Your first view of GNOME will look something like Figure 2-1.
As stated previously, the GNOME desktop gives you access to the
applications and system settings on your computer. You will notice that
GNOME offers three main tools to make use of the applications on your
system: panel icons, desktop icons, and menu systems.
The long bar across the bottom of the desktop is the
panel. The panel contains application launchers,
status indicators, and small applications.
The icons elsewhere on the desktop can be file folders or
application launchers. To open a folder or launch an application,
double-click on its icon.
The menu systems can be found by clicking on the GNOME button. They can also be found by clicking on the
Start Here icon and then clicking the
Programs icon.
The GNOME desktop works in the manner you might expect it to when
working with other operating systems. You can drag and drop files and
application icons to areas that are easily accessible. You can add new
icons for files and applications to the desktop, panel, and file
manager. You can change the appearance of most of the tools and
applications, as well as changing system settings with provided
configuration tools.
