Working With PanelsThe information in this chapter describes how to use panels.
Introducing PanelspanelsintroductionA panel is an area on your desktop from which you can run applications
and applets, and perform other tasks. When you start a session for the first
time, the desktop contains the following panels: Menu PanelEdge panel at the bottom of the desktopThe following sections describe these panels.Menu PanelMenu PanelintroductionpanelsMenu PanelMenu PanelThe Menu Panel stretches the full length
of the top edge of your screen. The Menu Panel includes textual rather than
graphical menus. shows the Menu Panel. Your
system administrator might have set your default Menu Panel according to your
local requirements, so you might see a slightly different Menu Panel.Menu Paneldefault contentsThe typical Menu Panel contains the following objects:
Object
Description Applications menuThe Applications menu contains
the standard GNOME applications.Actions menuThe Actions menu provides commands
that enable you to perform desktop tasks. Home folder launcherClick on this launcher to open your home folder in
a Nautilus file manager window. Terminal launcher
Click on this launcher to start
the Terminal application. Terminal
provides access to a UNIX command line.Volume Control
applet
Volume Control enables you to control the volume of the speaker
on your system.Clock appletClock shows the current
time. Click on the time readout to display a menu of clock commands.Menu Panel
window list iconWindow
list iconThe window
list is a list of all your open windows. To give focus to a window, click
on the icon at the extreme right of the Menu Panel, then choose the window.
Unlike other types of panel, you can only have one Menu Panel at a time
on your desktop.Bottom Edge Panelpanelsbottom edge panelbottom edge panelbottom edge panel
introductionOn startup,
an edge panel stretches the full length of the bottom edge of the desktop. shows a typical bottom edge panel. Your system
administrator might have set your default bottom edge panel according to your
local requirements, so you might see a slightly different bottom edge panel.
bottom edge paneldefault contents
The bottom edge panel contains the following
applets:Window List: Displays a button
for each window that is open. Window List enables
you to minimize and restore windows.Workspace Switcher: Enables you
to navigate between your workspaces.You can change the behavior and appearance of your bottom edge panel
to suit your requirements. You can also add or remove objects from your bottom
edge panel. You can create multiple panels, and choose different properties,
objects, and backgrounds for each panel. You can also hide panels.Managing Your PanelspanelsmanagingThe following sections describe how to manage your panels.To Add a New Panelpanelsadding newYou can add different types of panels to your desktop.
lists the types of panel that you can add, and their characteristics.
Types of PanelPanel TypeSnap Behavior
SizeCorner PanelSnaps to one of the edges of
the screen, but can only snap to the center or the corner of the edge. Stretches as much as required
to display the objects on the panel.Edge Panel
Snaps to one of the edges of the screen. The startup panel at the bottom of
the desktop is an example of an edge panel.
Stretches the full length of the edge that the panel snaps to.Floating Panel
Does not snap to anything. You can place a floating panel anywhere on your
desktop.Stretches as much as required
to display the objects on the panel.Sliding Panel
Snaps to one of the edges of the screen, can snap to any point on the edge.
Stretches as much as required to
display the objects on the panel.Menu Panel
Snaps to the top edge of the screen. You cannot move the Menu Panel.Stretches the full length of the top edge
of the screen. You can only have one Menu Panel on your desktop.
To add a panel perform the following steps:Right-click on a vacant space on any panel, then choose
New Panel.Choose the type of panel that you want to add. The new panel
is added to the desktop. The new panel contains no objects, except for a Menu
Panel. You can customize the new panel to suit your preferences.To Interact With a Panelpanelsinteracting withTo interact with a panel, you must left-click, middle-click,
or right-click on a vacant space on the panel. 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. You use the mouse buttons to interact with a panel in the following
ways:Middle-click
Enables you to grab a panel, then drag the panel to a new location.Right-click
Opens the panel popup menu.To Move a PanelpanelsmovingYou can move panels to different locations on your desktop. To move
a panel, middle-click and hold on any vacant space on the panel, then drag
the panel to the new location.When you drag a floating panel, the panel follows the mouse pointer.
The panel does not snap to any part of the desktop. When you drag a corner
panel, an edge panel, or a sliding panel, the panel snaps to the edge of the
screen.You cannot move the Menu Panel.To Hide a PanelpanelshidingYou can hide or show panels, except for the Menu Panel. 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. Shows 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.On a corner panel, the behavior of the hide buttons is slightly
different. If the panel is in one of the corners of the screen, you can use
the hide buttons as follows:To hide the panel, click the hide button that is closest to
the edge of the screen, as normal.To move the panel to the opposite corner of the screen, click
the hide button that is farthest from the edge of the screen.To Modify Panel Propertiespanelsmodifying propertiesTo modify preferences for all panels, choose ApplicationsDesktop Preferences
AdvancedPanel, then make the changes that you require. For example, you can
specify various settings related to the appearance and behavior of panel objects.
You can also modify properties for each individual panel. You can change
the features for each panel, such as the type of the panel, the hide behavior,
and the visual appearance. You cannot modify properties for the Menu Panel.To modify the properties of a panel perform the following steps: Right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose
Properties to display the Panel Properties
dialog. The Panel Properties dialog contains the following
tabbed sections: Panel_type PanelBackgroundTo modify panel size, position, and hiding properties, click
on the Panel_type Panel tab.
The following table describes the dialog elements on the
Panel_type Panel tabbed section: Dialog ElementDescription PositionSelect the position of the panel on your desktop.
Click on the required position for the panel. SizeSelect the size of the panel.Orient horizontallyFloating panel only. Select this option to display
the panel horizontally. Orient verticallyFloating panel only. Select this option to display
the panel vertically.Horizontal offsetFloating panel only. Use the spin box to specify
the distance of the panel from the left edge of the desktop. Vertical offsetFloating panel only. Use the spin box to specify
the distance of the panel from the top edge of the desktop. Screen edge offsetSliding panel only. Use this spin box to specify
the distance between your panel and the edge of the desktop, in pixels. AutohideSelect this option to enable autohide. Show hide buttonsSelect this option to display hide buttons on your
panel.Arrows on hide button Select this option to display arrows on the hide
buttons, if the hide button is enabled.To modify the panel background, click on the Background
tab. The Background tabbed section contains
the following elements: Dialog ElementDescriptionBackground TypeChoose the
type of background for the panel. The choices are as follows:Default: The default background type.
The standard background depends on the settings in Applications
Desktop Preferences
Theme. Color: Enables you to choose a color
for the panel background.Image: Enables you to choose an image
for the panel background. Background ColorIf
Background Type is Color, click on the
Color to use button to display the color selector dialog. Choose
the color that you require from the color selector dialog. ImageIf
Background Type is Image, choose the image
to use on the background of the panel. Specify the following settings for
the image background:Do not scale image to fitSelect this option to tile the background image
to fit the panel background.Scale imageSelect this option to scale the background image
to fit the panel background. The width-to-height ratio of the image is retained.
Stretch imageSelect this option to stretch the background image
to fit the panel background. The width-to-height ratio of the image is not
retained. Rotate image for vertical panels
Select this option to
rotate the background image on a vertical panel.You can also drag a color or image on to a panel to set the color or
image as the background of the panel. For more information, see .
Click Close to close the
Panel Properties dialog.To Drag a Color or Image to the Background of a Panelpanelschanging backgroundYou can 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 the
Nautilus file manager to a panel to set the color as the background
of the panel. You can also drag a color from any color selector dialog.You can drag an image to a panel to set the image as the background
of the panel. You can also drag pattern images from the Nautilus
file manager application to set the background of the panel.
To Delete a PanelpanelsdeletingTo delete a panel from the desktop, right-click on the panel that you
want to delete, then choose Delete This Panel.You must always have at least one panel on your desktop. If you
have only one panel on your desktop, you cannot delete that panel.Panel Objectspanelspanel objects
panel 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-click
Enables you to grab an object, then drag the object to a new location.Right-click
Opens the panel object popup menu.You interact with applet panel objects in a different way. For more
information, see .To Add an Object to a Panelpanel objectsaddingYou can add an object to a panel in several ways, as follows: From the panel popup menuRight-click on a vacant space on a panel to open the panel popup menu.
The panel popup menu contains an Add to Panel submenu.
The Add to Panel submenu enables you to add the following
objects to your panels: Accessory appletsAmusement appletsInternet appletsMultimedia appletsUtility appletsLaunchersGNOME MenuDrawersLog Out buttonLock buttonFrom any menuWhen you right-click on a launcher in any menu, a popup menu for the
launcher opens. You can use this popup menu to add the launcher to a panel.
You can also drag menus, launchers, and applets from menus to panels.
From the file managerEach launcher and applet corresponds to a .desktop
file. You can drag the .desktop file on to your panels
to add the launcher or applet to the panel. Each menu corresponds to a directory. You can drag the directory on
to your panels to add the directory to the panel as a menu object.To Modify the Properties of an Objectpanel objectsmodifying properties
Some panel objects 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.To Move 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 on your 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 key
Free 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. To Remove 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.Shows sample applets. The context describes the graphic.
To Add an Applet to a Panelappletsadding to panelYou can add an applet to a panel from the panel popup menu.
Right-click on any vacant space on the panel to open the panel popup menu.
Choose Add to Panel, then choose the applet that you want
to add from one of the following submenus:AccessoriesAmusementsInternetMultimediaUtilityAlternatively, drag the applet from the submenu on to the panel. To Select an AppletappletsselectingTo modify the properties of an applet, you must first right-click on
the applet to display the panel object popup menu. To move an applet, you
must middle-click on the applet. Some 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. To Modify Preferences for an Appletappletsmodifying preferencesTo modify the preferences for an applet perform the following
steps: Right-click on the applet, then choose Preferences
. Use the Preferences dialog to modify
the preferences as required. The preferences for applets vary depending on
the applet.Click Close to close the
Preferences dialog.Launcherspanel objectslauncherslaunchersWhen you click on a launcher, you initiate
one of the following actions: Start a particular application.Execute a command.Open a folder in a file manager window.Open a browser at a particular Uniform Resource
Locator (URL). A URL is the address of a particular
location on the Web.You can find launchers in the following places on the desktop:Panels: On panels, launchers are represented by icons.Menus: On menus, launchers are represented by menu items.
The menu items usually have an icon beside the menu item.Desktop background: On the desktop background, launchers are
represented by icons.You 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. To Add a Launcher to a Panellaunchersadding to panelYou can add a launcher to a panel in one of the following
ways:From the panel popup menuTo create a new launcher, right-click on any vacant space on the panel,
then choose Add to Panel
Launcher. A Create Launcher
dialog is displayed. For more information on how to complete this dialog,
see .Alternatively, to add an existing launcher to the panel, choose Add to PanelLauncher from menu from the panel popup men. Choose the launcher that you want
to add from the menu.From any menuTo add a launcher to a panel from any menu, perform one of the following
steps: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. Open a menu that contains the launcher. Drag the launcher
on to the 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. To add the
launcher drag the .desktop file to the panel. To Create a Launcher With the Create Launcher DialogTo create a launcher with the Create Launcher dialog
perform the following steps: Right-click on any part of a panel to open the panel popup
menu. Choose Add to Panel
Launcher to display the Create Launcher
dialog. The dialog displays the Basic tabbed
section.Enter the properties of the launcher in the dialog. The following
table describes the dialog elements on the Basic tabbed
section: Dialog ElementDescription NameUse this text box to specify the name of the launcher.
You can use the Advanced tab to add translations of the
name. This name is the name that appears when you add the launcher to a menu
or to the desktop background. Generic nameUse this text box to specify the class of
application to which the launcher belongs. For example, you might type
Text Editor in this text box for a gedit
launcher. You can use the Advanced tab to add translations
of the generic name.CommentUse this text box to specify a short description
of the launcher. The comment is displayed as a tooltip when you point to the
launcher icon on the panel. You can use the Advanced
tabbed section to add translations of the comment. CommandUse this field to specify a command to execute when
you click on the launcher. TypeUse this drop-down combination box to specify the type
of launcher. Select from the following: Application: Select this option to create
a launcher that starts an application.Link: Select this option to create a
launcher that links to a file, folder, or FTP site.IconChoose an icon to represent the launcher. To choose an
icon, click on the No Icon button. An icon selector
dialog is displayed. Choose an icon from the dialog. Alternatively, to choose
an icon from another directory, click Browse. When
you choose an icon, click OK. Run in TerminalSelect this option to run the application or command
in a terminal window. Choose this option for an application or command that
does not create a window in which to run.To set advanced properties for the launcher, click on the
Advanced tab. The Launcher Properties dialog
displays the Advanced tabbed section.Enter the advanced properties of the launcher in the dialog.
The following table describes the dialog elements on the top part of the
Advanced tabbed section: Dialog ElementDescription Try this before usingEnter a command here to check before starting the
launcher. If the command is executable and is in your path, the launcher appears
on the panel.DocumentationThis field is not currently in use. You can also add a translation of the Name,
Generic name, and Comment fields from the
Basic tabbed section. To add a translation, enter the details of
the translation in the Name/Comment translations table
as follows: Field
Description First field
Enter the two-letter code for the language for which you want to add a translation.
Second field
Enter the translation of the Name of the launcher.Third field
Enter the translation of the Generic name of the launcher.
Fourth field
Enter the translation for the Comment for the launcher.
Then click on the Add/Set button. To edit a translation, select the translation. The translated text appears
in the lower part of this dialog. Edit the fields as required, then click
on the Add/Set button.To remove a translation, select the translation, then click on the
Remove button.To create the launcher and close the Launcher Properties
dialog, click OK.To Modify the Properties of a Launcherlaunchersmodifying propertiesTo modify the properties of a launcher 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.Menusmenusadding to panelpanel objectsmenusYou can add the following types of menu to your panels:
System menus: System menus contain the standard applications
and tools that you can use on your 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
. GNOME Menu: You can access almost all of
the standard applications, commands, and configuration options from the
GNOME Menu. To add a GNOME Menu to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to
PanelGNOME Menu.
You can add as many GNOME Menu objects to your panels as
you want. By default, the GNOME Menu is represented on
panels by a stylized footprint icon, as follows:Shows GNOME Menu icon.Menus that you add to your panels are represented by an icon with an
arrow. The arrow indicates that the icon represents a menu or drawer. shows how menus typically appear on panels. 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.
Shows an 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 propertiesTo modify preferences for all panels and drawers, choose ApplicationsDesktop Preferences
AdvancedPanel, then make the changes that you require. For example, you can
select various options related to the appearance and behavior of objects on
panels and drawers. You can also select options that relate to drawers only.
For example, you can select an option to close your drawers when you click
on a launcher in the drawer.You can also modify other 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 Drawer tabbed section.Select the properties for the drawer in the dialog. The following
table describes the elements on the Drawer tabbed section:
Dialog ElementDescription SizeSelect the size of the drawer.
Tooltip/NameUse this text box to specify a name for the drawer.
The name appears as a tooltip when you point at the drawer on 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. Enable hide buttonSelect this option to display a hide button when
the drawer opens. Enable hide button arrowSelect this option to display an arrow on the hide
button 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.Log Out ButtonShows Log Out icon.panel objectsLog Out buttonLog Out button
The 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 Panel
Log Out Button. To log out
of your session or shut down your system, click on the Log Out
button. Lock ButtonShows Lock icon.panel objectsLock buttonLock buttonlocking screenThe Lock
button locks your screen and activates your screensaver. To access your session
again, you must enter your password. To lock your screen correctly, you must
have a screensaver enabled.To add a Lock button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel
Lock Button. Right-click on the Lock button to open a menu
of screensaver-related commands. describes
the commands that are available from the menu.
Lock Screen Menu ItemsMenu Item
FunctionActivate ScreensaverActivates the screensaver immediately, but does
not lock the screen.Lock ScreenLocks the screen immediately. This command performs
the same function as when you click on the Lock button.
Kill Screensaver DaemonTerminates the screensaver process. After you terminate
the screensaver process, you cannot lock your screen.Restart Screensaver DaemonTerminates and restarts the screensaver process.
Use this command after you change your password. When you restart the screensaver
process, use your new password with the screensaver.PropertiesDisplays an XScreenSaver dialog
that you can use to configure the screensaver.