The KDE documentation says external processors must be installed and available on the system's PATH. ghostwriter detects them at startup, so restart it after adding a processor. ghostwriter documentation
Start with the format your document needs
For an ordinary handoff note with headings, lists, links, and a table, begin with the included processor. Install another processor when the document requires its supported syntax or output format. A processor's absence from the application can mean it is missing from PATH, even if a package manager reports that it is installed.
In a terminal using the same user environment, a check such as this identifies an available Pandoc executable:
command -v pandoc
pandoc --version
These commands inspect the environment; they do not install Pandoc or select it inside ghostwriter. A desktop launcher can have a different environment from an interactive shell. Confirm the processor choices that the restarted application actually offers.
Compare an ordinary table with a processor-specific extension
Save this original fictional fixture as locker-handoff.md:
# Locker handoff
Return the spare key to the equipment desk.
| Item | Count |
| --- | --- |
| Spare key | 1 |
| Lanyard | 2 |
Keep the label attached.[^label]
[^label]: The label identifies the locker, not its holder.
The KDE reference documents pipe-table syntax for cmark-gfm and MultiMarkdown, and gives footnotes as an extension supported by processors such as Pandoc and MultiMarkdown. Do not assume that every Markdown processor implements every extension.
Choose the processor your deliverable requires and inspect the result. The table should have two data rows with the supplied counts. When the chosen processor supports the footnote syntax, check that the reference and note are connected. If it does not, replace the footnote with an ordinary sentence or choose a compatible processor deliberately.
Save before adding a local image
ghostwriter can insert an image by drag and drop. Its documentation distinguishes a saved document, where the inserted path can be relative to the document, from an untitled document, where the path can be a full local file URL.
Save the note in its intended folder before adding an image. Read the inserted Markdown and remove a personal absolute path before distributing the source. A typical folder might contain:
handoff/
locker-handoff.md
images/
locker-label.jpg
Use a photograph you are permitted to distribute, or leave the image out. Relative path behavior explains how the exported page will locate its image independently of the editor.
Check the exported file using the same content decisions
Choose an export format available for the selected processor, then inspect the resulting file. Retain the .md source for editing. If the recipient needs HTML, open the exported HTML in a browser and compare the two counts, the reference note, and each link.
Repeat that inspection after copying the output and its required assets to another folder. The moved copy helps reveal an accidental dependency on the source folder or a personal image path.
For notes headed to GitHub, check GitHub's Markdown behavior at that destination as well. Finish with a source file whose syntax matches its intended processor and an exported copy whose table and notes remain readable where the recipient will open it.