Advertisement
Guest User

Untitled

a guest
May 30th, 2016
128
0
Never
Not a member of Pastebin yet? Sign Up, it unlocks many cool features!
text 9.58 KB | None | 0 0
  1. The Ubuntu Desktop
  2.  
  3. Understanding the Ubuntu desktop
  4.  
  5. Initially, you may notice many similarities between Ubuntu and other operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows or Apple os x. This is because
  6. they are all based on the concept of a graphical user interface (gui) — i.e., you use your mouse to navigate the desktop, open applications, move files,
  7. and perform most other tasks. In short, things are visually-oriented. This
  8. chapter is designed to help you become familiar with various applications
  9. and menus in Ubuntu so that you become confident in using the Ubuntu
  10. gui.
  11.  
  12. Unity
  13.  
  14. All gui-based operating systems use a desktop environment. Desktop environments contain many features, including (but not limited to):
  15.  
  16. ‣The look and feel of the system
  17. ‣The organization of the desktop
  18. ‣How the user navigates the desktop
  19.  
  20. In Linux distributions (such as Ubuntu), a number of desktop environments are available. Ubuntu uses Unity as the default desktop environment.
  21. After installing and logging into Ubuntu, you will see the Unity desktop.
  22. The Unity desktop is comprised of the desktop background and two bars — a horizontal one located at the top of your desktop called the menu bar and a vertically-oriented bar at the far left called the Launcher.
  23.  
  24. The Desktop Background
  25.  
  26. Below the menu bar at the top of the screen is an image covering the entire
  27. desktop. This is the default desktop background, or wallpaper, belonging to
  28. the default Ubuntu 14.04 theme known as Ambiance.
  29. To learn more about customizing your desktop (including changing your desktop background), see the section on Customizing your desktop below.
  30.  
  31. The Menu Bar
  32.  
  33. The menu bar incorporates common functions used in Ubuntu. The icons on
  34. the far-right of the menu bar are located in an area of the menu bar called
  35. the indicator area, or notification area. Each installation of Ubuntu may
  36. contain slightly different types and quantities of icons based on a number of
  37. factors, including the type of hardware and available on-board peripherals
  38. upon which the Ubuntu installation is based. Some programs add an icon
  39. to the indicator area automatically during installation. The most common
  40. indicators are:
  41.  
  42. Text entry settings allows you to select a keyboard layout, if more than
  43. one keyboard layout is chosen.
  44. Network indicator manages network connections, allowing you to
  45. connect quickly and easily to a wired or wireless network.
  46. Sound indicator provides an easy way to adjust the sound volume as
  47. well as access your music player and sound settings.
  48. Clock displays the current time and provides a link to your calendar and
  49. time and date settings.
  50. Session indicator is a link to the system settings, Ubuntu Help, and
  51. session options (like locking your computer, user/guest session, logging
  52. out of a session, restarting the computer, or shutting down completely).
  53.  
  54. Every application has a menuing system where different actions can be
  55. executed in an application (like File, Edit, View, etc.); the menuing system
  56. for an application is appropriately called the application menu. By default
  57. in Unity, the application menu isn’t on the title bar of the application as
  58. is commonly the case in other gui environments. Instead, it is located to
  59. the left area of the menu bar. To show an application’s menu, just move
  60. your mouse to the desktop’s menu bar (at the top of the screen). While your
  61. mouse is positioned here, the active application’s menu options will appear
  62. in the desktop’s menu bar, allowing you to use the application’s menuing
  63. options. When clicking on the desktop, the desktop’s menu bar reappears.
  64. This capability in Unity to display the application’s menu only when needed
  65. is especially beneficial for netbook and laptop users with limited viewable
  66. screen space. Apple uses a similar approach in os x where all application
  67. menus appear on a bar at the top of the screen. It differs, however, in that
  68. the menus in Ubuntu appear only when the mouse is over the desktop’s
  69. menu bar.
  70. Note that Unity now has locally integrated menus. Locally integrated
  71. menus are displayed in the title bar of unmaximized windows, instead of
  72. the top panel. As the default Unity menu, locally integrated menus are
  73. displayed on mouse over and there’s no option to make the menus permanently visible.
  74.  
  75.  
  76. The Launcher
  77.  
  78. The vertical bar of icons on the left side of the desktop is called the Launcher.
  79. The Launcher provides easy access to applications, mounted devices, and the Trash. All running applications on your system will place an icon in the
  80. Launcher while the application is running.
  81. The first icon at the top of the Launcher is the Dash (like Dashboard), a component of
  82. Unity. We will explore the Dash in a later section of this chapter. By default,
  83. other applications appear in the Launcher, including the Files file manager,
  84. LibreOffice, Firefox, any mounted devices, and the Trash, which contains
  85. deleted folders and files, at the bottom of the Launcher.
  86. Holding the Super key, also known as the Windows key (Win key),
  87. located between the left Ctrl key and Alt key, will cause Ubuntu to super-
  88. impose a number onto the first ten applications in the Launcher and also
  89. display a screen full of useful shortcuts. You can launch an application with
  90. a number n on it by typing Super+n.
  91. If you open more applications than can be shown in the Launcher, the
  92. Launcher will “fold” the application icons at the bottom of the Launcher.
  93. Simply move your mouse to the bottom of the Launcher, and you’ll see
  94. the Launcher icons “slide” and the folded application icons unfold for easy
  95. access.
  96.  
  97. Running applications
  98.  
  99. To run an application from the Launcher (or cause an already-running
  100. application to appear), just click on the application’s icon.
  101. Applications that are currently running will have one or more triangles
  102. on the left side of the icon indicating the number of application windows
  103. open for this application. Running applications also have a back-lit icon on
  104. the Launcher.
  105. The application in the foreground (i.e., the application that is on top of all
  106. other open application windows) is indicated by a single white triangle on
  107. the right side of its icon.
  108. You can also run an application through the Dash which will be explored
  109. in the upcoming The Dash section.
  110.  
  111. The Dash
  112.  
  113. The Dash helps you quickly find applications and files on your computer.
  114. If you’ve used Windows in the past, you’ll find the Dash to be similar to
  115. the Windows Start menu or the Start Screen in Windows 8. Apple os x
  116. users will find the Dash similar to Launchpad in the dock. If you’ve used a
  117. previous version of Ubuntu or another gnome Linux distribution, the Dash
  118. serves as a replacement for the various gnome 2 menus. The Dash allows
  119. you to search for information, both locally (installed applications, recent
  120. files, bookmarks, etc.) as well as remotely (Twitter, Google Docs, etc.).
  121.  
  122. To explore the Dash, click on the top-most icon on the Launcher; the
  123. icon contains the Ubuntu logo on it. After clicking the Dash icon, the desk-
  124. top will be overlaid by a translucent window with a search bar on top as
  125. well as a grouping of recently accessed applications, files, and downloads.
  126. Ubuntu also includes results from popular web services. The search bar
  127. provides dynamic results as you enter your search terms.
  128.  
  129. Workspaces
  130.  
  131. Workspaces are also known as virtual desktops. These separate views of
  132. your desktop allow you to group applications together, and by doing so,
  133. help to reduce clutter and improve desktop navigation. For example, you
  134. can open all of your media applications in one workspace, your office suite
  135. in another, and your web browser in a third workspace. Ubuntu has four
  136. workspaces by default.
  137.  
  138. Moving and resizing windows
  139.  
  140. To move a window around the workspace, place the mouse pointer over the
  141. window’s title bar, then click and drag the window while continuing to hold
  142. down the left mouse button. You can also move a window by holding the Alt
  143. key and then clicking and holding the left mouse button while pointing
  144. anywhere in the window and dragging the window to a new location. To
  145. resize a window, place the pointer on an edge or corner of the window so
  146. that the pointer turns into a larger, two-sided arrow (known as the resize
  147. icon). You can then click and drag to resize the window.
  148.  
  149. Window always on the top or on visible workspace
  150.  
  151. At times, you may want to force a window to always be in the foreground
  152. so that it can be seen or monitored while you work with other applications.
  153. For example, you may want to browse the web and, at the same time, view
  154. and answer incoming instant message. To keep a window always in the
  155. foreground, right-click on the window’s title bar, then select
  156. Always On Top. This window will now be on the top of all windows opened in the
  157. current workspace. If you want to have a window always on the top regardless of the workspace, right-click on the window’s title bar, then select
  158. Always on Visible Workspace. This window will now be on top of all other windows across all workspaces.
  159.  
  160. Customizing your desktop
  161.  
  162. One of the advantages to a windowed environment through Unity is the
  163. ability to change the look and feel of your desktop. Don’t like the default
  164. Ubuntu theme? Do you have a picture of your cousin’s aunt’s uncle’s pet chihuahua that you’d love to see on your desktop as wallpaper? All of this (and more) is possible through desktop customizations in
  165. Unity. Most customizations can be reached via the Session Indicator and
  166. then selecting System Settings to open the System Settings application window. The Dash, desktop appearance, themes, wallpapers, and
  167. other settings are available here.
Advertisement
Add Comment
Please, Sign In to add comment
Advertisement