System settings

Table of Contents

Understanding “System Settings” in Desktop Environments

Most Linux desktop environments (GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, etc.) provide a central place to configure how your system looks and behaves. The name varies — Settings, System Settings, Control Center, Configuration — but the idea is the same: a graphical hub where you can adjust options without using the terminal.

This chapter focuses on what you typically find there and how to think about these options as a beginner, not on any one specific desktop.

Finding and Navigating System Settings

You usually access system settings in one or more of these ways:

From the application menu: look for entries like Settings, System Settings, or Control Center.
From the panel/system tray: click the power/network/volume area; there is often a “Settings” icon or menu entry.
From the desktop: right-click and choose something like “Desktop Settings” or “Configure Desktop” (this may open only appearance-related settings).

Inside the settings app, options are grouped into categories. Common top-level categories include:

Network / Internet
Display / Monitors
Sound / Audio
Power / Battery
Users
Keyboard / Mouse / Touchpad
Date & Time
Printers
Region / Language
Privacy / Security

You rarely break your system by changing appearance or input settings. Be more cautious with user management, disk, or firewall options.

Display and Screen Settings

The display section controls how your screen(s) work. Important areas:

Screen Resolution and Refresh Rate

Resolution: how many pixels are used, e.g. 1920×1080.
Refresh rate: how often the image updates, e.g. 60 Hz.

Guidelines:

Choose the “Recommended” or “Native” resolution if available.
If text/icons look too small, look for:

Scaling (e.g. 125%, 150%).
Font size options in appearance settings (often separate).

If you set a resolution that makes the screen unusable, most desktops offer:

An automatic revert timer: “Keep these settings?” with a countdown.
If you do nothing, it reverts to the previous working configuration.

Multiple Monitors

With more than one monitor connected, you can usually:

Arrange monitors (drag them to match physical layout).
Choose primary display (where the panel and main menu appear).
Mirror vs Extend:

Mirror: both screens show the same content.
Extend: each screen is extra workspace.

As a beginner, “Extend” is usually more useful on a desk; “Mirror” is convenient for presentations.

Night Light / Blue Light Filters

Many desktops offer features like:

Night Light / Blue light filter / Night Color.

They:

Reduce blue light and make the screen warmer at night.
Can be scheduled (e.g. sunset to sunrise).

This is safe to experiment with — you can always disable it.

Sound and Audio Settings

Sound settings control input (microphone) and output (speakers/headphones).

Typical sections:

Output Devices

Choose where sound goes:

Built-in speakers
Headphones (wired or Bluetooth)
HDMI monitor/TV

Settings often include:

Output device selector (drop-down or list).
Volume sliders:

Master volume.
Per-application volume (e.g. adjust browser vs media player).

If sound is missing:

Make sure the correct output device is selected.
Check the volume is not muted (speaker icon with a cross).
If using HDMI, ensure the HDMI device is selected as output.

Input Devices (Microphone)

Choose the active microphone (built-in, webcam, headset).
Adjust input level (mic volume).

To test:

Many desktops show a level meter that moves when you speak.
Some provide a “Test” function or you can use a video call tool to check.

Network Settings (Graphical Overview)

While networking tools are covered in more depth elsewhere, the system settings provide a simple way to manage connections.

Wi-Fi

From the graphical network settings you can typically:

See available networks (SSIDs).
Click a network, enter a password, and connect.
Mark networks as “Connect automatically”.
Forget a network (remove saved password).

You may also see:

Signal strength indicators for each network.
Security type (e.g. WPA2).

Wired (Ethernet)

In most cases:

Plug in the cable and it “just works” if DHCP is used.
The settings panel shows status: connected/disconnected, IP address, speed.

Advanced options (like manual IP settings) exist but are usually under an “Advanced” or “IPv4/IPv6” tab and are better handled when you understand networking basics.

Airplane Mode and Mobile Connections

Some laptops offer:

Airplane mode: turns off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth in one click.
Mobile broadband (if you have a SIM card): shows as another network option.

Power and Battery

Power settings adjust behavior when on battery or mains power.

Typical options:

Screen Blank and Automatic Suspend

You can usually set:

Screen blank/turn off screen after X minutes.
Suspend after Y minutes (system sleeps to save power).
Different values for:

On battery
Plugged in

Reasonable beginner settings:

Screen off after 10–15 minutes.
Suspend after 20–30 minutes on battery, or disabled when plugged in if you want the machine always ready.

Lid Close Behavior (Laptops)

Settings often allow:

What happens when you close the lid:

Suspend
Hibernate (if supported)
Do nothing

For most users, “Suspend” is appropriate. Set to “Do nothing” only if you know why (e.g. using a laptop as a home server with external monitor).

Power Profiles

Some desktops provide modes like:

Power Saver: lower performance, longer battery life.
Balanced: default.
Performance: higher performance, more power usage.

You can safely try different modes; they can be changed anytime.

User Accounts (Graphical Management)

User and group administration is a broader topic, but many desktops provide a simple user management panel.

From the Users section you can typically:

See the list of local users.
Change your password.
Change your profile picture (avatar).
Adjust automatic login for your account (if available and not locked by the system).

On some systems you can also:

Create new standard users.
Enable/disable admin (sudo) rights via toggles.

Be cautious:

Auto-login reduces security; avoid enabling it on shared or portable machines.
Any change that grants admin rights to an account makes that account powerful; don’t grant admin privileges casually.

Keyboard, Mouse, and Input Devices

These settings control how you interact with the system.

Keyboard Layout and Shortcuts

You can typically:

Set the keyboard layout (e.g. US, UK, DE, FR, etc.).
Add multiple layouts and switch between them using:

A system tray indicator.
A keyboard shortcut (often configurable).

For shortcuts, you can:

View global shortcuts (e.g. open terminal, take screenshot).
Change them by:

Clicking on an existing shortcut.
Pressing a new key combination.

Avoid using very simple keys (like A alone), or you might “steal” normal typing keys.

Typing Preferences

Depending on the environment, you may see:

Repeat delay: time before a held key begins repeating.
Repeat rate: speed of repeated characters.
Caps Lock behavior tweaks.

You can safely adjust these for comfort.

Mouse and Touchpad

Common options:

Pointer speed / sensitivity.
Primary button: left-handed vs right-handed.
Scroll direction:

“Natural scrolling” (like a smartphone) vs traditional.

Tap to click on touchpads.
Two-finger / edge scrolling.

Experiment to find a comfortable setup; nothing here is dangerous to change.

Date, Time, and Region

Date and time settings let you adjust:

Timezone and Automatic Time

Options usually include:

Selecting your timezone on a map or list.
Syncing time via network time (NTP).
Manual setting if automatic sync is off.

For most users:

Enable automatic time and timezone if your distribution supports it.

Regional Formats and Language

Under Region & Language (or similar), you’ll find:

System language.
Formats (date, time, currency, numbers).
Input sources (keyboard layouts, Input Method Editors).

Changing the display language may require:

Logging out and back in.
Downloading additional language packs.

As a beginner, be aware that switching the system language can change menu labels, making it harder to follow English-based tutorials.

Printers and Scanners

The Printers section typically allows you to:

Add a printer:

Network printer (discovered automatically or entered by IP/URL).
USB printer (often auto-detected).

Set a default printer.
Print a test page.
View the queue for current print jobs.

Basic workflow:

Connect the printer (USB or network).
Open Printers.
Click “Add” or “+”.
Select the detected device and follow the prompts.

If a printer doesn’t show up, you might need drivers or additional packages, which is covered elsewhere.

Privacy and Security–Related Settings (Graphical)

Linux security is a broad topic, but the desktop settings typically surface some basic, user-friendly options.

Common areas:

Screen Lock

You can often configure:

Lock screen after X minutes of inactivity.
Lock on suspend or on lid close.
Require password to unlock.

Good practice:

Enable automatic locking, especially on laptops or shared environments.

Location Services

Some desktops offer:

Location services (for weather apps, maps).

You can:

Turn them on or off globally.
Sometimes control which apps can request location data.

Application Permissions

In some environments, you may see:

Lists of apps with toggles for:

Access to camera/microphone.
Access to notifications.
Access to background activity.

As a beginner, you can leave defaults unless you have a privacy reason to restrict a specific app.

Accessibility Settings

Accessibility (or “Universal Access”) helps make the system usable for a wider range of people. Even if you don’t need them, they can still be useful in some situations.

Typical options:

Screen reader (text-to-speech for screen contents).
High contrast themes and large text.
Magnifier / screen zoom.
Sticky keys (press modifier keys sequentially instead of holding them).
On-screen keyboard.
Cursor size adjustment.

If text or UI elements are hard to see:

Try increasing font size or enabling large text.
Consider a high-contrast theme.
Use the magnifier for specific tasks.

Appearance vs System Settings

Many desktops separate:

Appearance or Theme:

Wallpapers.
Window styles.
Icons.
Dark vs light mode.

from:

Core system settings (hardware, power, network, users).

Appearance settings are safe to experiment with; if something looks strange, you can always revert to the default theme or wallpaper.

When to Use System Settings vs Terminal

As a beginner:

Use system settings for:

Network connection setup (Wi-Fi passwords, basic wired connections).
Display configuration (resolutions, monitors).
Audio device selection.
Power and lid behavior.
User log-in and password changes.
Basic printer setup.
Keyboard layout and shortcuts.
Date, time, and region.

Use the terminal (after learning the relevant tools) for:

Advanced network configuration and troubleshooting.
Managing services and system-wide configurations.
Scripted or automated changes.
Tasks on systems with no graphical environment (servers).

Safe Experimenting and Resetting

A few final tips for exploring system settings confidently:

Change one setting at a time, and note what you changed.
Look for “Reset” or “Defaults” buttons in individual sections.
If something becomes confusing:

Log out and back in; many settings apply on login.
If your desktop becomes unusable, you can often:

Choose a different session or reset configuration later (details depend on the desktop).

With practice, navigating system settings becomes routine, and you’ll be able to tailor your Linux desktop to your workflow without needing the terminal for everyday adjustments.

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