gnome-user-guide 3.8.2-1 / usr / share / help / C / gnome-help / shell-introduction.page

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

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

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

    <revision pkgversion="3.6.0" version="0.2" date="2012-10-13" status="review"/>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Shaun McCance</name>
      <email>shaunm@gnome.org</email>
    </credit>
    <credit type="editor">
      <name>Michael Hill</name>
      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
    </credit>

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

<title>Introduction to GNOME</title>

<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>

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

  <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>

<if:choose>
<if:when test="!platform:gnome-classic">
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-activities.png"
       width="128" height="75" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Activities button</p>
</media>
</if:when>
<if:when test="platform:gnome-classic">
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-activities-classic.png"
       width="108" height="69" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Activities button</p>
</media>
</if:when>
</if:choose>

  <p if:test="!platform:gnome-classic">To access your windows and applications,
  click the <gui>Activities</gui> button, or just move your mouse pointer to
  the top-left hot corner. You can also press the
  <key xref="keyboard-key-super">Super</key> key 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>

  <p if:test="platform:gnome-classic">To access your windows and applications,
  click the <link xref="shell-terminology"><gui>Applications</gui> menu</link>
  at the top left of the screen and select the <gui>Activities Overview</gui> item. 
  You can also press the <key xref="keyboard-key-super">Super</key> key to see 
  your windows and applications in the <gui>Activities</gui> overview. 
  Just start typing to search your applications, files, and folders.</p>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-dash.png"
       width="49" 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 the grid button at the bottom of the dash to display 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>
<if:choose>
<if:when test="!platform:gnome-classic">
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-appts.png"
       width="250" height="198" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Clock, calendar, and appointments</p>
</media>
</if:when>
<if:when test="platform:gnome-classic">
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-appts-classic.png"
       width="373" height="250" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Clock, calendar, and appointments</p>
</media>
</if:when>
</if:choose>

  <p>Click the clock on 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>

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

  <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="lockscreen">
<title>Lock Screen</title>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-lock.png"
       width="250" height="156" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Lock Screen</p>
</media>

  <p>When you lock your screen, or it locks automatically, the lock screen is
  displayed. In addition to protecting your desktop while you're away from your
  computer, the lock screen displays the date, time, and your name as the
  logged-in user. It also shows information about your battery and network
  status, and allows you to control media playback.</p>

<list style="compact">
  <item><p><link xref="shell-lockscreen">Learn more about the lock screen.</link>
  </p></item>
</list>
</section>

<section id="message-tray">
<title>Message Tray</title>

<media type="image" src="figures/shell-message-tray.png"
       width="344" height="50" style="floatend floatright">
  <p>Message tray</p>
</media>

<p>The message tray can be brought into view by pushing your mouse pointer
against the bottom of the screen or by pressing
<keyseq><key>Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>. 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>

<section id="window-list">
<title>Window List</title>

<if:choose>
<if:when test="!platform:gnome-classic">

  <p>GNOME features a different approach to switching windows than a
  permanently visible window list found in other desktop environments.
  This lets you focus on the task at hand without distractions.</p>

<list style="compact">
<item><p><link xref="shell-windows-switching">Learn more about switching windows.
</link></p></item>
</list>

</if:when>
<if:when test="platform:gnome-classic">
<media type="image" src="figures/shell-window-list-classic.png"
       width="500" height="34" style="floatend floatright"
       if:test="!target:mobile">
  <p>Window List</p>
</media>

  <p>The window list at the bottom of the screen provides access to
  all your open windows and applications and lets you quickly minimize
  and restore them.</p>

  <p>At the right-hand side of the window list, GNOME displays a short
  identifier for the current worskpace, such as <gui>1</gui> for the first
  (top) workspace. In addition, the identifier also displays the total number
  of available workspaces. To switch to a different workspace, you can click
  the identifier and select the workspace you want to use from the menu.</p>

  <p>If an application or a system component wants to get your attention, it
  will display a blue icon at the right-hand side of the window list. Clicking
  the blue icon shows the message tray.</p>
</if:when>
</if:choose>
</section>

</page>