path: root/gnome2-user-guide/C/gosdeskback.xml

<chapter id="gosdeskback-1">
  <title>Using the Desktop Background</title>
  <highlights>
    <para>The <application>Nautilus</application> file manager manages
your desktop background. This chapter describes how to use the <application>Nautilus</application> desktop background.</para>
  </highlights>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-21">
    <title>Introduction to the Desktop Background</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>introduction</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>The desktop background lies behind all of the other components
on your visible desktop. The desktop background is an active component of
the user interface. You can perform the following tasks from your desktop
background:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>Start your applications, and open your files and folders. </para>
        <para>You can add desktop background objects for convenient access to files,
folders, and applications that you use frequently. For example, you can add
an application launcher to the desktop background. You can create a symbolic
link to a file that you use often, then add this link to your desktop background.
You can also store files and folders on the desktop background.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Open the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu.</para>
        <para>Right-click on the desktop background to open the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu. You can use the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu
to perform actions on the desktop background.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Work with <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>.</para>
        <para>You can move objects to <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> and empty your <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Customize your desktop background.</para>
        <para>You can customize the pattern or color of the desktop background.</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <para>By default, your desktop background contains three objects. </para>
    <para><xref linkend="gosdeskback-TBL-84"/> describes the functions
of the default objects on the desktop background.</para>
    <table frame="topbot" id="gosdeskback-TBL-84">
      <title>Functions of Default Desktop Background Objects</title>
      <tgroup cols="3" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
        <colspec colname="colspec2" colwidth="35.94*"/>
        <colspec colname="colspec0" colwidth="35.94*"/>
        <colspec colname="colspec1" colwidth="64.06*"/>
        <thead>
          <row rowsep="1">
            <entry colname="colspec2" valign="top">
              <para>Object</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Component</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Function </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec2" valign="top">
              <screenshot>
                <mediaobject>
                  <imageobject>
                    <imagedata fileref="figures/naut_home_launcher.png" format="PNG"/>
                  </imageobject>
                  <textobject>
                    <phrase>Nautilus home location icon.</phrase>
                  </textobject>
                </mediaobject>
              </screenshot>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>
                <guilabel>Home</guilabel>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Opens a <application>Nautilus</application> window, and displays your home location in the view
pane.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec2" valign="top">
              <screenshot>
                <mediaobject>
                  <imageobject>
                    <imagedata fileref="figures/naut_starthere_launcher.png" format="PNG"/>
                  </imageobject>
                  <textobject>
                    <phrase>Nautilus Start Here icon.</phrase>
                  </textobject>
                </mediaobject>
              </screenshot>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guilabel>Start Here</guilabel>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Provides an access point to some of the key features of the GNOME desktop. </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec2" valign="top">
              <screenshot>
                <mediaobject>
                  <imageobject>
                    <imagedata fileref="figures/naut_trash_launcher.png" format="PNG"/>
                  </imageobject>
                  <textobject>
                    <phrase>Nautilus Trash icon.</phrase>
                  </textobject>
                </mediaobject>
              </screenshot>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>
                <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Opens a <application>Nautilus</application> window, and displays your <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>
in the view pane.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-22">
    <title>Starting Your Desktop Background</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>starting</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>If <application>Nautilus</application> does not currently
manage your desktop background, the default objects do not appear on your
desktop background. In this case, you might need to restart the desktop background.
If the default objects do not appear on your desktop background, one of the
following might be true:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>You have inadvertently killed a desktop background process.
To restart the desktop background, you must set your <application>Nautilus</application> preferences so that <application>Nautilus</application> manages
the desktop background.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>You have deleted the <filename>/.nautilus</filename> directory.
To restart the desktop background, you must set up <application>Nautilus</application>
so that <application>Nautilus</application> manages the desktop background.</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <para>To set up <application>Nautilus</application> so that <application>Nautilus</application> manages the desktop background perform the following
steps:</para>
    <orderedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Applications</guimenu><guimenuitem>Home Folder</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. A <guilabel>Nautilus
First Time Setup</guilabel> dialog is displayed.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>The <guilabel>Nautilus First Time Setup</guilabel> dialog
enables you to customize your <application>Nautilus</application> environment.
Follow the instructions on the <guilabel>Nautilus First Time Setup</guilabel>
dialog. On the <guilabel>GMC to Nautilus Transition</guilabel> screen, select
the <guilabel>Use Nautilus to draw the desktop</guilabel> option.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>When you reach the <guilabel>Finished</guilabel> screen, click
on the <guibutton>Finish</guibutton> button.</para>
      </listitem>
    </orderedlist>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-2">
    <title>Desktop Background Objects</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>desktop background
objects</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>A desktop background object is an icon
on your desktop background that you can use to open your files, folders, and
applications. All objects on your desktop background reside in the desktop
background directory. When you move objects to the desktop background, the
objects are moved to this directory. You can also use your home directory
as the desktop background directory. </para>
    <para>By default, your desktop background contains three objects. You can
also add objects to your desktop background to provide convenient access to
files, folders, and applications that you use frequently. For example, you
can add a launcher to your desktop background to enable you to open a particular
application that you use often. </para>
    <para><xref linkend="gosdeskback-TBL-86"/> describes the types of object that
you can add to your desktop background.</para>
    <table frame="topbot" id="gosdeskback-TBL-86">
      <title>Types of Desktop Background Objects</title>
      <tgroup cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
        <colspec colname="colspec0" colwidth="30.23*"/>
        <colspec colname="colspec1" colwidth="69.77*"/>
        <thead>
          <row rowsep="1">
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>Object Type</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Description</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>Symbolic link</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>A symbolic link is an object that points to another
file or folder. When you choose a symbolic link from the desktop background,
the file or folder that the symbolic link points to is opened. You can move
or copy a symbolic link to the desktop background.</para>
              <para>You can identify
symbolic links by the default arrow emblem that appears on all symbolic links.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>Launcher</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>You can add the following types of launcher to the
desktop background:</para>
              <itemizedlist>
                <listitem>
                  <para>Application: Starts a particular application.</para>
                </listitem>
                <listitem>
                  <para>Link: Links to  a particular file, folder, or URL. <emphasis>TBD: Check this out</emphasis></para>
                </listitem>
              </itemizedlist>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>File</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>You can add files to your desktop background. Files on
your desktop background reside in your desktop background directory. </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>Folder </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>You can move folders to your desktop
background, and you can create folders on your desktop background. Folders
on your desktop background reside in your desktop background directory.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
    <para>You can modify desktop background objects in the following ways:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>View the properties of the object.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Rename the object.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Change the permissions of the object.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Change the icon that represents the object.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Resize the icon that represents the object.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Add an emblem to the object.</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <para>The following sections describe how to work with objects on the desktop
background.</para>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-30">
      <title>To Select Objects on the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>selecting objects</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>selecting</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>To select an object on the
desktop background, click on the object. To select multiple objects, press-and-hold <keycap>Ctrl</keycap>, then click on the objects that you want to select.</para>
      <para>You can also select an area on the desktop background to select all
objects within that area. Click-and-hold on the desktop background, then drag
over the area that contains the objects that you want to select. When you
click-and-hold then drag, a grey rectangle appears to mark the area that you
select.</para>
      <para>To select multiple areas, press-and-hold <keycap>Ctrl</keycap>, then
drag over the areas that you want to select. </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-29">
      <title>To Open an Object from the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>opening objects</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>opening</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>To open an object from the
desktop background, double-click on the object. Alternatively, right-click
on the object, then choose <guimenuitem>Open</guimenuitem>. When you open
an object, the default action for the object executes. For example, if the
object is a text file, the text file opens in a <application>Nautilus</application>
window. The default actions for file types are specified in the <application>File Types and Programs</application> preference tool.</para>
      <para>To execute an action other than the default action for an object, right-click
on the object, then choose <guimenuitem>Open With</guimenuitem>. Choose an
action from the <guisubmenu>Open With</guisubmenu> submenu. </para>
      <para>The items in the <guimenuitem>Open With</guimenuitem> submenu correspond
to the contents of the following parts of the <application>File Types and
Programs</application> preference tool:</para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para><guilabel>Default action</guilabel> drop-down list in the <guilabel>Edit file type</guilabel> dialog</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para><guilabel>Viewer Component</guilabel> drop-down
list in the <guilabel>Edit file type</guilabel> dialog</para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
      <para>You can set your preferences in a <application>Nautilus</application>
window so that you click once on a file to execute the default action.</para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-3">
      <title>To Add a Launcher to the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>adding launchers</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>launchers</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>A desktop background launcher
can start an application or link to  a particular file, folder, or FTP site. <emphasis>TBD: Check this out</emphasis></para>
      <para>To add a launcher to your desktop background, perform the following
steps:</para>
      <orderedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>Right-click on the desktop background, then choose <guimenuitem>New Launcher</guimenuitem>. A <guilabel>Create Launcher</guilabel> dialog
is displayed.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>For information on how to enter the properties of the launcher
in the <guilabel>Create Launcher</guilabel> dialog, see <emphasis>Working
With Panels</emphasis>. The command that you enter for the launcher is the
command that is executed when you use the desktop background object.</para>
        </listitem>
      </orderedlist>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-20">
      <title>To Add a Symbolic Link to the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>adding symbolic
links</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>symbolic links</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>You can create
symbolic links on your desktop background to perform the following actions:</para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>Open a particular file in a particular application.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Open a particular folder in a <application>Nautilus</application>
window.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Run a binary file or a script.</para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
      <para>To create a symbolic link on the desktop background, perform the following
steps:</para>
      <orderedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>Display the file or folder for which you want to create a
symbolic link in a <application>Nautilus</application> window.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Create a symbolic link to the file or folder. To create a
symbolic link to a file or folder, select the file or folder to which you
want to create a link. Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Edit</guimenu><guimenuitem>Make Link</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. A link to the file or folder
is added to the current folder. You can identify symbolic links by the default
arrow emblem that appears on all symbolic links. The following figure shows
a symbolic link to a file:</para>
          <screenshot>
            <mediaobject>
              <imageobject>
                <imagedata fileref="figures/naut_samplesymlink_icon.png" format="PNG"/>
              </imageobject>
              <textobject>
                <phrase>File icon with symbolic link emblem.</phrase>
              </textobject>
            </mediaobject>
          </screenshot>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Drag the symbolic link to the desktop background. The icon
for the object is moved to the desktop background. </para>
        </listitem>
      </orderedlist>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-16">
      <title>Adding a File or Folder to the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>adding a file or
folder to</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>files and folders</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>The following
sections describe how you can add file objects and folder objects to the desktop
background.</para>
      <sect3 id="gosdeskback-18">
        <title>To Move a File or Folder to the Desktop Background</title>
        <indexterm>
          <primary>desktop background</primary>
          <secondary>moving a file or
folder to</secondary>
        </indexterm>
        <para>You can move a file or folder from
a <application>Nautilus</application> window to the desktop background. To
move a file or folder to the desktop background, perform the following steps:</para>
        <orderedlist>
          <listitem>
            <para>Open a <application>Nautilus</application> window. </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>In the view pane, display the file or folder that you want
to move.</para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>Drag the file or folder to the desktop background. The icon
for the file or folder is moved to the desktop background. The file or folder
is moved to your desktop background directory.</para>
            <para>Alternatively, select the file or folder, then choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Edit</guimenu><guimenuitem>Cut Files</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. Right-click
on any desktop background object, then choose <guimenuitem>Paste Files</guimenuitem>.</para>
          </listitem>
        </orderedlist>
<!--<para><emphasis>Question</emphasis>: Do we need to document To Move a File or Folder >>From&lt;&lt; the Desktop Background? (with cut file and paste file)</para>
<para>What about Cut, Copy and Paste solely in reference to the desktop background.
Eg, to create a copy of a file by copying it from the desktop background,
then pasting it?</para>-->
      </sect3>
      <sect3 id="gosdeskback-17">
        <title>To Copy a File or Folder to the Desktop Background</title>
        <indexterm>
          <primary>desktop background</primary>
          <secondary>copying a file
or folder to</secondary>
        </indexterm>
        <para>You can copy a file or folder from
a <application>Nautilus</application> window to the desktop background. To
copy a file or folder to the desktop background, perform the following steps:</para>
        <orderedlist>
          <listitem>
            <para>Open a <application>Nautilus</application> window. </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>In the view pane, display the file or folder that you want
to move.</para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>Press-and-hold <keycap>Ctrl</keycap>, then drag the file or
folder to the desktop background. An icon for the file or folder is added
to the desktop background. The file or folder is copied to your desktop background
directory.</para>
            <para>Alternatively, select the file or folder, then choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Edit</guimenu><guimenuitem>Copy Files</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.
Right-click on any desktop background object, then choose <guimenuitem>Paste
Files</guimenuitem>.</para>
          </listitem>
        </orderedlist>
      </sect3>
      <sect3 id="gosdeskback-19">
        <title>To Create a Folder Object on the Desktop Background</title>
        <indexterm>
          <primary>desktop background</primary>
          <secondary>creating a folder
on</secondary>
        </indexterm>
        <para>To create a folder object, right-click on
the desktop background to open the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu.
Choose <guimenuitem>New Folder</guimenuitem>. An <guilabel>untitled</guilabel>
folder is added to the desktop background. Type the name of the new folder,
then press <keycap>Return</keycap>. The folder is displayed with the new name.
The new folder resides in your desktop background directory.</para>
      </sect3>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-25">
      <title>To Remove an Object from the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>removing an object
from</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>removing</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>To remove an object
from the desktop background right-click on the object, then choose <guimenuitem>Move to Trash</guimenuitem>. Alternatively, drag the object to <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>.</para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-86">
      <title>To Delete an Object from the Desktop Background</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background</primary>
        <secondary>deleting an object
from</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>desktop background objects</primary>
        <secondary>deleting</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>When you delete
an object from the desktop background, the object is not moved to <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, but is immediately deleted from the desktop background.
The <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem> menu item is only available if you select
the <guilabel>Include a Delete command that bypasses Trash</guilabel> option
in the <application>Nautilus</application><guilabel>File Management Preferences</guilabel> dialog. </para>
      <para>To delete an object from the desktop background right-click on the object,
then choose <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem>. </para>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-8">
    <title>Using Trash on the Desktop Background</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>using Trash</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>Trash</primary>
      <secondary>using on desktop
background</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <screenshot>
      <mediaobject>
        <imageobject>
          <imagedata fileref="figures/naut_trash_launcher.png" format="PNG"/>
        </imageobject>
        <textobject>
          <phrase>Nautilus Trash icon.</phrase>
        </textobject>
      </mediaobject>
    </screenshot>
    <para>You can move the following items to <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>Files</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Folders</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Desktop background objects</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <para>If you need to retrieve a file from <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, you
can view <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> and move the file out of <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>. When you empty <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, you delete the items
in <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> permanently. </para>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-44">
      <title>To Display Trash</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>Trash</primary>
        <secondary>displaying</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>You can display the contents of <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> in the following
ways:</para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>From the desktop background</para>
          <para>Double-click on the <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> object on the desktop
background. The contents of <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> are displayed in a <application>Nautilus</application> window.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>From a <application>Nautilus</application> window</para>
          <para>Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Go</guimenu><guimenuitem>Trash</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. The contents of <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> are displayed in
the window.</para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="gosdeskback-10">
      <title>To Empty Trash</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>Trash</primary>
        <secondary>emptying</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>You can empty the contents of <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> in the following
ways:</para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>From the desktop background</para>
          <para>Right-click on the <guilabel>Trash</guilabel> object, then choose <guimenuitem>Empty Trash</guimenuitem>.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>From a <application>Nautilus</application> window</para>
          <para>Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>File</guimenu><guimenuitem>Empty
Trash</guimenuitem></menuchoice>.</para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-9">
    <title>Using the Desktop Background Menu</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>using Desktop Background
menu</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>Desktop Background menu</primary>
      <secondary>description</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>menus</primary>
      <secondary>Desktop Background menu</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <screenshot>
      <mediaobject>
        <imageobject>
          <imagedata fileref="figures/file_manager_menu.png" format="PNG"/>
        </imageobject>
        <textobject>
          <phrase>Desktop Background menu. The context describes the graphic.</phrase>
        </textobject>
      </mediaobject>
    </screenshot>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>Desktop Background menu</primary>
      <secondary>illustration</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>To open the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu>
menu, right-click on a vacant space on the desktop background. You can use
the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu to perform actions on the desktop
background.</para>
    <para><xref linkend="gosdeskback-TBL-85"/> describes the items in the <guimenu>Desktop Background</guimenu> menu.</para>
    <table frame="topbot" id="gosdeskback-TBL-85">
      <title>Items on the Desktop Background Menu</title>
      <tgroup cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
        <colspec colname="colspec0" colwidth="35.94*"/>
        <colspec colname="colspec1" colwidth="64.06*"/>
        <thead>
          <row rowsep="1">
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Menu Item</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Function </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>New Window</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Opens a new <application>Nautilus</application>
window that displays your home location.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>New Folder</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Creates a new folder object on your desktop background. The folder is created
in your desktop background directory.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>New Terminal</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Starts a <application>GNOME Terminal</application>.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>New Launcher</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Creates a launcher on your desktop background. For more information, see <xref linkend="gosdeskback-3"/>.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guisubmenu>Scripts</guisubmenu>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Opens a submenu of scripts that
you can run.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Clean Up By
Name</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Arranges the objects on the desktop background alphabetically by name.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Cut Files</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Deletes the selected file or
files from the folder or desktop background, and places the file or files
in buffer.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Copy Files</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Copies the selected file or files from the folder or desktop background, and
places the file or files in buffer.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Paste Files</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Puts the file or files in the buffer into the selected folder or the desktop
background.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Disks</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Enables you to mount diskettes
and other  removable media.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Use Default
Background </guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Resets the desktop background to the last pattern that you chose from the <guilabel>Backgrounds and Emblems</guilabel> dialog. You can access the <guilabel>Backgrounds
and Emblems</guilabel> dialog from <application>Nautilus</application> windows.</para>
<!--<para><emphasis>Comment:</emphasis> It does not reset the last color that you chose from the <guilabel>Backgrounds and Emblems</guilabel> dialog.</para>-->
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para>
                <guimenuitem>Change Desktop
Background</guimenuitem>
              </para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Starts the <application>Background</application> preference tool to enable
you to change the desktop background.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="gosdeskback-12">
    <title>Changing the Pattern or Color of the Desktop Background</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>desktop background</primary>
      <secondary>changing pattern
or color</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>backgrounds</primary>
      <secondary>changing desktop background</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>You can
change the pattern or color of the desktop background to suit your preferences. <application>Nautilus</application> includes background patterns and colors that you can
use to change the look-and-feel of the desktop background. </para>
    <para>You can change the pattern or color of the desktop background in any
of the following ways:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>Drag a pattern or color from another window or dialog to the
desktop background. </para>
        <para>If your desktop background is a color, you can create a gradient effect
from a color into the desktop background color. A gradient effect is a visual
effect where one color blends gradually into another color. To create a gradient
effect on your desktop background, drag a color to one of the edges of the
screen. The color blends from the edge to which you drag the color, to the
opposite edge of the screen.</para>
        <para>Before you drag a color to a screen edge, check if there is an edge
panel on the screen edge. If there is an edge panel on the screen edge, you
must hide the panel before you drag the color.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Use the <application>Background</application> preference tool. </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Choose a pattern or color for the background from the <guilabel>Backgrounds and Emblems</guilabel> dialog. To change the pattern or color
of the desktop background, perform the following steps:</para>
        <orderedlist>
          <listitem>
            <para>Open a <application>Nautilus</application> window.</para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>Choose <menuchoice><guimenu>Edit</guimenu><guimenuitem>Backgrounds and Emblems</guimenuitem></menuchoice>. The <guilabel>Backgrounds
and Emblems</guilabel> dialog is displayed. </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>To display a list of patterns that you can use, click on the <guibutton>Patterns</guibutton> button. To display a list of the colors that you can
use, click on the <guibutton>Colors</guibutton> button.</para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>To change the desktop background to a pattern, drag the pattern
to the desktop background. To change the desktop background to a color, drag
the color to the desktop background.</para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>Click <guibutton>Close</guibutton> to close the dialog.</para>
          </listitem>
        </orderedlist>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </sect1>
</chapter>