3. Customizing Your Desktop

You can easily add, delete, and create shortcut icons on your desktop. You can also change icon properties and the desktop background to suit your needs.

3.1. Adding Program Icons to Your Desktop

  1. Click Computer.

  2. Browse to the desired program.

  3. Click and drag the icon to the desktop and position it as desired.

To delete an icon from your desktop, simply click the program icon and press the Del key on your keyboard.

3.2. Changing Icon Properties

After a shortcut icon is on the desktop, you can change the icon, add an emblem emblem (a graphic image placed on the corner of the icon), configure permissions, or add a note regarding the program. This is done through the Properties dialog box.

  1. Right-click the icon and select Properties.

  2. From the tabs at the top of the dialog box, customize the icon as needed. Some options include:

    Emblems: Choose a graphic image you want associated with the icon.

    Permissions: Assign permissions for the owner, a group, or others who might be sharing this machine.

    Notes: Add notes regarding the program or its use to the icon.

  3. Click Close when you have completed your changes.

3.3. Changing the Desktop Background

  1. Right-click the background.

  2. Select Change Desktop Background.

  3. To select wallpaper from the preprogrammed images, browse to and select the desired image. After you select it, the background changes automatically.

  4. To add an image, select Add Wallpaper, browse to the desired image, then click Open.

  5. To display a colored background, select No Wallpaper from the top of the list; then, from Desktop Colors, select the fill pattern and the desired colors.

  6. Click Finish.

3.4. Using the GNOME Control Center

In addition to letting you change individual desktop elements, GNOME lets you extensively personalize your desktop. You can find more settings to adjust the overall appearance and behavior of your desktop in the GNOME Control Center. There, you can also change fonts, keyboard and mouse configurations, regional and language settings, parameters for your Internet and network usage, and more.

To start the Control Center. click Computer, then click Control Center on the right of the main menu.