34 Chapter 2:The GNOME Desktop Environment
Applications, folders, and applets can be docked on the panel, so that they can be launched with a
single mouse click.
Figure 2–4 The Panel at the Bottom of the Desktop
To add an applet, do one of the following:
• Right-click on the panel; select Applet and choose from the list of applets (see Figure 2–5, Adding
an Applet).
Figure 2–5 Adding an Applet
• Choose Applets from the Main Menu button and choose from the list of applets.
Section 2.7:Multiple Desktops 35
Switch Tasks Quickly
One way to bring currently running applications to the front is to press [Alt]-
[Tab]. To scroll through the tasks, hold down the [Alt] key, while pressing the
[Tab] key in succession. When you have found the task you want to bring to
the front, stop pressing the [Tab] key and release the [Alt] key.
2.5 Main Menu Button
The stylized GNOME footprint on the panel is the Main Menu Button. Left-click on the button to
expand it.
From here, you can start all the included applications and applets for GNOME (or use Nautilus—see
Section 2.3, The Nautilus File Manager); you also have access to KDE applications, under KDE menus
(if KDE is installed on your machine). These submenus give you access to a full range of applications
on your system. From the Main Menu Button, you can also log out, run applications from a command
line, and lock your screen, which runs a password protected screensaver.
2.6 Finding Help
Additional documentation on GNOME and Nautilus can be found by clicking on the Help tab on the
Start Here screen. Go to the Red Hat support website by clicking on Help on the Nautilus main menu
and selecting Support. Info pages and man pages are also helpful documents and are usually installed
on a Linux system. See Introductory Terms.)
2.7 Multiple Desktops
Instead of crowding your work on to one screen, you can use virtual desktops, which extend your
workspace to multiple desktop areas. For example, you may have your browser open on one desktop.
If you want to use a word processor and email program without having them all be on top of each
other, you can have each application run on its own desktop.
36 Chapter 2:The GNOME Desktop Environment
Figure 2–6 Moving an Application to Another Desktop
By default, four desktops are available to you. However, using the configuration utility for your win-
dow manager, you can modify that number. To run sawfish’s configuration program, middle-click on
your desktop (or click your right and left mouse buttons simultaneously), and select Customize. Go
to the entry called Workspaces to increase or decrease the number of available desktops. You can
also go to Main Menu => Programs => Settings => Sawfish window manager => Workspaces.
In the Workspaces field, use the arrows or enter a number manually to determine the number of
workspaces. You can name the Workspaces by clicking on Insert and typing a name in the pop-up
box that appears. Likewise, you can edit and delete workspace names by clicking on the appropriate
buttons.
The numbers in the Columns and Rows fields are multiplied by the number in the Workspaces field,
increasing your number of workspaces. Enter different numbers in these fields and click on Try. Watch
the display on the workspaces tab change as you do this.
In this same window, click on the Edge Flipping tab. If you choose Select the next desktop when
the pointer hits the screen edge, you will be moved to the next desktop when you point the cursor at
any edge of your current desktop. Activate the Only flip when interactively moving a window option
and you will only be moved to the next screen automatically if you are dragging an open window with
the cursor. Leave both of these options unchecked and you can click on the desktop you want in the
Section 2.8:Switching Environments 37
Desk Pager to move to another desktop. To manually move an open window from one desktop to
another, right-click on the top border and select Send window to for window moving options.
Figure 2–7 The GNOME Pager
The Pager (see Figure 2–7, The GNOME Pager) is a GNOME utility which allows you to switch
desktops (or workspaces) by clicking on the corresponding desktop, as well as see which applications
are currently running.
Additional Tasklists and Desk Guides
You can add new Pagers and Desk Guides to the panel by right-clicking on
the panel and moving your cursor to Panel => Add to panel => Applet =>
Utility and selecting either Desk Guide or Tasklist from the menu.
2.8 Switching Environments
In addition to changing your graphical environment at the login screen, you can switch to another
environment when you are already logged in.
You can change environments by using the Switchdesk utility (see Figure 2–8, The Switchdesk
Utility). Whether you are using GNOME or KDE you can select your new environment in Switchdesk
and log out. When you restart your session, you will find your new environment.
Additional Environments
If you performed a workstation install, the Switchdesk utility will show op-
tions for GNOME and other desktop environments. Custom installations
may display even more options.
38 Chapter 2:The GNOME Desktop Environment
Figure 2–8 The Switchdesk Utility
There are several ways to start Switchdesk:
• Go to Main Menu Button => Programs => System => Desktop Switching Tool.
• Dock a switchdesk applet on your panel. Right-click on the panel and go to Panel => Add to
panel => Launcher from menu => System => Desktop Switching Tool.
• Click on the Terminal Emulation Program icon on the panel and type switchdesk at the
prompt.
• Open the Run program item from the Main Menu Button and type switchdesk in the window.
Your changes will no be reflected immediately. Instead, you have to log out of your current X session.
The next time you start X, you will be working in your new environment.
2.9 Quitting from GNOME
When you log out, GNOME allows you to simply log out (and leave the system running), restart, or
halt the system completely.
Section 2.9:Quitting from GNOME 39
Figure 2–9 The GNOME Log Out Confirmation
To log out from the Main Menu on the panel, click on the Main Menu Button and select Log out.
In the confirmation dialog which opens (see Figure 2–9, The GNOME Log Out Confirmation), you
can choose to:
• Logout — logs you out of your account and returns you to the login screen, leaving the system
running.
• Halt — logs you out of your account and shuts down the system. To restart after you halt, press
[Ctrl]-[Alt]-[Del] or push the reset button on your computer.
• Reboot — logs you out of your account and restarts the system.
Select any of the options and click on the Yes button to continue. Also, select the Save current setup
option if you want to save your session. Saving your session will preserve your current configuration
of the panel and save the programs you might have open.
If you do not wish to proceed, click on the No button to continue with your GNOME session.
40 Chapter 2:The GNOME Desktop Environment
Typing Your Password
When you select either Halt or Reboot, you will be asked for your account’s
password before proceeding. In the space provided, just type in the password
you used when you logged in for your current session.
2.10 Adding a Log Out Button
You can add a quick launch Log out button to the panel.
Figure 2–10 Adding a Log Out Button
To add the button to your panel, right-click on the panel and select Panel => Add to panel => Log
out button (see Figure 2–10, Adding a Log Out Button). Now, when you want to log out, just click
on this button.
Section 2.12:Shutting Down at the Shell Prompt 41
2.11 Shutting Down from the Run Program Menu
An additional way to shut down or restart your machine is to select the Run program item from the
Main Menu and, in the dialog which opens, type shutdown -r now or shutdown -h now. The
-r means reboot, and will restart your machine; the -h means halt, and will shut down the system.
2.12 Shutting Down at the Shell Prompt
Like the Run program option in GNOME, you can use the shutdown command to halt or restart
your system from a shell prompt, whether you are working in GNOME, KDE, or the non-graphical
environment.
To halt or restart your system from a shell prompt:
• To see a shell prompt, from the panel, click on the Terminal Emulation Program launcher.
• At the shell prompt, type shutdown -r now or shutdown -h now and enter your user
account password in the dialog box that appears. The -h means halt and will shut down the system;
the -r means reboot and will restart the system.
• In console mode, type shutdown -r now or shutdown -h now and enter your user account
password after the Password prompt.
Make certain that you have saved your work before halting or restarting your system from the shell
prompt. Running applications will be closed and you will not have the option of saving your work or
your session.
Restarting an X Session
If you are having difficulty quitting your X session, (for example, if you get
no response when you click on the Log out button in KDE) you can swiftly
end the X session and return to the login screen by pressing the [Ctrl]-[Alt]-
[Backspace] keys. This procedure should be used only as a last resort, how-
ever. Make sure you close your running applications and save your work
before logging out this way!
42 Chapter 2:The GNOME Desktop Environment
More About Shutting Down
You can specify the delay between when you issue the shutdown command
and its execution. Replace the word now with a "+" and a number; for exam-
ple shutdown -h +5 will shutdown and halt the system after five minutes
have passed.
Section 3.1:Using Your Mouse 43
3 The KDE Desktop Environment
This chapter provides an overview of KDE fundamentals. Details, such as configuring your desktop,
working with the file manager, and using specific KDE tools, will be covered in later chapters.
For the latest documentation on KDE, visit the project’s website: [Link]
The KDE desktop shows application launchers, document windows, file folders, and so on. You access
the main menu from this screen and you can configure the desktop to suit your needs.
The long bar across the bottom of the desktop is the panel. The panel contains application launchers,
status indicators, and the desktop manager. You can have up to 16 desktops running at the same time
in KDE (for more information on this, see Section 3.3.1, Multiple Desktops). The taskbar appears at
the top of the desktop and shows your currently running applications.
3.1 Using Your Mouse
Click Once on the Mouse in KDE
You start applications and open folders by clicking just once on the associated
icon.
Making a Two-Button Mouse Emulate a Three-Button
Mouse
A three-button mouse offers the greatest ease of access to menus and naviga-
tion in KDE. If you have a two-button mouse and you selected three-button
emulation during the installation of Red Hat Linux, simply hold down both
the left and right mouse buttons at the same time to emulate the middle but-
ton of a mouse.
You can switch desktops with the mouse by placing the cursor in the desktop and pressing the middle
button of your mouse. Select the desktop you want from the pop-up menu that appears.
Use the right mouse button to reveal a brief menu of desktop related actions.
Right-clicking on a folder or application reveals a menu related to actions you can take with your
selection, such as moving the item to the Trash, revising the item’s properties, and more.