# Configuring PDI UI

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Workshop - Configuring PDI**

Configure Spoon before you build transformations and jobs. Set a few defaults that speed up daily work.

You will start Spoon, review the Welcome page, and update UI options.

**What You'll Accomplish:**

* Start Spoon and confirm your install.
* Find docs and community links from the Welcome page.
* Update General and Look & Feel options.
* Switch perspectives and understand what changes.

You will finish with a clean, predictable workspace. You will know where to change these settings later.

**Prerequisites:** Pentaho Data Integration installed and ready to launch

**Estimated Time:** 10 minutes
{% endhint %}

***

{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Configuring PDI UI**

Use **Tools > Options** to configure Spoon. Start with **General** and **Look & Feel**.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="1. Welcome Page" %}
{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Welcome page**

The Welcome page has links to:

* Documentation
* Community Forum
  {% endhint %}

1. Start Pentaho Data Integration.

{% hint style="info" %}
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Windows (PowerShell)" %}

```powershell
Set-Location C:\Pentaho\design-tools\data-integration
.\spoon.bat
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="macOS / Linux" %}

```bash
cd ~/Pentaho/design-tools/data-integration
./spoon.sh
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
{% endhint %}

2. The PDI UI - Spoon will be displayed.

<figure><img src="/files/xSc8U7jWLRfsNfq6lkS5" alt="Spoon Welcome page"><figcaption><p>Welcome screen</p></figcaption></figure>
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="2. Modify Look & Feel" %}
{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Kettle Options**

Set a few defaults once. It reduces prompts and visual noise.
{% endhint %}

1. In Spoon, click **Tools > Options**.
2. Open the **General** tab.

<div align="center"><figure><img src="/files/x2Nz5KMDgXOKd0VO5RBl" alt="Kettle Options dialog showing General settings" width="375"><figcaption><p>kettle options - general</p></figcaption></figure></div>

* [ ] Uncheck the ‘Show tips at startup?’ checkbox.
* [ ] Uncheck the ‘Use database cache’ checkbox.
* [ ] Uncheck the ‘Show repository dialog at startup?’ checkbox.
* [ ] Uncheck the ‘Ask user when exiting?’ checkbox.

3. Open the **Look & Feel** tab.
4. Review these settings and update as needed:
   * **Grid size** and **snap** behavior.
   * Canvas look (colors, anti-aliasing).
   * **Preferred language** and **alternative language**.

<figure><img src="/files/4lGwXZ91vllbDBx0wpZK" alt="Kettle Options dialog showing Look &#x26; Feel settings"><figcaption><p>Kettle options - look &#x26; feel</p></figcaption></figure>

{% embed url="<https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/get-started-with-the-pdi-client-1/customize-the-pdi-client>" %}
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="3. Perspectives" %}
{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Perspectives**

Use perspectives to switch your workspace. You can move between design and scheduling views.

Switch between:

* Designing ETL jobs and transformations
* Scheduling jobs and transformations

Click the **Perspective** icon in the toolbar to switch.
{% endhint %}

<div align="center"><figure><img src="/files/147aQOgWL53J4jGfE6o2" alt="Perspective switcher in the Spoon toolbar" width="375"><figcaption><p>Perspectives</p></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
You must connect to a repository to schedule jobs and transformations.
{% endhint %}

{% embed url="<https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/get-started-with-the-pdi-client-1/use-the-pdi-client-perspectives>" %}
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://academy.pentaho.com/pentaho-data-integration/data-integration/components/configuring-pdi-ui.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.