SUSE Linux Enterprise
www.novell.com11
March17,2009 GNOME User Guide
Desktop
GNOME User Guide
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Contents
About This Guide vii
Part I Introduction 1
1 Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 3
1.1 Logging In and Selecting a Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Logging Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.3 Desktop Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Working with Your Desktop 15
2.1 Using the Main Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 Managing Folders and Files with Nautilus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3 Accessing Floppy Disks, CDs, or DVDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.4 Searching for Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.5 Moving Text Between Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.6 Managing Internet Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2.7 Exploring the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.8 E-mail and Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.9 Opening or Creating Documents with OpenOfce.org . . . . . . . . . 31
2.10 Controlling Your Desktop’s Power Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.11 Creating, Displaying, and Decompressing Archives . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.12 Taking Screen Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
2.13 Viewing PDF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.14 Controlling Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.15 Using the Fingerprint Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.16 Obtaining Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.17 For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3 Customizing Your Settings 49
3.1 The Control Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
3.2 Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3.3 Look and Feel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
3.4 Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
3.5 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4 Assistive Technologies 91
4.1 General Accessibility Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
4.2 Mobility Impairments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
4.3 Orca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Part II Internet Connectivity, Files and Resources 101
5 Accessing Network Resources 103
5.1 Connecting to Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
5.2 General Notes on File Sharing and Network Browsing . . . . . . . . . 104
5.3 Accessing Network Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
5.4 Sharing Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
5.5 Managing Windows Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5.6 Conguring and Accessing a Windows Network Printer . . . . . . . . 109
6 Searching with Beagle 111
6.1 Using Beagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
6.2 Search Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
6.3 Performing a Property Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
6.4 Setting Search Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
6.5 Indexing Other Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
6.6 Preventing Files and Directories from Being Indexed . . . . . . . . . . 118
6.7 Selecting Data Sources to Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
6.8 Disabling Beagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
6.9 For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7 Managing Printers 121
7.1 Installing a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
7.2 Modifying Printer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7.3 Canceling Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7.4 Deleting a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
8 Backing Up User Data 125
8.1 Creating Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
8.2 Restoring Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
About This Guide
This manual introduces you to the GNOME graphical desktop environment as implemented in SUSE® Linux Enterprise Desktop and shows you how to congure it to
meet your personal needs and preferences. It also introduces you to several programs
and services. It is intended for users who have some experience using a graphical
desktop environment such as Macintosh*, Windows*, or other Linux desktops.
The manual is subdivided into two parts:
Introduction
Get to know your GNOME desktop and learn how to cope with basic and daily
tasks, using the central GNOME applications and some small utilities. Get an impression of the possibilities GNOME offers to modify and individualize your
desktop according to your needs and wishes. Learn how to use assistive technologies
to improve accessibility in case of vision or mobility impairment.
Internet Connectivity, Files and Resources
Find vital information concerning the management and exchange of data on your
system: how to share les on the network and how to use an integrated collaboration
environment, how to effectively search for data, and how to manage printers and
back up your data.
Many chapters in this manual contain links to additional documentation resources. This
includes additional documentation that is available on the system as well as documentation available on the Internet.
For an overview of the documentation available for your product and the latest documentation updates, refer to http://www.novell.com/documentation or to
the following section.
1 Available Documentation
We provide HTML and PDF versions of our books in different languages. The following
manuals for users and administrators are available on this product:
GNOME User Guide (page 1)
Introduces the GNOME desktop of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. It guides you
through using and conguring the desktop and helps you perform key tasks. It is
intended mainly for end users who want to make efcient use of GNOME desktop
as their default desktop.
Application Guide (↑Application Guide)
Learn how to use and congure key desktop applications on SUSE Linux Enterprise
Desktop. This guide introduces browsers and e-mail clients as well as ofce applications and collaboration tools. It also covers graphics and multimedia applications.
Deployment Guide (↑Deployment Guide)
Shows how to install single or multiple systems and how to exploit the product
inherent capabilities for a deployment infrastructure. Choose from various approaches, ranging from a local installation or a network installation server to a mass deployment using a remote-controlled, highly-customized, and automated installation
technique.
Administration Guide (↑Administration Guide)
Covers system administration tasks like maintaining, monitoring and customizing
an initially installed system.
Security Guide (↑Security Guide)
Introduces basic concepts of system security, covering both local and network security aspects. Shows how to make use of the product inherent security software
like Novell AppArmor (which lets you specify per program which les the program
may read, write, and execute) or the auditing system that reliably collects information about any security-relevant events.
viii GNOME User Guide
Virtualization with Xen (↑Virtualization with Xen)
Offers an introduction to virtualization technology of your product. It features an
overview of the various elds of application and installation types of each of the
platforms supported by SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as well as a short description
of the installation procedure.
In addition to the comprehensive manuals, several quick start guides are available:
Installation Quick Start (↑Installation Quick Start)
Lists the system requirements and guides you step-by-step through the installation
of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from DVD, or from an ISO image.
Linux Audit Quick Start
Gives a short overview how to enable and congure the auditing system and how
to execute key tasks such as setting up audit rules, generating reports, and analyzing
the log les.
Novell AppArmor Quick Start
Helps you understand the main concepts behind Novell® AppArmor.
Find HTML versions of most SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop manuals in your installed
system under /usr/share/doc/manual or in the help centers of your desktop.
Find the latest documentation updates at http://www.novell.com/
documentation where you can download PDF or HTML versions of the manuals
for your product.
2 Feedback
Several feedback channels are available:
• To report bugs for a product component or to submit enhancements requests, please
use https://bugzilla.novell.com/. If you are new to Bugzilla, you
might nd the Bug Writing FAQs helpful, available from the Novell Bugzilla home
page.
• We want to hear your comments and suggestions about this manual and the other
documentation included with this product. Please use the User Comments feature
at the bottom of each page of the online documentation and enter your comments
there.
About This Guide ix
3 Documentation Conventions
The following typographical conventions are used in this manual:
•
/etc/passwd: directory names and lenames
•
placeholder: replace placeholder with the actual value
•
PATH: the environment variable PATH
•
ls, --help: commands, options, and parameters
•
user: users or groups
•
Alt, Alt + F1: a key to press or a key combination; keys are shown in uppercase as
on a keyboard
•
File, File > Save As: menu items, buttons
•
Dancing Penguins (Chapter Penguins, ↑Another Manual): This is a reference to a
chapter in another manual.
x GNOME User Guide
Part I. Introduction
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop
This section describes the conventions, layout, and common tasks of the GNOME
desktop as implemented in your product.
GNOME is an easy-to-use graphical interface that can be customized to meet your
needs and personal preferences. This section describes the default conguration of
GNOME. If you or your system administrator modies the defaults, some aspect might
be different, such as appearance or keyboard shortcuts.
1.1 Logging In and Selecting a Desktop
If more than one user account is congured on your computer, generally all users must
authenticate—unless Auto Login is enabled for a specic user. Auto login lets a user
automatically log in to the desktop environment when the system starts. This feature
can be enabled or disabled during installation or at any time using the YaST User
Management module. For more information, refer to Chapter 9, Managing Users with
YaST (↑Deployment Guide). If your computer is running in a network environment and
you are not the only person using the machine, you are usually prompted to enter your
username and password when you start the system. If you did not set up the system and
user account yourself, check with your system administrator for your username and
password.
1
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 3
The program managing the login process is specic to the desktop environment installed
on your system. For GNOME, it is GDM. If the KDE desktop is also installed on your
system, it can be KDM.
The GDM login screen has the following items:
• Domain Menu If you authenticate against an Active Directory server, choose
the Windows* Domain to which you want to login. For all other authentication
methods, choose Local Login.
•
Login Window Shut Down, Restart or Suspend your machine or login to the
system. Select an existing user from the list or choose Other... to manually enter a
username. Type in the password and press Enter to login. Once a username is selected or entered, additional menus become available in the panel:
• Language Menu Select a language for your session.
• Keyboard Menu Select a keyboard layout for your session.
• Session Menu Select the desktop to run during your session. If other desktops
are installed, they appear in the list.
• Display Settings Menu Change display settings such as resolution and refresh
rate here.
• Access Preferences Congure the use of assistive technologies using this menu.
For details please refer to Chapter 4, Assistive Technologies (page 91) .
1.1.1 Session Management
A session is the period of time that you are actively logged in. During a session, you
can use applications, print, browse the Web and so on.
The login screen offers several login options. For example, you can select the language
of your session so that text that appears in the interface is presented in that language.
After your username and password are authenticated, the Session Manager starts. The
Session Manager lets you save certain settings from each session. It also lets you save
the state of your most recent session and return to that session the next time you log in.
4 GNOME User Guide
The Session Manager can save and restore the following settings:
• Appearance and behavior settings, such as fonts, colors, and mouse settings.
• Applications that you were running. such as a le manager or an OpenOfce.org
program.
TIP
You cannot save and restore applications that Session Manager does not
manage. For example, if you start the Vi editor from the command line in
a terminal window, Session Manager cannot restore your editing session.
For information on conguring session preferences, see Section 3.5.8, “Managing
Sessions” (page 86).
1.1.2 Switching Desktops
If you installed both the GNOME and the KDE desktops, use the following instructions
to switch desktops.
Click Computer > Logout > Log Out.
1
In KDE, click the main menu button, then click Leave > Logout.
In KDE, click Session on the login screen and select the desktop you want. In
2
GNOME, rst select or enter a user and then choose a desktop from the Session
menu.
Type your username, then press Enter.
3
Type your password, then press Enter.
4
1.1.3 Locking Your Screen
To lock the screen, you can do either of the following:
•
Click Computer > Lock Screen.
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 5
•
If the Lock button is present on a panel, click it.
To add the Lock button to a panel, right-click the panel, then click Add to Panel >
Lock Screen.
When you lock your screen, a screen saver starts, locking the screen. To unlock the
screen, move your mouse or press a key to display the locked screen dialog. Enter your
password, then press Enter.
For information on conguring your screen saver see Section 3.3.4, “Conguring the
Screen Saver” (page 60).
1.2 Logging Out
When you are nished using the computer, you can log out (leaving the system running),
restart or shut down the computer. If your system provides power management you can
also suspend your computer, making the next session start much faster than with a
complete reboot.
1.2.1 Logging Out or Switching Users
Click Computer > Logout.
1
Select one of the following options:
2
Log Out Logs you out of the current session and returns you to the Login
screen.
Switch User Suspends your session, allowing another user to log in and use
the computer.
1.2.2 Restarting or Shutting Down the
Click Computer > Shutdown.
1
6 GNOME User Guide
Computer
Select one of the following options:
2
Shutdown Logs you out of the current session, then turns off the computer.
Restart Logs you out of the current session, then restarts the computer.
Suspend Puts your computer in a temporary state that conserves minimal
power (“Suspend to RAM”). The state of your session is preserved, however,
including all applications you have running and all documents you have open.
Hibernate Suspends your session, using no power until the computer is
restarted (“Suspend to Disk”). The state of your session is preserved, however,
including all applications you have running and all documents you have open.
1.3 Desktop Basics
As with other common desktop products, the main components of the GNOME desktop
are icons that link to les, folders, or programs, as well as the panel at the bottom of
the screen (similar to the Task Bar in Windows). Double-click an icon to start its associated program. Right-click an icon to access additional menus and options. You can
also right-click any empty space on the desktop to access additional menus for conguring or managing the desktop itself.
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 7
Figure 1.1
GNOME Desktop
By default, the desktop features two key icons: your personal Home folder and a trash
can for deleted items. Other icons may also be present on the desktop, such as icons
representing devices on your computer. If you double-click your Home folder, the
Nautilus le manager starts and displays the contents of your home directory (where
your personal les and congurations are stored). For more information about using
Nautilus, see Section 2.2, “Managing Folders and Files with Nautilus” (page 19).
Right-clicking an icon displays a menu that offers le operations such as copying,
cutting or renaming. Selecting Properties from the menu displays a conguration dialog.
On the Basic tab, you can change the name of the icon as well as the icon itself (by
clicking on it and selecting a le with a different one). Various information about the
object represented by the icon is also shown here. The Emblems tab lets you add up to
four graphically descriptive symbols to the icon. The Permissions tab lets you set access
permissions for the selected les. The Notes tab lets you manage comments. The menu
for the trash can also features the Empty Trash option, which deletes its contents.
8 GNOME User Guide
A link is a special type of le that points to another le or folder. When you perform
an action on a link, the action is performed on the le or folder to which the link points.
However, when you delete a link, you delete only the link le and not the le that the
link is referencing.
To create a desktop link to a folder or a le, access the object in File Manager by rightclicking the object and then clicking Make Link. Drag the link from the File Manager
window and drop it onto the desktop.
1.3.1 Default Desktop Icons
To remove an icon from the desktop, simply drag it onto the trash can. The Home icon
cannot be removed.
WARNING
Be careful with this option - if you move folder or le icons to the trash can
and you empty the trash can, the actual data is deleted. If the icons only represent links to a le or to a directory, only the links are deleted.
1.3.2 Desktop Menu
Right-clicking an empty spot on the desktop displays a menu with various options.
Click Create Folder to create a new folder. Create a launcher icon for an application
with Create Launcher. Provide the name of the application and the command for
starting it, then select an icon to represent it. Align the desktop icons by name with
Clean Up by Name. With Keep Aligned checked, icons are always arranged in a grid.
You can also change the desktop background with this menu or open a terminal window.
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 9
Figure 1.2
GNOME Desktop Menu
1.3.3 Bottom Panel
The desktop includes a panel across the bottom of the screen. The bottom panel contains
the main menu (similar to the Start menu in Windows*), the taskbar showing the icons
of all applications currently running as well as easy access to applications and applets.
If you click the name of a program in the taskbar, the program's window is moved to
the foreground. If the program is already in the foreground, a mouse click minimizes
it. Clicking a minimized application reopens the respective window to foreground status.
Figure 1.3
The Show Desktop icon is on the right side of the bottom panel. This icon minimizes
all program windows and displays the desktop. Or, if all windows are already minimized,
it reopens them.
If you right-click an empty spot in the panel, a menu opens, offering the options listed
in the following:
Table 1.1
Add to Panel
10 GNOME User Guide
GNOME Bottom Panel
Panel Menu Options
DescriptionOption
Opens a menu of applications and applets that can be added
to the panel.
DescriptionOption
Properties
Delete This Panel
Allow Panel to be
Moved/Lock Panel
Position
New Panel
Help
About Panels
Modies the properties for selected panel.
Removes the panel, along with all panel settings, from the
desktop.
Lets you drag the panel to another side of the screen, or locks
the panel in its current position.
Creates a new panel and adds it to the desktop.
Opens the Help Center.
Opens information window about the panel application.
1.3.4 Adding Applets and Applications to
the Panel
You can add applications and applets to the bottom panel for quick access. An applet
is a small program, while an application is usually a more robust stand-alone program.
Adding applets puts useful tools where you can easily access them.
The GNOME desktop comes with many applets. You can see a complete list by rightclicking the bottom panel and selecting Add to Panel.
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 11
Figure 1.4
Some useful applets include the following:
Add to Panel Dialog Box
Table 1.2
Force Quit
Sticky Notes
Traditional Main Menu
12 GNOME User Guide
Some Useful Applets
DescriptionApplet
Look up a word in an online dictionary.Dictionary Lookup
Terminate an application. This is especially useful if you
want to terminate an application that is no longer responding.
Find les, folders, and documents on the computer.Search for Files
Create, display, and manage sticky notes on your desktop.
Access programs from a menu like the one in previous
versions of GNOME. This is especially useful for people
who are accustomed to earlier versions of GNOME.
DescriptionApplet
Increase or decrease the sound volume.Volume Control
Display current weather information for a specied city.Weather Report
Workspace Switcher
Access additional work areas (or workspaces) through
virtual desktops. For example, you can open applications
in different workspaces and use them on their own
desktops without the clutter from other applications.
Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop 13
Working with Your Desktop
Now you can now start to work with your desktop. In this chapter you will learn how
to start applications, manage and search les and burn CDs. You will get familiar with
the power management concept of GNOME and nd out how to perform regular tasks
with your desktop.
2.1 Using the Main Menu
Click Computer on the far left of the bottom panel to main menu with recently used
applications. You can also click Documents to display your recent documents, or click
Places to display your favorite places (such as your home directory or the Desktop).
Click More Applications to access additional applications, listed in categories. Use the
options on the right to access Help, install additional software, open the GNOME
Control Center, lock your screen, log out of the desktop or check the status of your hard
drive and network connections.
2
Working with Your Desktop 15
Figure 2.1
The main menu contains several elements:
Main Menu
2.1.1 Search Bar
The search bar helps you nd applications and les on your system. Enter your search
terms in the Search eld, then press Enter. The results are displayed in the Desktop
Search dialog box.
For more information about using Beagle, GNOME desktop’s search function, see
Chapter 6, Searching with Beagle (page 111).
2.1.2 Main Menu Tabs
You can determine which icons appear in the main menu by clicking the Applications,
Documents or Places tabs.
Favorite Applications
By default, Favorite Applications shows icons for four commonly used applications.
Customize this view to show the applications you use most often.
16 GNOME User Guide
To add an item to your Favorite Applications:
Click Computer > More Applications.
1
Right-click the application you want to add.
2
Select Add to Favorites.
3
The selected application is added to your Favorite Applications.
To remove an item from your Favorite Applications:
Click Computer.
1
Make sure that your Favorite Applications appear in the main menu. If Favorite
2
Applications does not appear on the main menu, click Applications.
Right-click the item you want to remove.
3
Select Remove from Favorites.
4
Recent Applications
Recent Applications shows the last two to four applications you have started, provided
they do not already appear under Favorite Applications.
Recent Documents
Click the Documents tab to display Favorite and Recent Documents. Use this view to
quickly locate the documents you worked on most often or most recently. Click More
Documents to open the File Browser. You may move a document from the Recent to
the Favorite Documents section by right clicking it and choosing Add to Favorites.
Recent Places
Click the Places tab to display the last several places you have opened. Use this view
to quickly locate the places you worked on most recently. Click More Places to open
the File Browser.
Working with Your Desktop 17
2.1.3 System
System provides shortcuts to several system applications.
Table 2.1
Help
Control Center
Install Software
Lock Screen
Shutdown
System Shortcuts
DescriptionApplication
Opens the Help Center, which provides online documentation for
your system.
Allows you to customize and congure your desktop. For more
information, see Chapter 3, Customizing Your Settings (page 49).
Allows you to customize and congure your system.YaST
Opens the Software Installer, which guides you through the process
of installing new software.
Locks your system so that nobody can access it while you are away.
Enter your password to unlock the system.
Opens the Log Out dialog, where you can log out or switch users.Log Out
Opens the Shutdown dialog, where you can shut down or restart
your system. You can also suspend you computer from this shortcut.
2.1.4 Status
Status displays information about your hard drive and network connection, including
the amount of available space on your hard disk and the type of network connection
you are using.
18 GNOME User Guide
2.2 Managing Folders and Files with
Nautilus
Use the Nautilus File Manager to create (or view) folders and documents, run scripts
and create CDs of your data. In addition, the File Manager provides support for Web
and le viewing.
You can open the File Manager in the following ways:
•
Click Computer > Nautilus File Browser.
• Double-click your Home directory icon on the desktop.
•
Click Computer > More Applications > System > Home Folder or Nautilus File
Browser.
Figure 2.2
The elements of the Nautilus window include the following:
Menu Lets you perform most tasks in the le manager. You can also open a context
sensitive pop-up menu from a le manager window by right-clicking inside it. The
items in this menu depend on where you right-click. For example, if you right-click a
le or folder, you can select items related to the le or folder. If you right-click the
background of a view pane, you can select items related to the display of items in the
view pane.
File Manager
Working with Your Desktop 19
Toolbar Lets you quickly navigate among les and folders, and provides access to
them.The toolbar contains Back, Forward, Up, Stop, Reload, Home, Computer, and
Search buttons.
Location Bar Lets you locate les, folders, and URI sites. The location bar supports
two different views: the traditional text-based view (where you can enter or edit a path)
and the button view (where each folder is displayed as a button). Navigate to a location
by pressing a button.
Side Pane Lets you navigate or display information about the selected le or folder.
Use the drop-down list to customize what is shown in the pane. The list includes ways
to view information about les, perform actions on les, add emblems to les, view a
history of recently visited sites and display your les in the Tree system. To close the
side pane, click the X at the top right of the side pane. To display the side pane, click
View > Side Pane or press F9.
View Pane Displays folders and les. Use the options in the View menu to zoom
the content or choose from different sorting options. You can also display items as a
detailed list, a compact list or as icons.
Status Bar Displays the number of items in a folder and gives the available free
space. When a le is selected, the status bar displays the lename and size.
2.2.1 File Manager Navigation Shortcuts
Some simple shortcuts for navigating in the File Manager include the following:
Table 2.2
<— or Alt + ↑
Alt + ↓ or Enter
Shift + Alt + ↓
20 GNOME User Guide
File Manager Navigation Shortcuts
DescriptionShortcut
Opens the parent folder.
Selects an item.Arrow key
Opens an item.
Opens an item and closes the current folder.
DescriptionShortcut
Shift + Alt + ↑
Shift + Ctrl + W
Ctrl + L
Alt + Home
For more information, click Help > Contents in the File Manager.
Opens the parent folder and closes the current
folder.
Closes all parent folders.
Toggles the location bar view from the button
view to the text-based view.
Opens your home directory.
2.2.2 Archiving Folders
If you have les you would like to archive, you can compress the les into tape archive
format (TAR).
In the Nautilus view pane, right-click the folder you want to archive, then click
1
Create Archive.
Accept the default archive lename or provide a new one.
2
3
Select a le extension from the drop-down list (use tar.gz for the most common
archive form or .zip to ensure compatibility with Windows).
Specify a location for the archive le, then click Create.
4
To extract an archived le, right-click the le, then select Extract Here.
Working with Your Desktop 21
2.2.3 Creating a CD/DVD
If your system has a CD or DVD read/write drive, you can use the Nautilus le manager
to burn CDs and DVDs.
Click Computer > More Applications > Multimedia > GNOME CD/DVD Creator,
1
or insert a blank disc and click Make Data CD/DVD or Make Audio CD/DVD.
Drag and drop the les you want to put on the disc into the Nautilus CD/DVD
2
Creator window.
Click Write to Disc.
3
Modify the information in the Write to Disc dialog box or accept the defaults,
4
then click Write.
The les are burned to the disc. This could take a few minutes, depending on the
amount of data being burned and the speed of your burner.
To burn an iso image, right-click on the iso image le in Nautilus and choose Open
with CD/DVD Creator. Modify the information in the Write to Disc dialog box or accept
the defaults, then click Write.
You can also use the burning application Brasero to burn CDs or DVDs. See Chapter 27,
Burning CDs and DVDs With Brasero (↑Application Guide) for more information.
22 GNOME User Guide
2.2.4 Using Bookmarks
Use the Nautilus Bookmarks feature to mark your favorite folders.
Select the folder or item for which you want to create a bookmark.
1
Click Bookmarks > Add Bookmark. The bookmark is added to the list, with the
2
folder name as the bookmark name. When you bookmark a le, it is the folder
that is actually bookmarked.
To select an item from your Bookmarks list, click Bookmarks, then click the de-
3
sired bookmark in the list.
You can also organize your Bookmarks list by clicking Bookmarks > Edit Bookmarks
and making your selections in the dialog box.
To change the order of your bookmarks, click a bookmark and drag it to the desired
location.
2.2.5 File Manager Preferences
You can change the File Manager preferences by clicking Edit > Preferences. For more
information, see Section 3.3.7, “Conguring File Management Preferences” (page 65).
2.2.6 Accessing Remote Files
You can utilize Nautilus to access les on remote servers. For more information see
Chapter 5, Accessing Network Resources (page 103).
Working with Your Desktop 23
2.3 Accessing Floppy Disks, CDs, or DVDs
To access oppy disks, CDs or DVDs, insert the medium into the appropriate drive.
An icon for the medium is automatically created on the desktop. For many types of removable media, a File Manager window pops up automatically when the media is inserted or attached to the computer. If File Manager does not open, double-click the icon
for that drive to view the contents.
WARNING
Do not simply remove disks from the drive after using them. Floppy disks, CDs,
and DVDs must always be unmounted from the system rst. Close all applications still accessing the medium, then right-click the icon for the medium and
select Eject Volume or Unmount Volume from the menu. Then safely remove
the oppy disk, CD, or DVD when the tray automatically opens.
Floppy disks can be formatted by clicking Computer > More Applications > System >
Floppy Formatter. In the Floppy Formatter dialog, select the density of the oppy disk
and the le system settings: Linux native (ext2), the le system for Linux or DOS
(FAT) to use the oppy with Windows systems.
2.4 Searching for Files
Using Search for File on the Computer > More Applications > System menu, you can
locate les on your computer or on a network share using any number of search criteria.
24 GNOME User Guide
Figure 2.3
Search for Files uses the nd, grep and locate UNIX commands. All searches are case
insensitive.
You can also open the Search for Files dialog by entering the following command into
the Run Application dialog (started with Alt + F2):
gnome-search-tool
Search for Files Dialog
2.4.1 Performing a Basic Search
Start Search for Files.
1
Type the search text in the Name contains eld.
2
The search text can be a lename or partial lename, with or without wild cards,
as shown in the following table:
ResultExampleSearch Text
myle.txtFull or partial lename
*.[ch]Partial lename combined
with wild cards (* [ ])
Searches for all les that contain
“myle.txt” in the lename.
Searches for all les that have a .c
or .h extension.
Working with Your Desktop 25
In the Look in folder eld, choose the directory where you want Search for Files
3
to begin the search.
Click Find.
4
2.4.2 Adding Search Options
Use Select more options to search by le content, dates, owner or le size.
Start Search for Files.
1
Type the search text in the Name contains eld.
2
In the Look in folder eld, type the path to the directory where you want Search
3
for Files to begin the search.
Click Select more options, then click Available options
4
Select a search option that you want to apply, then click Add.
5
The following options are available:
DescriptionOption
Contains the text
Date modied less than
Date modied more than
26 GNOME User Guide
Searches for a le by lename. Type a full lename or a partial lename with wild cards in the
eld provided. Use an asterisk (*) to indicate a
sequence of characters. Use a question mark (?)
to indicate a single character. The search is case
sensitive.
Searches for les that were modied within the
period specied (in days).
Searches for les that were modied before the
period specied (in days).
DescriptionOption
Size at least
Size at most
File is empty
Owned by user
Owned by group
Owner is unrecognized
Name does not contain
Searches for les that are equal to or larger than
the size specied (in kilobytes).
Searches for les that are smaller than or equal
to the size specied (in kilobytes).
Searches for empty les.
Searches for les that are owned by the user
specied. Type the name of the user in the text
box provided.
Searches for les that are owned by the group
specied. Type the name of the group in the text
box provided.
Searches for les that are owned by a user or
group that is unknown to the system.
Searches for lenames that do not contain the
string that you enter. Enter a full lename or a
partial lename with wild cards in the eld provided. Use an asterisk (*) to indicate a sequence
of characters. Use a question mark (?) to indicate
a single character. The search is case sensitive.
Name matches regular expression
Searches for les that contain the specied regular
expression in their directory path or lename.
Type the regular expression in the text box provided.
Regular expressions are special text strings used
to describe a search pattern. For more information,
see http://www.regular-expressions
.info.
Working with Your Desktop 27
DescriptionOption
Show hidden and backup
les
Follow symbolic links
Include other le systems
Specify the required search information for the search option.
6
To remove a search option from the current search, click the Remove button next
7
to the option.
Click Find.
8
Includes hidden and backup les in the search.
Follows symbolic links when searching for les.
Searches in directories that are not in the same
le system as the start directory.
2.4.3 Using the Search Results List
You can use the Search Results list to open or delete a le found during a search, or
you can save the search results to a le.
Figure 2.4
Search Results List
28 GNOME User Guide
To open a le displayed in the Search Results list, right-click the le, then click Open
or double-click the le. To open the folder that contains a le displayed in the Search
Results list, right-click the le and click Open Folder.
To delete a le displayed in the Search Results list, right-click the le and click Move
to Trash.
To save the results of the last search that Search for Files performed, right-click anywhere in the Search results list and click Save Results As. Type a name for the le that
will contain your Search results and click Save.
2.4.4 Disabling Quick Searches
By default, Search for Files tries to speed up some searches by using the locate
command. locate provides a secure way to index and quickly search for les. Because
locate relies on a le index, the Search Results list might not be up to date. To disable
quick searches, run the following command in a terminal window:
# gconftool-2 --type=bool --set
/apps/gnome-search-tool/disable_quick_search 1
2.5 Moving Text Between Applications
To copy text between applications, select the text, then move the mouse cursor to the
position where you want the text pasted. Click the center button on the mouse or the
scroll wheel to paste the text.
When copying information between programs, you must keep the source program open
and paste the text before closing it. When a program closes, any content from that application that is on the clipboard is lost.
2.6 Managing Internet Connections
To surf the Internet or send and receive e-mail messages, you must have congured an
Internet connection with YaST. Depending on your environment, in YaST select whether
to use NetworkManager. In GNOME, you can then establish Internet connections with
Working with Your Desktop 29
NetworkManager as described in Section “Using GNOME NetworkManager Applet”
(Chapter 23, Using NetworkManager, ↑Administration Guide).
For a list of criteria to help you to decide whether to use NetworkManager, refer to
Section “Use Cases for NetworkManager” (Chapter 23, Using NetworkManager, ↑Ad-
ministration Guide).
2.7 Exploring the Internet
The GNOME desktop includes Firefox, a Mozilla*-based Web browser. You can start
it by clicking Computer > Firefox.
You can type an address into the location bar at the top or click links in a page to move
to different pages, just like in any other Web browser.
For more information, see Chapter 18, Browsing with Firefox (↑Application Guide).
2.8 E-mail and Scheduling
For reading and managing your mail and events, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop offers
you Novell® Evolution™, a groupware program that makes it easy to store, organize
and retrieve your personal information.
Evolution seamlessly combines e-mail, a calendar, an address book, and a memo and
task list in one easy-to-use application. With its extensive support for communications
and data interchange standards, Evolution can work with existing corporate networks
and applications, including Microsoft* Exchange.
30 GNOME User Guide
To start Evolution, click Computer > More Applications > Ofce > Evolution Mail and
Calendar.
The rst time you start Evolution, it prompts you with a few questions as it sets up a
mail account and helps you import mail from your old mail client. Then it shows you
how many new messages you have and lists upcoming appointments and tasks. The
calendar, address book and mail tools are available in the shortcut bar on the left.
For more information, see Chapter 6, Evolution: E-Mail and Calendaring (↑Application
Guide).
2.9 Opening or Creating Documents
with OpenOfce.org
For creating and editing documents, OpenOfce.org is installed with the GNOME
desktop. OpenOfce.org is a complete set of ofce tools that can both read and save
Microsoft Ofce le formats. OpenOfce.org has a word processor, a spreadsheet, a
database, a drawing tool and a presentation program.
To get started, click Computer > OpenOfce.org Writer or select an OpenOfce.org
module by clicking Computer > More Applications > Ofce and selecting the module
you want to open.
A number of sample documents and templates are included with OpenOfce.org. You
can access the templates by clicking File > New > Templates and Documents. In addition,
Working with Your Desktop 31
you can use wizards, which guide you through the creation of letters and other typical
documents.
For more information, see Chapter 1, The OpenOfce.org Ofce Suite (↑Application
Guide) or view the Help in any OpenOfce.org program.
2.10 Controlling Your Desktop’s Power Management
GNOME Power Manager is a session daemon for the GNOME desktop that manages
the power settings for your laptop or desktop computer. When running on battery, the
GNOME Power Manager displays a battery icon showing the battery state in the panel.
When hovering the mouse over the icon, a pop-up with more information is shown. To
view detailed information about the batteries current state, left-click the icon and choose
Laptop Battery. On certain events, such as a critically low battery state, the GNOME
Power Manager will display notications informing you about the event.
GNOME Power Manager is usually started automatically when GNOME starts, but
you can manually start GNOME Power Manager by using the following command:
gnome-power-manager --verbose --no-daemon
2.10.1 Viewing Power Statistics
The statistics program lets you view the power consumption of your laptop hardware
in graphic form. To access the statistics graphs, right-click the battery icon and choose
Power History, or click Computer > More Applications > System > Power Statistics.
32 GNOME User Guide
Figure 2.5
The Power History graph shows the power history charge used by the composite primary
battery. The line represents the amount of power that is either being used to charge the
batteries in the system or the power being used by the system from the batteries. You
should see the line go up when processor intensive tasks are performed, and go down
when the system is at idle (or when the screen is dimmed). A legend is shown with this
graph when data events have been received.
You will not receive rate data from your computer if it is not charging or discharging,
or if the computer is suspended. This is due to hardware limitations (where the rate is
only sent from the battery management chip, rather than the power management chip
on the motherboard).
Power History Going From Battery Power to AC
Depending on your hardware, other graphs will be available from the Graph Type menu.
You might also see additional hardware that can be accessed via the optional Devices
button.
2.10.2 Modifying Power Management
Preferences
The Power Management Preferences dialog box lets you control the LCD brightness
when your system is on AC or battery power, the idle time for the screen power-down
Working with Your Desktop 33
and suspend action, the actions to perform when the laptop lid is closed and the notication area icon policy.
To access Power Management Preferences, right-click the battery icon and choose
Preferences, or click Computer > More Applications > System > Power Management.
On AC Power Preferences
Use the options on the On AC Power dialog box to automatically put your computer
to sleep when it has been inactive for a specied amount of time. When your computer
is asleep, it is turned on but in a low power mode (suspend to RAM). It takes less time
for a computer to wake up from sleep than it does for the computer to start up after
being turned off.
You can also set only the display to sleep and adjust the display brightness. If your
computer is in the middle of a task (for example, burning a DVD) that you want to
nish while you are away, set only the display to sleep.
Figure 2.6
GNOME Power Manager On AC Power Preferences
On Battery Power Preferences
Use the options on the On Batter Power dialog box to automatically put your computer
to sleep when it has been inactive for a specied amount of time, to specify what happens
when the laptop lid is closed, and what happens when battery power is critically low.
34 GNOME User Guide
When your computer is asleep, it is turned on but in a low power mode (suspend to
RAM). It takes less time for a computer to wake up from sleep than it does for the
computer to start up after being turned off.
You can also set only the display to sleep. If your computer is in the middle of a task
(for example, burning a DVD) that you want to nish while you are away, set only the
display to sleep.
Figure 2.7
GNOME Power Manager On Battery Power Preferences
General Preferences
Use the options on the General Power Management Preference dialog box to congure
miscellaneous options related to GNOME Power Manager’s behavior, such as the actions
to perform when the power or suspend buttons are pressed, if an icon is displayed in
the Notication area and if sound is used to notify you in the event on an error.
Working with Your Desktop 35
Figure 2.8
GNOME Power Manager General Preferences
Scheduling a Wakeup
Use the Scheduling tab on the General Power Management Preference dialog box to
congure an automatic wake up from a suspend state. Specify a time of day and a day
of the week for the wake up.
Figure 2.9
36 GNOME User Guide
GNOME Power Manager Scheduling Preferences
2.10.3 Session and System Idle Times
gnome-screensaver is a session daemon that monitors user input (if the mouse
has or has not been moved and if the keyboard has or has not been pressed) then starts
a timeout. When the value of this timeout reaches the value set in Screensaver Preferences (using the Regard the computer as idle after option), then the login is marked as
“session idle.”
As soon as the session is marked idle, GNOME Power Manager starts it's own system
timer. When the timeout set in GNOME Power Manager Preferences is reached, and
the CPU load is idle, then the idle action is performed (such as turning off the screen,
suspending or hibernating the computer).
To make this clearer, the sliders in GNOME Power Manager Preferences are set to start
at the value of the session-timeout + 1 minute, as GNOME Power Manager Preferences
cannot logically trigger before the session is marked as idle. If you adjust the value of
the session idle timeout in Screensaver Preferences, the start time of the sliders in
GNOME Power Manager Preferences will change accordingly.
Figure 2.10
Changing the Session Idle Timeout in Screensaver Preferences
Working with Your Desktop 37
To access the screen saver preferences, click Computer > More Applications > System
> Screensaver. For more information, see Section 3.3.4, “Conguring the Screen Saver”
(page 60).
2.11 Creating, Displaying, and Decompressing Archives
You can use the Archive Manager application (also known as File Roller) to create,
view, modify or unpack an archive. An archive is a le that acts as a container for other
les. An archive can contain many les, folders and subfolders, usually in compressed
form. Archive Manager application supports common formats such as zip, tar.gz,
tar.bz2, lzh, and rar. You can use Archive Manager to create, open and extract
a compressed non-archive le.
To start Archive Manager, click Computer > More Applications > Utilities > File Roller.
If you already have a compressed le, double-click the lename in the Nautilus le
manager to view the contents of the archive in Archive Manager.
Figure 2.11
38 GNOME User Guide
Archive Manager
2.11.1 Opening an Archive
In Archive Manager, click Archive > Open.
1
Select the archive you want to open.
2
Click Open.
3
Archive Manager automatically determines the archive type, and displays the
following:
• The archive name in the window title bar.
• The archive contents in the display area.
• The total number of les in the archive and the size of the archive when uncompressed, in the status bar.
To open another archive, click Archive > Open again. Archive Manager opens
each archive in a new window. To open another archive in the same window,
you must rst click Archive > Close to close the current archive, then click
Archive > Open.
If you try to open an archive that was created in a format that Archive Manager
does not recognize, the application displays an error message.
2.11.2 Creating Archives
In Archive Manager, click Archive > New.
1
Specify the name and location of the new archive.
2
Select an archive type from the Archive type drop-down list.
3
Click New.
4
Archive Manager creates an empty archive, but does not yet write the archive to
disk. Archive Manager writes a new archive to disk only when the archive contains
Working with Your Desktop 39
at least one le. If you create a new archive and quit Archive Manager before
you add any les to the archive, Archive Manager deletes the archive.
Add les and folders to the new archive:
5
Click Edit > Add Files or Edit > Add a Folder and select the les or folders
5a
you want to add.
Click Add.
5b
Archive Manager adds the les to the current folder in the archive.
You can also add les to an archive in a le manager window without opening Archive
Manager. See Section 2.2.2, “Archiving Folders” (page 21) for more information.
2.11.3 Extracting Files From an Archive
In Archive Manager, select the les that you want to extract.
1
Click Archive > Extract.
2
Specify the folder where Archive Manager will extracts the les.
3
Choose from the following extract options:
4
Files
Re-create folders
40 GNOME User Guide
DescriptionOption
Extracts all les from the archive.All les
Extracts the selected les from the archive.Selected les
Extracts from the archive all les that match the
specied pattern.
Reconstructs the folder structure when extracting
the specied les.
DescriptionOption
For example, you specify /tmp in the Filename
text box and choose to extract all les. The archive
contains a subfolder called doc. If you select the
Re-create folders option, Archive Manager extracts
the contents of the subfolder to /tmp/doc. If you
do not select the Re-create folders option, Archive
Manager does not create any subfolders. Instead,
Archive Manager extracts all les from the
archive, including les from subfolders, to /tmp.
Overwrite existing les
Do not extract older les
Password
Overwrites any les in the destination folder that
have the same name as the specied les.
If you do not select this option, Archive Manager
does not extract the specied le if an existing le
with the same name already exists in the destination folder.
Extracts the specied le only if the destination
folder does not contain the specied le or if the
destination folder contains an older version of the
specied le. Archive Manager uses the modication date to determine which le is the most recent.
If the version of the le in the archive is older,
Archive Manager does not extract the specied
le to the destination folder.
This option is only available if the Overwrite exist-
ing les option is selected.
This option is available only if the archive type
supports encryption. Currently, only .zip and
.arj archives support encryption.
If the archive contains encrypted les, enter the
required password in the Password eld to decrypt
the specied les during the extraction process.
Working with Your Desktop 41
DescriptionOption
The required password is the encryption password
that was specied when the archive was created.
Open destination folder
after extraction
Click Extract.
5
If all of the les in the archive are protected by a password (and you have not
specied the password) Archive Manager displays an error dialog.
If some but not all of the les in the archive are protected by a password (and
you have not specied the password) Archive Manager does not display an error
dialog. However, Archive Manager extracts only the unprotected les to the new
archive.
To extract an archived le in a le manager window without opening Archive
Manager, right-click the le and select Extract Here.
The Extract operation extracts a copy of the specied les from the archive. The
extracted les have the same permissions and modication date as the original
les that were added to the archive.
The Extract operation does not change the contents of the archive.
Displays the contents of the destination folder in
a le manager window after the extraction of the
specied les is completed.
2.12 Taking Screen Shots
You can take a snapshot of your screen or an individual application window using the
Take Screenshots utility. Start it by pressing Print to take a screen shot of the entire
desktop or by pressing Alt + Print to take a screen shot of the currently active window
or dialog box. You may also start the application via Computer > More Applications >
System > Take Screenshot.
42 GNOME User Guide
When you take a screen shot, the Save Screenshot dialog box opens. To save the screen
shot as an image le, enter the lename for the screen shot and choose a location from
the drop-down list.
Figure 2.12
You can also use The GIMP to take screen shots. In The GIMP, click File > Create >
Screenshot, select an area, choose a delay and then click Snap.
Save Screenshot Dialog Box
2.13 Viewing PDF Files
Documents that need to be shared or printed across platforms can be saved as PDF
(Portable Document Format) les. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ships with the
Evince PDF Viewer.
Working with Your Desktop 43
Figure 2.13
Evince PDF Viewer
To open Evince, double-click a PDF le in a le manger window (or Web site) or press
Alt + F2, type evince and press Enter.
To view a PDF le in Evince, click File > Open, locate the desired PDF le and click
Open.
Use the navigation icons at the top of the window or the thumbnails in the left panel to
navigate through the document. If your PDF document provides bookmarks, you can
access them in the left panel of the viewer.
44 GNOME User Guide
2.14 Controlling Sound
YaST automatically identies and congures the sound cards in your computer. You
can also use the YaST Hardware module to congure your sound card manually. When
your sound card has been congured, you can control the volume and balance of the
sound with the GNOME Volume Control mixer.
GNOME uses the PulseAudio sound server by default. PulseAudio allows to control
audio “streams” of different programs with one GUI. This makes it able to, for example,
use two different programs generating audio output at the same time by sending their
output to different devices such as headphones and speakers.
If the mixer icon (a loudspeaker symbol) is not visible in the panel on your desktop,
press Alt + F2 and enter gnome-volume-control, or click Computer > More Ap-
plications > Multimedia > Volume Control.
Left-click on the mixer icon and move the slider up or down to change the overall volume. Right-click and choose Open Volume Control for a detailed conguration dialog.
Figure 2.14
The GNOME Volume Control dialog box contains the following tabs:
Playback
Shows all playback streams currently active. You may adjust the volume of a stream
or mute it. Right-click on a stream to either terminate it or to move it to another
sound device (if available).
GNOME Volume Control Dialog Box
Working with Your Desktop 45
Recording
Shows applications that are currently recording sound. Right-click to choose the
stream that will be recorded.
Output Devices
Lists output devices. Right-click on a device to make it the default output device.
Input Devices
Lists input devices. Right-click on a device to make it the default input device.
2.15 Using the Fingerprint Reader
If your system includes a ngerprint reader, users can log in to the system either by
swiping a nger on the ngerprint reader or by typing in a password. For more information, refer to Chapter 7, Using the Fingerprint Reader (↑Security Guide).
2.16 Obtaining Software Updates
When you connect to the Internet, the openSUSE Updater automatically checks whether
software updates for you system are available. An openSUSE Updater applet in the
system tray of you panel informs you of the availability of updates and lets you easily
install them with just a few clicks. The applet icon changes color and appearance depending on the availability of updates for your system.
For detailed information on how to install software updates with openSUSE Updater
and how to congure openSUSE Updater, refer to the chapter about installing and removing software in Section “Keeping the System Up-to-date” (Chapter 6, Installing
or Removing Software, ↑Deployment Guide).
2.17 For More Information
Along with the applications described in this chapter for getting started, GNOME can
run many other applications. Find detailed information about these important applications
in the other parts of this manual and in the Application Guide (↑Application Guide).
46 GNOME User Guide
To learn more about GNOME and GNOME applications, see http://www.gnome
.org and http://gnomefiles.org.
To report bugs or add feature requests, go to http://bugzilla.gnome.org.
Working with Your Desktop 47
Customizing Your Settings
You can change the way the GNOME desktop looks and behaves to suit your own
personal tastes and needs. Some of the settings you might want to change include:
• Keyboard and mouse conguration, as described in Section 3.2.1, “Modifying
Keyboard Preferences” (page 52) and Section 3.2.2, “Conguring the Mouse”
(page 53)
• Desktop background, as described in Section 3.3.1, “Changing the Desktop Back-
ground” (page 57)
• Screen saver, as described in Section 3.3.4, “Conguring the Screen Saver”
(page 60)
• Password, as described in Section 3.4.1, “Changing Your Password” (page 78)
• Sounds, as described in Section 3.5.10, “Setting Sound Preferences” (page 88)
These settings and others can be changed in the Control Center.
3
Customizing Your Settings 49
3.1 The Control Center
To access the Control Center, click Computer > Control Center. The Control Center is
divided into the following four categories:
Hardware
Allows you to congure hardware components such as graphics cards, monitors,
printers or keyboard layout, and to set up your network devices and congure your
network connection. For more information, see Section 3.2, “Hardware” (page 52).
Look and Feel
Contains settings for the desktop background, the screen saver and the fonts appearing on the desktop. You can modify themes, window behavior and styles of desktop
elements such as menus and scroll bars. You can also congure 3D desktop effects
(Compiz). For more information see Section 3.3, “Look and Feel” (page 57).
Personal
Go here to change your login password or to congure keyboard shortcuts and
keyboard accessibility settings. For more information see Section 3.4, “Personal”
(page 77).
System
Lets you congure system settings such as date and time, language, sound or
power management. Dene how GNOME handles sessions on login or shutdown
and modify the Beagle search settings. For more information see Section 3.5,
“System” (page 79).
50 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.1
In order to change some system-wide settings, Control Center will prompt you for the
root password and start YaST. This is mostly the case for administrator settings (in-
cluding most of the hardware, the graphical user interface, Internet access, security
settings, user administration, software installation and system updates and information).
Follow the instructions in YaST to congure these settings. For information about using
YaST, refer to the integrated YaST help texts or to the Deployment Guide (↑Deployment
Guide).
GNOME Control Center
This chapter focuses on individual settings you can change directly in the GNOME
Control Center (without YaST interaction).
Customizing Your Settings 51
3.2 Hardware
In the following sections you will nd examples of how to congure some hardware
aspects of your GNOME desktop, including keyboard or mouse preferences, handling
of removable drives (and other media) or screen resolution.
3.2.1 Modifying Keyboard Preferences
To modify some keyboard settings (such as autorepeat preferences or typing break
sessions) click Computer > Control Center > Hardware > Keyboard.
Figure 3.2
On the Keyboard tab you can set some general keyboard preferences, such as
1
enabling keyboard repeat with individual delay and speed options or enabling or
disabling the blinking of the cursor and dening the speed. For more information
about the individual options, click Help.
To select your keyboard model click the Layouts tab and select your model from
2
the Keyboard model list.
Keyboard Preferences Dialog
52 GNOME User Guide
To add a new language layout, click Add and choose a language layout to add to
3
the list. You can select different layouts to suit different locales. Select one layout
as Default.
On the Typing Break tab you can set typing break preferences. For more informa-
4
tion about the individual options click Help.
If all options are set according to your wishes, click Close.
5
For conguration of keyboard accessibility options refer to the Section “Conguring
an Accessible Keyboard” (page 96).
3.2.2 Conguring the Mouse
To modify some mouse options click Computer > Control Panel > Hardware > Mouse
to open the Mouse Preferences.
Customizing Your Settings 53
Figure 3.3
Mouse Preferences Dialog
The General tab is divided into several sections. Use the radio buttons in the
1
Mouse Orientation section to specify if the mouse buttons are congured for
left-hand or right-hand use.
Check the option in the Locate Pointer section on the General tab to enable a
2
mouse pointer animation when you press and release Ctrl. This feature can help
you locate the mouse pointer.
Use the sliders in the Pointer Speed section on the General tab to dene the Ac-
3
celeration and Sensitivity of your mouse pointer.
Use the slider in the Drag and Drop section on the General tab to modify the
4
distance that you must move an item with the pointer before the action is interpreted as a drag and drop action.
Use the slider in the Double-Click Timeout section on the General tab to dene
5
the maximum delay between the two clicks of a double-click. If the interval be-
54 GNOME User Guide
tween two clicks is greater than the interval specied here, the action is interpreted
as two separate clicks instead of a double-click. Use the light bulb icon to check
double-click sensitivity: the light will light up briey for a click, but stay lit for
a double-click.
If all options are set according to your wishes, click Close.
6
For conguration of mouse accessibility options refer to Section 4.2.1, “Conguring
Mouse Behavior” (page 94).
3.2.3 Installing and Conguring Printers
The Printing module lets you connect to any available local or remote CUPS server
and congure printers.
To start the Printers module, click Computer > Control Center > Hardware >
1
Printing.
The CUPS server to which you are connected is shown in the status bar. To
2
connect to a different CUPS server, click Server > Connect, enter URL of the
CUPS server and press Connect. The printers available at the server are shown
in the main window. Update the list of available printers with the Refresh button.
To add a new printer press New in the toolbar and follow the conguration wizard.
3
To congure printer properties, set it as the default printer or view its print queue,
4
right-click the printer's icon and select appropriate option from the menu.
Figure 3.4
For detailed information refer to Chapter 7, Managing Printers (page 121).
Printer Conguration Dialog
Customizing Your Settings 55
3.2.4 Conguring Screens
To specify the resolution, refresh rate and orientation for your screen or to congure
multiple screens, click Computer > Control Center > Hardware > Screen Resolution
and modify the options.
Press Detect Displays to detect all monitors connected to your computer.
1
To set options for any monitor, click on the monitor's icon in the blue preview
2
area and set its Resolution, Refresh Rate, and Rotation (orientation) using the
drop-down lists underneath.
If you use multiple monitors, you can set their respective positions by dragging
3
their icons in the blue preview area to the appropriate location. Alternatively,
you can congure your monitors to show the same image by checking Mirror
Screens.
To show an applet icon in your system tray which enables you to rotate your
4
screens, check Show Displays in Panel.
Figure 3.5
For more information about screen rotation support refer to Section “Rotating Your
Display” (Chapter 18, Using Tablet PCs, ↑Administration Guide).
56 GNOME User Guide
Monitor Resolution Settings Dialog
3.2.5 Conguring a Touchpad
Use the Touchpad module to congure the behavior of a touchpad. This module is only
available on computers containing touchpads, such as laptops. In most cases the default
behavior should remain unchanged. Click Computer > Control Center > Hardware >
Touchpad to start the Touchpad module. This allows you to enable or disable the
touchpad or to set its sensitivity, tapping and scrolling behaviour. This module also
controls mouse-pointer acceleration.
3.3 Look and Feel
In the following sections nd examples of how to congure some look and feel aspects
of your GNOME desktop, like the desktop background and screens saver, 3D desktop
effects, themes, window behavior or menus.
3.3.1 Changing the Desktop Background
The desktop background is the image or color that is applied to your desktop. You can
customize the desktop background in the following ways:
• Select an image for the desktop background. The image is superimposed on the
desktop background color. The desktop background color is visible if you select a
transparent image or if the image does not cover the entire desktop.
• Select a color for the desktop background. You can select a solid color or create a
gradient effect with two colors. A gradient effect is a visual effect where one color
blends gradually into another color.
To change the desktop preferences:
Click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance > Background.
1
Customizing Your Settings 57
To change the picture on the background select one of the Wallpapers from the
2
list and select the Style in which to arrange the image on the desktop. Your
desktop immediately updates to show the new settings
To use a custom picture, click Add and select an image le from the le system.
3
If you do not want a picture on the background, select No Wallpaper from the
4
Wallpaper list and specify a color scheme using the options in the Color dropdown list and the color selector buttons. Your desktop immediately changes to
show the new settings
When you are satised with your choices, click Close.
5
3.3.2 Conguring Fonts
To select the fonts to use in your applications, windows, terminals and desktop, click
Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance > Fonts.
58 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.6
The upper part of the dialog shows the fonts selected for applications, documents, the
desktop, window titles and a xed-width font for terminals. Click one of the buttons
to open a selection dialog where you can set the font family, style and size. For more
information on the individual options, click Help.
In the Rendering section, you can the way fonts are rendered on the screen. There are
four basic options: Monochrome (monochrome rendering without any smoothing), Best
Shapes (rendering optimized for precise character shapes), Best Contrast (rendering
optimized for high contrast) and Subpixel Smoothing (taking advantage of LCD subpixel
structure). Advanced options for display resolution, smoothing, hinting and subpixel
order are available after clicking on Details.
Font Preferences Dialog
3.3.3 Conguring Menus and Toolbars
You can congure the appearance and behavior of menus and toolbars. Click Computer
> Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance > Interface.
If you want icons to appear in menus, select Show icons in menus. Not all menu items
have icons.
If you want to be able to dene new keyboard shortcuts for menu items, select Editable
menu shortcut keys. When this option is enabled, you can change an application shortcut
key by placing the mouse pointer over the menu item you want to change and pressing
the new key combination. To remove a shortcut key combination, place the mouse
pointer over the menu item, then press <— or Del.
Customizing Your Settings 59
IMPORTANT: New Keyboard Combinations Can Change Defaults
If you assign a new keyboard combination that was previously assigned to
something else, you are not warned. The previous assignment is removed and
replaced by the new one. There is no automatic way to restore the default
keyboard shortcut for a command. You must manually reassign the keyboard
shortcut.
This feature does not maintain shortcuts that are normally assigned to all applications, such as Ctrl + C for copy. This might lead to inconsistencies in your
GNOME applications.
Select one of the following options to specify how toolbar button labels display in your
GNOME-compliant applications:
Text below icons
Displays icon labels below the icons for each button.
Text beside icons
Displays icons on the toolbar, with text beside the most important icons.
Icons only
Displays icons only, without any text labels.
Text only
Displays text labels on each button, without icons.
A preview of the selected option appears in the dialog.
3.3.4 Conguring the Screen Saver
A screen saver is a program that blanks the screen or displays graphics when the computer is not used for a specied amount of time. Screen savers originally protected
monitors from having images burned into them. Now they are used primarily for entertainment or security.
To congure a screen saver click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel >
Screensaver.
60 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.7
From the list on the left select the screen saver theme you like. You can also select
Random for a random selection of a screen savers or just a Blank Screen. A preview of
the currently selected screen saver appears on the right or, by pressing the Preview
button, you can test the selected screen saver in a fullscreen mode.
Screensaver Preferences Dialog
Use the slider to specify the amount of time that the computer is to be idle before the
screen saver is activated. If you want the screen saver to be activated after the specied
time the Activate screensaver when computer is idle checkbox should be checked. If
you also want the screen to lock automatically when the screen saver is activated the
Lock screen when screensaver is active checkbox should be checked.
3.3.5 Choosing a Theme
A theme is a group of coordinated settings that species the visual appearance of a part
of the desktop. You can choose themes to change the appearance of the desktop. Use
the Theme tab of the Appearance tool to select from a list of preinstalled themes. The
list of available themes includes several themes for users with accessibility requirements.
To choose a theme, click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance
> Theme.
Customizing Your Settings 61
Basic appearance and color settings for the desktop and applications are controlled using
themes. You can choose from a variety of preinstalled themes. Selecting a style from
the list overview applies it automatically. Customize opens another dialog where you
can customize the style of single desktop elements like window content, window borders,
and icons. Making changes and leaving the dialog by clicking Close causes the theme
to switch to Custom Theme. Click Save Theme to save your modied theme under a
custom name. The Internet and other sources provide many additional themes for
GNOME as .tar.gz les. Install these with Install.
The Customize Theme dialog has the following tabs and options:
Controls
The controls setting for a theme determines the visual appearance of windows,
panels and applets. It also determines the visual appearance of the GNOME-compliant interface items that appear on windows, panels and applets (such as menus,
icons and buttons). Some of the control settings that are available are designed for
special accessibility needs. You can select a control setting in the Controls tab of
the Customize Theme dialog.
Colors
The colors of the text in windows, input boxes, selected items and tooltips (as well
as color of the text background) can be congured in the Colors tab of the Customize
Theme dialog.
Window Border
The window border setting for a theme determines the appearance of the borders
around windows (window decorations). You can select the window border settings
in the Window Border tab of the Customize Theme dialog.
Icons
The icon setting for a theme determines the appearance of the icons on panels and
the desktop background. You can select the icon settings in the Icons tab of the
Customize Theme dialog.
Pointer
The style and size of the mouse pointer can be congured in the Pointer tab of the
Customize Theme dialog.
62 GNOME User Guide
Procedure 3.1
The themes that are listed in the Theme Preferences tool are different combinations
of control settings, window frame options and icon options. You can create a custom
theme that employs different combinations of options. To create a custom theme:
Click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance > Theme.
1
Select a theme from the list of themes and click Customize.
2
Select the controls option you want to use in the custom theme from the list in
3
the Controls tabbed page.
Click the Colors tab, then select colors you want to use for windows, input boxes,
4
text and other parts of the interface. Some control themes do not support setting
custom colors.
Click the Window Border tab and select the window frame option that you want
5
to use in the custom theme.
Click the Icons tab and select the icons option that you want to use in the custom
6
theme.
Click the Pointer tab and select the mouse pointer option that you want to use in
7
the custom theme.
Creating a Custom Theme
Click Close > Save As.
8
A Save Theme dialog is displayed.
Type a name and a short description for the custom theme in the dialog, then
9
click Save. The custom theme now appears in your list of available themes.
Procedure 3.2
You can add a theme to the list of available themes. The new theme must be a compressed archive le (a .tar.gz le).
Click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Appearance > Theme.
1
Click Install.
2
Installing a New Theme
Customizing Your Settings 63
Select the le and click Open.
3
If you want to apply the new theme immediately click Apply New Theme. You
4
can also Keep Current Theme.
3.3.6 Customizing Window Behavior
Use the Window Preferences tool to customize window behavior for the desktop. You
can determine how a window reacts to contact with the mouse pointer or to doubleclicks on its title bar and you can dene which key to hold for moving an application
window.
To customize window behavior click Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel >
Windows.
Figure 3.8
When several application windows populate the desktop, the active window by default
is the one last clicked. Change this behavior by activating Select Windows When the
Mouse Moves over Them. If desired, activate Raise Selected Window after an Interval
and adjust the latency with the slider. This raises the window a short time after the
window receives focus.
Under Titlebar Action, it is possible to specify an action that is performed when the
window's title bar is clicked. Select the desired action from the drop-down list. Possible
actions include minimizing the window, maximizing it in one or both directions or
Window Preferences Dialog
64 GNOME User Guide
rolling it up, leaving only the title bar visible. The default behavior is for the title bar
to maximize in both directions.
Using the radio buttons, select a modier key to press for moving a window (Ctrl, Alt
or the Windows key).
3.3.7 Conguring File Management
Preferences
The le management preference include settings for the GNOME le manager Nautilus
as well as the settings for handling of removable media. You can access the preferences
in the Control Center by clicking Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > File
Management or directly from Nautilus by clicking Edit > Preferences.
Customizing Your Settings 65
Figure 3.9
File Manager Preferences
On the Views tab dene options for various Nautilus views. For example, select
1
if Nautilus should show hidden les and backup les.
On the Behavior tab dene several options such as to open les or folders in
2
Nautilus upon single or double mouse-click, or to include a Delete menu item in
Nautilus which deletes les or folders directly from your le system instead of
moving them to the trash.
On the Display tab congure the date format and the way icon captions appear
3
in Nautilus.
Switch to the List Columns tab to congure the columns that appear in Nautilus,
4
as well as the order in which they appear.
66 GNOME User Guide
Click the Preview tab to specify for which les to show previews in Nautilus
5
and if folders should show the number of items they contain.
Click the Media tab to specify actions that should be performed automatically
6
whenever media such as audio CDs, video DVDs, blank disks, media players,
digital cameras and other devices are connected. In general, you do not need to
change these settings unless you want to change the behavior of a device when
connected. If you attach a device for the rst time and it behaves in an unexpected
or undesired way, change the settings for the particular device.
For more information on the available options click Help.
7
Click Close when you are ready to apply changes.
8
3.3.8 Locking Desktop Functions
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ships with a graphical lockdown editor (pessulus
package) that lets you disable (lockdown) certain desktop functions. This is useful if
you want to restrict the actions that users can perform on a computer. For example, you
might want to prevent command line operations on a computer that is for public use at
a trade show.
If the pessulus package is already installed, start the Lockdown Editor from the
main menu with Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Lockdown Editor or
press Alt + F2 and enter pessulus.
Customizing Your Settings 67
Figure 3.10
When the Lockdown Editor starts, it tries to connect to the GConf mandatory conguration source (xml:merged:$prefix/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory).
If you run pessulus as root, you have access to this conguration source and a
lock icon is displayed next to the checkbox for each setting. Click the lock to specify
if the setting is mandatory. If the setting is mandatory, regular users will not be able to
change or override the setting. If you do not have access to the mandatory conguration
source, the lock icon does not appear. In this case, all disabled settings are stored in the
user's default conguration source and can be modied later using other tools such as
gconf-editor or gconftool-2. For more information about GConf and
mandatory conguration sources see “Using GConf” [http://library.gnome
.org/admin/system-admin-guide/stable/] in the GNOME Desktop System
Administration Guide .
General Lockdown Editor Settings
Click a category on the left to view the settings for this category that can be disabled.
To disable access to the command line, saving to disk and printing (or prevent
1
the user from modifying print settings) set the relevant options in the General
category.
68 GNOME User Guide
Use the options in the Panel category to lock down the panel, disable the panel
2
applets you specify and disable the force quit, lock screen and log out options.
Use the options in the Epiphany Web Browser category to control access to fea-
3
tures in Epiphany.
Use the options in the GNOME Screensaver category to lock the screen (when
4
the screen saver goes active), enable or disable the logout (after a delay option
in the unlock dialog box) and to enable or disable the switch user option in the
unlock dialog box.
For more information on the available options of each category, click Help.
5
If all options are set according to your wishes, click Close to apply the changes.
6
3.3.9 Customizing the Main Menu
Use the Main Menu tool to customize the traditional GNOME main menu. The traditional GNOME menu is not enabled by default, but you can add it to your GNOME
panel by right-clicking it and choosing Add to Panel > Traditional Main Menu > Add
> Close. To customize the traditional GNOME main menu, use Computer > Control
Center > Look and Feel > Main Menu.
Customizing Your Settings 69
Figure 3.11
The current main menu submenus are displayed on the left of the main window, the
items belonging to the selected submenu are shown on the right. Groups in a submenu
are nested below that submenu. To nd an item, click the arrow next to a submenu in
the Menus list, select the group containing that item and locate the item in the Items
list.
Main Menu Editor
NOTE: Implications of Main Menu Changes
Changes you make to the main menu are not overwritten during a subsequent
system update. Changes are applied after the latest menu view is generated.
Procedure 3.3
You can change the order in which items appear in the main menu, rename menu
items, show (or hide) menu items, delete items from the menu or add new menu items.
For example, you might want to place your frequently used applications at the top of
the menu or at the top of their groups to make them easier to nd. Adding new items
to the main menu is helpful when you install an application, but it is also useful if
70 GNOME User Guide
Editing the Main Menu
you have other applications that do not currently appear on the menu. You can also
add a directory, a link or another type of item to the menu.
To move a menu item click the menu item in the Items list on the right and drag
1
it to a new location in the menu. You can move the item to a new location in the
same menu or drop it on an item in the Menus list (to move it to a new menu or
group). Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change an item's location
in the menu.
To rename an existing menu item right-click the item in the Items list, select
2
Properties and enter a new name.
To hide an item (so it does not appear in the menu) deactivate the checkbox next
3
to the item in the Items list. An activated checkbox indicates that the item is
currently shown in the menu. When an item is hidden it still remains in the Items
list and can be shown at any time you decide you want it to (re)appear in the
menu.
To delete an item from the Items list right-click the item and click Delete. If you
4
want to show a deleted item in the menu again you must add it like you would
a new application.
To add a new item, proceed as follows:
5
In the Menus list click the arrow next to the menu containing the group where
5a
you want to add the application, then select the group. The contents of that
group appear in the Items list.
Click New Item and select the Type of menu item to add. For example, to
5b
add an application select Application.
Click Browse and select the item to add.
5c
Enter a Name for the new menu item.
5d
If you want a short description to appear in the main menu during a hover
5e
state enter the description in the Comment eld.
If you want to assign an icon to the new item, click the image frame on the
5f
left, then select an icon for the item. If you do not select an icon, the item
appears in the menu without an icon.
Customizing Your Settings 71
If you want to restore the default menu layout click Revert.
6
If all options are set according to your wishes click Close to apply your changes.
7
NOTE
The rst time you use the Main Menu application to edit the menu,
changes do not take effect until your next login. Subsequent changes
appear immediately.
3.3.10 Conguring Desktop Effects
Compiz is a compositing window manager for the X Window System that uses 3D
graphics hardware to create fast compositing desktop effects for window management.
Effects are implemented as loadable plugins. Compiz lets you turn your desktop into
a rotating 3D cube, tile windows so they do not overlap and switch tasks while viewing
live thumbnails. You can enable translucent or transparent windows, zoom in and out
of the desktop screen, and use other window effects such as shadows, fading and
transformations. You can also congure windows to snap to other windows and screen
edges when they are moved.
72 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.12
3D Desktop
Enabling Desktop Effects
To enable desktop effects you need a graphics adapter capable of providing 3D support
and the graphics driver that Linux uses to operate the graphics adapter. This driver must
be able to handle OpenGL (or 3D) requests from the Linux kernel. If your conguration
is compatible with desktop effects it will be enabled by default. If your conguration
does not support desktop effects you will be warned upon activation.
To enable or disable desktop effects follow these steps:
Click Computer > Control Center.
1
Click Desktop Effects in the Look and Feel group.
2
Customizing Your Settings 73
If your system is congured for desktop effects check Enable Desktop Effects.
3
To keep desktop effects enabled press Yes in the dialog that opens. Otherwise,
the desktop effects will be deactivated automatically in ten seconds.
To disable desktop effects uncheck the Enable Desktop Effects option.
The default set of desktop effects is now enabled. You can change the enabled
4
effects and their settings on the several tabs of the Desktop Effects dialog or just
select a Prole from the dropdown list. To activate the selected prole press the
green button.
Modifying Desktop Effects
A simplied conguration tool for desktop effects is included in the Look and Feel
section of GNOME Control Center. Open Desktop Effects tool from the main menu by
clicking Computer > Control Center > Look and Feel > Desktop Effects.
74 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.13
Use the Info tab to get general information about the current desktop effect set-
1
Desktop Effects Conguration
tings.
Use the options on the Animations tab to specify what happens when you open,
2
close, focus or minimize windows.
Use the options on the Effects tab to specify what type of Switcher to use. This
3
is the desktop effect activated when switching between windows using the Alt +
→| combination. This is where you can set various desktop effects like opacity
of the desktop cube or wobbling windows.
Use the options on the Desktop tab to congure the representation of virtual
4
desktops you want to use (three dimensional Desktop Cube or planar Desktop
Wall) and to set how many virtual desktops you want to use.
Use the options on the Accessibility tab to congure screen and area zoom.
5
Use the Edges tab to congure functions associated with active screen edges.
6
Customizing Your Settings 75
For more information on the individual options, click Help.
7
If all options are set according to your wishes, click Close to apply the changes.
8
NOTE: Advanced Conguration Tool
An advanced conguration tool can be started from a terminal emulator with
command ccsm. This offers a greater selection of conguration options than
the simplied tool in GNOME Control Center.
You can also use gconf-editor to change desktop effects settings.
Click Computer > More Applications > System > GNOME Conguration Editor
1
or press Alt + F2 and enter gconf-editor.
2
Navigate to the apps/compiz/general and apps/compiz/plugins
registry folders and make the desired changes.
Click File > Quit to close the Conguration Editor.
3
Desktop Effects Shortcuts
The following table contains a list of the default keystrokes and mouse movements you
can use to perform desktop effects. To change any of these shortcuts, see use the ad-
vanced conguration tool (ccsm). The shortcuts for zoom function can be congured
in the Desktop Effects tool available from GNOME Control Center.
Table 3.1
Panoramic view of all desktops (if the desktop
cube effect is enabled)
Rotate desktop cube (if the desktop cube effect is enabled) or switch desktops (if the
desktop wall effect is enabled)
76 GNOME User Guide
Desktop Effects Shortcuts
ShortcutEffect
Ctrl + Alt + ↓ (use the Left and Right
arrows to scroll)
Ctrl + Alt + ← or → (↑ or ↓ keys can
be used in case of desktop wall effect
with multiple rows)
ShortcutEffect
Rotate desktop cube manually (if the desktop
cube effect is enabled)
Rotate desktop cube (if the desktop cube effect is enabled) or switch desktops (if the
desktop wall effect is enabled) while keeping
the current active window with you
Switch windows (thumbnail view)
abled)
Zoom in manually (if the screen zoom is enabled)
Zoom out manually (if the screen zoom is
enabled)
Zoom in area under mouse pointer (if the area
zoom is enabled)
Zoom out area under mouse pointer (if the
area zoom is enabled)
Ctrl + Alt + left-click the desktop and
drag the mouse pointer
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ← or →
Alt + →|
Left-click the window and dragWobbly window (if the wobbly effect is en-
Super key (Windows key) and scroll
wheel up
Super key (Windows key) and scroll
wheel down
Shift, super key (Windows key) and
scroll wheel up
Shift, Super key (Windows key) and
scroll wheel down
3.4 Personal
In the following sections nd examples of how to congure some personal aspects of
your GNOME desktop, like your password or keyboard shortcuts. For conguration
of assistive technologies refer to Chapter 4, Assistive Technologies (page 91).
Customizing Your Settings 77
3.4.1 Changing Your Password
For security reasons, it is a good idea to change your login password from time to time.
To change your password:
Click Computer > Control Center > Personal > Change Password.
1
Type your old (current) password.
2
Type your new password.
3
Conrm your new password by typing it again, then click OK.
4
3.4.2 Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
A keyboard shortcut is a key or combination of keys that provides an alternative to
standard ways of performing an action. You can customize the keyboard shortcuts for
a number of actions.
To open the Keyboard Shortcuts tool click Computer > Control Center > Personal >
Keyboard Shortcuts.
Figure 3.14
78 GNOME User Guide
Keyboard Shortcuts Dialog
To change the shortcut keys for an action, select the action and then press the keys you
want to associate with the action. To disable the shortcut keys for an action, click the
shortcut for the action, then press <—.
3.5 System
In the following sections you will nd examples of how to congure some system aspects of your GNOME desktop like language settings, power management, preferred
applications, session (and session sharing) preferences, Beagle search options and audio
preferences.
3.5.1 Conguring Language Settings
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop can be congured to use any of a number of languages.
The language setting determines the language of dialogs and menus and can also determine the keyboard and clock layout.
You can set the following language settings:
• Primary language
• Whether the keyboard language setting should correlate to the primary language
• Whether the time zone should correlate to the primary language
• Secondary languages
To congure your language settings:
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Language.
1
2
Enter the root password.
If you do not know the root password contact your system administrator. You
cannot continue without the root password.
Customizing Your Settings 79
Specify the primary language, whether you want to adapt the keyboard layout
3
or time zone to the primary language, and any secondary languages you need to
support on the computer.
Click Accept.
4
The language conguration settings are written to several conguration les.
This process can take a few minutes. The new settings take effect immediately
after they are written to the conguration les.
3.5.2 Conguring Network Proxies
The Network Proxy Conguration tool lets you congure how your system connects
to the Internet. You can congure the desktop to connect to a proxy server and specify
the details of the server. A proxy server is a server that intercepts requests to another
server and fullls the request itself, if it can. You can specify the Domain Name Service
(DNS) name or the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the proxy server. A DNS name is
a unique alphabetic identier for a computer on a network. An IP address is a unique
numeric identier for a computer on a network.
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Network Proxy.
Figure 3.15
80 GNOME User Guide
Network Proxy Conguration Dialog
For more information on the individual options, click Help.
3.5.3 Conguring Bluetooth Settings
The Bluetooth module lets you set the visibility of your machine over Bluetooth, the
name of your machine used for Bluetooth communication and whether you want to
show the Bluetooth applet in your panel. To congure Bluetooth connectivity, follow
these steps:
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Bluetooth or right-click the Blue-
1
tooth icon in GNOME panel and select Preferences.
On the General tab set the visibility of the Bluetooth applet icon in the Notication
2
area of the GNOME panel. Right-click the applet icon to set connections with
Bluetooth devices and le transfers.
On the General tab use options under Power switches for switching the Bluetooth
3
adapter on and off. The available options depend on the hardware used.
If the Bluetooth hardware is available and switched on, there is another available
4
tab. Under Visibility setting set the visibility of the machine over a Bluetooth
network. If the Temporary visible option is chosen use the slider to set the visi-
bility period. The Friendly name option species the name of the computer in
the Bluetooth network.
The Known devices section lists all known Bluetooth devices. Use the button
5
with the plus icon to congure a new device connection.
Click Close.
6
To congure le sharing over Bluetooth, follow these steps:
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Personal File Sharing.
1
In the Share Files over Bluetooth section congure the sharing of les in your
2
~/Public directory. Use Share Public les over Bluetooth to activate or deac-
tivate sharing of this directory. Specify whether remote devices can delete public
les and whether they are required to bond with your computer.
Customizing Your Settings 81
In the Receive Files over Bluetooth section specify whether to accept les sent
3
over Bluetooth, from which devices and whether you want to be notied about
received les.
Click Close.
4
3.5.4 Conguring Power Management
The Power Management module lets you manage your system's power-saving options.
It is especially useful for extending the life of a laptop’s battery charge. However,
several options also help to save electricity when you are using a computer that is
plugged in to an electrical power outlet.
Sleep mode shuts down the computer when it is dormant for a specied period of time.
Whether you are using battery or AC power, you can specify the period of time that
the computer remains dormant before it is put to sleep. You can also put the computer’s
display to sleep without shutting down the computer, saving the power required by the
display.
Sleep mode is especially important when the computer is operating under battery
power. Both the screen and the computer draw power from the battery, so you can save
a signicant amount of battery power by shutting down one or both. It is common to
put the display to sleep after a shorter period of time. Then, if the computer remains
dormant for an additional period of time, it is also put to sleep.
There are several sleep modes or actions you can set in the Power Management module:
Do nothing
The computer does not shut down or automatically go into any kind of powersaving mode. If you have a laptop, the laptop continues to run normally when the
lid is closed.
Blank screen
The screen is blanked, reducing power consumption.
Suspend
Suspend mode turns off power-consuming computer components such as the display
and the hard drive without saving the contents of RAM. Any unsaved data is lost.
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Hibernate
The computer saves the contents of RAM to the hard disk and shuts down. When
you turn the computer on again, the saved data is put back into RAM, restoring
your computer to its previous state. Hibernate requires an amount of free hard disk
space equal to the amount of RAM installed on the computer.
To open the Power Management module, click Computer > Control Center > System
> Power Management.
Procedure 3.4
Click the tab for the type of power you are using: if your computer uses AC
1
power click On AC Power. If your computer runs on battery power click On
Battery Power. If your computer operates on both AC and battery power, you
can congure the settings on both tabs.
Use the sliders to set the amount of inactive time that passes before the display
2
and computer go into sleep mode.
When the display is in sleep mode the computer continues to run. When the
computer is in sleep mode, power to the display and hard disk is shut off and the
computer uses only the power needed to maintain the contents of RAM.
If the computer is a laptop, set the actions you want taken when the laptop lid is
3
closed.
If you congure how a laptop manages battery power, specify the action you
4
want taken if battery power reaches a critical level.
Choose the option you prefer by selecting it from the menu. If you have sufcient
free disk space, Hibernate is the best choice.
On the General tab you can set further options, for example the action to take
5
when the power button is pressed or the sleep type to use when the computer is
inactive. The options available there depend on the type of computer you use
(laptop or other computer).
Specifying Your Computer's Sleep Settings
You can also dene when and how to display the power icon in the notication
6
area and whether to use sound alarm in event of an error.
Customizing Your Settings 83
On the Scheduling tab you can set automatic wakeups of the computer in specied
7
time on specied days of the week.
When all options are set according to your wishes, click Close. The options you
8
selected go into effect immediately.
3.5.5 Setting Preferred Applications
The Preferred Applications module allows you change the default application for various
common tasks such as browsing the internet, sending mails or transferring data with
FTP.
Figure 3.16
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Preferred Applications.
1
Click the tab for the type of application you want to set.
2
Select one of the available applications from the Select menu or enter the com-
3
mand used to start the application.
Preferred Applications
Click Close.
4
84 GNOME User Guide
The changes take effect immediately.
3.5.6 Setting Session Sharing Preferences
The Remote Desktop Preference dialog box lets you share a GNOME desktop session
between multiple users and set session-sharing preferences.
IMPORTANT: Sharing Desktop Sessions Affects System Security
Be aware that sharing desktop sessions can be a security risk. Use the restriction
options available. If you need to adjust the options to a lower security level,
do not forget to switch back to a higher security level as soon as possible.
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Remote Desktop.
1
To share your desktop session with other users activate Allow other users to view
2
your desktop. All keyboard, pointer and clipboard events from the remote user
are ignored.
If you want or need to allow other users to access and control your session from
3
a remote location, activate Allow other users to control your desktop. Click the
highlighted text below to send the system address by e-mail to a remote user.
Make use of the security options available. If Ask you for conrmation is activated,
4
remote users require your conrmation before they can connect to your session.
Customizing Your Settings 85
To achieve a higher security level, activate Require the user to enter this password
(if authentication is used).
3.5.7 Conguring Search with Beagle
Settings
Beagle is the search engine used on the GNOME desktop. By default, Beagle is congured to start automatically and index your home directory. If you want to change these
settings, specify the number of results displayed after a search or change the Beagle
privacy settings, click Computer > Control Center > System > Search Settings.
Figure 3.17
For more information, see Section 6.4, “Setting Search Preferences” (page 116) and
Section 6.6, “Preventing Files and Directories from Being Indexed” (page 118).
Search Preferences
3.5.8 Managing Sessions
This module lets you manage your sessions. A session occurs between the time that
you log into the desktop environment and the time that you log out. You can set session
preferences and specify which applications to start when you begin a session. You can
congure sessions to save the state of applications and then restore the state when you
start another session.
You can also use this preference tool to manage multiple sessions. For example, you
might have a mobile session which starts applications you use most frequently when
86 GNOME User Guide
traveling, a demo session that starts applications used to present a demonstration or
slide show to a customer and a work session that uses a different set of applications
when you are working in the ofce.
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Sessions.
Figure 3.18
Procedure 3.5
On the Startup Programs tab you can add programs to start automatically when
1
beginning a session. Click Add and specify the command that runs this application.
The commands are executed automatically when you log in.
Sessions Preferences
Setting Session Preferences
You can also Remove a startup application or Edit it to change the command,
name or description of a startup application.
Use the Options tab to set, whether or not running applications should be remem-
2
bered when you log out. You can also save the currently running applications by
pressing Remember Currently Running Application.
Customizing Your Settings 87
3.5.9 Setting Software Updates
The Software Updates tool lets you congure the frequency of update checking, automatic updates and update notications.
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Software Updates to open the
1
Software Updates Preferences tool.
In the Update Settings section, set the frequency of update checking and whether
2
updates should be installed automatically. You can limit automatic installation
to security updates.
In the Display Notication section, set whether you want to be notied when
3
updates are available or when long tasks have been completed.
Click Close.
4
3.5.10 Setting Sound Preferences
The Sound Preferences tool lets you manage sound devices. You can also specify which
sounds to play when particular events occur.
Click Computer > Control Center > System > Sound to open the Sound Preferences
tool.
Setting Sound Devices
Use the Devices tab to congure the device to use for various types of sounds.
88 GNOME User Guide
Figure 3.19
Click the drop-down list for each type of sound and select the device to use. In most
cases Autodetect is the best choice, unless you want to use a specic device. Press Test
to test the sound output.
Setting Sound Devices
Setting Sound Events
Use the Sounds tab to congure sound event functions.
Customizing Your Settings 89
Figure 3.20
Check Play alerts and sound effects to play sounds when particular events occur in the
desktop. To enable sounds when buttons are clicked, check Play sound effects when
buttons are clicked. To enable sound alerts check Play alert sound.
Setting Sound Events Preferences
Finally, select the Sound Theme to use or set the sound of each event individually.
3.5.11 Conguring Administrative Settings
For your convenience, YaST is available from the Control Panel as well as the Applications menu. For information about using YaST, refer to Deployment Guide (↑Deploy-
ment Guide).
90 GNOME User Guide
with YaST
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