Appendix B. Moving from Windows to Linux¶
Contents
If you are coming from Microsoft Windows, take a look at how familiar elements of Windows translate to SUSE Linux Enterprise®. After logging in, you will notice that the desktop has a familiar layout and recognizable icons, many of them similar to the Windows and Macintosh desktops.
B.1. Starting Applications from the Main Menu¶
Similar to the Start menu on Windows, you can access all the programs installed on your system from the main menu. To open the menu click in the left corner of the panel. Commonly used applications appear in the main menu, along with recently used applications. Click to access additional applications, listed in categories. Find more information about the main menu in Section 1.4, “Using the Main Menu”.
Alternatively, you can also start programs from the command line. Press Alt+F2 to open a dialog where you can enter a command to start the application. The name of the command is often (but not always) the application name written in lowercase.
B.2. Managing Files¶
To start the File Manager, click +, click your home folder icon on the desktop or press Alt+F2 and enter nautilus.
For more information about the File Manager, see Section 1.5, “Managing Folders and Files with Nautilus”.
B.3. Using the Command Line¶
To run commands in a command line environment, similar to a command prompt on Windows, click +++ or press Alt+F2 and enter gnome-terminal.
B.4. Customizing Your Desktop¶
To change to the way your GNOME desktops looks and behaves, click +. Some of the settings you might want to change include the desktop background, screen saver, keyboard and mouse configuration, sounds, and file associations.
For more information, see Chapter 2, Customizing Your Settings.
B.5. Switching between Applications¶
Similar to the taskbar on Windows, the bottom panel in GNOME lets you easily switch between open windows. Switch between them with a single click.
B.6. Accessing Network Resources¶
From your desktop, you can access files and directories or certain services on remote hosts or make your own files and directories available to other users in your network. SUSE Linux Enterprise offers various different ways of accessing and creating network-shared resources. Given that the network structure and the configuration of your computer allow for it, you can easily browse your network for shared resources and services with the file manager.
To learn more about the various possibilities of accessing network resources, refer to Section 1.6, “Accessing Network Resources”.