gnome-user-guide 3.4.1-1 / usr / share / help / C / gnome-help / shell-introduction.page

<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      xmlns:if="http://projectmallard.org/if/1.0/"
      type="topic" style="ui"
      id="shell-introduction">

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="index" group="shell-introduction" />
    <link type="guide" xref="shell-overview" group="#first"/>

    <desc>A visual introduction to your desktop, the top bar, and the
    activities overview.</desc>

    <revision pkgversion="3.4.0" date="2012-02-19" status="review"/>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Shaun McCance</name>
      <email>shaunm@gnome.org</email>
    </credit>

    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
  </info>

<title>Introduction to GNOME</title>

<comment>
  <cite date="2012-02-19">mimico</cite>
  <p>Add a screen shot of a message tray</p>
</comment>

<p>GNOME 3 features a completely reimagined user interface designed to
stay out of your way, minimize distractions, and help you get things done.
When you first log in, you will see an empty desktop and the top bar.</p>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-top-bar.png"
       width="500" height="40" if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>GNOME shell top bar</p>
</media>

<p>The top bar provides access to your windows and applications, your
calendar and appointments, and <link xref="status-icons">system properties</link> like sound, networking,
and power. Under your name in the top bar, you can set your availability,
change your profile or settings, log out or switch users, or turn off your
computer.</p>

<links type="section"/>

<section id="activities">
<title>Activities overview</title>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-activities.png"
       width="128" height="75" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Activities button</p>
</media>

<p>To access your windows and applications, click the <gui>Activities</gui>
button, or just throw your mouse pointer to the top-left hot corner.
You can also press the <link xref="windows-key">windows key</link> on
your keyboard. You can see your windows and applications in the overview.
You can also just start typing to search your applications, files, and
folders.</p>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-dash.png"
       width="51" height="300" style="floatstart floatleft"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>The dash</p>
</media>

<p>On the left of the overview, you will find the <em>dash</em>. The dash
shows you your favorite and running applications. Click any icon in the
dash to open that application; if the application is already running, it will be
highlighted. Clicking its icon will bring up the most recently used window. You
can also drag the icon to the overview, or onto any workspace on the right.</p>

<p>Right-clicking the icon displays a menu that allows you to pick any window in
a running application, or to open a new window. You can also click the icon
while holding down <key>Ctrl</key> to open a new window.</p>

<p>When you enter the overview, you will initially be in the windows overview.
This shows you live thumbnails of all the windows on the current workspace.
Click any window to focus that window and exit the overview. You can also
use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in on any window thumbnail.</p>

<p>Click <gui>Applications</gui> to enter the applications overview. This
shows you all the applications installed on your computer. Click any
application to run it, or drag an application to the overview or onto
a workspace thumbnail. You can also drag an application onto the dash
to make it a favorite. Your favorite applications stay in the dash even
when they're not running, so you can access them quickly.</p>

<list style="compact">
  <item><p><link xref="shell-apps-open">Learn more about starting applications.</link></p></item>
  <item><p><link xref="shell-windows">Learn more about windows and workspaces.</link></p></item>
</list>
</section>

<section id="clock">
<title>Clock, calendar &amp; appointments</title>
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-appts.png"
       width="250" height="141" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Clock, calendar, and appointments</p>
</media>

<p>Click the clock in the middle of the top bar to see the current date,
a month-by-month calendar, and a list of your upcoming appointments.
You can also access the date and time settings and open your full
<app>Evolution</app> calendar directly from the menu.</p>

<list style="compact">
  <item><p><link xref="clock-calendar">Learn more about the calendar and
   appointments.</link></p></item>
</list>
</section>

<section id="yourname">
<title>You and your computer</title>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-exit.png"
       width="250" height="200" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>User menu</p>
</media>

<p>Click your name in the top-right corner to manage your profile and
your computer.</p>

<p>You can quickly set your availability directly from the menu. This will set
your status for your contacts to see in instant messaging applications such as
<app>Empathy</app>.</p>

<comment>
<cite date="2012-02-19">shaunm</cite>
<p>These are separate now. Write another blurb about "Notifications".
I'm also dropping shell-session-status UNTIL the docs for this get
cleared up. It was orphaned and incorrect.</p>
</comment>

<!--
<p>If you set yourself to Unavailable, you won't be bothered by message popups
at the bottom of your screen. Messages will still be available in the message
tray when you move your mouse to the bottom-right corner. But only urgent
messages will be presented, such as when your battery is critically low.</p>

<list style="compact">
  <item><p><link xref="shell-session-status">Learn more about changing
  your availability.</link></p></item>
</list>
-->

<p>The menu also allows you to edit your personal information and change
the system settings.</p>

<p>When you leave your computer, you can lock your screen to prevent other
people from using it. You can quickly switch users without logging out
completely to give somebody else access to the computer. Or you can
suspend or power off the computer from the menu.</p>

<list style="compact">
  <item><p><link xref="shell-exit">Learn more about switching users,
  logging out, and turning off your computer.</link></p></item>
</list>
</section>

<section id="message-tray">
<title>Message Tray</title>
  <p>The message tray can be brought into view by moving your mouse into the
 bottom-right corner.  This is where your notifications are stored until you are
 ready to view them.</p>

<list style="compact">
<item><p><link xref="shell-notifications">Learn more about notifications and
 the message tray.</link></p></item>
</list>
</section>

</page>