KSysguard can be started from the start menu, using the entry KDE System Guard in the Systems menu. Alternatively, you can start it by typing ksysguard in a terminal.

The KSysguard main window consists of a menu bar, an optional tool bar and status bar, the sensor browser and the work space. When first started you see your local machine listed as localhost in the sensor browser and 2 pages in the work space area. This is the default setup.

This default setup is sufficient enough for an inexperienced user to do some system management. An experienced user or even a system administrator of a large computer lab has different needs. To address a wide range of users, KSysguard is highly flexible.