Working with PanelsThis chapter describes how to use the panels at the top and bottom of the GNOME Desktop, how to customize the objects that appear on them, and how to add new panels to the desktop.IntroductionpanelsintroductionA panel is an area in the GNOME Desktop where you have access to certain actions and information, no matter what the state of your application windows. For example, in the default GNOME panels, you can launch applications, see the date and time, control the system sound volume, and more.You can customize panels to your liking. You can change their behavior and appearance, and you can add or remove objects from your panels. You can create multiple panels, and choose different properties, objects, and backgrounds for each panel. You can also hide panels.By default, the GNOME Desktop contains a panel at the top edge of the screen,
and a panel at the bottom edge of the screen. The following sections describe
these panels.Top Edge Panelpanelstop edge paneltop edge paneltop edge panelintroductionBy default, the top edge panel contains the following objects:Your distribution of GNOME may have altered this default setup.Menu Bar appletThe panel menubar contains the Applications, the Places, and the System menu. For more on the menu bar, see .Web Browser LauncherClick on this launcher to open the web browser.Notification Area appletDisplays icons from other applications that may require your attention, or that you may want to access without switching from your current application window. For more on this, see .Until an application adds an icon to the notification area, only a narrow bar is visible.Clock appletClock shows the current
time. Click on the time to open a small calendar. For more on this, see the Clock Applet Manual.Volume Control
appletVolume Control enables you to control the volume of the speaker on your system. For more on this, see the Volume Control Manual.top edge panelwindow list iconWindow Selector iconWindow Selector lists all your
open windows. To give focus to a window, click on the window selector icon
at the extreme right of the top edge panel, then select the window. For more on this, see .Bottom Edge Panelpanelsbottom edge panelbottom edge panelbottom edge panelintroductionBy default, the bottom edge panel contains the following objects:Your distribution of GNOME may have altered this default setup.bottom edge paneldefault contentsShow Desktop buttonClick on this button to minimize all open windows and show the desktop.Window List appletDisplays a button for each window that is open. Window List enables you to minimize and restore windows. For more on this, see the Window List manual.Workspace Switcher appletEnables you to switch between your workspaces. For more on workspaces, see .Managing PanelspanelsmanagingThe following sections describe how to manage your panels.To interact with a panel, you must click on the vacant space on the panel, rather than any of the objects it holds. You can also middle-click or
right-click on one of the hide buttons to select the panel, if the panel has
no vacant space. If the hide buttons are not visible on a panel, modify the
properties of the panel so that the hide buttons are visible. Moving a PanelpanelsmovingDrag a panel to another side of the screen to move it there. Click on any vacant space on the panel to begin the drag.A panel that is not set to expand to the full width of the screen can be dragged away from the edge of the screen and placed anywhere. See for details on how to set a panel's expand property.Panel Propertiespanelsmodifying propertiesYou can change
the properties of each panel, such as the position of the panel, the hide behavior,
and the visual appearance. To modify the properties of a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Properties. The Panel Properties dialog contains two tabbed sections, General and Background.General Properties TabIn the General tab, you can modify panel size, position, and hiding properties. The following table describes the
dialog elements on the General tabbed section: Dialog ElementDescription OrientationSelect the position of the panel on your screen.
Click on the required position for the panel. SizeUse the spin box to specify the size of the panel.ExpandBy default, a panel expands to the full length of the edge of the screen where it is located. A panel that does not expand can be moved away from the screen edges to any part of the screen.AutohideSelect this option if you want the panel to only be fully visible when the mouse pointer is over it. The panel hides off-screen along its principal edge, leaving a narrow part along the edge of the desktop. Move the mouse pointer over the visible part of the panel to make it move fully into the screen.Show hide buttonsSelect this option to display hide buttons at each end of your
panel. Clicking on a hide button moves the panel lenthways, hiding it off-screen except for the hide button at the opposite end. Click this hide button to restore the panel to being fully visible.Arrows on hide buttonSelect this option to display arrows on the hide
buttons, if the hide button is enabled.Background Properties TabYou can choose the type of background for the panel in the Background tab. The choices are as follows:Dialog ElementDescriptionNone (use system theme)Select this option to have the panel use the settings in the Theme preference tool. This keeps your panel's background looking the same as the rest of the desktop and applications.Solid colorSelect this option to specify a single color for
the panel background. Click on the Color button to
display the color selector dialog. Choose the color that you require from
the color selector dialog. Use the Style
slider to specify the degree of transparency or opaqueness for the color.
For example, to make the panel transparent, move the slider to the Transparent end.Background imageSelect this option to specify an image for the panel
background. Click on the button to browse for the file. When you have selected the file, click OK. panelschanging backgroundYou can also drag a color or image on to a panel to set the color
or image as the background of the panel. You can drag a color or image from
many applications. For example:You can drag a color from any color selector dialog.You can drag an image file from the Nautilus file manager to set it as the background of the panel.You can drag a color or a pattern from the Backgrounds
and Emblems dialog in Nautilus file manager to a panel to set it as the background.Click Close to close the Panel Properties dialog.Hiding a PanelpanelshidingYou can hide or show panels. To hide a panel, use a hide button. If
the hide buttons are not visible on a panel, modify the panel properties so
that the hide buttons are visible. Hide buttons are at either end of a panel. The hide buttons contain
an optional arrow icon. The following illustration shows hide buttons. A horizontal panel and a vertical panel, both with hide buttons.To hide a panel, click on one of the hide buttons. The panel reduces
in the direction of the arrow on the hide button. The hide button at the other
end of the panel remains visible.To show a hidden panel again, click on the visible hide button. The
panel expands in the direction of the arrow on the hide button. Both hide
buttons are now visible.You can set a panel to autohide. When you set autohide, the panel hides
automatically when the mouse is not pointing to the panel. The panel reappears
when you point to the part of the screen where the panel resides. To set your
panel to autohide, modify the properties of the panel.Adding a New Panelpanelsadding newTo add a panel, right-click on a vacant space on any panel, then choose New Panel. The new panel is added to the GNOME Desktop. The
new panel contains no objects. You can customize the new panel to suit your
preferences.Deleting a PanelpanelsdeletingTo delete a panel from the GNOME Desktop, right-click on the panel that
you want to delete, then choose Delete This Panel.You must always have at least one panel in the GNOME Desktop.
If you have only one panel in the GNOME Desktop, you cannot delete that panel.Panel Objectspanelspanel objectspanel objectsThis section describes the objects that
you can add to your panels, and use from your panels.Interacting With Panel Objectspanel objectsinteracting withYou use the mouse buttons to interact with a panel object
in the following ways:Left-clickLaunches the panel object.Middle-clickEnables you to grab
an object, then drag the object to a new location.Right-clickOpens the panel object
popup menu.To Select an AppletappletsselectingSome restrictions apply on where you can click on an applet in order
to display the panel object popup menu, or to move the applet, as follows: Some applets have popup menus of applet-specific commands
that open when you right-click on particular parts of the applet. For example,
the Window List applet has a vertical handle on
the left side, and buttons that represent your windows on the right side.
To open the panel object popup menu for the Window List
applet, you must right-click on the handle. If you right-click on a button
on the right side, a popup menu for the button opens.Some applets have areas that you cannot use to select the
applet. For example, the Command Line applet has
a field in which you enter commands. You cannot middle-click or right-click
on this field to select the applet. Instead, middle-click or right-click on
another part of the applet. Adding an Object to a Panelpanel objectsaddingTo add an object to a panel, perform the following steps:
Right-click on a vacant space on a panel to open the panel popup menu.
Choose Add to Panel.The Add to Panel dialog opens.The available panel objects are listed alphabetically, with launchers at the top.You can type a part of the name or description of an object in the find box. This will narrow the list to those objects that match what you type.To restore the full list, delete the text in the find box.
Either drag an object from the list to a panel, or select an object from the list and click Add to add it at the spot on the panel where you first right-clicked.
You can add also add any item in the Applications menu to the panel: right-click the menu item and choose Add this launcher to panel.Each launcher corresponds to a .desktop file. You
can drag the .desktop file on to your panels to add the
launcher to the panel. Modifying the Properties of an Objectpanel objectsmodifying propertiesSome panel objects, such as launchers and drawers,
have a set of associated properties. The properties are different for each
type of object. The properties specify details such as the following: The command that starts a launcher application.The location of the source files for a menu.The icon that represents the object.To modify the properties of an object perform the following steps: panel object popup menu, illustrationRight-click on the object to open the panel object popup
menu, as shown in .Choose Properties. Use the Properties dialog to modify the properties as required. The properties
in the Properties dialog depend on which object you select
in step 1. Click OK to apply the changes, then
close the Properties dialog.Moving a Panel Objectpanel objectsmovingYou can move panel objects within a panel, and from one panel to another
panel. You can also move objects between panels and drawers.To move a panel object, middle-click and hold on the object and drag
the object to a new location. When you release the middle mouse button, the
object anchors at the new location.Alternatively, you can use the panel object popup menu to move an object,
as follows: Right-click on the object, then choose Move.Point to the new location for the object, then click any mouse
button to anchor the object to the new location. This location can be on any
panel that is currently in the GNOME Desktop. Movement of a panel object affects the position of other objects on
the panel. To control how objects move on a panel, you can specify a movement
mode. To specify the movement mode, press one of the following keys as you
move the panel object:KeyMovement ModeDescriptionNo keySwitched movementThe object swaps places with other panel
objects. Switched movement is the default movement mode.Alt keyFree movementThe object jumps over other panel objects
into the next vacant space on the panel.Shift key Push movementThe object pushes other panel objects
further along the panel. Locking a Panel Objectpanel objectslockinglocking panel objectsYou can lock panel objects so that the objects stay in the same position
on the panel. This feature is useful if you do not want some panel objects
to change position when you move other panel objects.To lock an object to the current location of the object in the panel,
right-click on the object to open the panel object popup menu, then choose Lock. To unlock the object, right-click on the object, then
choose Unlock. Removing a Panel Objectpanel objectsremovingTo remove an object from a panel right-click on the object
to open the panel object popup menu, then choose Remove From
Panel. Appletsappletsintroductionpanel objectsappletsappletsAn applet is a small application whose
user interface resides within a panel. You use the applet panel object to
interact with the applet. For example, the following figure shows the following
applets, from left to right: Window List: Displays the windows
currently open on your system.CD Player: Enables you to control
the compact disc player on your system.Volume Control: Enables you to
control the volume of the speaker on your system.Sample applets. The context describes the graphic.Launcherspanel objectslauncherslaunchersA launcher is an object that performs a specific action when you open it.You can find launchers in the panels, in the panel menubar, and on the desktop. A launcher is represented by an icon in all of these locations.You might use a launcher to do any of the following:Start a particular application.Execute a command.Open a folder.Open a Web browser at a particular page on the Web. Open special Uniform Resource Identifiers
(URIs). The GNOME Desktop contains special URIs that enable you to access
particular functions from the file manager. special URI
locationsand launchersYou can modify the properties of a launcher. For example, the properties
of a launcher include the name of the launcher, the icon that represents the
launcher, and how the launcher runs. For more on this, see .
In certain situations, a launcher in a menu might not show an icon. For example, if it specifies no icon to display, or if the entire menu is set to show no icons.
Adding a Launcher to a Panellaunchersadding to panelYou can add a launcher to a panel in one of the following
ways:From the panel popup menuRight-click on any vacant space on the panel,
then choose Add to Panel. The Add to Panel dialog opens.To create a new launcher, select Custom Application Launcher from the list. A Create Launcher
dialog is displayed. For more information on the properties in this dialog,
see .Alternatively, to add an existing launcher to the panel, select Application Launcher from the list. Choose the launcher that you want
to add from the list of menu items.From any menuTo add a launcher to a panel from any menu, perform one of the following
steps:Open a menu that contains the launcher. Drag the launcher
on to the panel. Open the menu that contains the launcher from the panel where
you want the launcher to reside. Right-click on the title of the launcher.
Choose Add this launcher to panel. From the file managerTo add a launcher to a panel from the file manager, find the .desktop file for the launcher in your file system, then drag the .desktop file to the panel. Modifying a Launcherlaunchersmodifying propertiesTo modify the properties of a launcher in a panel, perform the following
steps: Right-click on the launcher to open the panel object popup
menu.Choose Properties. Use the Launcher Properties dialog to modify the properties as required.
For more information on the Launcher Properties dialog,
see . Click Close to close the Launcher Properties dialog.Launcher PropertiesWhen you create or edit a launcher, the following properties can be set:TypeUse the drop-down list to specify whether this launcher starts an application or opens a document: ApplicationThe launcher starts an application.Application in TerminalThe launcher starts an application in a terminal.FileThe launcher opens a file.NameThis is displayed when you add the launcher to a menu
or to the desktop.CommandFor an application launcher, specify a command to execute when
you click on the launcher. For sample commands, see .LocationFor a file launcher, specify the location of the file.CommentThis is displayed as a tooltip when you point to the
launcher icon on the panel. To choose an icon for the launcher, click on the No Icon button. An icon selector dialog is displayed. Choose an icon from the dialog. To change the icon for the launcher, click on the button showing the current icon. An icon selector dialog is displayed. Choose an icon from the dialog. Launcher CommandsThe type of commands that you can enter in the Command
field depend on the option that you choose from the Type
drop-down combination box. If you choose Application
from the Type drop-down combination box, you can enter
a normal command. The following table shows some sample commands and the actions
that the commands perform:Sample Application CommandActiongeditStarts the gedit text editor application.gedit /user123/loremipsum.txtOpens the file /user123/loremipsum.txt in the gedit text editor application.nautilus /user123/ProjectsOpens
the folder /user123/Projects in a file object window.If you choose Link from the Type
drop-down combination box, you can enter a link command. The following table
shows some sample link commands and the actions that the commands perform:special URIslaunchersSample Link CommandActionhttp://www.gnome.orgOpens
the GNOME website in your default browser.ftp://ftp.gnome.orgOpens the GNOME FTP site in your default browser. The command can contain the following special codes which will be replaced with the value specified in the following table:CodeMeaning%fA single file name, even if multiple files are selected. The system reading the desktop entry should recognize that the program in question cannot handle multiple file arguments, and it should should probably spawn and execute multiple copies of a program for each selected file if the program is not able to handle additional file arguments. If files are not on the local file system (i.e. are on HTTP or FTP locations), the files will be copied to the local file system and %f will be expanded to point at the temporary file. Used for programs that do not understand the URL syntax.%FA list of files. Use for apps that can open several local files at once.%uA single URL.%UA list of URLs.%dDirectory containing the file that would be passed in a %f field.%DList of directories containing the files that would be passed in to a %F field.%nA single filename (without path).%NA list of filenames (without paths).%iThe Icon field of the desktop entry expanded as two parameters, first --icon and then the contents of the Icon field. Should not expand as any parameters if the Icon field is empty or missing.%cThe translated Name field associated with the desktop entry.%kThe location of the desktop file as either a URI (if for example gotten from the vfolder system) or a local filename or empty if no location is known.%vThe name of the Device entry in the desktop file.These are as defined by freedesktop.org's Desktop Entry Specification.Buttonsbuttonsadding to panelaction buttonsbuttonsYou can add buttons to your panels to provide quick access
to common actions and functions. Force Quit ButtonbuttonsForce Quitpanel objectsForce Quit buttonForce Quit buttonterminating applicationsapplicationsterminatingForce Quit icon.The Force Quit button enables you to select a
window to terminate an application. This button is useful if you want to terminate
an application that does not respond to your commands. To terminate an application, click on the Force Quit
button, then click on a window from the application that you want to terminate.
If you do not want to terminate an application after you click on the Force Quit button, press Esc.Lock Screen ButtonLock screen icon.buttonsLockpanel objectsLock buttonLock buttonlocking screenThe Lock Screen
button locks your screen and activates your screensaver. To access your session
again, you must enter your password.To add a Lock Screen button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel, then choose Lock Screen from the Add to Panel dialog. See for more on this.Right-click on the Lock Screen button to open a menu
of screensaver-related commands. describes
the commands that are available from the menu.
Lock Screen Menu ItemsMenu ItemFunctionActivate ScreensaverActivates the screensaver immediately.This will also lock the screen if you have set Lock screen when screensaver is active in the
Screensaver preference tool.Lock ScreenLocks the screen immediately. This command performs
the same function as when you click on the Lock Screen button.PropertiesOpens the Screensaver preference tool, with which you can configure the type of screensaver that is displayed when you lock the screen.
Log Out ButtonLog Out icon.buttonsLog Outpanel objectsLog Out buttonLog Out buttonThe Log Out button begins the process to log out of
a GNOME session. To add a Log Out button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelActionsLog Out. To log out of your session or shut down your system, click
on the Log Out button. Run ButtonRun Application icon.buttonsRunpanel objectsRun buttonRun buttonYou
can use the Run button to open the Run Application dialog. To add a Run button to a panel, right-click on
any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelActionsRun. To open the Run Application dialog, click
on the Run button. For more information on the Run Application dialog,
see Working With Menus.Screenshot ButtonScreenshot icon.buttonsScreenshotpanel objectsScreenshot buttonScreenshot buttonYou can use the Screenshot button to take a screenshot
of your screen. To add a Screenshot button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelActionsScreenshot. To take a screenshot of your screen, click on
the Screenshot button.For more information on how to take screenshots, see Working
With Menus.Search ButtonSearch Tool icon.buttonsSearchpanel objectsSearch buttonSearch buttonYou can use the Search button to open the Search Tool. To add a Search button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelActionsSearch. To open the Search Tool, click on
the Search button. For more information on the Search Tool,
see the Search Tool Manual.Show Desktop
ButtonbuttonsMinimise Windowspanel objectsMinimise
Windows buttonMinimise Windows
buttonShow Desktop icon.You can use the Show Desktop button to minimize all open windows and show the desktop.To add a Show Desktop button to a panel, right-click on any vacant
space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelActionsShow Desktop. To minimize all windows and show the desktop,
click on the Show Desktop button. Menusmenusadding to panelpanel objectsmenusYou can add the following types of menu to your panels: Main Menu: You can access almost all of
the standard applications, commands, and configuration options from the Main Menu. To add a Main Menu to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to
PanelMain Menu.
You can add as many Main Menu objects to your panels as
you want. Menu Bar: You can access almost
all of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options from
the menus in the Menu Bar. The Menu
Bar contains the Applications menu and the Actions menu. To add a Menu Bar to a
panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to PanelMenu Bar. You can add as many Menu Bar objects
to your panels as you want. System menus: System menus contain the standard applications
and tools that you can use in the GNOME Desktop. The Applications menu and Actions menu are system menus. To add
a system menu to a panel, right-click on a launcher in the menu, then choose Entire menuAdd this as menu to panel. Drawerspanel objectsdrawersdrawersA drawer is an extension of a panel. You
can open and close a drawer in the same way that you can show and hide a panel.
A drawer can contain all panel objects, including launchers, menus, applets,
other panel objects, and other drawers. When you open a drawer, you can use
the objects in the same way that you use objects on a panel. The following figure shows an open drawer that contains two panel objects. Open drawer. The context describes the graphic.The arrow on the drawer icon indicates that the icon represents a drawer
or menu.You can add, move, and remove objects from drawers in the same way that
you add, move, and remove objects from panels. To Open and Close a DrawerdrawersopeningdrawersclosingTo open a drawer, click on the drawer object in a panel. You can close
a drawer in the following ways: Click on the drawer.Click on the drawer hide button.To Add a Drawer to a Paneldrawersadding to panelYou can add a drawer to a panel in the following ways: From the panel popup menuRight-click on any vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to PanelDrawer. From any menuYou can add a menu as a drawer object to a panel.To add a menu as a drawer to a panel, open the menu from the panel.
Right-click on any launcher in the menu, then choose Entire menuAdd this as drawer to panel.To Add an Object to a Drawerdrawersadding objects toYou add an object to a drawer in the same way that you add
objects to panels. For more information, see .To Modify Drawer Propertiesdrawersmodifying propertiesYou can modify properties for each individual drawer. You
can change features for each drawer, such as the visual appearance of the
drawer and whether the drawer has hide buttons.To modify properties for a drawer perform the following steps: Right-click on the drawer, then choose Properties to display the Panel Properties dialog.
The dialog displays the General tabbed section.Select the properties for the drawer in the dialog. The following
table describes the elements on the General tabbed section:Dialog ElementDescription NameType a name for the panel. When you use shortcut
keys to switch between your panels and the desktop, this panel name is displayed.SizeSelect the size of the panel.IconChoose an icon to represent the drawer. Click
on the Icon button to display an icon selector dialog.
Choose an icon from the dialog. Alternatively, click Browse
to choose an icon from another directory. When you choose an icon, click OK.Show hide buttonsSelect this option to display hide buttons on your
panel.Arrows on hide buttonSelect this option to display arrows on the hide
buttons, if the hide button is enabled.You can use the Background tabbed section
to set the background for the drawer. For information on how to complete the Background tabbed section, see the step on this topic in . You can also drag a color or image on to a drawer
to set the color or image as the background of the drawer. For more information,
see .Click Close to close the Panel Properties dialog.Default Panel ObjectsThis section covers the panel objects that appear in the default GNOME desktop.Window Selector Applettop edge panelwindow selector iconwindow selectortop edge panelYou can view a list of all windows
that are currently open. You can also choose a window to give focus to. To
view the window list, click on the Window Selector
applet. The following figure shows an example of the Window Selector applet:Window selector applet displayed from the top edge panel.To give focus to a window, select the window from the Window Selector applet.The Window Selector lists the windows in
all workspaces. The windows in all workspaces other than the current workspace,
are listed under a separator line.Notification Area AppletappletsNotification Areapanel objectsNotification
Area appletNotification Area appletNotification Area icon.The Notification Area applet displays icons
from various applications to indicate activity in the application. For example,
when you use the CD Player application to play
a CD, a CD icon is displayed in the Notification Area
applet. The graphic above illustrates the CD icon in the Notification
Area applet. To add a Notification Area applet to a panel,
right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to PanelUtilityNotification Area.Main Menu panel objectmenusMain MenuMain
MenuMain MenuintroductionThe Main Menu provides access to
the Applications menu and many of the items in the System menu. You can access almost all of the standard applications,
commands, and configuration options from the Main Menu. You can add Main Menu buttons to your panels. Click
on the Main Menu button to open the Main Menu.To Add a Main Menu to a PanelMain Menuadding to panelYou can add as many Main Menu buttons
as you want to your panels. To add a Main Menu to a panel,
right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel and choose Main Menu from the Add to Panel dialog.Menu Bar panel objectMenu Bar applet. Menus: Applications, Places, Desktop.The Menu Bar provides access to the panel menubar, which contains the Applications, Places, and System menus. You can access
almost all of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options
from the Menu Bar. For more on using the panel menubar, see .To Add a Menu Bar to a PanelMenu Baradding to panelYou can add as many Menu Bar
applets as you want to your panels. To add a Menu Bar
to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel and choose Menu Bar from the Add to Panel dialog.