Parts of the Ubuntu Desktop

The initial desktop for Ubuntu is called GNOME (an acronym for the GNU Object Model Environment). Ubuntu uses GNOME for an interface by default (but others are available). Using the Ubuntu desktop obviously relies on knowing your way around it. The following are the top left components of the Ubuntu desktop.

To learn more about the other components of the Ubuntu desktop, choose the area of the screen from below:

• Top Left
• Top Right
• Bottom

In the upper left of the screen, you will see the Ubuntu symbol followed by three options: Applications, Places, and System. Collectively, these are called the MenuBar. Individually, they offer the options described below.

Applications

This is a listing of the more commonly used programs available to all users. This does not include system administration utilities. Note that it does not reflect the most frequently used programs on your computer system. By default, it lists the items which the Ubuntu development team thought you would benefit from using. You can change it very easily however. The entries of this menu are listed by category.

• Accessories: This is a collection of helpful programs that do not fit particularly well in the other categories. Worth noting here is the application "Alacarte Menu Editor". This is the application to use for changing the applications listed in the menu.
• Games: A bevy of games for hours of enjoyment. Note that there is Solitaire and a Solitaire-derivative named "Patience". The other games are worth investigating when you have a spare moment for playing.
• Graphics: The three programs listed here cover the functionality needed by most users and then some.
  • The GIMP is an image editing application that has around 80% of the functionality of Adobe Photoshop.
  • gThumb is an image viewer; it can also run a slide show.
  • XSane is scanning software. You should check the program's listing of supported scanners before trying to scan, however.
• Internet The five items listed here cover most every aspect of Internet usage.
  • Ekiga Softphone: A Skype-like option for telephoning over the Internet
  • Evolution: A drop-in Outlook replacement for calendaring, email, addressbook, etc. This is the default email client for Ubuntu.
  • Firefox: The web browser of choice for many
  • GAIM: An instant messaging program similar to AOL Instant Messenger and the like.
  • Terminal Server Client: When you need to access a remote desktop via a terminal server.
• Office
  • Evolution: Once again, the Outlook replacement is included here for its office suite functionality
  • OpenOffice.org: The premier Linux office suite offers the functionality of MS-Office and WordPerfect but also includes a database application.
• Sound & Video
  • Movie Player: A basic movie player. Due to legal restrictions in some countries, not all formats can be played by default. However, codecs can be added.
  • Rhythmbox: An all-in-one player for CDs, MP3s, OGGs, and other audio files. As the name implies, it allows mixing and matching for a jukebox effect.
  • Serpentine: An excellent CD burning utility.
  • Sound Juicer: Extracts OGG tracks from standard music CDs. The OGG is as high quality as MP3 but takes up less diskspace.
  • Sound Recorder: If you have a microphone, you can record sound on your computer system with this tool.
• Add/Remove: A helpful, quick utility for adding and removing software from your Ubuntu system. This is a scaled-down interface to Synaptic.

Places

This menu lists several options to help you get to different places within the system quickly. You can also add bookmarks to it for directories and network locations that you frequently visit.

• Home Folder: Your user directory. By default, this is the directory of "/home/".
• Desktop: A directory of any and all icons and files on your desktop.
• Computer: Access to the filesystem outside your home directory.
• CD/DVD Creator: A quick way to make a CD or a DVD
• Network Servers: If you have network servers installed and configured, you can access them from here.
• Connect to Server: Use this option to tell Ubuntu where other servers are located.
• Search for Files: Find a file anywhere on your harddrive.
• Recent Documents: A listing of all of the files you have accessed recently. If this is your first login, this option will be greyed out because nothing is listed yet!

System

This is the central station for configuring and shutting down Ubuntu. The options are as follows:

• Preferences: Your user preferences. You can change any or all of these without needing superuser/root access.
• Administration: System-wide options. Root access is needed to change most every option listed here. This keeps non-administrative users from possibly mucking up the system.
• Help: Very useful repositories of information are listed here. While they try to helpful, not everything listed here is as user friendly as some might want.
• About GNOME: Tells you which version of GNOME you are using and who created it.
• About Ubuntu: Tells you a bit more about Ubuntu.
• Quit: Launches a dialogue box that enables you to shutdown the system, restart it, logout, or switch users (obviously only if other users exist).

The next two items in the upper left are icons. The one looks like a mini-globe and the other like an envelope with a timer in front of it. These icons link respectively to Firefox, the default web browser for Ubuntu, and Evolution, the personal information manager.