openSUSE-Dokumentation
Part I. Introduction to the GNOME Desktop / Chapter 1. Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop
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Getting Started with the GNOME Desktop

Contents

1.1. Logging In and Selecting a Desktop
1.2. Logging Out
1.3. Desktop Basics
1.4. Using the Main Menu
1.5. Managing Folders and Files with Nautilus
1.6. Accessing Network Resources
1.7. Accessing Floppy Disks, CDs, or DVDs
1.8. Finding Data on Your Computer or in the File System
1.9. Moving Text Between Applications
1.10. Printing
1.11. Managing Internet Connections
1.12. Exploring the Internet
1.13. E-mail and Scheduling
1.14. Opening or Creating Documents with OpenOffice.org
1.15. Controlling Your Desktop’s Power Management
1.16. Creating, Displaying, and Decompressing Archives
1.17. Taking Screen Shots
1.18. Viewing PDF Files
1.19. Controlling Sound
1.20. Using the Fingerprint Reader
1.21. Obtaining Software Updates
1.22. For More Information

This section describes the conventions, layout, and common tasks of the GNOME desktop as implemented in your product.

GNOME is an easy-to-use graphical interface that can be customized to meet your needs and personal preferences. This section describes the default configuration of GNOME. If you or your system administrator modified the defaults, some aspect might be different, such as appearance or keyboard shortcuts.

Logging In and Selecting a Desktop

If more than one user account is configured on your computer, usually all users must authenticate—unless Auto Login is enabled for a certain user. Auto login lets a user automatically log in to the desktop environment when the system starts. This feature can be enabled or disabled during installation or at any time using the YaST User Management module. For more information, refer to Kapitel Verwalten von Benutzern mit YaST (↑Start).

If your computer is running in a network environment and you are not the only person using the machine, you are usually prompted to enter your username and password when you start your system. If you did not set up your system and your user account, check with your system administrator for your username and password.

The program managing the login process depends on the desktop environment installed on your system. For GNOME, it is GDM. If the KDE desktop is also installed on your system, it might be KDM.

The login screen has the following items:

  • Login prompt.  Enter your username and password to log in.

  • Language menu.  Select a language for your session.

  • Session menu.  Select the desktop to run during your session. If other desktops are installed, they appear in the list.

  • Restart.  Select to restart the computer.

  • Shut Down.  Select to shut down the computer.

What Is a Session?

A session is the period of time from when you log in to when you log out. During a session, you can use applications, print, browse the Web, and so on.

The login screen offers several login options. For example, you can select the language of your session so that text that appears in the interface is presented in that language.

After your username and password are authenticated, the Session Manager starts. The Session Manager lets you save certain settings for each session. It also lets you save the state of your most recent session and return to that session the next time you log in.

The Session Manager can save and restore the following settings:

  • Appearance and behavior settings, such as fonts, colors, and mouse settings.

  • Applications that you were running. such as a file manager or an OpenOffice.org program.

    [Tip]

    You cannot save and restore applications that Session Manager does not manage. For example, if you start the vi editor from the command line in a terminal window, Session Manager cannot restore your editing session.

For information on configuring session preferences, see Section 2.5.8, “Managing Sessions”.

Switching Desktops

If you installed both the GNOME and the KDE desktops, use the following instructions to switch desktops.

  1. Click Computer+Logout+Log Out.

    In KDE, click the main menu button, then click Leave+Logout.

  2. On the login screen, click Session.

  3. Select the desktop you want (GNOME or KDE), then click Change Session.

  4. Type your username, then press Enter.

  5. Type your password, then press Enter.

Locking Your Screen

To lock the screen, you can do either of the following:

  • Click Computer+Lock Screen.

  • If the Lock button is present on a panel, click it.

    To add the Lock button to a panel, right-click the panel, then click Add to Panel+Lock Screen.

When you lock your screen, the screen saver starts. To lock your screen correctly, you must have a screen saver enabled. To unlock the screen, move your mouse to display the locked screen dialog. Enter your username and password, then press Enter.

For information on configuring your screen saver, see Section 2.3.4, “Configuring the Screen Saver”.

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