• Desktop User Guide

Desktop User Guide

1. Basic Skills

This chapter introduces you to the basic skills that you need to work with the GNOME Desktop.

1.1. Mouse Skills

This section describes what the mouse buttons do, and what the different pointers mean.

A mouse is a pointing device that lets you move the mouse pointer on the screen. The mouse pointer is usually a small arrow with which you point to objects on your screen. Pressing a mouse button will perform a particular action on the object over which your mouse pointer is situated, depending on which button you press.

1.1.1. Mouse Button Conventions

The instructions in this manual are for three buttoned, right handed mouse devices, the most common type. If you use another type of mouse or pointing device, you should take care to locate the corresponding buttons on your mouse. If you use a left-handed mouse see the paragraph on setting mouse orientation below.

If you set your mouse device to be left handed, you should reverse the mouse button conventions used in this manual. This is normally also implied in most documentation and in many applications.

Some mice lack a middle button. If you have a two-button mouse device, then your system may be configured to use chording to allow middle button simulation. If chording is activated, you press the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously, to simulate the the middle mouse button. A middle mouse button is by no means necessary to use GNOME.

The mouse button conventions used in this manual are as follows:

Left mouse button

The button on the left side of a mouse device. This is the main mouse button, used for selecting, activating, pressing buttons etc... When you are told to "click" it is implied that you should click with the left button, unless specifically stated.

Middle mouse button

The middle button of a mouse device. On many mice with a scroll wheel, the scroll wheel can be pushed down for a middle mouse button click.

Right mouse button

The button on the right side of a mouse device. Often, this button displays a context menu for the object under the pointer.

Use Mouse Preferences to reverse the orientation of your mouse device. You will then need to reverse the mouse button conventions used in this manual and other GNOME documentation. See Section 8.4.2 ― Mouse Preferences for more information about setting your mouse preferences.

1.1.2. Mouse Actions

The following conventions are used in this manual to describe actions that you take with the mouse:

Action Definition
Click Press and release the left mouse button, without moving the mouse.
Left-click Same as click. The term 'left-click' is used where there might be confusion with right-click.
Middle-click Press and release the middle mouse button, without moving the mouse.
Right-click Press and release the right mouse button, without moving the mouse.
Double-click Press and release the left mouse button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse. You can configure the sensitivity to double-clicks by changing the Double-click Timeout setting: see Section 8.4.2 ― Mouse Preferences for more information.
Drag

Press and do not release the left mouse button, and then move the mouse with the button still held down, and finally release the button.

Dragging with the mouse is used in many different contexts. This moves an object around the screen with the mouse. The object is dropped at the location where the mouse button is released. This action is also called drag-and-drop. Clicking on an element of the interface to move it is sometimes called a grab. Click and drag

For example, you can change the position of a window by dragging on its title bar, or move a file by dragging its icon from one window and dropping it on another.

The left mouse buttons is usually used to perform drag actions, although the middle mouse button is sometimes used for an alternate drag action.

Click-and-hold Press and do not release the left mouse button.

You can perform the following actions with the mouse:

Left mouse button
  • Select text.
  • Select items.
  • Drag items.
  • Activate items.
Middle mouse button
  • Paste text.
  • Move items.
  • Move windows to the back.
Right mouse button

Use the right mouse button to open a context menu for an item, if a menu applies. For most items, you can also use the Shift+F10 keyboard shortcut to open the context menu once the item has been selected.

For example, when viewing files in the file manager, you select a file by clicking with the left mouse button and open a file by double-clicking with the left mouse button. Clicking with the right mouse button will bring up a context menu for that file.

In most applications, you can select text with your left mouse button and paste it in another application using the middle mouse button. This is called primary selection paste, and works separately from your normal clipboard operations.

To select more than one item, you can hold the Ctrl key to select multiple items, or hold the Shift key to select a contiguous range of items. You can also drag a bounding box to select several items by starting the drag in the empty space around items and dragging out a rectangle.

1.1.3. Mouse Pointers

As you use the mouse, the appearance of the mouse pointer can change. The appearance of the pointer provides feedback about a particular operation, location, or state.

The following mouse pointers are shown as your mouse passes over different elements of the screen:

Your mouse pointers will differ from those shown here if you are using a different pointer theme. Your distributor or vendor may have set a different default theme.

Normal pointer

This pointer appears during normal use of the mouse.

Busy pointer

This pointer appears over a window that is busy performing a task. You cannot use the mouse to give this window any input, but you can move to another window and work with that.

Resize pointer

This pointer indicates that you can grab the control to resize parts of the interface. This appears over the borders of windows and over resize handles between panes in a window. The direction of the arrows indicates in which direction you can resize.

Hand pointer

This pointer appears when you hover over a hypertext link, in a web page for example. This pointer indicates that you can click on the link to load a new document or perform an action.

I-beam pointer

This pointer is shown when the mouse is over text that you can select or edit. Click to place the cursor where you want to type text, or drag to select text.

The following mouse pointers are shown when dragging an item such as a file, or a piece of text. They indicate the result of releasing the mouse button to drop the object being moved.

Move pointer

This pointer indicates that when you drop the object, the object is moved from the old location to the new location.

Copy pointer

This pointer indicates that when you drop the object, a copy of the object is created where you drop it.

Symbolic link pointer

This pointer indicates that when you drop the object, a symbolic link to the object is created where you drop the object. A symbolic link is a special type of file that points to another file or folder. For more on this, see Section 6.6.13 ― Creating a Symbolic Link to a File or Folder.

Ask pointer

This pointer indicates that when you drop the object, you will be given a choice of what to do. A menu will open to allow you to choose which operation you would like to perform. For instance, you may be able to move, copy, or create a symbolic link.

Not available pointer

This pointer indicates that you cannot drop the object at the current location. Releasing the mouse button now will have no effect: the dragged object will be returned to its starting location.

Move panel object pointer

This pointer appears when you drag a panel or a panel object with the middle mouse button. See Chapter 4 ― Using the Panels for more information on panels.

Move window pointer

This pointer appears when you drag a window to move it. See Section 2.3.2 ― Manipulating Windows for more information on moving windows.

1.2. Keyboard Skills

For almost every task that you can perform with the mouse, you can use the keyboard to perform the same task. Shortcut keys are keys that provide you with a quick way to perform a task.

You can use shortcut keys to perform general GNOME Desktop tasks and to work with interface items such as panels and windows. You can also use shortcut keys in applications. To customize your shortcut keys, use the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool. See Section 8.1.4 ― Keyboard Shortcuts Preferences for more information about configuring keyboard shortcuts.

Many PC keyboards come with two special keys for the Windows operating system: a key with a Microsoft Windows™ logo and a key for accessing context menus.

In GNOME, the Windows key is often configured to act as an additional modifier key, called the Super key. The context menu key can be used to access the context menu of the selected item, just as the Shift+F10 keyboard shortcut can.

You can also modify the GNOME Desktop preferences to use keyboard accessibility features. See Section 8.1.3 ― Keyboard Accessibility Preferences for more information about the keyboard accessibility features.

The following sections describe the shortcut keys that you can use throughout the desktop and applications.

1.2.1. Global Shortcut Keys

Global shortcut keys enable you to use the keyboard to perform tasks related to your desktop, rather than tasks on the currently selected window or application. The following table lists some global shortcut keys:

Shortcut Key Function
Alt+F1 Open the Applications Menu.
Alt+F2 Display the Run Application dialog. See Section 7.1 ― Running Applications for more information.
Print Screen Take a screenshot of the entire desktop. See Section 7.2 ― Taking Screenshots for more information.
Alt+Print Screen Take a screenshot of the currently focused window.
Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys Switch to the workspace to the specified direction of the current workspace. See Section 2.4 ― Workspaces for more information on working with multiple workspaces.
Ctrl+Alt+D Minimize all windows and give focus to the desktop.
Alt+Tab Switch between windows. A list of windows that you can select is displayed. Release the keys to select a window. You can press the Shift key to cycle through the windows in reverse order.
Ctrl+Alt+Tab Switch the focus between the panels and the desktop. A list of items that you can select is displayed. Release the keys to select an item. You can press the Shift key to cycle through the items in reverse order.

1.2.2. Window Shortcut Keys

Window shortcut keys allow you to use the keyboard to perform tasks on the currently focused window. The following table lists some window shortcut keys:

Shortcut Key Function
Alt+Tab Switch between windows. A list of windows that you can select is displayed. Release the keys to select a window. You can press the Shift key to cycle through the windows in reverse order.
Alt+F4 Close the currently focused window.
Alt+F5 Unmaximize the current window, if it is maximized.
Alt+F7 Move the currently focused window. After pressing this shortcut, you can move the window using either the mouse or the arrow keys. To finish the move, click the mouse or press any key on the keyboard.
Alt+F8 Resize the currently focused window. After pressing this shortcut, you can resize the window using either the mouse or the arrow keys. To finish the resize, click the mouse or press any key on the keyboard.
Alt+F9 Minimize the current window.
Alt+F10 Maximize the current window.
Alt+spacebar Open the window menu for the currently selected window. The window menu allows you to perform actions on the window, such as minimizing, moving between workspaces, and closing.
Shift+Ctrl+Alt+Arrow keys Move the current window to another workspace in the specified direction. See Section 2.4 ― Workspaces for more information on working with multiple workspaces.

1.2.3. Application Keys

Application shortcut keys enable you to perform application tasks. You can use shortcut keys to perform application tasks more quickly than if you use a mouse. The following table lists some common application shortcut keys:

Shortcut Key Action
Ctrl+N Create a new document or window.
Ctrl+X Cut the selected text or region and place it on the clipboard.
Ctrl+C Copy the selected text or region onto the clipboard.
Ctrl+V Paste the contents of the clipboard.
Ctrl+Z Undo the last action.
Ctrl+S Save the current document to disk.
F1 Load the online help document for the application.

In addition to these shortcut keys, all applications support a set of keys to navigate and work with the user interface. These keys allow you to perform operations that you might normally perform with a mouse. The following table describes some interface control keys:

Keys Action
Arrow keys or Tab Move between controls in the interface or items in a list.
Enter or spacebar Activate or choose the selected item.
F10 Activate the left-most menu of the application window.
Shift+F10 Activate the context menu for the selected item.
Esc Close a menu without selecting a menu item, or cancel a drag operation.

1.2.4. Access Keys

A menubar is a bar at the top of a window that contains the menus for the application. An access key is an underlined letter in a menubar, menu, or dialog that you can use to perform an action. On a menubar, the access key for each menu is underlined.

To open a menu, hold the Alt key, then press the access key. In the menu, the access key for each menu item is underlined. To choose a menu item when a menu is displayed, you can simply press the access key for the menu item.

For example, to open a new window in the Help application, press Alt+F to open the File menu, then press N to activate the New Window menu item.

You can also use access keys to access elements in a dialog. In a dialog, one letter in most dialog elements is underlined. To access a particular dialog element, hold Alt, then press the access key.

2. Desktop Overview

This chapter introduces you to some of the very basic components of the desktop. These components include Windows, Workspaces, and Applications. Almost all the work (or play) that you do in GNOME will involve these very basic components.

This chapter describes the default configuration of GNOME. Your vendor or system administrator may have configured your desktop to look different than what is described here.

2.1. Introduction

When you start a desktop session for the first time, you should see a default startup screen, with panels, windows, and various icons.

The major components of the GNOME Desktop are as follows:

Desktop

The desktop itself is behind all of the other components on the desktop. You can place objects on the desktop to access your files and directories quickly, or to start applications that you use often. See Section 2.2 ― The Desktop for more information.

Panels

The panels are the two bars that run along the top and bottom of the screen. By default, the top panel shows you the GNOME main menu bar, the date and time, and a set of application launcher icons, and the bottom panel shows you the list of open windows and the workspace switcher.

Panels can be customized to contain a variety of tools, such as other menus and launchers, and small utility applications, called panel applets. For example, you can configure your panel to display the current weather for your location. For more information on panels, see Chapter 4 ― Using the Panels.

Windows

Most applications run inside of one or more windows. You can display multiple windows on your desktop at the same time. Windows can be resized and moved around to accommodate your workflow. Each window has a titlebar at the top with buttons which allow you to minimize, maximize, and close the window. For more information on working with windows, see Section 2.3 ― Windows.

Workspaces

You can subdivide your desktop into separate workspaces. Each workspace can contain several windows, allowing you to group related tasks together. For more information on working with workspaces, see Section 2.4 ― Workspaces.

File Manager

The Nautilus file manager provides access to your files, folders, and applications. You can manage the contents of folders in the file manager and open the files in the appropriate applications. See Chapter 6 ― Working with Files for more information.

Control Center

You can customize your computer using the Control Center. Each preference tool in the Control allows you to change a particular part of the behavior of your computer. The Control Center can be found in the System menu on the panel menubar. See Chapter 8 ― Configuring Your Desktop for more information on the Control Center.

Your vendor or system administrator can make configuration changes to suit your needs, so your desktop might not match exactly what is described in this manual. Nevertheless, this manual provides a useful introduction to using the various components of your desktop.

2.2. The Desktop

The desktop lies behind all other components on your screen. When no windows are visible, the desktop is that part of the screen between the top and bottom panels. You can place files and folders on the desktop that you want to have easy access to.

The desktop also has several special objects on it:

  • The Computer icon gives you access to CDs, removable media such as floppy disks, and also the entire filesystem (also known as the root filesystem). By default, you do not have the security permissions to read other users' files or edit system files, but you may need to do so something such as configure a web server on the computer.
  • Your Home Folder, labelled username's Home, where all of your personal files are kept. You can also open this folder from the Places menu.
  • The Trash is a special folder in which to place files and folders you no longer need. For more on this, see Section 6.6.19 ― Using Trash.
  • When you insert a CD, a flashdrive, or other removable media, or a device containing files such as a music player or a digital camera, an icon representing this device will appear on the desktop.

As you work with your computer, the desktop becomes obscured by the windows you are working with. To quickly reveal the desktop by minimizing all windows, you can do one of the following:

  • Click on the Show Desktop button at the far left of the bottom panel.
  • Press Ctrl+Alt+D.

Either action will also restore your windows to their previous state. Alternatively, you can switch to another workspace to see the desktop.

You can change the colour of the desktop background or the image displayed there. For more on this, see Section 8.2.1 ― Desktop Background Preferences.

The files and folders you put on the desktop are stored in a special folder within your Home Folder, called Desktop. Like any other folder, you can put files (and other folders) directly into it, they will just also happen to show up on desktop itself.

2.3. Windows

A window is a rectangular area of the screen, usually with a border all around and a title bar at the top. You can think of a window as a screen within the screen. Each window displays an application, allowing you to to have more than one application visible, and work on more than one task at a time. You can also think of windows as pieces of paper on your desktop: they can overlap, or be side by side, for example.

You can control a window's position of the screen, as well as its size. You can control which windows overlap other windows, so the one you want to work with is completely visible. For more about moving and resizing windows, see Section 2.3.2 ― Manipulating Windows.

Each window is not necessarily a different application. An application usually has one main window, and may open additional windows at the request of the user.

The rest of this section describe the different types of windows and how you can interact with them.

2.3.1. Types of Windows

There are two main types of window:

Application windows

Application windows allow all the minimize, maximize and close operations through the buttons on the titlebar. When opening an application you will usually see a window of this type appear.

Dialog windows

Dialog windows appear at the request of an application window. A dialog window may alert you to a problem, ask for confirmation of an action, or request input from you.

For example, if you tell an application to save a document, a dialog will ask you where you want to save the new file. If you tell an application to quit while it is still busy, it may ask you to confirm that you want it to abandon work in progress.

Some dialogs do not allow you to interact with the main application window until you have closed them: these are called modal dialogs. Others can be left open while you work with the main application window: these are called transient dialogs.

You can select the text in a dialog with the mouse. This allows you to copy it to the clipboard (CTRL-C to copy), and paste it into another application. You may wish to quote the text you see in a dialog when requesting support on the Internet.

2.3.2. Manipulating Windows

You can change the size and position of windows on the screen. This allows you to see more than one application and do different tasks at the same time. For example, you might want to read text on a web page and write with a word processor; or simple change to another application to do a different task or see the progress.

You can minimize a window if you are not currently interested in seeing it. This hides it from view. You can maximise a window to fill the whole screen so you can give it your full attention.

Most of these actions are carried out by using the mouse on different parts of the the window's frame (see Section 1.1.2 ― Mouse Actions for a recap of using the mouse). The top edge of the window frame, called the titlebar because it also displays the title of the window, contains several buttons that change the way the window is displayed.

Figure 2-1 shows the titlebar for a typical application window. From left to right, this contains the window menu button, the window title, the minimize button, the maximize button, and the close button.

Figure 2-1 Titlebar for a Typical Application Window

All actions can also be carried out from the Window Menu. To open this, click on the Window Menu Button at the left-hand edge of the titlebar. Common actions can also be carried out with keyboard shortcuts: see Section 1.2.2 ― Window Shortcut Keys for a simple list of these. The following lists the actions you can carry out on a window, with the mouse or the keyboard:

Move the window

Drag the titlebar to move the window. You can click on any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end to begin the drag action. The window will move on the screen as you drag the mouse. On less powerful computers, the movement of the window may be represented by moving an outline of its frame.

You can also choose Move from the Window Menu, or press Alt+F7, and then either move the mouse or press the keyboard arrow keys to move the window.

You can also press-and-hold Alt and drag any part of the window.

As you move the window, some parts of the screen will give slight resistance to movement. This is to help you align windows more easily to the edges of the desktop, the panels, and the edges of other windows.

You can also press-and-hold Shift while you move the window to cause it to only move between the corners of the desktop and other windows.

If the Num Lock key is off, you can use the arrows on the numeric keypad, as well as the 7, 9, 1, and 3 keys to move diagonally.

Resize the window

Drag one of the borders to expand or contract the window on that side. Drag a corner to change two sides at once. The resize pointer appears when your mouse is in the correct position to begin the drag action.

You can also choose Resize from the Window Menu, or press Alt+F8. The resize pointer appears. Move the mouse in the direction of the edge you want to resize, or press one of the keyboard arrows keys. The pointer changes to indicate the chosen edge. Now you can use the mouse or the arrow keys to move this edge of the window. Click the mouse or press Return to accept the change. Press Escape to cancel the resize action and return the window to its original size and shape.

Minimize the window

Click on the Minimize button in the titlebar, the leftmost of the group of three on the right. This removes the window from view. The window can be restored to its previous position and size on the screen from the window list on the bottom edge panel or the window selector in the top panel.

You can also choose Minimize from the Window Menu, or press Alt+F9.

A minimized window is shown in the window list and the window selector with [ ] around its title.

Maximize the window

Click on the Maximize button in the titlebar, the middle of the group of three on the right. This expands the window so it fills the screen (the panels remain visible).

You can also choose Maximize from the Window Menu, or press Alt+F10, or double-click any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end.

If you prefer, you can assign the double-click action to roll up the window: see Section 8.2.5 ― Windows Preferences.

Unmaximize the window

When a window is maximized, click again on the Maximize button to restore it to its previous position and size on the screen.

You can also choose Unmaximize from the Window Menu, press Alt+F5, or double-click any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end.

Close the window

Click the Close button, the rightmost of the group of three on the right. This could close the application too. The application will ask you to confirm closing a window that contains unsaved work.

2.3.3. Giving Focus to a Window

To work with an application, you need to give the focus to its window. When a window has focus, any actions such as mouse clicks, typing text, or keyboard shortcuts, are directed to the application in that window. Only one window can have focus at a time. The window that has focus will appear on top of other windows, so nothing covers any part of it. It may also have a different appearance from other windows, depending on your choice of theme.

You can give the focus to a window in any of the following ways:

  • With the mouse, click on any part of the window, if the window is visible.

  • On the bottom panel, click on the window list button that represents the window in the Window List.

  • On the top panel, click the window list icon and choose the window you want to switch to from the list. The window list icon is at the extreme right of the panel, and its icon matches that of the current window's Window Menu button.

    If the window you choose is on a different workspace, you will be switched to that workspace. For more on workspaces, see Section 2.4 ― Workspaces.

  • With the keyboard, hold the [Alt] key and press the [Tab] key. A pop-up window appears with a list of icons representing each window. While still holding [Alt], press [Tab] to move the selection along the list: a black rectangle frames the selected icon and the position of the window it corresponds to is highlighted with a black border. When the window you want to see is selected, release the [Alt] key. Using [Shift+Tab] instead of just [Tab] cycles through the icons in reverse order.

    You can customize the shortcut used to perform this action with the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool.

2.4. Workspaces

Workspaces allow you to manage which windows are on your screen. You can imagine workspaces as being virtual screens, which you can switch between at any time. Every workspace contains the same desktop, the same panels, and the same menus. However, you can run different applications, and open different windows in each workspace. The applications in each workspace will remain there when you switch to other workspaces.

By default, four workspaces are available. You can switch between them with the Workspace Switcher applet at the right of the bottom panel. This shows a representation of your workspaces, by default a row of four rectangles. Click on one to switch to that workspace. In Figure 2-2, Workspace Switcher contains four workspaces. The first three workspaces contain open windows. The last workspace does not contain currently open windows. The currently active workspace is highlighted.

Figure 2-2 Workspaces Displayed in Workspace Switcher

Each workspace can have any number of applications open in it. The number of workspaces can be customized: see Section 2.4.2 ― Adding Workspaces.

Workspaces enable you to organize the GNOME Desktop when you run many applications at the same time. One way to use workspaces is to allocate a specific function to each workspace: one for email, one for web browsing, one for graphic design, etc. However, everyone has their own preference and you are in no way restricted to only using workspaces like this.

2.4.1. Switching Between Workspaces

You can switch between workspaces in any of the following ways:

  • In the Workspace Switcher applet in the bottom panel, click on the workspace where you want to work.
  • Move the mouse pointer over the Workspace Switcher applet in the bottom panel, and scroll the mouse wheel.
  • 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.

The arrow shortcut keys work according to how your workspaces are set out in the Workspace Switcher applet. If you change your panel so workspaces are displayed vertically instead of horizontally, use Ctrl+Alt+up arrow and Ctrl+Alt+down arrow to switch workspaces.

2.4.2. Adding Workspaces

To add workspaces to the GNOME 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.

For more on this, see the Workspace Switcher Applet Manual.

2.5. Applications

An application is a type of computer program that allows you to perform a particular task. You might use applications to create text documents such as letters or reports; to work with spreadsheets; to listen to your favorite music; to navigate the Internet; or to create, edit, or view images and videos. For each of these tasks, you would use a different application.

To launch an application, open the Applications menu and choose the application you want from the submenus. For more on this, see Section 5.1 ― Applications Menu.

The applications that are part of GNOME include the following:

  • Gedit Text Editor can read, create, or modify any kind of simple text without any formatting.
  • Dictionary allows you to look up definitions of a word.
  • Image Viewer can display single image files, as well as large image collections.
  • Calculator performs basic, financial, and scientific calculations.
  • Character Map lets you choose letters and symbols from the Unicode character set and paste them into any application. If you are writing in several languages, not all the characters you need will be on your keyboard.
  • Nautilus File Manager displays your folders and their contents. Use this to copy, move, classify your files; and access CDs, USB flashdrives, or any removable media. When you choose an item from the Places menu, a Nautilus File Manager window opens you show you that location.
  • Terminal gives you access to the system command line.

Further standard GNOME applications include games, music and video players, a web browser, software accessibility tools, and utilities to manage your system. Your distributor or vendor may have added other GNOME applications, such as a word processor and a graphics editor. Your distributor or vendor may also provide you with a way to install further applications.

All GNOME applications have many features in common, which makes it easier to learn how to work with a new GNOME application. The rest of this section describes some of these features.

2.5.1. Common Features

The applications that are provided with the GNOME Desktop share several characteristics. For example, the applications have a consistent look-and-feel. The applications share characteristics because the applications use the same programming libraries. An application that uses the standard GNOME programming libraries is called a GNOME-compliant application. For example, Nautilus and the gedit text editor are GNOME-compliant applications.

GNOME provides libraries in addition to the libraries provided by your operating system. The libraries enable GNOME to run your existing applications as well as GNOME-compliant applications. For example, if your operating system is UNIX-based, you can run your current X11 applications and Motif applications from the GNOME Desktop.

Some of the features of GNOME-compliant applications are as follows:

  • Consistent look-and-feel

    GNOME-compliant applications have a consistent look-and-feel. GNOME-compliant applications use the look-and-feel settings that you specify in the preference tools. You can use the following tools to change the look-and-feel of your GNOME-compliant applications:

  • Menubars, toolbars, and statusbars

    Most GNOME-compliant applications have a menubar, a toolbar, and a statusbar. The menubar always contains a File menu and a Help menu. The File menu always contains an Quit menu item, and the Help menu always contains an About menu item.

    A toolbar is a bar that appears under the menubar. A toolbar contains buttons for the most commonly-used commands. A statusbar is a bar at the bottom of a window that provides information about the current state of what you are viewing in the window. GNOME-compliant applications might also contains other bars. For example, Nautilus contains a location bar.

    You can choose to make the toolbars in GNOME-compliant applications detachable. That is, the toolbar can be removed from within the window and placed anywhere on the screen. When this option is enabled, each toolbar has a handle that you can grab then drag the bar to another location. You can drag the bar to snap to another side of the window, or to another part of the screen.

  • Default shortcut keys

    GNOME-compliant applications use the same shortcut keys to perform the same actions. For example, to quit a GNOME-compliant application, press Ctrl+Q. To undo an action in a GNOME-compliant application, press Ctrl+Z.

  • Drag-and-drop

    GNOME-compliant applications provide consistent feedback when you drag-and-drop items, and interoperate in a sophisticated manner.

    For example, GNOME-compliant applications recognize the format of the items that you drag. When you drag a HTML file from a Nautilus window to a web browser, the file is displayed in HTML format in the browser. However, when you drag the HTML file to a text editor, the file is displayed in plain text format in the text editor.

2.5.2. Working With Files

The work you do with an application is stored in files. These may be on your computer's hard drive, or on a removable device such as a USB flashdrive. You open a file to examine it or work on it, and you save a file to store your work. When you are done working with a file, you close it.

All GNOME applications use the same dialogs for opening and saving files, presenting you with a consistent interface. The following sections cover the open and the save dialog in detail.

2.5.3. Choosing a File to Open

The Open File dialog allows you to choose a file to open in an application.

The right-hand pane of the dialog lists files and folders in the current location. You can use the mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard to select a file.

Once a file is selected in the list, perform one of the following actions to open it:

  • Click Open.
  • Press Return.
  • Press Spacebar.
  • Double-click the file.

If you open a folder or a location instead of a file, the Open File dialog updates to show the contents of that folder or location.

To change the location shown in the right-hand pane, do one of the following:

  • Open a folder that is listed in the current location.
  • Open an item in the left-hand pane. This pane lists places such as your Documents folder, your Home Folder, media such as CDs and flashdrives, places on your network, and your bookmarks.
  • Click one of the buttons in the path bar above the file listing pane. This shows the hierarchy of folders that contain your current location. Use the arrow buttons to either side of the button bar if the list of folders is too long to fit.

The lower part of the Open File dialog may contain further options specific to the current application.

2.5.3.1. Filtering the File List

You can restrict the file list to show only files on certain types. To do this, choose a file type from the drop-down list beneath the file list pane. The list of file types depends on the application you are currently using. For example, a graphics application will list different image file formats, and a text editor will list different types of text file.

2.5.3.2. Find-as-you-type

If you know the name of the file you want to open, begin typing it: the file list will jump to show you files whose names begin with the characters you type. Arrow keys will now select from only these files. The characters you have typed appear in a pop-up window at the base of the file list.

To cancel find-as-you-type, press Esc.

2.5.3.3. Choosing a folder

You might sometimes need to choose a folder to work with rather than open a file. For example, if you use Archive Manager to extract files from an archive, you need to choose a folder to place the files into. In this case, the files in the current location are greyed out, and pressing Open when a folder is selected will choose that folder.

2.5.3.4. Open Location

You can type a full or relative path to the file you want to open. Begin typing a full path starting with / to open the Open Location dialog. Otherwise, to open the Open Location dialog either press Ctrl+L or right-click in the right-hand pane and choose Open Location.

Type a path from the current location, or an absolute path beginning with / or ~/. The Location field has the following features to simplify the typing of a full filename:

  • A drop-down of possible file and folder names is displayed once you begin typing. Use down arrow and up arrow and Return to choose from the list.
  • If the part of the name typed uniquely identifies a file or folder, the name is auto-completed. Press Tab to accept the suggested text. For example, if you type "Do", and the only object in the folder beginning with "Do" is Documents, then the entire name appears in the field.
2.5.3.5. Opening Remote Locations

You can open files in remote locations by choosing the location from the left panel, or by typing a path to a remote location into the Open Location dialog.

If you require a password to access the remote location, you will be asked for it when you open it.

2.5.3.6. Adding and Removing Bookmarks

To add the current location to the bookmarks list, press Add, or right-click a folder in the file list and choose Add to Bookmarks. You can add any folder that is listed in the current location by dragging it to the bookmarks list.

To remove a bookmark from the list, select it and press Remove.

Changes you make to the bookmarks list also affect the Places menu. For more on bookmarks, see Section 6.6.18 ― Using Bookmarks For Your Favorite Locations.

2.5.3.7. Showing hidden files

To show hidden files in the file list, right-click in the file list and choose Show Hidden Files. For more on hidden files, see Section 6.6.20.1 ― Hiding a File or Folder.

2.5.4. Saving a File

The first time you save your work in an application, the Save File dialog will ask you for a location and name for the new file. Subsequent saving updates this file. To save to a new file, choose File ▸ Save As.

You can enter a filename and choose a location to save in from the drop-down list of bookmarks and commonly-used locations.

2.5.4.1. Saving in another location

To save the file in a location not listed in the drop-down list, click the Browse for other folders expansion label. This shows a file browser similar to the one in the Open File dialog.

The expanded Save File dialog has the same features as the Open File dialog, such as filtering, find-as-you-type, and adding and removing bookmarks.

2.5.4.2. Replacing an existing file

If you type in the name of an existing file, you will be asked whether you wish to replace the existing file with your current work. You can also do this by choosing the file you want to overwrite in the browser.

2.5.4.3. Typing a Path

To specify a path to save a file, type it into the Name field. A drop-down of possible file and folder names is displayed once you begin typing. Use down arrow and up arrow and Return to choose from the list. If only one file or folder matches the partial name you have typed, press Tab to complete the name.

3. Desktop Sessions

This chapter provides the information you need to log in to and shut down GNOME, and to start, manage, and end a desktop session.

3.1. Starting a Session

A session is the period of time you spend using GNOME. During a session, you use your applications, print, browse the web, and so on.

Logging in to GNOME begins your session. The login screen is your gateway to the GNOME Desktop: it is where you enter your username and password and select options such as the language you want GNOME to use for your session.

Normally, logging out ends the session, but you can choose to save the state of your session and restore it next time you use GNOME: see Section 8.5.2 ― Sessions Preferences.

3.1.1. Logging in to GNOME

To log in to a session, perform the following steps:

  1. On the login screen, click on the Session icon. Choose the GNOME Desktop from the list of available desktop environments.
  2. Enter your username in the Username field on the login screen, then press Return.
  3. Enter your password in the Password field on the login screen, then press Return.

When you log in successfully, you will see a splash informing you of the steps GNOME is taking to start up. When GNOME is ready, you will see the Desktop and you can begin using your computer.

The first time you log in, then the session manager starts a new session. If you have logged in before, then the session manager restores your previous session, if you saved the settings for the previous session when you logged out.

If you want to shut down or restart the system before you log in, click on the System icon on the login screen. A dialog is displayed. Select the option that you require, then click OK.

3.1.2. Using a Different Language

To log in to a session in a different language, perform the following actions.

  1. On the login screen, click on the Language icon. Choose the language you require from the list of available languages.
  2. Enter your username in the Username field on the login screen, then press Return.
  3. Enter your password in the Password field on the login screen, then press Return.

When you log in to a session in a different language, you choose the language for the user interface. You do not specify a keyboard layout for the session. To choose a keyboard layout, use the Keyboard Indicator applet.

3.2. Locking Your Screen

Locking your screen allows you to leave your computer unattended and prevent access to your applications and information. While your screen is locked, the screensaver runs.

To lock the screen, perform one of the following actions:

  • Choose System ▸ Lock Screen.

  • If the Lock Screen button is present on a panel, click on the Lock Screen button.

    The Lock Screen is not present on the panels by default. To add it, see Section 4.3.2 ― Adding an Object to a Panel.

To unlock the screen, move your mouse or press any key, enter your password in the locked screen dialog, then press Return.

3.3. Managing the Session

To configure the session management of the GNOME Desktop, use the Sessions preference tool. The Sessions preference tool recognizes the following types of application:

  • Applications that are session-managed. When you save the settings for your session, the session manager saves all of the session-managed applications. If you log out, then log in again, the session manager automatically starts the session-managed applications.

  • Applications that are not session-managed. When you save the settings for your session, the session manager does not save any applications that are not session-managed. If you log out, then log in again, the session manager does not start non-session-managed applications. You must start the application manually. Alternatively, you can use the Sessions preference tool to specify non-session-managed applications that you want to automatically start.

3.3.1. Defining Session Behavior When You Log In and Log Out

To set how a session behaves when you log in and log out, use Sessions preference tool. Make the changes you require in the Session Options tabbed section. For example, you can select to display a splash screen when you log in.

3.3.2. To Use Startup Applications

You can configure your sessions to start with applications that are not session-managed. To configure non-session-managed startup applications, use the Sessions preference tool. Use the Startup Programs tabbed section to add, edit, and delete applications. If you save your settings and log out, the next time that you log in, the startup applications start automatically.

3.3.3. To Browse Applications in the Current Session

To browse the applications in the current session, use the Sessions preference tool. The Current Session tabbed section lists the following:

  • All GNOME applications that are currently running, that can connect to the session manager, and that can save the state of the application.
  • All preference tools that can connect to the session manager, and that can save the state of the tool.

You can use the Current Session tabbed section to perform a limited number of actions on the session properties of an application or preference tool. For example, you can edit the startup order, and restart style of any GNOME application or preference tool that is in the list.

3.3.4. To Save Session Settings

To save your session settings, perform the following steps: