Chapter 2. The GNOME Desktop Environment
GNOME is a flexible and user-friendly way to use a graphical user interface with Red Hat Linux.
In this chapter, you will get acquainted with the fundamentals of GNOME. In later chapters, you'll find greater detail about tasks such as connecting a printer and setting up your Internet account using GNOME tools.
You'll find the latest GNOME-related information at the the official GNOME website: http://www.gnome.org.
 | If You Want To Use GNOME and KDE Applications |
|---|---|
If you have both GNOME and KDE on your system, you can often use applications from the other environment. For example, you can use the KDE email client, KMail, even if you're working in GNOME. |
Using Your Mouse
Using the left mouse button selects an item to open or drag to another location. If you hold down the left mouse button while you drag the cursor over items, you can select multiple items on the desktop.
| Make a Two-button Mouse Act Like a Three-button Mouse |
|---|---|
A three-button mouse offers the greatest flexibility in GNOME. If you have a two-button mouse, however, and you selected three-button emulation when you installed Red Hat Linux, simply hold down both left and right mouse buttons at the same time to get the effect of a middle mouse button. |
Pressing the middle button of your mouse on the desktop will reveal a GNOME applications menu, help menus, and configuration menus for sawfish, the default GNOME window manager.
Using the right mouse button reveals a menu of actions which you can take. Right-clicking on the desktop shows you options such as adding desktop items, customizing the background, and more. Right-clicking on a folder or application reveals a menu related to actions related to to your selection, such as deletion, properties, and more.