suse linux enterprise desktop administration

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Administration

Chapter 2Use the Linux Desktop


Objectives

• Objective 1—Overview of the Linux Desktop

• Objective 2—Use the GNOME Desktop Environment

• Objective 3—Access the Command-Line Interface from the Desktop

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Objective 1—Overview of the Linux Desktop

• X Window System (called X or X11)– The base of any graphical user interface on Linux– Allows you to control the input and output of several

applications in different windows of a graphical interface

• X uses a client/server architecture– X server

• Controls the graphical screen

– Client application• Uses the services of the X server to receive keyboard

and mouse actions

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Objective 1—Overview of the Linux Desktop (continued)

• Window managers are specialized client applications– Provide control elements– Manage virtual desktops– Provide functionality of window frames

• X Window System is not linked to any specific window manager

• Desktop environments go far beyond the look and feel window managers provide– For desktops and manipulating windows

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Objective 1—Overview of the Linux Desktop (continued)

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Figure 2-1 X System client/server architecture


Objective 2—Use the GNOME Desktop Environment

• GNOME is a comfortable desktop environment

• To use the GNOME desktop environment, you need to know how to:– Log In– Log Out and Shut Down– Identify GNOME Desktop Components– Manage Icons in GNOME– Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus)

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Log In

• When working with a multiuser-capable operating system– You must first identify yourself to the operating

system using:• A login string or username

• A password

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Log In (continued)

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Figure 2-2 SLED 10 login screen


Log In (continued)

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Figure 2-3 GNOME desktop environment


Log Out and Shut Down

• Open the Computer menu (also called main menu)– Select the Logout entry– See Figures 2-4 and 2-5

• Back at the login screen, four options appear in the lower-left corner:– Language– Session– Reboot– Shut Down

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Log Out and Shut Down (continued)

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Figure 2-4 SLED 10 Computer menu



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Figure 2-5 Log out confirmation dialog



• Shut down the computer directly from the GNOME desktop by selecting Shutdown – On the right side of the Computer menu– See Figures 2-4 and 2-6

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Figure 2-6 Shutdown confirmation dialog


Exercise 2-1: Log In to and Log Out of the GNOME Desktop

• In this exercise, log in to the GNOME desktop as user geeko (password novell); then, log out again

• Perform these tasks from the GUI login screen (where you were left after installing SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10)

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Identify GNOME Desktop Components

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Figure 2-7 GNOME desktop bottom panel

Main menu Tomboy Notes Additional icons


Identify GNOME Desktop Components (continued)

• Additional icons include:– Network Manager Icon– Monitor– Globe– Battery– Speaker– Calendar– Clock– Board

• Most programs are started from the main menu17


Identify GNOME Desktop Components (continued)

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Figure 2-8 GNOME main menu


Manage Icons in GNOME

• Desktop– Create an icon for an application

• Select the item in your application menu, drag it to a free space on your desktop, and release the mouse button

– Create a new icon• Right-click a free space on your desktop

• Options

– Create Folder

– Create Launcher

– Create Document

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Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)

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Figure 2-10 Create a new desktop icon

Figure 2-11 Create a new folder



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Figure 2-12 Create a new launcher icon

Figure 2-13 Create a new document



• Panel– You can add new programs to the bottom panel by

right-clicking a free area of the panel• Then select Add to Panel

– See Figure 2-14– Remove a program from the control panel by right-

clicking its icon in the bottom panel• Then select Remove From Panel

– Move icons in the panel by holding down the right mouse button

• Selecting Move from the Context menu

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Figure 2-14 Add new programs to the bottom panel



• Main Menu– You can add icons to the list of favorite applications

by doing the following:• Open the main menu in the panel

• Select More Applications

• Using the right mouse button, select an application item in the right frame

• Select Add to Favorites from the pop-up menu

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Exercise 2-2: Work with Icons in GNOME

• In this exercise, add a new launcher labeled xeyes (for the program /usr/X11R6/bin/xeyes) to your desktop– The icon for the new launcher should be

gnomeeog.png

• Then, add the applet Geyes to your bottom panel and remove it again

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Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus)

• You can start Nautilus by selecting the username’s Home icon on the desktop– Or by selecting Nautilus from the main menu

• Normally Nautilus shows the content of the user’s home directory after starting

• You can see your current position in the location bar below the toolbar

• All higher directories are shown as buttons

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Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus) (continued)

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Figure 2-15 Nautilus


Exercise 2-3: Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus)

• In this exercise, you explore your GNOME desktop

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Objective 3—Access the Command-Line Interface from the Desktop

• Virtual terminals– Allow you to work in Linux as if you have several classic

serial terminals available at the same time

• You can have up to six virtual terminals (F1-F6) running on your computer– By pressing Ctrl+Alt+Fx, you can switch between

individual terminals– By pressing Ctrl+Alt+F7, you can switch back to your

graphical user interface

• When you switch to a virtual terminal, a login prompt appears

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(continued)• You can start a terminal emulation from your

GNOME desktop by selecting GNOME Terminal– Or X Terminal from the main menu

• The terminal opens inside a window– Includes menus that you can use to modify the display

of the terminal

• You can also start a GNOME Terminal by right-clicking on the desktop background– Select Open Terminal

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(continued)

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Figure 2-18 GNOME Terminal window


Exercise 2-4: Access the Command-Line Interface

• In this exercise, log in as user geeko at the first virtual terminal

• Then, switch to the second virtual terminal and verify that a login prompt is shown there

• Before switching back to the graphical user interface, log out from the first virtual terminal

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Summary

• You can interact with a Linux system using a graphical or command-line interface

• The Linux graphical interface is provided by the X Window System

• The X server used by SUSE Linux is X.org, and it communicates with client applications using the TCP/IP protocol

• The default client application used by the X Window System in SUSE Linux is the Metacity window manager

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Summary (continued)

• A desktop environment such as KDE or GNOME can be used in addition to a window manager to standardize the X Window System

• The Computer menu on the panel at the bottom of the GNOME desktop can be used to start applications, search for files, configure system settings, and shut down or hibernate the system

• You can obtain a command-line interface in SUSE Linux by interacting with one of six virtual terminals

• Switch from a command-line interface to a GUI interface using the Ctrl+Alt+F7 key combination

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