2.4. Start Here
Start Here was designed to hold all of the tools
and applications you need to access when using your system. From your
favorite applications to system and configuration tools, the
Start Here window provides a central location for
using and customizing your system.
You can access the Start Here screen at any time by
double-clicking on the desktop icon labeled Start
Here.
The Start Here screen includes icons that allow you
to access your favorite applications, desktop preferences,
items, server configuration tools, and
system settings.
 | Tip |
|---|
| | You can add your favorite locations to the
Bookmarks. Navigate to the location you want to
bookmark, and then select =>
. |
2.4.1. Customizing the Desktop
From the Start Here screen, you can select the
Preferences icon to configure your desktop, which
presents you with a wide selection of configuration options. The
following lists some of the options and tools in each area.
- Background
You can configure your background with new colors or a new
image. To learn more about configuring your desktop background,
refer to Section 2.4.1.1 Changing your Desktop Background.
- Sound
In this section you can configure the system sounds
associated with various functions. For example, to play a sound
when you log in to your desktop, you can configure it.
- Keyboard Shortcuts
You can configure shortcuts —
pressing a combination of keystrokes on the keyboard — to
perform actions within an application or on your desktop. For
example, you can configure a shortcut to move from your current
Workspace to Workspace 2 by pressing
[Ctrl]-[F2].
2.4.1.1. Changing your Desktop Background
One way to dramatically alter the appearance of your graphical
desktop is to change the background using the
Background Preferences tool. You can
choose from several background images included with Red Hat Linux in the
/usr/share/backgrounds/ directory, or you can
use your own image. To start the Background
Preferences tool, right-click on the desktop and
choose from the
menu. You can also double-click the Start Here
icon, select Preferences, and finally select
Background.
The Background Preferences tool
allows you to load a new background from a directory of provided
images (/usr/share/backgrounds/images/). You
can also drag an image into the window from your own image
directory. There are several additional options for displaying your
background image. The Wallpaper option displays
multiple instances of your image across the desktop, which is useful
if you use a small image or if you use a tile
(or pattern) image from
/usr/share/backgrounds/tiles/ or from your own
image collection. The Centered option places
your image in the center of the desktop, leaving the default
background colors to fill in any remaining desktop space. To fill
the desktop with an image without tiling it, use the
Scaled or Stretched
options. Figure 2-11 shows a background image
of flowers and plants that is stretched to fill the entire
desktop.
If you want to create a background with your own custom colors
and no images, choose the No Picture option and
adjust your colors using the Background Style
options. Choose your own Top Color and
Bottom Color and the color
gradient (or the blending of colors). Click
Close to save and exit the
Background Preferences tool.
2.4.2. Customizing your System
The Start Here screen in
Nautilus contains additional configuration
tools that help you with your new Red Hat Linux system and the server
applications included.
The System Settings icon includes tools that help
you set up your system for personal everyday use. The following lists
some of the tools included in System Settings and
what you can do with them.
- Date & Time
This tool allows you to set the date and time of your
machine. You will be able to set your time zone information as
well. Refer to Chapter 3 Configuring the Date and Time for details on
using this tool.
- Soundcard Detection
The Sound Card Configuration Tool tool
probes your machine for available sound devices. Refer to Section 10.3 Troubleshooting Your Sound Card for more details on configuring your
sound hardware.
- Users & Groups
The User Manager tool
allows you to add and remove users from your system. Refer to
Section 1.6 Creating a User Account for details.
- Printing
The Printer Configuration Tool allows you to
add a new printer to your system. The printer may be connected
to your machine or available on a network. Refer to Chapter 8 Printer Configuration and the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide
for details.
You may also find server configuration tools in the Start
Here area, depending on which install type you specified
during installation. These tools help you configure services and
applications you are using on the local machine to serve other
machines. The server configuration tools are found by clicking on the
System Settings icon and then the Server
Settings icon. A few examples of the tools found in this
area are the HTTP Configuration Tool and the
Bind Configuration Tool. You must have those server
applications installed before these tools appear in this section.
Refer to the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide for details.
