Working With Panels
The information in this chapter describes how to use panels.
Introducing Panels
panels
introduction
A panel is an area in the GNOME Desktop from which you can run applications
and applets, and perform other tasks. When you start a session for the first
time, the GNOME Desktop contains at least one panel. Your system administrator
might have set your default panels according to your local requirements, so
you might see slightly different default panels.
You can change the behavior and appearance of your panels to suit your
requirements. You can also add or remove objects from your panels. You can
create multiple panels, and choose different properties, objects, and backgrounds
for each panel. You can also hide panels.
Typically, the GNOME Desktop contains a panel at the top edge of the screen,
and a panel at the bottom edge of the screen. The following sections describe
these panels.
Top Edge Panel
panels
top edge panel
top edge panel
top edge panel
introduction
shows an example panel at the top edge of the screen. Your system administrator
might have set your default top edge panel according to your local requirements,
so you might see a slightly different top edge panel.
Sample Top Edge Panel
Sample top edge panel. The context describes the graphic.
A top edge panel may contain the following objects:
top edge panel
default contents
Object
Description
Menu Bar
applet
Contains the
Applications
and the
Actions
menu. The
Applications
menu contains the standard GNOME applications. The
Actions
menu provides commands that enable you to various tasks.
File Browser Launcher
Click on this launcher to open your home folder
in a
Nautilus
file browser window.
Terminal
launcher
Click on this launcher to start
the
Terminal
application.
Terminal
provides access to a UNIX command line.
Clock
applet
Clock
shows the current
time. Click on the time readout to display a menu of clock commands.
Volume Control
applet
Volume Control
enables you to control the volume of the speaker on your system.
top edge panel
window list icon
Window Selector
icon
Window Selector
lists all your
open windows. To give focus to a window, click on the window selector icon
at the extreme right of the top edge panel, then select the window.
Bottom Edge Panel
panels
bottom edge panel
bottom edge panel
bottom edge panel
introduction
shows a typical bottom edge panel. Your system administrator might have set
your default bottom edge panel according to your local requirements, so you
might see a slightly different bottom edge panel.
Typical Bottom Edge Panel
Typical bottom edge panel. The context describes the graphic.
bottom edge panel
default contents
The bottom edge panel contains the following
items:
Show Desktop
button: Click on this
button to minimize all open windows and show the desktop.
Window List
applet: Displays a
button for each window that is open.
Window List
enables you to minimize and restore windows.
Workspace Switcher
applet: Enables
you to navigate between your workspaces.
Managing Your Panels
panels
managing
The following sections describe how to manage your panels.
To Add a New Panel
panels
adding new
To add a panel, right-click on a vacant space on any panel, then choose
New Panel
. The new panel is added to the GNOME Desktop. The
new panel contains no objects. You can customize the new panel to suit your
preferences.
To Interact With a Panel
panels
interacting with
To interact with a panel, you must left-click, middle-click,
or right-click on a vacant space on the panel. You can also middle-click or
right-click on one of the hide buttons to select the panel, if the panel has
no vacant space. If the hide buttons are not visible on a panel, modify the
properties of the panel so that the hide buttons are visible.
You use the mouse buttons to interact with a panel in the following
ways:
Middle-click
Enables you to grab
a panel, then drag the panel to a new location.
Right-click
Opens the panel popup
menu.
To Move a Panel
panels
moving
You can move panels to different locations. To move a panel, middle-click
and hold on any vacant space on the panel, then drag the panel to the new
location.
To Hide a Panel
panels
hiding
You can hide or show panels. To hide a panel, use a hide button. If
the hide buttons are not visible on a panel, modify the panel properties so
that the hide buttons are visible.
Hide buttons are at either end of a panel. The hide buttons contain
an optional arrow icon. The following illustration shows hide buttons.
A horizontal panel and a vertical panel, both with hide buttons.
To hide a panel, click on one of the hide buttons. The panel reduces
in the direction of the arrow on the hide button. The hide button at the other
end of the panel remains visible.
To show a hidden panel again, click on the visible hide button. The
panel expands in the direction of the arrow on the hide button. Both hide
buttons are now visible.
You can set a panel to autohide. When you set autohide, the panel hides
automatically when the mouse is not pointing to the panel. The panel reappears
when you point to the part of the screen where the panel resides. To set your
panel to autohide, modify the properties of the panel.
To Modify Panel Properties
panels
modifying properties
To modify preferences for all panels, use the
Panel
preference tool to make the changes that you require. For
example, you can modify animation preferences for panels.
You can also modify properties for each individual panel. You can change
the features for each panel, such as the position of the panel, the hide behavior,
and the visual appearance.
To modify the properties of a panel, perform the following steps:
Right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose
Properties
to display the
Panel Properties
dialog. The
Panel Properties
dialog contains the following
tabbed sections:
General
Background
To modify panel size, position, and hiding properties, click
on the
General
tab. The following table describes the
dialog elements on the
General
tabbed section:
Dialog Element
Description
Name
Type a name for the panel. When you use shortcut
keys to switch between your panels and the desktop, this panel name is displayed.
Orientation
Select the position of the panel on your screen.
Click on the required position for the panel.
Size
Use the spin box to specify the size of the panel.
Expand
Select this option if you want the panel to
expand to the full length of the edge of the screen where the panel is located.
Autohide
Select this option to enable autohide.
Show hide buttons
Select this option to display hide buttons on your
panel.
Arrows on hide button
Select this option to display arrows on the hide
buttons, if the hide button is enabled.
To modify the panel background, click on the
Background
tab. Choose the type of background for the panel. The choices
are as follows:
Dialog Element
Description
None (use system theme)
Select this option to use the default panel background.
The default panel background depends on the settings in the
Theme
preference tool.
Solid color
Select this option to specify a single color for
the panel background. Click on the
Color
button to
display the color selector dialog. Choose the color that you require from
the color selector dialog.
Use the
Style
slider to specify the degree of transparency or opaqueness for the color.
For example, to make the panel transparent, move the slider towards the
Transparent
end.
Background image
Select this option to specify an image for the panel
background. Enter the filename of the image to use in the drop-down combination
box. Alternatively, to browse for the file, click on the
Browse
button. When you have selected the file, click OK.
You can also drag a color or image on to a panel to set the color or
image as the background of the panel. For more information, see
.
Click
Close
to close the
Panel Properties
dialog.
To Drag a Color or Image to the Background of a Panel
panels
changing background
You can drag a color or image on to a panel to set the color
or image as the background of the panel. You can drag a color or image from
many applications. For example, you can drag a color from the
Nautilus
file manager to a panel to set the color as the background
of the panel. You can also drag a color from any color selector dialog.
You can drag an image to a panel to set the image as the background
of the panel. You can also drag pattern images from the file manager to set
the background of the panel.
To Delete a Panel
panels
deleting
To delete a panel from the GNOME Desktop, right-click on the panel that
you want to delete, then choose
Delete This Panel
.
You must always have at least one panel in the GNOME Desktop.
If you have only one panel in the GNOME Desktop, you cannot delete that panel.
Panel Objects
panels
panel objects
panel objects
This section describes the objects that
you can add to your panels, and use from your panels.
Interacting With Panel Objects
panel objects
interacting with
You use the mouse buttons to interact with a panel object
in the following ways:
Left-click
Launches the panel object.
Middle-click
Enables you to grab
an object, then drag the object to a new location.
Right-click
Opens the panel object
popup menu.
You interact with applet panel objects in a different
way. For more information, see
.
To Add an Object to a Panel
panel objects
adding
You can add an object to a panel in several ways, as follows:
From the panel popup menu
Right-click on a vacant space on a panel to open the panel popup menu.
The panel popup menu contains an
Add to Panel
submenu.
The
Add to Panel
submenu enables you to add the following
objects to your panels:
Applets in the following categories:
Accessory
,
Amusement
,
Internet
,
Multimedia
,
Utility
.
Buttons for quick access to common actions:
Force
Quit
button,
Lock
button,
Log
Out
button,  ,
Run
button,
Screenshot
button,
Search
button,
Show Desktop
button.
Launchers
Launchers from menus
Main Menu
Menu Bar
Drawers
From any menu
When you right-click on a launcher in any menu, a popup menu for the
launcher opens. You can use this popup menu to add the launcher to a panel.
You can also drag menus, launchers, and applets from menus to panels.
From the file manager
Each launcher corresponds to a
.desktop
file. You
can drag the
.desktop
file on to your panels to add the
launcher to the panel.
To Modify the Properties of an Object
panel objects
modifying properties
Some panel objects, such as launchers and drawers,
have a set of associated properties. The properties are different for each
type of object. The properties specify details such as the following:
The command that starts a launcher application.
The location of the source files for a menu.
The icon that represents the object.
To modify the properties of an object perform the following steps:
panel object popup menu, illustration
Right-click on the object to open the panel object popup
menu, as shown in
.
Panel Object Popup Menu
Panel object popup menu. Menu items: Properties, Remove From Panel, Lock, Move.
Choose
Properties
. Use the
Properties
dialog to modify the properties as required. The properties
in the
Properties
dialog depend on which object you select
in step 1.
Click
OK
to apply the changes, then
close the
Properties
dialog.
To Move a Panel Object
panel objects
moving
You can move panel objects within a panel, and from one panel to another
panel. You can also move objects between panels and drawers.
To move a panel object, middle-click and hold on the object and drag
the object to a new location. When you release the middle mouse button, the
object anchors at the new location.
Alternatively, you can use the panel object popup menu to move an object,
as follows:
Right-click on the object, then choose
Move
.
Point to the new location for the object, then click any mouse
button to anchor the object to the new location. This location can be on any
panel that is currently in the GNOME Desktop.
Movement of a panel object affects the position of other objects on
the panel. To control how objects move on a panel, you can specify a movement
mode. To specify the movement mode, press one of the following keys as you
move the panel object:
Key
Movement Mode
Description
No key
Switched movement
The object swaps places with other panel
objects. Switched movement is the default movement mode.
Alt
key
Free movement
The object jumps over other panel objects
into the next vacant space on the panel.
Shift
key
Push movement
The object pushes other panel objects
further along the panel.
To Lock a Panel Object
panel objects
locking
locking panel objects
You can lock panel objects so that the objects stay in the same position
on the panel. This feature is useful if you do not want some panel objects
to change position when you move other panel objects.
To lock an object to the current location of the object in the panel,
right-click on the object to open the panel object popup menu, then choose
Lock
. To unlock the object, right-click on the object, then
choose
Unlock
.
To Remove a Panel Object
panel objects
removing
To remove an object from a panel right-click on the object
to open the panel object popup menu, then choose
Remove From
Panel
.
Applets
applets
introduction
panel objects
applets
applets
An applet is a small application whose
user interface resides within a panel. You use the applet panel object to
interact with the applet. For example, the following figure shows the following
applets, from left to right:
Window List
: Displays the windows
currently open on your system.
CD Player
: Enables you to control
the compact disc player on your system.
Volume Control
: Enables you to
control the volume of the speaker on your system.
Sample applets. The context describes the graphic.
To Add an Applet to a Panel
applets
adding to panel
You can add an applet to a panel from the panel popup menu.
Right-click on any vacant space on the panel to open the panel popup menu.
Choose
Add to Panel
, then choose the applet that you want
to add from one of the following submenus:
Accessories
Amusements
Internet
Multimedia
Utility
Alternatively, drag the applet from the submenu on to the panel.
To Select an Applet
applets
selecting
To modify the properties of an applet, you must first right-click on
the applet to display the panel object popup menu. To move an applet, you
must middle-click on the applet.
Some restrictions apply on where you can click on an applet in order
to display the panel object popup menu, or to move the applet, as follows:
Some applets have popup menus of applet-specific commands
that open when you right-click on particular parts of the applet. For example,
the
Window List
applet has a vertical handle on
the left side, and buttons that represent your windows on the right side.
To open the panel object popup menu for the
Window List
applet, you must right-click on the handle. If you right-click on a button
on the right side, a popup menu for the button opens.
Some applets have areas that you cannot use to select the
applet. For example, the
Command Line
applet has
a field in which you enter commands. You cannot middle-click or right-click
on this field to select the applet. Instead, middle-click or right-click on
another part of the applet.
To Modify Preferences for an Applet
applets
modifying preferences
To modify the preferences for an applet perform the following
steps:
Right-click on the applet, then choose
Preferences
. Use the
Preferences
dialog to modify
the preferences as required. The preferences for applets vary depending on
the applet.
Click
Close
to close the
Preferences
dialog.
Launchers
panel objects
launchers
launchers
When you click on a launcher, you initiate
one of the following actions:
Start a particular application.
Execute a command.
Open a folder in a file manager window.
Open a Web browser at a particular
Uniform Resource
Locator
(URL). A URL is the address of a particular location on
the Web.
Open special
Uniform Resource Identifiers
(URIs). The GNOME Desktop contains special URIs that enable you to access
particular functions from the file manager.
special URI
locations
and launchers
You can find launchers in the following places in the GNOME Desktop:
Panels: On panels, launchers are represented by icons.
Menus: On menus, launchers are represented by menu items.
The menu items usually have an icon beside the menu item.
Desktop: On the desktop, launchers are represented by icons.
You can modify the properties of a launcher. For example, the properties
of a launcher include the name of the launcher, the icon that represents the
launcher, and how the launcher runs.
To Add a Launcher to a Panel
launchers
adding to panel
You can add a launcher to a panel in one of the following
ways:
From the panel popup menu
To create a new launcher, right-click on any vacant space on the panel,
then choose
Add to Panel
Launcher
. A
Create Launcher
dialog is displayed. For more information on how to complete this dialog,
see
.
Alternatively, to add an existing launcher to the panel, choose
Add to Panel
Launcher from menu
from the panel popup menu. Choose the launcher that you want
to add from the menu.
From any menu
To add a launcher to a panel from any menu, perform one of the following
steps:
Open a menu that contains the launcher. Drag the launcher
on to the panel.
Open the menu that contains the launcher from the panel where
you want the launcher to reside. Right-click on the title of the launcher.
Choose
Add this launcher to panel
.
From the file manager
To add a launcher to a panel from the file manager, find the
.desktop
file for the launcher in your file system. To add the
launcher drag the
.desktop
file to the panel.
To Create a Launcher With the Create Launcher Dialog
To create a launcher with the
Create Launcher
dialog
perform the following steps:
Right-click on any part of a panel to open the panel popup
menu. Choose
Add to Panel
Launcher
to display the
Create Launcher
dialog. The dialog displays the
Basic
tabbed
section.
Enter the properties of the launcher in the dialog. The following
table describes the dialog elements on the
Basic
tabbed
section:
Dialog Element
Description
Name
Use this text box to specify the name of the launcher.
You can use the
Advanced
tab to add translations of the
name. This name is the name that appears when you add the launcher to a menu
or to the desktop.
Generic name
Use this text box to specify the class of
application to which the launcher belongs. For example, you might type
Text Editor
in this text box for a
gedit
launcher. You can use the
Advanced
tab to add translations
of the generic name.
Comment
Use this text box to specify a short description
of the launcher. The comment is displayed as a tooltip when you point to the
launcher icon on the panel. You can use the
Advanced
tabbed section to add translations of the comment.
Command
Use this field to specify a command to execute when
you click on the launcher. For sample commands, see the next section.
Type
Use this drop-down combination box to specify the type
of launcher. Select from the following:
Application
: Select this option to create
a launcher that starts an application.
Link
:  Select this option to create a
launcher that links to a URI.
Icon
Choose an icon to represent the launcher. To choose an
icon, click on the
No Icon
button. An icon selector
dialog is displayed. Choose an icon from the dialog. Alternatively, to choose
an icon from another directory, click
Browse
. When
you choose an icon, click
OK
.
Run in terminal
Select this option to run the application or command
in a terminal window. Choose this option for an application or command that
does not create a window in which to run.
To set advanced properties for the launcher, click on the
Advanced
tab. The
Launcher Properties
dialog
displays the
Advanced
tabbed section.
Enter the advanced properties of the launcher in the dialog.
The following table describes the dialog elements on the top part of the
Advanced
tabbed section:
Dialog Element
Description
Try this before using
Enter a command here to check before starting the
launcher. If the command is executable and is in your path, the launcher appears
on the panel.
Documentation
Enter the path to the help file for the launcher.
If you enter a path in this field, a
Help on
launcher-name
Application
menu item is displayed on the popup
menu for the launcher.
You can also add a translation of the
Name
,
Generic name
, and
Comment
fields from the
Basic
tabbed section. To add a translation, enter the details of
the translation in the
Name/Comment translations
table
as follows:
Field
Description
First field
Enter the two-letter code for the language for which you want to add a translation.
Second field
Enter the translation of the
Name
of the launcher.
Third field
Enter the translation of the
Generic name
of the launcher.
Fourth field
Enter the translation for the
Comment
for the launcher.
Then click on the
Add/Set
button.
To edit a translation, select the translation. The translated text appears
in the lower part of this dialog. Edit the fields as required, then click
on the
Add/Set
button.
To remove a translation, select the translation, then click on the
Remove
button.
To create the launcher and close the
Launcher Properties
dialog, click
OK
.
Launcher Commands
The type of commands that you can enter in the
Command
field depend on the option that you choose from the
Type
drop-down combination box. If you choose
Application
from the
Type
drop-down combination box, you can enter
a normal command. The following table shows some sample commands and the actions
that the commands perform:
Sample Application Command
Action
gedit
Starts the
gedit
text editor application.
gedit /user123/loremipsum.txt
Opens the file
/user123/loremipsum.txt
in the
gedit
text editor application.
nautilus /user123/Projects
Opens
the folder
/user123/Projects
in a file object window.
If you choose
Link
from the
Type
drop-down combination box, you can enter a link command. The following table
shows some sample link commands and the actions that the commands perform:
special URIs
launchers
Sample Link Command
Action
http://www.gnome.org
Opens
the GNOME website in your default browser.
ftp://ftp.gnome.org
Opens the GNOME FTP site in your default browser.
applications:///
Opens the
Applications
location in a file manager window. Double-click on an application to start
the application.
preferences:///
Opens the
Desktop Preferences
location in a file manager window.  Double-click on a preference tool to start
the preference tool.
To Modify the Properties of a Launcher
launchers
modifying properties
To modify the properties of a launcher perform the following
steps:
Right-click on the launcher to open the panel object popup
menu.
Choose
Properties
. Use the
Launcher Properties
dialog to modify the properties as required.
For more information on the
Launcher Properties
dialog,
see
.
Click
Close
to close the
Launcher Properties
dialog.
Buttons
buttons
adding to panel
action buttons
buttons
You can add buttons to your panels to provide quick access
to common actions and functions.
Force Quit Button
buttons
Force Quit
panel objects
Force Quit button
Force Quit button
terminating applications
applications
terminating
Force Quit icon.
The
Force Quit
button enables you to select a
window to terminate an application. This button is useful if you want to terminate
an application that does not respond to your commands.
To terminate an application, click on the
Force Quit
button, then click on a window from the application that you want to terminate.
If you do not want to terminate an application after you click on the
Force Quit
button, press
Esc
.
Lock Button
Lock screen icon.
buttons
Lock
panel objects
Lock button
Lock button
locking screen
The
Lock
button locks your screen and activates your screensaver. To access your session
again, you must enter your password. To lock your screen correctly, you must
have a screensaver enabled.
To add a
Lock
button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Lock
.
Right-click on the
Lock
button to open a menu
of screensaver-related commands.
describes
the commands that are available from the menu.
Lock Screen Menu Items
Menu Item
Function
Activate Screensaver
Activates the screensaver immediately, but does
not lock the screen.
Lock Screen
Locks the screen immediately. This command performs
the same function as when you click on the
Lock
button.
Kill Screensaver Daemon
Terminates the screensaver process. After you terminate
the screensaver process, you cannot lock your screen.
Restart Screensaver Daemon
Terminates and restarts the screensaver process.
Use this command after you change your password. When you restart the screensaver
process, use your new password with the screensaver.
Properties
Displays the
XScreenSaver
preference
tool.
Log Out Button
Log Out icon.
buttons
Log Out
panel objects
Log Out button
Log Out button
The
Log Out
button begins the process to log out of
a GNOME session.
To add a
Log Out
button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Log Out
. To log out of your session or shut down your system, click
on the
Log Out
button.
Run Button
Run Application icon.
buttons
Run
panel objects
Run button
Run button
You
can use the
Run
button to open the
Run Application
dialog.
To add a
Run
button to a panel, right-click on
any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Run
. To open the
Run Application
dialog, click
on the
Run
button.
For more information on the
Run Application
dialog,
see
Working With Menus
.
Screenshot Button
Screenshot icon.
buttons
Screenshot
panel objects
Screenshot button
Screenshot button
You can use the
Screenshot
button to take a screenshot
of your screen.
To add a
Screenshot
button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Screenshot
. To take a screenshot of your screen, click on
the
Screenshot
button.
For more information on how to take screenshots, see
Working
With Menus
.
Search Button
Search Tool icon.
buttons
Search
panel objects
Search button
Search button
You can use the
Search
button to open the
Search Tool
.
To add a
Search
button to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Search
. To open the
Search Tool
, click on
the
Search
button.
For more information on the
Search Tool
,
see the
Search Tool Manual
.
Show Desktop
Button
buttons
Minimise Windows
panel objects
Minimise
Windows button
Minimise Windows
button
Show Desktop icon.
You can use the
Show Desktop
button to minimize all open windows and show the desktop.
To add a
Show Desktop
button to a panel, right-click on any vacant
space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Actions
Show Desktop
. To minimize all windows and show the desktop,
click on the
Show Desktop
button.
Notification Area Applet
applets
Notification Area
panel objects
Notification
Area applet
Notification Area applet
Notification Area icon.
The
Notification Area
applet displays icons
from various applications to indicate activity in the application. For example,
when you use the
CD Player
application to play
a CD, a CD icon is displayed in the
Notification Area
applet. The graphic above illustrates the CD icon in the
Notification
Area
applet.
To add a
Notification Area
applet to a panel,
right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose
Add to Panel
Utility
Notification Area
.
Menus
menus
adding to panel
panel objects
menus
You can add the following types of menu to your panels:
Main Menu
: You can access almost all of
the standard applications, commands, and configuration options from the
Main Menu
. To add a
Main Menu
to a panel, right-click
on any vacant space on the panel, then choose
Add to
Panel
Main Menu
.
You can add as many
Main Menu
objects to your panels as
you want.
Menu Bar
: You can access almost
all of the standard applications, commands, and configuration options from
the menus in the
Menu Bar
. The
Menu
Bar
contains the
Applications
menu and the
Actions
menu. To add a
Menu Bar
to a
panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel, then choose
Add to Panel
Menu Bar
. You can add as many
Menu Bar
objects
to your panels as you want.
System menus: System menus contain the standard applications
and tools that you can use in the GNOME Desktop. The
Applications
menu and
Actions
menu are system menus. To add
a system menu to a panel, right-click on a launcher in the menu, then choose
Entire menu
Add this as menu to panel
.
Menus that you add to your panels are represented by an icon with an
arrow. The arrow indicates that the icon represents a menu or drawer.
shows how menus typically appear on panels.
Typical Menu Objects on a Panel
Typical menu objects on panel.
Drawers
panel objects
drawers
drawers
A drawer is an extension of a panel. You
can open and close a drawer in the same way that you can show and hide a panel.
A drawer can contain all panel objects, including launchers, menus, applets,
other panel objects, and other drawers. When you open a drawer, you can use
the objects in the same way that you use objects on a panel.
The following figure shows an open drawer that contains two panel objects.
Open drawer. The context describes the graphic.
The arrow on the drawer icon indicates that the icon represents a drawer
or menu.
You can add, move, and remove objects from drawers in the same way that
you add, move, and remove objects from panels.
To Open and Close a Drawer
drawers
opening
drawers
closing
To open a drawer, click on the drawer object in a panel. You can close
a drawer in the following ways:
Click on the drawer.
Click on the drawer hide button.
To Add a Drawer to a Panel
drawers
adding to panel
You can add a drawer to a panel in the following ways:
From the panel popup menu
Right-click on any vacant space on the panel, then choose
Add to Panel
Drawer
.
From any menu
You can add a menu as a drawer object to a panel.
To add a menu as a drawer to a panel, open the menu from the panel.
Right-click on any launcher in the menu, then choose
Entire menu
Add this as drawer to panel
.
To Add an Object to a Drawer
drawers
adding objects to
You add an object to a drawer in the same way that you add
objects to panels. For more information, see
.
To Modify Drawer Properties
drawers
modifying properties
To modify preferences for all panels and drawers, use the
Panel
preference tool. For example, you can select various options
related to the appearance and behavior of objects on panels and drawers. You
can also select options that relate to drawers only. For example, you can
select an option to close your drawers when you click on a launcher in the
drawer.
You can also modify other properties for each individual drawer. You
can change features for each drawer, such as the visual appearance of the
drawer and whether the drawer has hide buttons.
To modify properties for a drawer perform the following steps:
Right-click on the drawer, then choose
Properties
to display the
Panel Properties
dialog.
The dialog displays the
General
tabbed section.
Select the properties for the drawer in the dialog. The following
table describes the elements on the
General
tabbed section:
Dialog Element
Description
Name
Type a name for the panel. When you use shortcut
keys to switch between your panels and the desktop, this panel name is displayed.
Size
Select the size of the panel.
Icon
Choose an icon to represent the drawer. Click
on the
Icon
button to display an icon selector dialog.
Choose an icon from the dialog. Alternatively, click
Browse
to choose an icon from another directory. When you choose an icon, click
OK
.
Show hide buttons
Select this option to display hide buttons on your
panel.
Arrows on hide button
Select this option to display arrows on the hide
buttons, if the hide button is enabled.
You can use the
Background
tabbed section
to set the background for the drawer. For information on how to complete the
Background
tabbed section, see the step on this topic in
. You can also drag a color or image on to a drawer
to set the color or image as the background of the drawer. For more information,
see
.
Click
Close
to close the
Panel Properties
dialog.
