GNOME is the graphical environment that you will use to interact with the Linux systems. This chapter will provide an overview of how to interact with the GNOME environment, including things such as logging in and out, customizing your desktop environment, and working with the file manager to manage your files and directories.
In this section, we'll discuss how to begin using the system, how to lock your session so that no one else can use it while you are away from your computer, and how to end your session when you're finished.
Library and IT sent you a username and password via postal mail for logging into the Linux systems. Please remember that usernames and passwords are case sensitive so you must type them exactly as they appeared in your login letter.
To login:
Enter your username
Press the Enter key
Enter your password
Press the Enter key
To log out of GNOME, go to the System Menu menu and select Log Out username....
You may find that you wish to walk away from your computer for a few minutes but don't want to go to the trouble of logging out. Locking your screen is an effective way to securely put your session on hold while you're away from your computer. Please note that it is extremely important to lock your screen when you walk away from your computer. This prevents people from accessing your files by requiring you to enter your password when you move the mouse or touch the keyboard the next time you use the computer. However, please be warned that if you leave your screen locked for more than 15 minutes, you may be logged out so the machine can be used by someone else. If you plan on being away longer than 15 minutes, please log out.
To lock your screen, go the System Menu menu and select Lock Screen.
When you start a desktop session for the first time, you should see a default session, with two panels and various icons on both the panels and desktop.
We will provide a brief introduction to the major components of the GNOME Desktop in this section and then elaborate on some of the various components in future sections.
The major components of the GNOME Desktop are as follows:
Panels
Panels are areas in the GNOME Desktop from which you can access all of your system applications and menus. Panels are very configurable. A particularly important panel is the top edge panel. The top edge panel includes the Menu Bar. The Menu Bar contains three special menus, as follows:
Applications menu: Contains all applications and configuration tools. This menu also includes the file browser and the help browser.
Places menu: Contains various locations on the system to which you might want to navigate.
System menu: Contains various commands for performing functions like setting user preferences, locking the screen and logging out of the system.
Menus
You can access all GNOME Desktop functions through menus. You can use the Applications menu to access many of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options. You can access the Applications menu from the Main Menu and from the Menu Bar applet. You can add the Main Menu and the Menu Bar applet to your panels. The Menu Bar applet also contains a Places and a System menu. The Places menu contains various locations on the system to which you might want to navigate. The System menu provides command for performing functions like setting user preferences, locking the screen and logging out of the system.
Windows
You can display many windows at the same time. You can run different applications in each window. The window manager provides frames and buttons for windows. The window manager enables you to perform standard actions such as move, close, and resize windows.
Workspaces
You can subdivide the GNOME Desktop into separate workspaces. A workspace is a discrete area in which you can work. You can specify the number of workspaces in the GNOME Desktop. You can switch to a different workspace, but you can only display one workspace at a time.
Nautilus file manager
The Nautilus file manager provides an integrated access point to your files and applications. You can manage the contents of folders in the file manager and open the files in the appropriate applications.
Desktop
The desktop is behind all of the other components on the desktop. The desktop is an active component of the user interface. You can place objects on the desktop to access your files and directories quickly, or to start applications that you use often. You can also right-click on the desktop to open a menu.
Preferences
The GNOME Desktop contains dedicated preference tools. Each tool controls a particular part of the behavior of the GNOME Desktop. To start a preference tool, choose System -> Preferences. Choose the item that you want to configure from the sub-menus.
The components of the GNOME Desktop are inter-operable. Usually you can perform the same action in several different ways. For example, you can start applications from panels, from menus, or from the desktop. This chapter provides a useful quick guide to how to work with the GNOME Desktop.
To read more information about the GNOME Desktop Environment, please refer to the official GNOME documentation.
When you start a session for the first time, the desktop should contain two panels, one along the top and one along the bottom. You can customize your panels as needed. We'll discuss the following actions with panels:
You can perform the following actions with panels:
Modifying a panel's properties
Adding objects to panels
Manipulating existing panel objects
Though less common, you can also add, delete or hide panels. Please refer to the official GNOME documentation for information on these tasks.
To modify a panel's properties, right-click on an vacant space on the panel and select Properties. A dialog box similar to the following should appear:
Within this dialog box, you can change the location, size, and/or color of the panel, among other various options.
A panel can hold several types of objects. The panel in the figure "A Panel With Various Objects" contains some of the types of objects you can add.
The two most common types of objects you'll want to add are:
Applets
Applets are small, interactive applications that reside within a panel, for example Show Desktop Button in "A Panel With Various Objects". The following applets appear in your panels by default:
Menu Bar: Provides access to the Applications menu and the Actions menu. You can use the menus to access your applications, preference tools, and other tasks.
Clock: Displays the date and time.
Window Selector: Lists all your open windows. To give focus to a window, click on the window selector icon at the extreme right of the top edge panel, then choose the window.
Window List: Displays a button for each window that is open. You can click on a window list button to minimize and restore windows. By default, Window List appears in the edge panel at the bottom of the screen.
Workspace Switcher: Displays a visual representation of your workspaces. You can use Workspace Switcher to switch between workspaces. By default, Workspace Switcher appears in the edge panel at the bottom-right portion of the screen.
Show Desktop: When clicked, this button hides all windows to show you the desktop.
To add an applet to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel.... Scroll through the list of available applets, select the one you want, and click Add.
Launchers
A launcher starts a particular application, executes a command, or opens a file. The Firefox icon in "A Panel With Various Objects" is a launcher for the Firefox application. A launcher can reside in a panel or in a menu. Click on the launcher to perform the action that is associated with the launcher.
You can create your own launchers for applications. For example, you can create a launcher for a word processor application that you use frequently, and place the launcher in a panel for convenient access. To add a new launcher to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Application Launcher to select one of the application launchers that already exists in the Application menu or choose Add to Panel -> Custom Application Launcher to define a new application that you'd like to launch.
You can manipulate panel objects in the following ways:
Move objects within a panel, or to another panel.
You can move any object to another location in the panel. You can also move an object from one panel to another panel. Use the middle mouse button to click and drag the panel object to the new location.
Remove objects from a panel.
Right-click on the object and select Remove From Panel.
You can access many GNOME Desktop functions through menus. You can access your menus from the following GNOME Desktop components:
Main Bar
The Menu Bar contains Applications and Actions menus and is in the upper-left corner of your screen by default. You can use the Applications menu and the Actions menu to access almost all of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options. To add the Main Menu to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel. In the Add to the panel dialog, select Menu Bar and click Add.
Menu Menu
The Main Menu contains the Applications menu, and various other functions. You can use the Applications menu to access almost all of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options. To add the Main Menu to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel. In the Add to the panel dialog, select Main Menu and click Add.
You can display many windows at the same time on your desktop. Each window has a frame. The window frame contains active control elements that you can use to work with the window.
The desktop features the following types of window:
Application windows
When you run an application, a frame usually borders the window. The top edge of the application window contains a titlebar. The titlebar contains buttons that you can use to work with the window. The buttons in an application window frame enable you to perform actions such as open the Window Menu, or close the window. The Window Menu provides commands that you can perform on the window.
Dialog windows
Dialog windows are associated with interactive processes. A dialog window consists of the window frame, and a single interactive pane that provides information and controls for the user. This manual refers to the interactive part of a dialog window as a dialog. The frame of a dialog window contains buttons that enable you to open the Window Menu , or to close the dialog window.
You use the frame of an application window or dialog window to perform various actions with the window. Most of the control elements are located on the top edge of the window frame. Top Edge of Frame for a Typical Application Window shows the top edge of a frame for a typical application window.
The active control elements of the window frame are as follows:
| Control Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Window Menu button | Click on the Window Menu button to perform actions such as moving, resizing, or moving the window to a different workspace. |
| Titlebar | You can use the titlebar to move the window by clicking and dragging it or you can shade the window by double-clicking it. |
| Minimize button | Click on the Minimize button to minimize the window. |
| Maximize button | You can use the Maximize button to maximize and restore the window. To maximize a window click on the Maximize button. To restore the window click on the Maximize button again. |
| Close Window button | Click on the Close Window button to close the window. |
| Border | Right-click on the border to open the Window Menu. |
To change the size of windows grab the border (i.e. outside edge) of the window, but not the titlebar. Drag the border until the window is the size that you require.
A window that has focus can receive input from the mouse and the keyboard. Only one window can have focus at a time. The window that has focus has a different appearance than other windows.
You can use the following elements to give focus to a window:
| Element | Action |
|---|---|
| Mouse | Click on the window, if the window is visible. |
| Shortcut keys | Use shortcut keys to switch between the windows that are open. To give focus to a window, release the keys. The default shortcut keys to switch between windows are Alt + Tab. |
| Window List | Click on the button that represents the window in Window List. |
You can display many windows at the same time on your desktop. Your windows are displayed in subdivisions of your desktop that are called workspaces. A workspace is a discrete area on the desktop in which you can work.
Every workspace on the desktop contains the same desktop background, the same panels, and the same menus. However, you can run different applications, and open different windows in each workspace. You can display only one workspace at a time on your desktop but you can have windows open in other workspaces.
Workspaces enable you to organize the desktop when you run many applications at the same time. When your current workspace becomes crowded with windows, you can move your work to another workspace. You can also switch to another workspace then start more applications.
Workspaces are displayed in the Workspace Switcher applet. In Workspaces Displayed in Workspace Switcher, the Workspace Switcher contains four workspaces. The first and second workspaces contain open windows. The last two workspaces do not contain currently active windows.
You can switch between workspaces in the following ways:
In Workspace Switcher, click on the workspace where you want to work.
Press Ctrl + Alt + right arrow to switch to the workspace on the right of the current workspace.
Press Ctrl + Alt + left arrow to switch to the workspace on the left of the current workspace.
To add workspaces to your desktop, right-click on the Workspace Switcher applet, then choose Preferences. The Workspace Switcher Preferences dialog is displayed. Use the Number of workspaces spin box to specify the number of workspaces that you require.
The Nautilus file manager allows you to graphically manage the files and folders in your account. To open a Nautilus window, choose Places -> Home Folder. The following figure shows an example Nautilus window that displays the contents of a folder.
A Nautilus window contains the following components:
Navigation Buttons
The navigation buttons allow you to jump around to various locations in your account. The following describes the functions of each:
Back - Navigates back one folder in your history.
Forward - Navigates forward one folder in your history.
Up - Navigates one folder up the directory tree.
Stop - Stops the loading of a folder.
Reload - Refreshes the view of your current folder.
Home - Navigates to your account's home directory.
Computer - Navigates to a place where you can view the entire file system or access external drives (e.g. a flash drive that you've inserted).
Search - Search for files within that folder.
Location Bar
Displays the location of folder you're currently viewing. You can edit this entry by clicking on the notepad icon at the left.
Zoom
Allows you to zoom in and out of the current folder.
"View as" Menu
Allows you to view the current folder as a group of icons or as a list.
Side pane
Typically enables you to browse to other common locations you may want to visit.
View pane
Displays the contents of files and folders. The view pane is on the right side of the window.
To navigate to the folder where the file that you want to open resides, double-click on the folder icons in the view pane. When the file that you want to open is displayed, double-click on the file icon to open the file.
The desktop is an active component of the user interface. You can use the desktop to perform the following actions:
Start your applications, and open your files and folders.
You can add desktop objects for convenient access to the files, folders, and applications that you use frequently. For example, you add a launcher for an application that you use often.
Open the Desktop menu.
Right-click on the desktop to open the Desktop menu. You can use the Desktop menu to perform actions on the desktop.
The file manager manages the desktop.
You can add desktop objects for convenient access to files, folders, and applications that you use frequently. You can add objects to your desktop in the following ways:
Use the Desktop menu (by right-clicking on the desktop) to add a launcher to the desktop.
Drag an object from a file manager window to the desktop. For example, you can create a symbolic link to a file that you use often, then drag the link to your desktop. The icon for the link is moved to the desktop. To open the file, double-click on the icon. You can also drag files and folders to the desktop.
Drag an application launcher from a menu to the desktop. For example, you can open a menu that contains a launcher for an application that you use often, then drag the launcher to your desktop.
You can use desktop preference tools to configure many features of the desktop. Each tool controls a particular part of the behavior of the desktop. For example, you can use a preference tool to select a theme for your desktop. A theme is a group of coordinated settings that specify the visual appearance of a part of your interface. You can open your desktop preference tools by going to System -> Preferences and choosing the item that you require from the submenu.