Desktop environment basics

What a Desktop Environment Is (In Practice)

After installation, most beginner-friendly Linux distributions present a desktop environment (DE): the graphical layer you actually interact with.

Concretely, a desktop environment usually includes:

• A panel or dock (taskbar with open windows, system tray, clock)
• A menu or app launcher (to start programs)
• Windows (for apps, with title bars, close/minimize/maximize buttons)
• A file manager (graphical way to browse files and folders)
• System settings tools (to configure the system graphically)
• Basic utilities (text editor, screenshot tool, terminal emulator, etc.)

Different distributions may ship different desktop environments (GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, etc.), but the basics of using them are similar.

This chapter focuses on common concepts you’ll see in almost any desktop environment, not on one specific DE.

Logging In and Sessions

When your system boots to a graphical login screen, you typically:

1. Select your user account.
2. Enter your password.
3. Optionally choose a session.

The “session” usually indicates:

• Which desktop environment to start, or
• A variant (e.g., “GNOME on Xorg” vs “GNOME on Wayland”).

If your system offers multiple DEs, you’ll typically see a small icon or menu on the login screen where you can choose between them. The choice is per login, not permanent; next time you can pick another if you like.

The Desktop, Panels, and Docks

Once logged in, you arrive at the desktop:

Desktop Area

The empty space where:

• You can right-click to see context menus (e.g., “Change background”, “Create folder”).
• Some DEs let you place icons (files, folders, shortcuts); others keep the desktop mostly empty and use a separate launcher.

Panels / Taskbars

Most DEs provide one or more panels (or taskbars), usually along an edge of the screen. They typically contain:

• Application launcher (menu or button to show apps)
• Window list (buttons or icons representing open windows)
• System tray (network, sound, battery, Bluetooth, update indicator)
• Clock and calendar
• Optional widgets (weather, CPU monitor, etc.)

Right-clicking on the panel usually offers:

• Panel settings (position: top/bottom/left/right, size)
• Adding/removing applets or widgets
• Customizing behavior (auto-hide, transparency)

Docks

Some DEs use or allow docks instead of (or in addition to) panels. A dock shows:

• Pinned applications (favorites)
• Running apps (highlighted or underlined)
• Options to pin/unpin apps for quick access

Docks can often be:

• Moved to different screen edges
• Set to auto-hide
• Configured in size and icon style

Launching and Managing Applications

Application Menu / Launcher

Your main entry point to applications is usually:

• A menu button (often in a corner of a panel)
• A “Start”/“Activities”/“Applications” button
• A “Super” key menu (press the Windows/Super key)

From there you can:

• Browse categories (Internet, Office, Multimedia, System Tools)
• Search by typing (most modern DEs support type-to-search)

Launching from Taskbar or Dock

You can also launch apps by:

• Clicking a pinned icon on a dock/panel
• Using recent apps list
• In some DEs, right-clicking icons for quick actions (e.g., private browser window)

Managing Windows

Key window actions are:

• Move: drag the title bar
• Resize: drag window edges or corners
• Maximize/Restore: use the maximize button or double-click title bar
• Minimize: hides the window to the panel/dock
• Close: closes the application window

You can usually right-click the title bar to:

• Move, resize, minimize/maximize
• Always on top or always on visible workspace
• Send to another workspace (more on that later)

Basic keyboard shortcuts (common across many DEs, though not universal):

• Alt + Tab: switch between open windows
• Alt + F4: close current window
• Super (Windows key): open overview/launcher (on many DEs)

Check your DE’s keyboard shortcuts section to see or customize them.

The File Manager

Every desktop environment includes a file manager (Nautilus, Dolphin, Thunar, etc.) to work with files graphically.

While file management itself is covered elsewhere, here are DE-specific basics:

• Open it via:
• A folder icon in the panel/dock
• The application menu (often under “File Manager” or “Files”)
• Common layout:
• Sidebar: quick access to Home, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, external drives
• Main pane: current folder contents
• Address bar (path bar): shows the current path; often lets you type a path or click on parts of it
• Typical actions (via right-click or menus):
• Open files/folders
• Cut/Copy/Paste
• Rename
• Delete (often to Trash; Shift + Delete may bypass Trash)
• Properties (view size, type, permissions, etc.)

The file manager also integrates with the desktop environment for:

• Mounting USB drives and other removable media (they appear in the sidebar)
• Network shares (SMB, NFS, etc., if supported)
• Opening files with the default application (double-click) or with another app (right-click → “Open With”)

System Tray and Indicators

The system tray (sometimes called the notification area) is usually on the panel and shows small icons for background services:

• Network (wired, Wi-Fi, VPN)
• Volume (sound output/input)
• Battery (on laptops)
• Bluetooth
• Update notifications
• Messaging or cloud sync apps (if installed)

Clicking these icons usually opens small menus to:

• Connect to Wi-Fi or VPN
• Adjust volume and choose audio device
• See battery status and power options
• Toggle Bluetooth
• View notifications

Right-click often gives access to extra settings or the ability to quit a tray app.

Notifications

Desktop environments provide a unified notification system:

• Pop-up notifications appear briefly (e.g., when a USB is plugged in, a download finishes, a message arrives).
• Many DEs have a notification center or history that you can open:
• Often via clicking the clock area
• Or a dedicated icon

Typical actions:

• Click a notification to open the related app.
• Use per-app notification settings (either in System Settings → Notifications or in each app) to:
• Enable/disable notifications
• Control sound or pop-up behavior

Basic Customization

You don’t need to keep the default look. Most DEs allow easy changes.

Changing Wallpaper

Common steps:

1. Right-click the desktop.
2. Choose “Change Background”, “Desktop Settings”, or similar.
3. Select a wallpaper or browse for your own image.

Some DEs support:

• Separate wallpapers per monitor
• Slideshows that change wallpaper periodically

Themes, Icons, and Fonts (High-Level)

Most desktop environments let you customize:

• Window theme (button style, colors)
• Icon theme (how app/folder icons look)
• Cursor theme (mouse pointer)
• Fonts (default system font, size, antialiasing)

You usually find these under System Settings in sections like:

• “Appearance”
• “Themes”
• “Fonts”

Beginners don’t need to go deep here; just know these options exist if you want a different look.

Panel and Dock Customization

Typical options (via right-click on panel/dock → “Settings” or similar):

• Position (top/bottom/left/right)
• Size (height, icon size)
• Auto-hide behavior
• Adding/removing widgets/applets (e.g., CPU monitor, weather)
• Pinned apps on a dock

Experimenting with these helps you make the desktop more comfortable and efficient.

Workspaces (Virtual Desktops)

Most Linux desktop environments support workspaces (virtual desktops):

• Think of them as multiple separate desktops you can switch between.
• Each workspace can hold its own set of windows.

Common usage examples:

• Workspace 1: Web browser, mail client
• Workspace 2: Code editor, terminal
• Workspace 3: Music player, chat apps

Typical ways to use workspaces (varies by DE):

• Use a workspace switcher on the panel.
• Use the overview (often Super key) to drag windows between workspaces.
• Keyboard shortcuts like:
• Ctrl + Alt + ←/→ to move between workspaces
• Shift + that combination to move windows between workspaces

You can usually enable/disable or configure the number of workspaces in System Settings → Workspaces or similar.

System Settings Overview

The System Settings (or “Settings”, “Control Center”, “System Configuration”) app is the central place to configure the desktop environment and many system aspects graphically.

Common categories:

• Display: resolution, orientation, multiple monitors, scaling
• Keyboard & Mouse/Touchpad: key repeats, tap-to-click, scrolling behavior
• Sound: volume levels, input/output devices
• Power: screen blanking, suspend, lid close actions
• Users: manage user accounts (depending on distro/DE)
• Date & Time, Region & Language
• Appearance: themes, wallpapers
• Default Applications: which app opens web links, emails, etc.

As a beginner, get comfortable with:

• Finding Display settings for correct screen resolution.
• Adjusting Keyboard layout (if you use multiple languages).
• Setting Power options, especially on laptops.

Switching or Trying Other Desktop Environments (Conceptually)

On many distributions, you can:

• Install additional desktop environments (e.g., adding KDE Plasma to a GNOME-based system) via the package manager.
• Select which one to use during login (choose session type).

Be aware:

• Different DEs have different tools and settings, but your files remain the same (stored in your home directory).
• Some settings and indicators are DE-specific and won’t carry over perfectly between them.

The details of installing and switching DEs depend on your distribution and will be handled in other chapters; here you only need to know it’s possible.

Getting Comfortable: Practical Tips

• Explore menus: Look through the application menu to discover what’s installed.
• Hover and right-click: Many options appear only when you hover or right-click (panels, tray icons, desktop).
• Try keyboard shortcuts: Get used to at least Alt + Tab and Super.
• Don’t fear defaults: You can always reset themes or panels back to defaults from System Settings or by using “Reset” options where available.

Your desktop environment is just one way to interact with Linux. Later in the course, you’ll rely more on the terminal, but for everyday tasks and learning, the DE provides a friendly starting point.