SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Desktop%20Administration

1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Administration

• Chapter 2
• Use the Linux Desktop

2
Objectives

• Objective 1Overview of the Linux Desktop
• Objective 2Use the GNOME Desktop Environment
• Objective 3Access the Command-Line Interface
  from the Desktop

3
Objective 1Overview 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

4
Objective 1Overview 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

5
Objective 1Overview of the Linux Desktop
(continued)
Figure 2-1 X System client/server architecture
6
Objective 2Use 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)

7
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

8
Log In (continued)
Figure 2-2 SLED 10 login screen
9
Log In (continued)
Figure 2-3 GNOME desktop environment
10
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

11
Log Out and Shut Down (continued)
Figure 2-4 SLED 10 Computer menu
12
Log Out and Shut Down (continued)
Figure 2-5 Log out confirmation dialog
13
Log Out and Shut Down (continued)

• 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

14
Log Out and Shut Down (continued)
Figure 2-6 Shutdown confirmation dialog
15
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)

16
Identify GNOME Desktop Components
Main menu
Tomboy Notes
Additional icons
Figure 2-7 GNOME desktop bottom panel
17
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 menu

18
Identify GNOME Desktop Components (continued)
Figure 2-8 GNOME main menu
19
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

20
Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)
Figure 2-11 Create a new folder
Figure 2-10 Create a new desktop icon
21
Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)
Figure 2-13 Create a new document
Figure 2-12 Create a new launcher icon
22
Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)

• 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

23
Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)
Figure 2-14 Add new programs to the bottom panel
24
Manage Icons in GNOME (continued)

• 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

25
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

26
Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus)

• You can start Nautilus by selecting the
  usernames Home icon on the desktop
• Or by selecting Nautilus from the main menu
• Normally Nautilus shows the content of the users
  home directory after starting
• You can see your current position in the location
  bar below the toolbar
• All higher directories are shown as buttons

27
Use the GNOME File Manager (Nautilus) (continued)
Figure 2-15 Nautilus
28
Exercise 2-3 Use the GNOME File Manager
(Nautilus)

• In this exercise, you explore your GNOME desktop

29
Objective 3Access 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 CtrlAltFx, you can switch between
  individual terminals
• By pressing CtrlAltF7, you can switch back to
  your graphical user interface
• When you switch to a virtual terminal, a login
  prompt appears

30
Objective 3Access the Command-Line Interface
from the Desktop (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

31
Objective 3Access the Command-Line Interface
from the Desktop (continued)
Figure 2-18 GNOME Terminal window
32
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

33
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

34
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 CtrlAltF7 key combination