CIS 116SUNY Ulster Chapter L5 – The GUI Karl Wick

GUIs and Linux X Windows is a graphical interface to the underlying linux components.

Client / Server relationship The x window system has to power to run a program on one computer and take I/O from another computer. The computer that runs the program is called the X client and the computer that uses the program is called the X server. Note: These terms are reversed from 'normal' networking terminology.

Common Window managers Enlightenment - Used by Gnome Kwm - Used by KDE Over 50 others  AnotherLevel  CDE  fvwm  olwm  mwm  twm  Gnome

Gnome (sometimes pronounced guh-nome) Is a desktop environment that requires a window manager. Gnome uses Enlightenment The GUI that we installed on the class computers is gnome, With the standard Red Hat installation you have a choice of gnome or KDE or both if you have sufficient hard disk space.

Starting the X Window System

Starting X From the text interface type startx It is best to use the GUI as a plain user although it will allow you to come in as root. This will generate a warning message. Gnome will display a picture and then a list of processed that it is starting. After a short wait you will see the main screen.

Review You can set the system to automatically run the GUI by editing the /etc/inittab file. If you do this, it is hard to get back to the text interface. If you boot into text mode it is easy to go back and forth between text and GUI shells.

How It’s Done  Look for this line:  id:3:initdefault in the /etc/inittab file  3 means boot to text shell  5 means boot to GUI  Do NOT use any other value or you can trahs the system!  You can force the program to reread the configuration file (and avoid the need to shutdown and restart manually) by typing init q

Gnome - The screen Icons The Panel Windows Desktop area

Windows - Components A border Title bar Options button Iconify button (like mminimize) Minimixe/Maximize Button (like maximize/restore) Close Button Scroll bar

Resizing Click (single click) the help icon Practice resizing from all four sides and corners Move by dragging the title bar Shade (roll up the window) by double clicking the title bar

The options button Choices vary with build Stacking is interesting So is kill or annihilate

The Panel The foot is the main menu The end arrows minimize the panel itself Standard icons Help Terminal emulation Open Try commands Leave open

The Panel  Tool Box  Netscape  Virtual Desktop selector  Switch to unused and open help  Click on terminal quarter, unused and help

Clock Right click to modify properties

The File Manager Notice the CDROM and floppy 0 icons on the desktop. These may not appear automatically with all implementations Click, foot, programs, file manager Click + and - signs at left. Similar to windows explorer

The File Manager  /dev /home and other directories will be here  open the /mnt directory.  You should see cdrom and floppy  Gnome tries to automatically mount these devices  Open /home  You will see all user account directories (but not root)

Notice the buttons at the top of the window Icons, brief, detailed, custom Menu bar options

Exercise - file management Open a new virtual desktop Open terminal emulation Create test1 test2 text3 (touch test1 test2 test3) Switch to file manager desktop Click the rescan button Go to /home or /root (depending on how you logged in) The files should appear

Exercise - file management Right click test1 and click on copy to test4 The display will automatically rescan Right click test1 and delete Right click test2 and move to test5

Multiple file operations Switch to brief view Click test3, Shift click test5 Test3 test4 and test5 are selected. selects a range of files works too. It selects multiple files

Open file on the menu Create a new directory called new_dir You can use relative or absolute paths

Some applications Calendar footprint, programs, applications, calendar explore it Spreadsheet Footprint, programs, applications, Gnumeric Gnumeric will read.xls files Text editor Footprint, programs, applications, gedit Emacs is also available

Configuring the desktop Click on configuration tool icon The "control center" appears At the top left is the desktop section Check out the background and screensaver areas In screensaver is where you can set a password to get back on

Adding applets to the panel Right click on any empty part of panel Applets - monitors CPU load MEM load Disk usage

Adding icons to menus Open footprint Right click any menu or sub menu Follow menus

Games Are found under programs