Basic Skills
This chapter introduces you to the basic skills that you
need to work with the GNOME Desktop.
Mouse Skills
basic skills
mouse skills
mouse
basic skills
Even if you are very familiar with mouse devices, you should
still familiarize yourself with the button conventions and action terminology
used in this manual. This section also describes the mouse pointers.
Mouse Button Conventions
mouse
button conventions
All the instructions in this manual are for the following
types of mouse devices:
Devices that are configured for right-hand users.
Three button devices. If you have a two-button mouse device,
then you press the two buttons simultaneously to simulate the effect of a
middle mouse button.
The mouse button conventions used in this manual are as follows:
Mouse Button
Definition
Left mouse button
The button on the left side of a mouse device configured for normal right-hand
use.
Middle mouse button
The middle button of a mouse
device configured for normal right-hand use.
Right mouse button
The button on the right side
of a mouse device configured for normal right-hand use.
To reverse the handedness of your mouse device, start the Mouse preference tool, then select the options that you require.
If you do reverse the handedness of your mouse device, then you must reverse
the mouse button conventions used in this manual.
Mouse Actions
mouse
actions
The following table describes the actions that you can perform with
the mouse:
Mouse Button
Usage
Left mouse button
Use to perform the following actions: Select text. Choose items. Drag items.
Middle mouse button
Use to perform the following
actions: Paste text. Move items.
Right mouse button
Opens a menu for the selected
object, if a menu applies.
For example, if you want to copy text then perform the following steps:
Select the text with the left mouse button.
Move the mouse pointer to the location where you want to copy
the text.
Click on the middle mouse button.
You can also right-click on the desktop to open the Desktop menu.
Mouse Action Terminology
mouse
action terminology
The conventions used in this manual to describe actions
that you take with the mouse are as follows:
Action
Definition
Click
Press and release the left mouse button,
without moving the mouse.
Click-and-hold
Press and do not release the
left mouse button.
Left-click
Same as click.
Left-click clarifies the action when there might be confusion with right-click.
Middle-click
Press and release the middle
mouse button, without moving the mouse.
Right-click
Press and release the right mouse
button, without moving the mouse.
Double-click
Press and release the left mouse
button twice in rapid succession without moving the mouse.
Drag
Click-and-hold a mouse button, then
move an object. For example, you can drag a window or an icon. The left and
middle mouse buttons can perform drag actions.
Drag-and-drop
Click-and-hold a mouse button,
then move an object. For example, you can drag-and-drop a window or an icon.
Release the mouse button to place the object in a new location.
Grab
Point to an item that you can move,
and click-and-hold on the mouse button. For example, you can grab the titlebar
of a window, then drag the window to a new location.
Mouse Pointers
mouse
pointers
pointers
mouse pointers
As you use the mouse, the appearance of the mouse pointer can change.
The appearance of the pointer can provide feedback about a particular operation,
location, or state. The following table lists and describes some of the mouse
pointers.
Pointer
Associated Action
Description
Normal pointer.
Point to an item, choose a menu item
Normal pointer. The pointer that appears during normal
use of the mouse.
Move pointer.
Drag-and-drop
Move pointer. Indicates that when you drop the object, the object is moved
from the old location to the new location.
Copy pointer.
Drag-and-drop
Copy pointer. Indicates that when you drop the object, a copy of the object
is created where you drop the object.
Symbolic link pointer.
Drag-and-drop
Symbolic link pointer. Indicates that when you drop the object, a symbolic link to the object is created where you drop the object.
A symbolic link is a special type of file that points to another file or folder.
Ask pointer.
Drag-and-drop
Ask pointer. Indicates that when you drop the object, a menu opens. You can
choose to move or copy the object, or to create a symbolic link to the object.
Not available pointer.
Drag-and-drop
Not available pointer. Indicates that you cannot drop the object at the current
location.
Move panel object pointer.
Move panel object
Move panel object pointer. Indicates that you have selected a panel object
to move.
Horizontal resize pointer.
Resize window horizontally
Horizontal resize pointer. Indicates that you have selected a vertical window
border to resize the window horizontally.
Vertical resize pointer.
Resize window vertically
Vertical resize pointer. Indicates that you have selected a horizontal window
border to resize the window vertically.
Corner resize pointer.
Resize window horizontally and vertically
Corner resize pointer. Indicates that you have selected
a corner of a window border to resize the window horizontally and vertically.
Window pane or table column resize pointer.
Resize window pane or resize table column
Window pane or table column resize
pointer. Indicates that you have selected a column in a table to resize.
Keyboard Skills
basic skills
keyboard skills
keyboard
basic skills
For almost every task that you can perform with
the mouse, you can use the keyboard to perform the same task. Shortcut keys are keys that provide you with a quick way to perform
a task.
You can use shortcut keys to perform general GNOME Desktop tasks and
to work with interface items such as panels and windows. You can also use
shortcut keys in applications. To customize your shortcut keys, use the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool.
You can also modify the GNOME Desktop preferences to use keyboard accessibility
features.
The following sections describe the shortcut keys that you can use.
General Shortcut Keys
shortcut keys
general
General shortcut keys enable you to use the keyboard to
perform general GNOME Desktop tasks. The following table lists some general
shortcut keys:
Default Shortcut Keys
Function
AltF1
Opens the Applicantions Menu.
AltF2
Displays the Run Application dialog.
Print Screen
Takes a screenshot.
AltPrint Screen
Takes a screenshot of the window that has focus.
CtrlAltright arrow
Switches to the workspace to the right of the current workspace.
CtrlAltleft arrow
Switches to the workspace to the left of the current workspace.
CtrlAltup arrow
Switches to the workspace above the current workspace.
CtrlAltdown arrow
Switches to the workspace below the current workspace.
CtrlAltd
Minimizes all windows, and gives focus to the desktop.
F1
Starts the online help browser,
and displays appropriate online Help.
Window Shortcut Keys
shortcut keys
window
Window shortcut keys enable you to use the keyboard to perform window
tasks. The following table lists some window shortcut keys:
Default Shortcut Keys
Function
AltTab
Switches
between windows. When you use these shortcut keys, a list of windows that
you can select is displayed. Release the keys to select a window.
AltEsc
Switches
between windows in reverse order. Release the keys to select a window.
F10
Opens the first menu on the left
side of the menubar.
Altspacebar
Opens the Window Menu.
Arrow keys
Moves the focus between items
in a menu.
Return
Chooses a menu item.
Esc
Closes an open menu.
CtrlAltright arrow
Switches to the workspace to the right of the current workspace.
CtrlAltleft arrow
Switches to the workspace to the left of the current workspace.
CtrlAltup arrow
Switches to the workspace above the current workspace.
CtrlAltdown arrow
Switches to the workspace below the current workspace.
CtrlAltd
Minimizes all windows, and gives focus to the desktop.
Panel Shortcut Keys
shortcut keys
panel
Panel shortcut keys enable you to use the keyboard to perform panel
tasks. The following table lists panel shortcut keys:
Default Shortcut Keys
Function
CtrlAltTab
Switches the focus between the panels and the desktop.
When you use these shortcut keys, a list of items that you can select is displayed.
Release the keys to select an item.
CtrlAltEsc
Switches the focus between the panels and the desktop.
Release the keys to select an item.
CtrlF10
Opens
the popup menu for the selected panel.
Tab
Switches the focus between objects
on a panel.
Return
Chooses the selected panel object
or menu item.
ShiftF10
Opens
the popup menu for the selected panel object.
Arrow keys
Moves the focus between items
in a menu. Moves the focus between interface items in an applet also.
Esc
Closes an open menu.
F10
Opens the Applications menu from the Menu Bar, if the Menu Bar is in a panel.
Application Shortcut Keys
shortcut keys
application
Application shortcut keys enable you to perform application
tasks. You can use shortcut keys to perform application tasks more quickly
than if you use a mouse. The following table lists some application shortcut
keys:
Shortcut Keys
Command
CtrlN
New
CtrlX
Cut
CtrlC
Copy
CtrlV
Paste
CtrlZ
Undo
CtrlS
Save
CtrlQ
Quit
Access Keys
access keys
A menubar is a bar at the top of a window that contains the menus for the
application. An access key is an underlined letter
in a menubar, menu, or dialog that you can use to perform an action. On a
menubar, the access key for each menu is underlined.
To open a menu, press Alt, then press the access key.
In the menu, the access key for each menu item is underlined. To choose a
menu item, press the access key for the menu item. The following table shows
example access keys from the Text Editor application:
Access Keys
Function
AltF
Opens the File menu.
N
Chooses the New item on the File
menu.
You can also use access keys to access elements in a dialog. In a dialog,
one letter in most dialog elements is underlined. To access a particular dialog
element, press Alt, then press the access key. The following
table shows an example access key from the Preferences
dialog in the Text Editor application:
Access Key
Function
AltU
Gives focus to the Use default theme font check box.
You can use also other keys to navigate within a window or dialog.
Key
Function
Tab
Moves the focus from element to element in a window or dialog.
Arrow keys
Use the arrow keys to perform the following actions:
In a menubar, move the focus from one menu to the next menu.
In an open menu, move the focus from one menu item to the next menu item.
Move the focus from one option to the next option to make
your selection, for example, within a group of radio buttons in a dialog.
Change the value that a spin box displays.
Using Windows
basic skills
using windows
This section provides information on how to use windows.
To Resize Panes
windows
resizing panes
panes
resizing
Some windows contain more than one pane.
A pane is a subdivision of a window. For example, the Nautilus file manager window contains a side pane and a view pane. A
window that contains panes has a resize handle on the edge between the panes.
To resize the pane, grab the resize handle, then drag the edge to the size
you require.
Using Tables
windows
using tables
tables
using
Some windows contain information that is organized in a table. This
section describes how to work with tables.
To change the width of a column, drag one of the vertical edges of the
column.
In some tables, you can sort the information by a particular column.
To sort information in a table, click on the heading on top of the column
by which you want to sort the information. An up arrow is displayed in the
column heading by which the table is sorted. The following figure shows the
up arrow.
Up arrow in a column heading.
To reverse the sort order, click on the column heading again. The up
arrow changes to a down arrow. The down arrow indicates that the information
in the column is sorted in reverse order.
In some tables, you can select multiple items. The following table describes
how to select items in tables.
Task
Action
Select an item
Click on the item.
Select a group of contiguous
items
Press-and-hold Shift. Click on the first item in the group, then click on the last
item in the group.
Select multiple items
Press-and-hold Ctrl.
Click on the items that you want to select.