Difference between revisions of "Desktop Environment Terminology"
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The desktop refers to the main area on your desktop environment. | The desktop refers to the main area on your desktop environment. | ||
| − | This represents your typical top of your desk. Traditionally when working, | + | This represents your typical top of your desk. Traditionally when working, people have used their desk to accomplish tasks, temporarily store documents, and later store documents in their drawer. This desktop area is used to represent this... |
| − | people have used their desk to accomplish tasks, temporarily store documents, | + | |
| − | and later store documents in their drawer. This desktop area is used to | ||
| − | represent this... | ||
Contained on the desktop (located on the left-hand-side) are '''icons'''. These | Contained on the desktop (located on the left-hand-side) are '''icons'''. These | ||
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as '''documents''', '''pictures''', '''music''', etc... The user can open these files or | as '''documents''', '''pictures''', '''music''', etc... The user can open these files or | ||
run these applications by pointing and double-clicking on the icon. | run these applications by pointing and double-clicking on the icon. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | Usually appearing along the edge of the desktop, panels are areas that contain | ||
Revision as of 09:23, 5 November 2009
Currently, the two most common desktop environment used in Linux are:
- Gnome
- KDE
This tutorial will try to teach the "basics of the Desktop environment", and will be apply to both Gnome and KDE.
Purpose of the Desktop Environment
The purpose of a desktop environment is to allow the user to accomplish tasks and to customize their Graphic User Interface preferences. This desktop environment is designed to make it easy for users to interface with the computer system to run applications, and manage their documents, pictures, music, etc...
Just like MS Windows, there are several methods that the user can interface with the computer system:
- Graphic User Interface (GUI)- Use of icons to launch applications or manage files
- Menu-Driven Interface - Use of menus (eg. context menus) to perform operations
- Command Line Interface (CLI) - Command prompt to issue more complex commands or utilities
Elements of the Desktop Environment
The desktop refers to the main area on your desktop environment.
This represents your typical top of your desk. Traditionally when working, people have used their desk to accomplish tasks, temporarily store documents, and later store documents in their drawer. This desktop area is used to represent this...
Contained on the desktop (located on the left-hand-side) are icons. These
icons can represent hardware devices, applications, and other items such
as documents, pictures, music, etc... The user can open these files or
run these applications by pointing and double-clicking on the icon.
Usually appearing along the edge of the desktop, panels are areas that contain
