Exploring the Desktop Note Packet # 3 CSN 115 – Operating Systems Ken Mead Genesee Community College Objectives ● Understand the graphical system used by Linux ● Configure basic features of the GNOME desktop ● Explore alternative desktop environments ● Use graphical utilities such as editors, terminals, and browsers ● Use productivity applications such as e-mail, calendar, and word processing Linux Graphical Desktops - xorg ● Graphical display – Optional - you could just use text console. – Most users choose to use GUI ● X window system – Foundation of graphical display – Name of executable is usually xorg – Needs a desktop environment of window manager to be useful to end user. ● New graphical backend – Wayland. More modern version of xorg, now found as the default in many distributions. Window Managers and Desktop Environments Desktop Environments for Linux - provide many programs as well as a window manager: – Gnome version 3 – KDE (K Desktop Environment) – Xfce – LXDE (Lightweight X Desktop Environment) – Cinnamon - Linux Mint's modified Gnome 3 – Mate - Gnome 2 clone. As a Linux Desktop user, you can use whatever desktop environment you like! Really! Just swap it in. Desktop Environments ● GNOME desktop – Most popular Desktop Environment – Newest version is Gnome 3 – Provides many applications ● KDE interface – Popular Alternative to GNOME – Slick Modern interface. ● Xfce - lightweight alternative to all of the above. ● Cinnamon – Mint's modified Gnome 3. ● MATE - resurrected Gnome 2 code base. The Desktop KDE 4 Desktop Cinnamon Interface Gnome 3 The Desktop ● Most Linux Desktop Environments are HIGHLY configurable. ● Both provide MANY applications (internet, text-editing, email, chat, file browsers, etc.) ● Graphical login screen: Gnome display manager (gdm) – most systems are pre-configured to use graphical login – if not, use the "startx" command to start an X session. ● Other concepts: – virtual desktops (not to be confused with virtual consoles). – applets, panels, launchers, menus, toolbars GUI Apps ● Graphical personal productivity applications for Linux: – Mozilla Firefox (browser) and/or Chromium Browser (open source version of Google Chrome) – LibreOffice (similar to Microsoft office) – Evolution and/or Thunderbird (email) – VLC (great video program) – GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program -- similar to Photoshop) LibreOffice ● Office suite similar to Microsoft Office ● Includes: – Writer (similar to Word) – Calc (similar to Excel) – Impress (similar to PowerPoint) – Draw (simple Drawing Program) – Database integration ● Originally the OpenOffice project. ● OpenOffice "forked" in 2010 (over concerns that Oracle might kill or ruin the project) and LibreOffice was formed. Email Clients ● Default Linux installation provides several powerful graphical e-mail clients ● Evolution is the default email client in Fedora/Redhat ● Thunderbird is a popular alternative to Evolution. Runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Assignment Homework: Use openoffice/libreofficewriter (NOT Microsoft Word) to create a document. In this document, put your name and date at the top and then write a short paragraph (about 2-3 sentences) containing the following information: ● What is your major or program (CSN? CIS? Other?) ● What are your areas of interest in the computing world? In other words, what do you like to do with computers? ● Why are you taking this class? ● Optionally, what do you hope to get out of this class? Save this file as "libre-username.odt", where username is your username (jschmo12) in your "Documents" directory. Email this document, as an attachment, to [email protected] with subject "Libre Office". Sample File.