "spectacle" 's configuration settings.

As long as the screen capture application has a copy to clipboard option, if you use that, then you can just paste the image selection into some applications and or websites that allow that; this forum does not allow that. You may be able to use the various keyboard copy commands, or their edit copy (their shortcut to this), while in any screen capture app to copy the image.

I prefer "Ksnip" because I can take the screenshot in various ways, auto-copies to clipboard, I can crop or resize (scale), and use various painter functions all within the one application, or even export upload to my imgur image hosting account. It can also open existing images.

Hope this helps ...
.

Ksnip.jpg

.

spectacle_clipboard.jpg

.

LibreOfficeWriter_pasting_screenshots.jpg

[bbuske]

Hi,

thanks for your update.

I will give KSnip a try. This looks actually like what I need. If I can change the config file so it saves the images as jpeg into the clipboard, then I am fine. When saving them on the actual computer, file format does not matter too much. It is just for copy and pasting from the clipboard. Gotta have to take a look into that.

Hope it works! Thanks again!

[phd21]

Hi bbuske,

You are welcome...

I just tested these on my system with LibreOffice Writer and they worked well for what you wanted to do.

FYI: With Ksnip you can change it options and settings including what image format to use or save as from their application without having to change a configuration file. They also have an AppImage to install it. May consider reading the web link to Ksnip I provided.

[bbuske]

Hey,

thanks for your research. Yeah, I am just reading this and I am downloading the package now. This looks great!
Thanks. Any questions or issues, I will report back.

Cheers

[phd21]

HI bbuske,

You are welcome again...

FYI-1: I highly recommend unchecking the "dynamic cursor" in the Ksnip settings, and sometimes with larger images I have to click the "maximize" button in the upper-right to get the scrollbars, but then I can click the "maximize" button again to easily edit the image in non-fullscreen mode. Although Ksnip can automatically copy to clipboard, after making any changes like annotations using the painter functions or cropping or resizing (scaling), you would have to re-copy the changed image to the clipboard using "ctrl-c" or Edit -> Copy, then you can paste the changed image into wherever.

FYI-2: Not all versions of Linux Mint come with a good clipboard manager installed, but there are many available like "ClipIt", "CopyQ", etc...

6 Linux clipboard managers to boost your productivity | Opensource.com
https://opensource.com/article/17/6/clipboard-managers

10 Best Clipboard Managers for Linux
https://www.tecmint.com/best-clipboard- ... for-linux/

[bbuske]

Ahh ok. Good to know. I will keep that in mind. Just started it up and having a look at it. First impression is good. I downloaded the one from GitHub, since it apparently is no longer in the Mint repositories. At least I didn't find it.

Cheers

[phd21]

Hi bbuske,

Again I was updating my post when you replied. You respond quickly.

I do not think that Ksnip has ever been in the Mint software repositories (Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)), so you have to install it in another way.

Ksnip is being actively developed and maintained by Damir the developer, so I hope it will be added to the Mint and Ubuntu repositories.

[bbuske]

Ah ok.

I was of the impression it was - albeit an older version. At least that was what has been said in the thread you linked above. Anyway, I got it from the GitHub Repo so it is all good.

Heh, I respond quickly because I just happen to be on the computer right now doing stuff.. the email pops up and I go and have a look.