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== First Steps in New System
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=== Getting Oriented
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- You're now looking at the GNOME Shell environment. The key part of the interface is the upper left corner (_Activities_ button) which will get you to the overview with favorite apps, open windows etc. You don't have to click it, just move the mouse cursor to the upper left corner or press kbd:[Super] key. How to get to the full list of apps? On the left panel in the _Activities_ overview, you'll find an icon of grid of squares. Click it and you'll get a grid of all app launchers. The environment is very intuitive. You know the name of the app? Or just a couple of letters? Then you can just start typing (or use the search field on the top). Search is only not performed in applications, it also searches for contacts, files, settings etc.
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+ You're now looking at the GNOME Shell environment. The first thing you'll probably notice when you start working with GNOME Shell for the first time is that application windows only have the _Close_ button. The GNOME desktop environment tries to be as simple as possible and because you can maximize windows by dragging them to the top of the screen, minimize them by dragging them away from the top of the screen, or do both by double clicking the title bar, there is no need to have dedicated _Minimize_ and _Maximize_ buttons.
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- .Initial screen of GNOME Shell
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+ .The initial screen of GNOME Shell
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image::img/shell-a.png[width=500]
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- === Let's Go Deeper
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+ The top part of the screen includes the following items:
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- What's specific about working in _GNOME_? First of all notice that windows only have the close button. You'll understand why when we explain the _Activities_ overview. Minimalization doesn't make sense in the _GNOME_ desktop environment and you can maximize a window by dragging it to the top edge of the screen or by clicking the title bar. The goal of the environment is to stand in your way as least as possible which is why only the top panel is shown. We'll use the next picture to explain you the most important UI entities.
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+ 1. The _Activities_ button -- this button gives you access to the _Activities Overview_ and is the starting point for the majority of activities you typically expect from a desktop installation. We'll be taking a closer look at it in the next section.
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- 1. _Activities_ -- this button switches the desktop to the _Activities_ overview which is explained more in detail below. It's the starting point for most activities you do in the desktop system.
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-
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- 2. _Application Menu_ -- you'll find an application menu under the app icon. This menu is associated with the whole application (app settings, about etc.). Options that are related to individual windows of the app are in the windows themselves. Not every application has this menu. If it doesn't have it, you'll only find _Close_ button there.
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+ 2. The _Application Menu_ -- clicking the name of the active application in the top left corner of the screen gives you access to the options that are relevant for the application as a whole: typically, you will find menu entries like _Preferences_, _About_, and _Help_ here. Options that are only relevant for individual windows are typically accessible from the windows themselves. Not all applications utilize the _Application Menu_ and will only have the _Quit_ option in it.
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+
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- .Application menu
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+ .The Application Menu
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image::img/app-menu.png[width=300]
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- 3. _Clock and calendar_ -- you'll find missed notifications and calendar under the date and time. If you use one of the apps that use the calendar backend of _GNOME_ (e.g. _Evolution_), you'll also see events you've previously saved in these apps.
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+ 3. The _Clock and Calendar_ applet -- clicking the current time in the top middle part of the screen gives you access to a list of missed notifications and also a calendar. If you use one of the applications that use the calendar back end of GNOME (such as _Evolution_), you'll also see events you entered in those applications.
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+
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- .Clock and calendar
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+ .The Clock and Calendar applet
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image::img/calendar.png[width=500]
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+
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+ 4. The _User Menu_ -- in the upper right corner of the screen are located the most important indicators: the network connection status, the volume icon, and the battery status. Clicking on either of them will open a menu that will allow you to adjust the volume, change the brightness of your screen, select a suitable network connection option, connect to Bluetooth devices, and so on. Clicking on your name in this menu will give you an option to log out of the current session or switch to a different account. Finally, at the very bottom of this menu, you'll find three buttons: the left button will open the system settings, the middle button will lock the screen, and the right button will give you the option to restart or power off your machine.
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+
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- .User menu
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+ .The User Menu
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image::img/menu.png[width=350]
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- 4. _User Menu_ -- in the upper right corner there are the most important indicators (network connection, sound, battery etc.). If you click them you'll see a menu where you can adjust volume, set brightness, network connection, bluetooth and so on. The third part of the menu includes your name with an option to log out or switch accounts. On the bottom, you'll find three icons. The left icon opens the system settings, the middle icon locks the screen, and the right icon shows a restart/shutdown dialog.
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-
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- === What Are the _Activities_ For?
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+ === Exploring the Activities Overview
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- The _Activities_ overview is for launching apps, switching between them, switching between virtual desktops, desktop organization, and searching. In the middle of the screen there are opened windows that are there to switch between them. Because all opened windows are tiled in the _Activities_ overview there is no reason for window minimalization and as we already mentioned _GNOME_ doesn't have it. You can see other important parts of this overview on the picture below.
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+ The key part of the user interface is the _Activities_ button located in the upper left corner of the screen. You don't even need to click it, just move the mouse pointer to the upper left corner or press the kbd:[Super] key (also known as the kbd:[Windows] key). When you do so, you will be presented with the _Activities Overview_ that will show you all currently open windows, give you access to installed applications, and allow you to switch between virtual workspaces.
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- .Activities overview
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+ .The Activities Overview
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image::img/shell-b.png[width=500]
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- 1. _Dash_ -- Dash is panel (_menu_) where you can find running and favourite applications. Running applications are boldly underlined. If you want to add an application to favorite applications, click on it in Dash with right mouse button and select _Add to Favorites_
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+ The _Activities Overview_ consists of the following key components:
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+
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+ 1. The _Dash_ -- the vertical panel along the left side of the screen gives you a quick access to all currently running applications and to those that you've marked as your favorite ones. Running applications are clearly underlined. If you want to mark a running application as your favorite, click its icon with the right mouse button and select _Add to Favorites_ from the menu.
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+
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.Working with applications in Dash
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image::img/dash-b.png[width=300]
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+
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+ 2. The _Show Applications_ button -- at the bottom of the _Dash_, you can find an icon depicting a grid of squares that says "`Show Applications`" when you move the mouse pointer over it. Click on it to get a list of application launchers. You can switch between launchers for frequently used applications and launchers for all installed applications by clicking the respective buttons at the bottom of the screen.
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+
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- .View of all applications
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+ .The Show Applications button
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image::img/dash-a.png[width=300]
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- 2. _Show applications_ -- again already mentioned function. This button will show launchers for all applications. You can switch between frequently used applications and all application in the bottom of the screen.
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-
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- 3. Search -- _GNOME_ provides very powerful search functionality. You don't have to click to search field, you can start typing immediately after opening _Activities_ mode and search function will be activated automatically. It is probably the fastest way to launch applications. Apart from them, you can search documents, pictures, virtual machines, not yet installed applications, contacts and so on. Or even do simple calculations. You can set what can be searched through activities in System Settings under _Search_ field.
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-
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+ 3. The _Search_ field -- if you know the name of the application you're looking for or at least a part of it, after opening the _Activities Overview_, you can just start typing the name and you don't even need to select the search field at the top of the screen. As you type, GNOME Shell will not only show you all matching applications, but it will also offer you matching contacts, documents, pictures, settings, and so on. You can change what you want to include in the search results in the System Settings under _Search_.
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+
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- .Integrated search
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+ Using the _Search_ field is probably the fastest way to launch applications in GNOME.
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+ +
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+ .Using the Search field
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image::img/search.png[width=400]
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- 4. _Virtual desktops_ -- we can see virtual desktops on the right side. You can have more than one virtual desktop even if you have just one physical monitor. You can use them to organize application windows in a better way. Number of virtual desktops in _GNOME_ is not fixed but dynamic - always as many as you have applications on plus one ready to be used. When you drag a window to virtual desktop, GNOME automatically creates another empty virtual desktop. It even automatically deletes empty virtual desktops. You can circle between virtual desktops directly in work mode with keyboard shortcut kbd:[Ctrl]+kbd:[Alt]+kbd[arrow ↑]/kbd[arrow ↓].
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+ 4. _Virtual Workspaces_ -- the vertical panel along the right side of the screen gives you an overview of your virtual workspaces. Virtual workspaces provide you with a convenient way to organize application windows rather than having all of them on a single screen. In GNOME, you don't have a fixed number of workspaces available to you, but as many as you need. Whenever you drag an application window to an empty workspace, GNOME automatically adds a new empty one below it for you. It also automatically deletes surplus empty workspaces to make sure there is always exactly one without any windows in it.
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+ +
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+ You can use keybord shortcuts to move between virtual workspaces. Press kbd:[Ctrl]+kbd:[Alt]+kbd:[arrow ↑] to switch to the workspace directly above the current one, or kbd:[Ctrl]+kbd:[Alt]+kbd:[arrow ↓] to switch to the workspace directly below the one you are on.
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- 5. _Preview of open windows_ -- is used to get overview of all open windows and even for switching between them. Click on a window to switch to it. Or you can use keyboard to switch windows. Everything you have to do is to open _Activities_ and press kbd:[arrow ↓] and then use arrows to navigate between windows. Switching to window is done with kbd:[Enter] key.
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+ 5. The _Preview of Open Windows_ -- the middle part of the screen is used to give you an overview of all open windows. You can switch to a particular window by clicking on it with the left mouse button. If you prefer to use your keyboard, after entering the _Activities Overview_, press kbd:[arrow ↓] and then use arrow keys to navigate between the windows. Press kbd:[Enter] to switch to the selected window.
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- === Settings
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+ === Adjusting System Settings
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- _User and system system settings_ can be found by typing _settings_ just like we explained above or under an icon in the user menu at the right end of the top bar. Settings are split into three categories: _Personal_, _Hardware_, _System_. You can configure user accounts, desktop background, printers, and many other things. Most of the usual configuration is done here. You can also connect to different online accounts in cloud services such as Nextcloud, Google, Facebook. This way, you can allow different desktop applications to access your data stored in those services. Do you use instant messaging, need to access your contacts? You only need to log in to your cloud account once.
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+ To change system and user settings, open the _All Settings_ window either by selecting _Settings_ from the list of application launchers, or by typing "`Settings`" in the _Search_ field as described above.
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.User and system settings
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image::img/settings.png[width=500]
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+ In GNOME, settings are split into three categories: _Personal_, _Hardware_, and _System_. Here you can configure anything from the desktop background and the system language to printers, network connections, and user accounts. You can also connect to different online accounts in cloud services such as Nextcloud, Google, and Facebook and allow different desktop applications to access your data stored in those services. Do you use instant messaging and need to access your contacts? This way you will only need to log in to your cloud account once and all your contacts will be immediately accessible.
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+
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+ === Installing Additional Software
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+
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+ Fedora Workstation includes a lot of commonly used applications in the default installation: _Mozilla{nbsp}Firefox_ as the default web browser, _LibreOffice_ as the office suite, _Totem_ as a multimedia player, and many more. But what if you need something else?
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+
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+ Of course, not all software can be included in the default installation. Thousands of software packages are therefore readily available in so called "`repositories`" from which you can easily download them. Repositories are hosted on remote servers and their mirrors and provide packages of different applications and libraries. Have you heard of _app stores_ on mobile platforms? The basic principal is the same. If you want to download and install a program from the web, first check if it is not already available in the repositories. That's how you install most applications on Linux.
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+
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+ So how do you install additional software? Basically, you have two options:
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+
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+ 1. Use the graphical application called _Software_ -- _Software_ offers exactly what you would expect from similar applications on mobile platforms: it is an elegant and easy-to-use gateway to repositories that allows you to search for applications and their add-ons, or browse applications from different categories. Each application has its own profile with a brief description, license, size information, and so on. And of course, all applications are open source and free to use.
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+ +
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+ In addition, _Software_ allows you to uninstall applications you no longer want on your system. You can also use it to update the system and installed packages.
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+ +
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.Software management in Fedora
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image::img/software.png[width=500]
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- === Installing New Software
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-
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- Fedora Workstation includes a lot of applications already in the default installation (_Mozilla{nbsp}Firefox_ browser, _LibreOffice_ suite, _Totem_ multimedia player and many more). But what if you need something else? Not all software can be included in the default installation, but it's available in so called repositories from which you can easily download it. A repository consists of a set of servers and their mirrors which host packages of different applications and libraries. Have you heard of _app stores_ on mobile platforms? Repositories are very close to it. The basic principal is the same. If you'd like to download and install a program from the web, you should first check if it's not available in the repositories. That's how you install most applications in Linux. How to do it?
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+ 2. Use _dnf_ on the command line or its graphical interface -- _Software_ allows you to search for and install desktop applications from the repositories, but will not offer you other types of packages, such as libraries, command-line tools, or documentation. Nevertheless, the Fedora repositories host almost 20,000 packages and most of them don't represent desktop applications. To find, install, uninstall, or update such packages, use the command-line tool called _dnf_ or its graphical interface called _Yum extender (DNF)_, which will give you the comfort of desktop applications.
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- 1. _Graphical manager_ -- the _Software_ application is exactly the sort of the app catalogs you know from mobile platforms. It's an elegant and easy-to-use gateway to the repositories where you can search for applications or their add-ons, or browse categories. Each application has its own profile with description, license, size etc. And yet all the applications are open source and free to use. _Software_ allows you to uninstall applications as well. You can also use it to update the system and applications.
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+ === Codecs and Other Software
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- 2. _DNF tool_ -- _Software_ allows you to search for and install desktop applications from the repositories. But you won't find other kinds of software such as libraries, documentations, and command-line tools. The Fedora repositories host almost 20 thousand packages and most of them don't represent desktop applications. To access the rest of the packages (searching, installing, uninstalling, updating), you can use a command-line tool called _dnf_ or its graphical interface _Yum extender (DNF)_ which gives you the comfort of desktop applications.
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- \end{enumerate}
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+ What if some software is not available in the Fedora repositories? This can happen, you may need a specific codec or a driver that can be distributed free of charge, but for various reasons (typically because of its license or patents) it can't be distributed by the Fedora Project. That's where third-party repositories may come in handy.
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- === Codecs & Additional Software
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+ Third-party repositories are not maintained by the Fedora Project and are not associated with it in any way. It's important to note that the Fedora Project is not liable for those software sources and cannot even guarantee that they will be in accordance with your local copyright and patent laws.
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- What if some software is not available in the Fedora repositories? This may also happen. It could be a specific codec or driver. Such software may not necessarily be for money, it may be available free of charge, but it can't be distributed by the Fedora Project for a reason (license, patents etc.). That's where repositories of third parties may come in handy. They're not maintained or anyhow associated with the Fedora Project, but they may be very useful. (It's important to note that the Fedora Project is not liable for those software sources and they may not be be in accordance with your local copyright and patent laws.)
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+ Typically, you will find three types of third-party repositories:
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- 1. _Vendor repositories_ -- corporations such as Google or Adobe offer software sources that includes their products. It could be development utilities, but also programs such as _Google Chrome_ and _Adobe Flash Player plugin_. A package installed from their website usually also adds the repository to receive future updates. When the repository is added to the software sources, you can find all the available packages there in already mentioned tools _Software_ and _dnf_. You will then manage the packages like any other packages available in the Fedora repositories.
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+ 1. _Vendor repositories_ -- corporations such as Google or Adobe offer software sources that include their products, from development utilities to programs such as _Google Chrome_ and the _Adobe Flash Player_ plugin. A package installed from their website usually enables their repository in order to receive future updates. Once a repository is added to the software sources, you will be able to find the packages it provides by using already mentioned tools, _Software_ and _dnf_. You can manage those packages like any other packages available from the official Fedora repositories.
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- 2. _Other repositories_ -- there are large third-party software sources with many packages. They usually contain software which is not open source or is patent-protected. But they still could be very useful. You may find multimedia codecs or specific drivers in repositories such as _RPMFusion_. After you add the repositories, you install packages from them like any other.
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+ 2. _Other repositories_ -- there are several large third-party software sources with many packages that usually include software that is not open source or is patent-protected. For example, you may find multimedia codecs or specific drivers in repositories such as _RPMFusion_. After you add the repositories, you install packages from them the same way you would install them from the official Fedora repositories.
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- 3. _Copr repositories_ -- unlike in the kinds of repositories described above software in the Copr repositories has always its license compatible with Fedora. It's very easy to add them and they're the biggest source of software for Fedora outside the official repositories. They may include e.g. the newest, often development versions of desktop environments, applications, or frameworks. Before installing any packages from them, you should learn what they will change in the system. That's a rule of thumb for all software outside the official repositories. You should not blindly install software that is not officially shipped by the Fedora Project and should always check if the source can be trusted and packages it provides won't do any harm to your system. Copr repositories can be found at link:http://copr.fedoraproject.org[copr.fedoraproject.org].
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+ 3. _Copr repositories_ -- unlike in the previous cases, software in Copr repositories has always its license compatible with Fedora. Copr repositories are easy to add and are the biggest source of software for Fedora outside of the official repositories. They include the newest, often development versions of desktop environments, applications, and frameworks and you can find them at link:http://copr.fedoraproject.org[copr.fedoraproject.org].
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+ Before installing any packages from third-party repositories, make sure that you understand what they change in your system. You should not blindly install software that is not officially shipped by the Fedora Project and should always check if the source can be trusted and packages it provides won't do any harm to your system.
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jhradile
commented 6 years ago
I also added myself to credits next to Brian Exelbierd if you don't mind.