100 Part I . Linux First Steps preferences. (Web design course)
100 Part I . Linux First Steps preferences. To use your GNOME desktop, you should become familiar with the following components: . Metacity (window manager) The default window manager for GNOME in Fedora is Metacity. It provides such things as themes, and window borders and controls. . Nautilus (file manager/graphical shell) When you open a folder (by double-clicking the Home icon on your desktop, for example), the Nautilus window opens and displays the contents of the selected folder. Nautilus can also display other types of content, such as shared folders from Windows computers on the network (using SMB). . GNOME panel (application/task launcher) This panel, which lines the bottom of your screen, is designed to make it convenient for you to launch the applications you use, manage running applications, and work with multiple virtual desktops. By default, the panel contains the main menu (represented by a red hat in Red Hat Linux or a footprint icon in others), desktop application launchers (Evolution e-mail and a set of OpenOffice.org applications), a workspace switcher (for managing four virtual desktops), window list, and a clock. It also has an icon to alert you when you need software updates. . Desktop area The windows and icons you use are arranged on the desktop area, which supports such things a drag-and-drop between applications, a desktop menu (right-click to see it), and icons for launching applications. There is a Computer icon which consolidates CD drives, floppy drives, the file system, and shared network resources in one place. GNOME also includes a set of Preferences windows that enable you to configure different aspects of your desktop. You can change backgrounds, colors, fonts, keyboard shortcuts, and other features relating to the look and behavior of the desktop. Figure 3-7 shows how the GNOME desktop environment appears the first time you log in, with a few windows added to the screen. The following sections provide details on using the GNOME desktop. Using the Metacity Window Manager The Metacity window manager seems to have been chosen as the default window manager for GNOME in Red Hat Linux because of its simplicity. The creator of Metacity refers to it as a boring window manager for the adult in you then goes on to compare other window managers to colorful, sugary cereal, while Metacity is characterized as Cheerios.