GNOME Users

User access to the system is provided through accounts. To gain access to the system, you must have a user account set up for you. A system administrator creates the account, assigning a username and password for it. You then use your account to log in to and use the system. You can create other new user accounts, by using the system administration tool GNOME Users in GNOME Settings ➤ Details (accessible from the system-status-area menu). You can access these tools from any user account, provided you supply the administrative password. You had to provide a root user password when you installed your system. This is the administrative password required to access any administrative tool, such as the one for managing user accounts.

GRUB Start Menu and Boot Problems

When you boot up, the GRUB screen is displayed for a few seconds before the boot procedure begins. Should you want to start a different operating system or add options to your startup, you have to display the GRUB startup menu (see Figure 3-1). Do this by pressing any key on your keyboard. The GRUB menu will be displayed and will list Linux and other operating systems you specified, such as Windows. Your Linux system should be selected by default. If not, use the arrow keys to move to the Linux entry, if it is not already highlighted, and press Enter.

See the GRUB2 page at https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/GRUB_2 for more information.

When your Fedora Linux operating system starts up, an Fedora Linux logo appears. You can press the Esc key to see the startup messages instead. Fedora Linux uses Plymouth with its kernel-mode setting ability to display a startup animation. The Plymouth Fedora Linux logo theme is installed by default.

For graphical installations, some displays may have difficulty running the graphical startup display known as the Plymouth boot tool. This tool replaces the Red Hat Graphical Boot tool but still uses the command rhgb. If you have this problem, you can edit your Linux GRUB entry and remove the rhgb term from the Linux line. Press the e key to edit a Grub Linux entry (see Figure 3-2). Then move the cursor to the Linux line and perform your edit. Use the Backspace key to delete. Then press Ctrl+x to boot the edited GRUB entry.

Your system will start up, initially using the text display for all the startup tasks, then shift to the graphical login.

Should you have difficulty displaying your graphical interface, you can instead choose to boot up the command-line interface. From the command-line interface, you can make any needed configuration changes. To boot to the command-line interface from GRUB, edit the Linux line of the Linux GRUB entries, and add a 3 to the end of the line. The 3 indicates the command-line interface. In previous versions of Fedora Linux, the 3 indicated a run level. Now it refers to a systemd target.

The Display Manager: GDM

The graphical login interface displays a login window with a box listing a menu of usernames. When you click a username, a login box replaces the listing of users, displaying the selected username and a text box in which you then enter your password. Upon clicking the Sign In button or pressing Enter, you log in to the selected account, and your desktop starts up.

Graphical logins are handled by the GNOME Display Manager (GDM). The GDM manages the login interface, in addition to authenticating a user password and username, and then starts up a selected desktop. From the GDM, you can shift to the command-line interface with Ctrl+Alt+F2, and then shift back to the GDM with Ctrl+Alt+F1 (from a desktop, you would use the same keys to shift to a command-line interface and to shift back). The keys F2 through F6 provide different command-line terminals, as in Ctrl+Alt+F3 for the second command-line terminal. These terminals are known as TTY devices (teletypewriter), devices that only accept typed commands on a keyboard.

When the GDM starts up, it shows a listing of users (see Figure 3-3). A System Status Area at the top right of the screen displays icons indicating the status of the sound and battery. Clicking the icons displays the System Status Area menu, which shows the entries for sound adjustment, the battery status (if a laptop), and the status of your network connections. A power button at the bottom will display a power off dialog with options to Power Off and Restart. To shut down your system, click the Power Off button on the Power Off dialog.

At the top center of the screen is the date (day of the week) and time. Clicking on the time displays the calendar with the full date specified, and the notifications menu.

Next to the System Status Area icons is a menu for accessibility, which displays a menu of switches that let you turn on accessibility tools and such features as the onscreen keyboard, enhanced contrast, and the screen magnifier.

To log in, click a username from the list of users. You are then prompted to enter the user’s password (see Figure 3-4). A new dialog replaces the user list, showing the username you selected and a Password text box in which you can enter the user’s password. Once you enter the password, click the Sign In button or press Enter. By default, the GNOME desktop starts up. If the name of a user you want to log in as is not listed, click the Not Listed entry at the end, to open a text box, which prompts you for a username, and then the password.

A session button (gear icon) is displayed below the Password text box next to the Sign In button. Click that Session button to open a menu listing the installed desktops, then click the one you want to use (see Figure 3-5). The GNOME option is the main GNOME desktop, which runs under the new Wayland display server. You also have the choice to choose GNOME on Xorg, which runs under the older Xorg display server, or to choose GNOME Classic, which runs GNOME with older GNOME 2 features such as an Applications menu and a task bar. Though GNOME is the primary desktop for Fedora, it is possible to install and use other desktops, such as KDE (plasma-desktop), Xfce, and Mate. They are available on the Fedora Linux repository. Your installed desktops will appear as options on the Session menu.

The System Status Area

Once you’re logged in, the System Status Area is displayed on the right side of the top bar (see Figure 3-6). The area will include status icons for features such as sound and power. Clicking the button displays the System Status Area menu, with items for sound, brightness, wired and wireless connections, Bluetooth connections, the battery, and the current user, in addition to buttons at the bottom for opening GNOME Settings, activating the lock screen, and shutting down or rebooting the system. The sound and brightness items at the top include sliding bars with which you can adjust the volume and brightness. The Wired, WiFi, Bluetooth, Battery, and current user entries expand to submenus with added entries. The buttons at the bottom open separate dialogs for GNOME Settings, the lock screen, and poweroff and restart.

On systems that are not laptops, there will be no brightness slider or battery entry on the System Status Area menu. If the system also has no wireless device, the WiFi entry will also be missing. A system of this kind will only have a sound slider and a current user entry.

To log out or switch to another user, you click the current user entry to expand the menu to show Switch User and Log Out entries. The Log Out entry returns you to the GDM login screen. The Switch User entry suspends the current user and returns you to the GDM login screen, where you can log in as another user. If only one user is defined, there is no user entry, and, so, no Log Out entry, as there are no other users to log in.

For network connections, Fedora Linux uses Network Manager. Network Manager will detect available network connections automatically (see “Network Connections,” later in this chapter).

Desktops

Several alternative desktop interfaces, such as GNOME and the K Desktop (KDE), can be installed on Fedora Linux. Each has its own style and appearance. It is important to keep in mind that the GNOME and KDE interfaces are two very different desktop interfaces, with separate tools for selecting preferences.

GNOME

Fedora Linux 28 uses the GNOME 3 desktop. It provides easy-to-use overviews and menus, along with a flexible file manager and desktop. GNOME 3 is based on the gnome-shell, which is a compositing window manager.

The screen displays a top bar, through which you access your applications, windows, and settings. Clicking the System Status Area button at the right side of the top bar displays the status user area menu, from which you can access buttons at the bottom to display the system setting dialog, lock the screen, and shut down the system (see Figure 3-7).

To access applications and windows, use the Activities overview mode. Click the Activities button at the left side of the top bar (or move the mouse to the left top corner, or press the Windows button). The overview mode consists of a dash listing your favorite and running applications, workspaces, and windows (see Figure 3-8). Large thumbnails of open windows are displayed on the Windows Overview (the desktop area). You can use the Search box at the top to locate an application quickly. Partially hidden thumbnails of your desktop workspaces are displayed on the right side. Initially, there are two. Moving your mouse to the right side displays the workspace thumbnails.

You can manually leave the overview at any time by pressing the Esc key or by clicking a window thumbnail.

The dash is a bar on the left side with icons for your favorite applications. Initially, there are icons for the Firefox web browser, files (the GNOME file manager), Mail, Rhythmbox, Shotwell, GNOME Software, GNOME Software, and the Applications overview, as depicted in Figure 3-9. The last icon opens an Applications overview that you can use to start other applications. To open an application from the dash, click its icon or right-click on the icon and choose New Window from the pop-up menu. You can also click and drag the icon to the Windows Overview or to a workspace thumbnail on the right side.

You can access windows from the Windows Overview, which is displayed when you start Activities. The Windows Overview displays thumbnails of all your open windows. When you pass your mouse over a window thumbnail, a close box appears, at the upper-right corner, with which you can close the window. You can also move the window on the desktop to another workspace.

To move a window on the desktop, click and drag its title bar. To maximize a window, double-click its title bar or drag it to the top bar. To minimize, double-click the title bar again or drag it away from the top bar. To close a window, click its close box (upper right).

Two sub-folders are available on the applications overview: Utilities and Sundry. Utilities lists several tools, such as the text editor and system monitor, and Sundry lists additional administrative tools, such as system-config-printer and firewall-config. These sub-folders function like a submenu, overlaying the main overview with a sub-folder. You can use the GNOME Software Installed tab to create your own sub-folders and place application icons in them.

GNOME File Manager

You can access your home folder from the Files icon on the dash. A file manager window opens, showing your Home folder (see Figure 3-9). Your Home folder will already have default directories created for commonly used files. These include Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos. Your office applications will automatically save files to the Documents folder by default. Image and photo applications place image files in the Pictures directory. The Desktop folder will hold all files and directories saved to your desktop. When you download a file, it is placed in the Downloads directory.

The file manager window displays several components, including a header bar, which combines the title bar and toolbar, and a sidebar. When you open a new directory, the same window is used to display it, and you can use the forward and back arrows to move through previously opened directories. The header bar displays navigation folder buttons that show your current folder and its parent folders. You can click a parent folder to move to it. The GNOME file manager also supports tabs. You can open several folders in the same file manager window. Click on the menu button on the right side of the title bar to display the file manager tools with buttons to add a new folder, tab, or bookmark, as well as zoom buttons for enlarging or reducing the size of the folder icons. You can also sort files and show hidden files.

GNOME Customization with the Tweak Tool: Themes, Fonts, Startup Applications, and Extensions

You can perform common desktop customizations using the GNOME Tweak Tool. Areas to customize include the desktop icons, fonts, themes, startup applications, workspaces, window behavior, and the time display. You can access the Tweak Tool from the Applications Overview ➤ Utilities. The GNOME Tweak Tool has tabs for Appearance, Extensions, Fonts, Keyboard and Mouse, Power, Startup Applications, Top Bar, Typing, Windows, and Workspaces (see Figure 3-10).

The Appearance tab lets you set the theme for your windows, icons, and cursor. GNOME 3 uses the Adwaita Theme. This theme has a light and dark variant. The Global Light Theme is the default, but you can use the switch on the Appearance tab to enable the Global Dark Theme. The Global Dark Theme shades the background of windows to a dark gray, while text and button images appear in white.

As you add other desktops, such as Cinnamon, the available themes increase. There are many window themes to choose from, including Clearlooks, Mist, and Glider. For icons, you can choose among Oxygen (KDE), Mist (Cinnamon), and GNOME.

Desktop fonts for window titles, interface (application or dialog text), documents, and monospace (terminal windows or code) can be changed in the Fonts tab (see Figure 3-11). You can adjust the size of the font or change the font style. Clicking the font name opens a Pick a Font dialog from which you can choose a different font. The quality of text display can be further adjusted with Hinting and Antialiasing options. To simply increase or decrease the size of all fonts on your desktop interface, you can adjust the Scaling Factor.

At times, there may be certain applications that you want started up when you log in, such as the Gedit text editor, the Firefox web browser, or the Videos movie player. On the Startup Applications tab, you can choose the applications to start up (see Figure 3-12). Click the plus (+) button to open an applications dialog from which you can choose an application to start up. Once added, you can later remove the application by clicking its Remove button.

For the GNOME Tweak Tool, extensions add different capabilities to the GNOME desktop. Installed extensions are listed on the Extensions tab of the Tweak Tool, where you can turn them on or off. Several extensions add GNOME Classic (GNOME 2) features to your GNOME 3 desktop (see Figure 3-13). Add the Applications menu and the Places menu to the top bar. The Applications menu organizes applications by the older and familiar menu categories such as Office and Sound & Video. The Applications menu replaces the Activities button, which you can still access as the last item on the Applications menu. The Places menu lists the default folders such as Documents and Pictures, along with Computer and Browse Network. The Window list extension adds a bottom bar showing the task bar applet for open windows and a window list applet to the right (see Figure 3-14).

Logging Out and Shutting Down GNOME

If you want to exit your desktop and return to the GDM login screen, or switch to a different user, you click the user entry in the System Status Area menu to expand to a menu with entries for Switch User and Log Out (see Figure 3-15). Click the Log Out entry to display a dialog that shows buttons for Cancel and Log Out. Click Log Out to log out of your account, exiting GNOME and returning to the login screen, where you can log in again as a different user or shut down the system. A countdown will commence in the dialog, showing how much time you have before it performs the logout automatically.

From the login screen, you can shut down the system: choose Power Off from the System Status Area menu on the lower right of the menu. This displays a power off dialog with options to restart or power off. A countdown will commence in the dialog, showing how much time you have before it performs the shutdown automatically.

The Switch User entry switches out from the current user and runs the GDM to display a list of users you can log in as. Click the name to open a password prompt and display a session button. You can then log in as that user. The sessions of users already logged will continue with the same open windows and applications that were running when the user switched off. You can switch back and forth between logged-in users, with all users retaining their session from where they left off. When you switch off from a user, that user’s running programs will continue in the background.

Network Connections

Network connections will be set up for you by Network Manager, which will detect your network connections automatically, both wired and wireless. Network Manager provides status information for your connection and allows you to switch easily from one configured connection to another, as needed. For initial configuration, it detects as much information as possible about the new connection.

Network Manager is user specific. Wired connections will be started automatically. For wireless connections, when a user logs in, Network Manager selects the connection preferred by that user. From a menu of detected wireless networks, the user can select a wireless connection to use.

Network Manager displays active network connections in the System Status Area: Wired for the wired connection and WiFi for a wireless connection. Each entry will indicate its status as connected or not connected. The Network Manager icon for these entries will vary according to the connection status: solid for an active connection and faded for a disconnected connection (see Figure 3-16). On wired systems that have no wireless devices, there is no WiFi network entry in the System Status Area menu.

Network Manager Wireless Connections

With multiple wireless access points for Internet connections, a system could have several network connections to choose from. This is particularly true for notebook computers that access different wireless connections at different locations. Instead of manually configuring a new connection each time one is encountered, the Network Manager tool can configure and select a connection to use automatically.

Network Manager will scan for wireless connections, checking for Extended Service Set Identifiers (ESSIDs). If an ESSID identifies a previously used connection, it is selected. If several are found, the recently used one is chosen. If only new connections are available, Network Manager waits for the user to choose one. A connection is selected if the user is logged in.

Click the WiFi entry in the System Status Area to expand the menu to show entries from which to select a network, turn off wireless networking, and open the GNOME Network Settings dialog at the WiFi tab (WiFi Settings). Click the Select Network item to open a dialog that shows a list of all available wireless connections (see Figure 3-17). Entries display the name of the wireless network and a wave graph showing the strength of its signal. To connect to a network, click its entry, then click the Connect button, to activate the connection. If this is the first time you are trying to connect to that network, you will be prompted to enter the password or encryption key (see Figure 3-18).

You can turn off wireless by clicking the Turn Off entry in the expanded WiFi section of the System Status Area (see Figure 3-19). When it’s turned off, the entry label changes to Turn On. To reactivate your wireless connection, click the Turn On entry.

Settings WiFi and Network

On the GNOME Settings dialog, there is a WiFi tab for wireless configuration and a Network tab for wired, VPN, and proxy configurations. For WiFi, choose the Choose WiFi Settings from the expanded WiFi entries in the System Status Area, or click the WiFi tab in the Settings dialog, to open the WiFi tab (see Figure 3-20). On the WiFi tab, an Airplane Mode switch and a list of visible wireless connections are listed to the right. The currently active connection will have a checkmark next to its name. On the top-right bar is a switch for turning wireless on and off. A menu to the right of the switch list entries for connections to hidden networks, turning your computer's WiFi hotspot capability and listing previously accessed WiFi networks.

Your current active connection will have a checkmark next to it and a gear button to the right. Click the gear button to display a dialog with tabs for managing the connection. The Details tab provides information about the connection (see Figure 3-21). The Security, Identity, IPv4, and IPv6 tabs let you perform a detailed configuration of your connection, as described in Chapter 10. The settings are fixed to automatic by default. Should you make any changes, click the Apply button to have them take effect. The Details tab has options both for connecting automatically and for providing availability to other users. These are set by default. Should you not want to connect to the wireless network automatically, be sure to uncheck this option. To remove a network’s connection information, click the Forget button on the Details tab.

The Identity tab has options for connecting automatically and for providing availability to other users. These are set by default. Should you not want to connect to the wireless network automatically, be sure to uncheck this option.

The Turn on Wi-Fi Hotspot entry in the wireless menu opens a dialog letting you set up your computer as a wireless router that other computers can connect through.

The Connect to Hidden Wi-Fi Network entry in the wireless menu lets you connect to a hidden network, not one visible. This opens the Connect to Hidden Wi-Fi Network window (see Figure 3-22), where you can enter the network name and security information.

For a wired connection, click the Network tab on GNOME Settings to display lists for Wired, VPN, and Network Proxy. The Wired list shows your current wired connections with on and off switched for each. A plus button at the top right of the Wired list lets you add more wired connections. Next to a connection's switch a gear button is displayed (see Figure 3-23). Clicking the gear button opens a configuration dialog with tabs for Details, Identity, IPv4, IPv6, and Security.

Clicking on the Network proxy gear button opens a Network Proxy dialog with Disabled, Manual, and Automatic options (see Figure 3-24). The Manual option lets you enter address and port information. For the Automatic option, you enter a configuration address.

To add a VPN connection, click the plus (+) button to the right of the VPN title to open Add VPN Dialog Network.

Settings

You can configure desktop settings and perform most administrative tasks using the GNOME configuration tools (see Table 3-1) listed in the GNOME Settings dialog, which is accessible from the System Status Area dialog (lower-left button). It displays tabs for different desktop and system configurations (see Figure 3-25). There are two subheadings for system administration (Details) and device configuration (Devices). Devices include keyboards, displays, and printers. Details has tabs for users, the date and time, and default applications. A few settings tabs invoke the supported system tools available from previous releases, such as Sound (PulseAudio). Most use the new GNOME 3 configuration and administrative tools such as Background, Privacy, Users, and Power (see Table 3-1).

Table 3-1

Settings

Setting	Description
Personal
WiFi	Lets you configure and manage wireless networks.
Bluetooth	Sets Bluetooth detection and configuration
Background	Sets desktop and screen lock backgrounds (wallpaper, color, and image)
Notifications	Turns on notifications for different applications
Search	Specifies the resources and locations searched by the GNOME overview search box
Region & Language	Chooses a language, region (formats), and keyboard layout
Universal Access	Enables features such as accessible login and keyboard screen
Online Accounts	Configures online accounts for use by email and browser applications
Privacy	Turns on privacy features, such as screen lock and purging trash
Sharing	Turns on sharing for media, remote login, and screen access
Sound	Configures sound effects, output volume, input volume, and sound application settings
Power	Sets the power options for laptop inactivity
Network	Lets you turn wired networks on or off; allows access to an available wired networks and specifies proxy configuration, if needed
Devices
Displays	Changes your screen resolution, refresh rate, and screen orientation
Keyboard	Configures repeat key sensitivity and shortcut keys for special tasks, such as multimedia operations
Mouse & Touchpad	Sets mouse and touchpad configuration; selects hand orientation, speed, and accessibility
Printers	Turns printers on or off and accesses their print queues
Removable Media	Default applications for removable media
Wacom Tablet	Provides tablet options
Color	Sets the color profile for a device
Details
About	Sets the hostname of your computer, displays hardware information, and assigns default applications for certain basic tasks
Date & Time	Sets the date, time, time zone, and network time
Users	Manages accounts
Default Applications	Default applications for different for user files

Background

With the Background dialog, you can set your background for both the desktop and screen lock backgrounds: wallpaper, picture, or color. You can access the Background dialog from the Settings Background tab (see Figure 3-26). The current backgrounds are shown for the desktop and the screen lock. Click one to open the background dialog, with tabs for Wallpapers, Pictures, and Colors (see Figure 3-27). The dialog is the same for both desktop and screen lock backgrounds. If you choose Wallpapers, the installed backgrounds are displayed. The Colors tab displays solid color images you can use instead. The Pictures tab displays images in your Pictures folder, which you can scroll through to select one to use for your background. To add your own image, first add the image to your Pictures folder. Then click the Pictures tab to display all the images in your Pictures folder. Once you make your selection, click the Select button at the upper right. You return to the main Background dialog, showing your new background. The background on your display is updated immediately.

Install the gnome-background-extra package to add a collection of GNOME backgrounds. You can download more GNOME backgrounds (wallpapers) from https://www.gnome-look.org/ .

Date & Time

The Date & Time calendar and menu are located on the top bar at the center (see Figure 3-28). The dialog displays the current time and day of the week but can be modified to display 24-hour or AM/PM time. The calendar shows the current date, but you can move to different months and years using the month scroll arrows at the top of the calendar. The Add World Clocks link opens the GNOME Clocks tool for selecting world clocks. The Weather link opens GNOME Weather.

You can further adjust the top bar time display using the GNOME Tweak Tool’s Top Bar tab (see Figure 3-29). In the Clock section , there are options to show the date and seconds. For the Calendar, you can show week numbers.

Date & Time options are set using the Settings Details ➤ Date & Time tab. The Date & Time tab lets you set the time zone and time. Both are configured for automatic settings using Internet time servers (see Figure 3-30). The time zone or the time and date can be set manually by turning off the Automatic switches. Once turned off, the Date & Time and the Time Zone links become active.

The Date & Time link opens a dialog with settings for the hour, minutes, day, and year, with a menu for the month (see Figure 3-31). You can use the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons to sequentially change the values.

The Time Zone link opens a dialog with a map of the time zones and the current one selected (see Figure 3-32). Click a new time zone to change the zone.

You can set the system date and time either manually or by referencing an Internet time server. You could also use your local hardware clock. To set the system time manually, you use the date command. The date command has several options for adjusting both displaying and setting the date and time. Check the date man page for a detailed list, man date. You can set the time with the --set option and a string specifying the date. You use human readable terms for the time string, such as Mon or Monday for the day and Jul or July for the month. Hour, minute, and second can be represented by numbers separated by colons. The following sets the date to July 9, 8:15 AM 2018.

sudo date --set='Monday July 9 08:15 2018'

To just set the time you would enter something like:

sudo date --set='12:15:43'

To access the hardware clock, you use the hwclock command. The command will display the hardware clock time.

sudo hwclock

The --hctosys option will set the system clock using the hardware clock's time, and the --systohc option resets the hardware clock using the system time. Use the --set and --date options to set the hardware clock to a certain time.

sudo hwclock --systohc

The time zone was set when you installed your system. If you need to change it, you can copy a new time zone from the files in the /usr/share/zoneinfo subdirectories. They are arranged by location and city. Copy the new time zone to the /etc/localtime file.

Notifications

The Settings Notifications tab lets you configure notifications for different applications. You can also have the options show pop-up notices or show notices on the lock screen. Both are turned on by default. A listing of supported applications for notifications is displayed (see Figure 3-33).

Click an application to display a dialog from which you can turn notifications for the application on or off, as well as set options such as sound alerts, pop-up notifications, and lock screen notification (see Figure 3-34).

Privacy

The Settings Privacy tab allows you to turn privacy features, such as the screen lock, usage and history logs, and the purging of trash and temporary files, on or off (see Figure 3-35). Screen Lock and Usage & History are turned on by default. The Purge Trash & Temporary Files and Location Services are turned off. Location Services allows your geographical location to be determined.

Clicking the Screen Lock entry opens the Screen Lock configuration dialog, from which you can turn the Screen Lock on or off or set it to turn on after a period of idle time and allow or deny notifications on the Screen Lock screen (see Figure 3-36).

Click the Usage & History entry to open a dialog from which you can turn usage history on or off and set how long to keep it. The entry also has a button that allows you to clear recent history (see Figure 3-37).

The Purge Trash & Temporary Files entry has options to automatically empty trash and remove temporary files (see Figure 3-38). You can also set a time limit for purging files. These options are turned off by default. The link also has buttons that allow you to empty trash and purge temporary files immediately.

About (System Information)

The Settings Details ➤ About tab shows your hardware specifications (memory, CPU, graphics card chip, and free disk space), in addition to the hostname (device name) and the OS type (64- or 33-bit system) (see Figure 3-39). You can change the hostname here if you wish. A Check for Updates button is displayed, which opens GNOME Software to its Updates tab, allowing you to check for updates (see Chapter 4). If updates have been already detected an Install Update button is displayed instead.

You can also use the hostnamectl command with the set-hostname option in a terminal window to set the hostname.

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname richard-laptop

Just the hostnamectl command will display your hostname.

Default Applications

The Details ➤ Default Applications tab lets you set default applications for basic types of files: Web, Mail, Calendar, Music, Video, and Photos (see Figure 3-40). Use the menus to choose installed alternatives, such as Thunderbird instead of Evolution for Mail or Shotwell instead of Image Viewer for Photos.

Using Removable Devices and Media

Fedora Linux supports removable devices and media, such as digital cameras, PDAs, card readers, and USB printers. These devices are handled automatically with device interfaces set up for them when needed. Removable media, such as CD and DVD discs, USB storage disks, and digital cameras, will be displayed as entries in the Removable Devices menu. On the Overview screen, when you click on the message number notice at the bottom of the screen, the Removable Devices icon is displayed. Clicking this icon displays a menu of all your removable devices, with an Eject button next to each entry. Click an entry to open the device in its associated applications, such as a file manager window for a USB drive. Be sure always to click the Eject button for device entry before removing a drive, such as a USB drive or removable disk drive. Removing the drive before clicking eject can result in incomplete write operations on the disk.

Removable storage devices and media will also appear in the file manager Devices sidebar with eject buttons that you can use instead of the message menu to eject the devices. For example, when you connect a USB drive to your system, it will be detected and can be displayed as a storage device with its own file system by the file manager.

Removable devices and media, such as USB drives and DVD/CD discs, can be ejected using Eject buttons in the Devices section of the file manager sidebar. The sidebar lists all your storage devices, including removable media. Removable devices and media will have an Eject button to the right. Just click the Eject button, and the media is ejected or unmounted. You can right-click the Device entry and, from a pop-up menu, choose the Eject entry.

The Settings Devices ➤ Removable Media tab lets you specify default actions for CD Audio, DVD Video, Music Player, Photos, and Software media (see Figure 3-41). You can select from menus the application to use for the different media. These menus also include options for Ask What To Do, Do Nothing, and Open Folder. The Open Folder option will open a window displaying the files on the disc. A button labeled Other Media opens a dialog that lets you set up an association for less used media such as BluRay discs and Audio DVD. Initially, the Ask What To Do option is set for all entries. Possible options are listed for the appropriate media, such as Rhythmbox Media Player for CD audio discs and Videos (Totem) for DVD-Video. Photos can be opened with the Shotwell photo manager.

When you insert removable media, such as a CD audio disc, its associated application is automatically started, unless you change that preference. If you want to turn off this feature for a particular kind of media, you can select the Do Nothing entry from its application drop-down menu. If you want to be prompted for options, use the Ask What To Do entry. Then, when you insert a disc, a dialog with a drop-down menu for possible actions is displayed. From this menu, you can select another application or select the Do Nothing or Open Folder options.

You can turn the automatic startup off for all media by checking the box labeled Never Prompt or Start Programs on Media Insertion, which is at the bottom of the Removable Media tab.

Sharing

On the Sharing dialog, you can allow access to your account and your screen. A switch lets you turn all sharing on or off (see Figure 3-42). You can also choose what network device to use you if you have more than one.

Clicking the File Sharing entry opens a dialog from which you can allow access to your Public folder by other users. You can also require and set a password (see Figure 3-43). Media Sharing allows you to share the Music, Videos, and Pictures folders.

Power Management

For laptops and systems with remote battery devices such as mice, a power icon is displayed in the System Status Area (right side of the top bar). The System Status Area menu shows the current strength of the battery (see Figure 3-44). The entry expands to show a Power Settings entry, which you can use to open the Settings Power dialog.

The GNOME Power manager is configured with the Power tab, accessible as Power from Settings (see Figure 3-45). The dialog is organized into four sections: Battery, Devices, Power Saving, and Suspend & Power Off. On laptops, the Battery section shows the battery charge. The Devices section shows the strength of any remote devices, such as a wireless mouse. In the Power Saving section, you can set power saving features for your monitor, wireless devices, and network connections. When it’s inactive for a period of time, you can choose to turn off the screen, as well as dim it whenever it is inactive. For laptops, you can also set the screen brightness. You can also choose to turn off Bluetooth, WiFi, and Mobile broadband. In the Suspend & Power Off section, you can turn on the automatic suspend for when a system remains inactive and when the power button is pressed.

Using the GNOME Tweak Tool’s Power tab, you can further specify the action to take, such as suspend or shut down, when the laptop lid is closed.

powertop, tuned, and BLTK

For more refined power management, you can use the powertop and tuned tools . The powertop tool runs in a terminal window as the root user. It will detect and display information about the use of the CPU by running applications and connected devices. Recommendations are listed on how to configure the power usage. To display a listing of the powertop results including recommendations, add the -d option.

sudo powertop

For automatic tuning of hard disk and network devices, you can use tuned (the tuned and tuned utils packages). The tuned daemon monitors your system and tunes the settings dynamically. You can use tuned's diskdevstat and netdevstat tools to monitor your hard disk and network devices.

For laptops, you can use the Battery Life Tool Kit (BLTK) to test and analyze battery performance. Options specify different types of workloads, such as -O for office suite use and -P for multimedia usage. Depending on the option you specified, different applications will open and run during the test, such as LibreOffice Writer or the Totem multimedia player.

bltk -O

You can also run the test on desktop systems using an -a option.

bltk -a -O

Mouse and Touchpad

The Mouse & Touchpad tab is the primary tool for configuring your mouse and touchpad (see Figure 3-46). Mouse preferences allow you to choose the mouse’s speed, the primary button, and scrolling. A Test Your Settings button lets you check clicks, speed, and scrolling. For laptops, you can configure your touchpad, enabling touchpad clicks and disabling them when typing. You can turn the touchpad on or off.

The GNOME Tweak Tool’s Keyboard and Mouse tab has options to enable a middle-click paste for the mouse and to highlight the location of the pointer on the screen.

Display (Resolution and Rotation)

The display drivers for Linux used on Fedora Linux support user-level resolution and orientation changes. Any user can specify a resolution or orientation, without affecting the settings of other users. The Settings Devices ➤ Displays tab provides a simple interface for setting orientation, resolution, and refresh rate for your monitor (see Figure 3-47). Click on an entry to display an appropriate menu listing possible configurations. From the resolution menu, you can set the resolution.

The graphics interface for your desktop display is implemented by the X Window System. The version used on Fedora Linux is X.​org ( x.org ). X.​org provides its own drivers for various graphics cards and monitors. You can find out more about X.​org at www.x.org . X.​org will automatically detect most hardware. The /etc/X11/xorg.conf file is no longer used for the open source drivers (nv and amd). Information such as the monitor used is determined automatically.

Universal Access

The Universal Access dialog in Settings lets you configure alternative access to your interface for your keyboard and mouse actions. Four sections set the display (Seeing), sound properties (Hearing), typing, and point-and-click features. Seeing lets you adjust the contrast and text size, and whether to allow zooming or use of screen reader (see Figure 3-48). Hearing uses visual cues for alert sounds. Typing displays a screen keyboard and adjusts key presses. Pointing and Clicking lets you use the keyboard for mouse operations.

Keyboard and Language

The Settings Keyboard dialog shows tabs for shortcuts (see Figure 3-49). You can assign keys to perform such tasks as starting the web browser. The plus button at the bottom of the screen lets you create custom shortcuts. The Reset All button resets the shortcuts to their default values. Click on an entry to set the shortcut. When the Set Shortcut dialog appears, type the keys for the shortcut, usually three. The keys appear on the next dialog with a Set button in the upper-right corner. The changed entry then appears on the Keyboard dialog with a delete box you can click to remove your shortcut setting. The plus button opens an Add Custom Shortcut dialog where you enter the name and command before setting the shortcut.

On the GNOME Tweak Tool’s Keyboard & Mouse tab, you can click the Additional Layout Options button to display a dialog where you can specify the behavior of certain keys, such as the key sequence to stop the X server, the Caps Lock behavior, and the numeric keypad layout.

The Region & Language dialog lets you set the input source for the keyboard (see Figure 3-50). The current input language source is listed and selected. You can access the Region & Language dialog directly from Settings. Click the plus (+) button to open a dialog listing other language sources, which you can add. Click the Keyboard button to see the keyboard layout of your currently selected input source.

Color Profiles (GNOME Color Manager)

You can manage the color for different devices by using color profiles specified with the Color tab accessible from Settings. The Color tab lists devices for which you can set color profiles. Click the menu button at the right of the device entry to display the color profiles for that device (see Figure 3-51). Your monitor will have a profile set up automatically. Click on a profile to display buttons to Set For All Users, Remove Profile, and View Details. Click the View Details button for the color profile information.

Online Accounts

You can configure your online accounts using the Online Accounts dialog in Settings. Instead of separately configuring mail and chat clients, you can set up access once, using online accounts. Click on an entry to start the sign-in procedure. You are prompted to sign in using your email and password. Access is provided to Google, Facebook, Flickr, Microsoft, Microsoft Exchange, Nextcloud, Foursquare, and Pocket. Once access is granted, you will see an entry for service. Clicking on the service shows the different kinds of applications that it can be used for, such as mail, calendar, contacts, chat, and documents (see Figure 3-52). Switches that you can use to turn access on and off are provided.

Accessing File Systems and Devices

When you attach an external storage device such as a USB, CD/DVD-ROM, or ESATA drive, it will be mounted automatically, and you will be prompted to open it in a file manager window. Be sure to unmount (eject) a drive before removing it, so that data will be written.

Your file systems and removable media appear as entries in the file manager sidebar (see Figure 3-53). External devices such as USB drives are mounted automatically and have Eject buttons next to their entries. Internal hard drive partitions not mounted at boot, such as Windows file systems, are not mounted automatically. Double-click the hard drive partition entry to mount them. An Eject button then appears next to the hard drive entry. You are also prompted to open the drive’s file system in a new file manager window.

File systems on removable media will also appear automatically as entries directly on your desktop notifications dialog (see Figure 3-54). A notice briefly appears at the top of the screen that shows the name of the device. If you move your mouse to the notice, an Open with notice appears, which you can click to open the device. Should you not open the device at this time, you can later display it in the message tray. The message tray remains hidden, unless you access it manually by clicking the date button at the center of the top bar, or by pressing the Super key with the m key on the keyboard (Super+m, Super is the Windows key—see Figure 3-54). Clicking the device message opens it in a new file manager window.

When you eject a removable device, a notice briefly appears letting you know you can remove it (see Figure 3-55). A notice will also appear on the message tray.

A DVD/CD-ROM is automatically mounted when you insert it into your DVD/CD-ROM drive, displaying an entry for it in the file manage sidebar. The same kind of access is also provided for card readers, digital cameras, USB drives, and external USB/ESATA hard drives (hot-plugged). When you attach an external USB/ESATA drive, it will be mounted automatically and opened in a file manager window. Be sure to unmount (eject) the USB and external USB/ESATA drives before removing them, so that data will be written.

If you have already configured associated applications for video and audio DVD/CDs, or disks with images, sound, or video files, the disk will be opened with the appropriate application, such as Shotwell for images, Rhythmbox for audio, and Movie Player for DVD/video. If you have not yet configured these associations, you will be prompted to specify which application you want to open it with.

To see network resources, click the Other Location entry in the file manager sidebar. The Networks section will list your connected network computers. Opening these networks displays the shares they provide, such as shared folders that you can have access to. Drag-and-drop operations are supported for all shared folders, letting you copy files and folders between a shared directory on another computer with a directory on your system. You first must configure your firewall to accept Samba connections before you can browse Windows systems on GNOME. Opening a network resource may require you to log in to access the resource.

Video Drivers

You can obtain the NVIDIA vendor graphics drivers from RPM Fusion (the nonfree repository). You can download and install them with DNF. RPM Fusion is the best repository for specialized kernel drivers and modules. Keep in mind, however, that due to open sourcing of some of the NVIDIA vendor driver software, the X.​org open source versions are becoming almost as effective, especially for 2D display support. For normal usage, you might not need vendor driver support.

Installing the NVIDIA drivers can be a complex operation depending on what graphics card you have. The drivers are located on the RPM Fusion repository, not on Fedora. Check the RPM Fusion site for instructions on installing the NVIDIA drivers.

https://rpmfusion.org/Howto/Nvidia

You can then use the dnf install command to install the packages you need.

When you restart, your system reconfigures automatically to the originally installed Xorg drivers.

Multimedia Support: MP3, DVD Video, and DivX

Due to licensing and other restrictions, the Fedora distribution does not include MP3, DVD video, or DivX media support. You cannot play DVD video disks or DivX files after installing Fedora. RPM Fusion ( https://rpmfusion.org ) and Negativo17.org ( https://negativo17.org ) provide the needed libraries and support files for these media formats. These are RPM packages that you can install with dnf, after first downloading and installing their repository configuration files. Use one or the other, not both. Their packages may conflict.

The commercial DVD-Video codec (DVDCSS) is available from the the Livna repository, http://www.livna.org .

DivX support can be obtained using the open source version of DivX, called Xvid (xvid-core). It’s available on the RPM Fusion and Negativo17.or repositories and will play most DivX files.

Check https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Multimedia for more information. There are many forbidden items that cannot be included with Fedora, due to licensing restrictions, including MP3 support, Adobe Reader, and NVIDIA vendor-provided drivers. Check https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ForbiddenItems for details.

Terminal Window

The Terminal window allows you to enter Linux commands on a command line. It also provides you with a shell interface for using shell commands instead of your desktop. The command line is editable, allowing you to use the Backspace key to erase characters on the line. Pressing a key will insert that character. You can use the left and right arrow keys to move anywhere on the line, and then press keys to insert characters, or use backspace to delete characters (see Figure 3-56). Folders, files, and executable files are color-coded: black for files, blue for folders, green for executable files, and aqua for links. Shared folders are displayed with a green background.

The terminal window will remember the previous commands you entered. Use the Up and Down arrows to have those commands displayed in turn on the command line. Press the Enter key to re-execute the currently displayed command. You can even edit a previous command before running it, allowing you to execute a modified version of a previous command. This can be helpful if you need to re-execute a complex command with a different argument, or if you mistyped a complex command and want to correct it without having to re-type the entire command. The terminal window will display all your previous interactions and commands for that session. Use the scroll bar to see any previous commands you ran and their displayed results.

You can open as many terminal windows as you want, each working in its own shell. Instead of opening a separate window for each new shell, you can open several shells in the same window, using tabs. Use the keys Shift+Ctrl+t or click the Open Tab item on the File menu to open a new tab. A tab toolbar opens at the top of the terminal window with the folder name and a close button for each tab. Each tab runs a separate shell, letting you enter different commands in each (see Figure 3-57). You can right-click on the tab's folder name to display a pop-up menu to move to a different tab, or just click on a tab's folder name. You can also use the Tabs menu, or the Ctrl+PageUp and Ctrl+PageDown keys, to move to different tabs. The Tabs menu is displayed if multiple tabs are open.

The terminal window also supports desktop cut/copy and paste operations. You can copy a line from a web page and then paste it to the terminal window (you can use the Paste entry on the Terminal window's Edit menu or press Shift+Ctrl+v). The command will appear and then you can press Enter to execute the command. This is useful for command-line operations displayed on an instructional web page. Instead of typing in a complex command yourself, just select and copy from the web page directly and then paste to the Terminal window. You can also perform any edits on the command, if needed, before executing it. Should you want to copy a command on the terminal window, select the text with your mouse and then use Shift+Ctrl+c keys (or the Copy entry on the Terminal window's Edit menu) to copy the command. You can select part of a line or multiple lines, as long as they are shown on the terminal window.

You can customize terminal windows using profiles. A default profile is set up already. To customize your terminal window, select Preferences from the Edit menu. This opens a window for setting your default profile options with option categories on the sidebar for Global and Profiles. In the Profiles section there will be an Unnamed profile, the default. Click on the down menu button to the right to open a menu with the options to copy the profile or change the name. To add another profile, click on the plus button to the right of the Profiles heading to open a dialog to create a new profile. For profiles you create you have the added options to delete them and or to set one as the default. A selected profile displays tabs for Text, Colors, Scrolling, Command, and Compatibility (see Figure 3-58). On the Text tab, you can select the default size of a terminal window in text rows and columns.

Your terminal window will be set up to use a dark background with white text. To change this, you can edit the profile to change the background and text colors on the Colors tab. De-select the Use Colors from System Theme entry. This enables the Built-In Schemes menu from which you can select a Black on White display. Other color combinations are also listed, such as Black on Light Yellow and Green on Black. The Custom option lets you choose your own text and background colors. The colors on your open terminal window will change according to your selection, allowing you to see how the color choices will look. For a transparent background, choose the Use Transparent Background entry and then set the amount of shading (none is completely transparent and full shows no transparency).

The Scrolling tab specifies the number of command lines your terminal history will keep, as well as other scroll options such as the scroll speed and whether to display the scroll bar. These are the lines you can move back through and select to re-execute. You can unselect the Limit Scrollback option to set this to unlimited to keep all the commands.

You can create new profiles with customized preferences. To create a new profile, choose New Profile from the File menu to open the New Profile window where you can enter the profile name and select any profile to base it on. The default profile is chosen initially. Use the Change Profile submenu on the Terminal menu to change profiles.

To edit a particular profile , select Preferences from the Edit menu to open the Preferences window, and then click on the one you want in the Profiles section.

Command-Line Interface

When using the command-line interface, you are given a simple prompt into which you type a command. Even when you are using a desktop like GNOME, you sometimes need to execute commands on a command line. You can do so in a terminal window, which is accessed from the dash.

If you are uncertain what format and options a command uses, you can check the command syntax quickly by displaying its man page. Most commands have a man page. Just enter the man command with the command name as an argument.

The command line is actually a buffer of text you can edit. Before you press Enter to execute the command, you can edit the command on the command line. The editing capabilities provide a way to correct mistakes you make when typing a command and its options. The Backspace key lets you erase the character you just typed (the one to the left of the cursor), and the Del key lets you erase the character the cursor is on. With this character-erasing capability, you can backspace over the entire line if you want, erasing what you entered. Ctrl+u erases the whole command line and lets you start over again at the prompt.

You can use the Up Arrow key to redisplay your last executed command. You can then re-execute that command, or you can edit it and execute the modified command. This is helpful when you have to repeat certain operations, such as editing the same file. It is also helpful when you have already executed a command you entered incorrectly.

Running Windows Software on Linux: Wine

Wine is a Windows compatibility layer that allows you to run many Windows applications natively on Linux. The actual Windows operating system is not required. Windows applications will run as if they were Linux applications, and they can access the entire Linux file system and use Linux-connected devices. Applications that are heavily driver-dependent, such as graphic-intensive games, may not run. Others that do not rely on any specialized drivers may run very well, including Photoshop, Microsoft Office, and newsreaders like Newsbin. For some applications, you may also have to copy over specific Windows dynamic link libraries (DLLs) from a working Windows system to your Wine Windows System32 or System directory.

Once installed, Wine applications can be accessed from the Other overview. These applications include Wine configuration, the Wine software uninstaller, and the Wine file browser, as well as a Regedit registry editor, a notepad, and a Wine help tool.

To set up Wine, start the Wine Configuration tool. This opens a window with tabs for Applications, Libraries (DLL Selection), Audio (Sound Drivers), Drives, Desktop Integration, and Graphics. On the Applications tab, you can select the version of Windows an application is designed for. The Drives tab lists your detected partitions, as well as your Windows-emulated drives, such as drive C. The C drive is actually just a directory, .wine/drive_c, and not a partition of a fixed size. Your actual Linux file system will be listed as the Z drive.

Once configured, Wine will set up a .wine directory on the user’s home directory. (The directory is hidden, so Show Hidden Files must be enabled in the file manager View menu to display it.) Within that directory will be the drive_c directory, which functions as the C drive that holds your Windows system files and program files in the Windows and Program File subdirectories. The System and System32 directories are located in the Windows directory. This is where you place any needed DLL files. The Program Files directory holds your installed Windows programs, just as they would be installed on a Windows Program Files directory.

Icons for installed Windows software will appear on your Other overview. Just double-click an icon to start up the application. It will run normally within a Linux window, as would any Linux application.

Wine works on both .exe and .msi files installation files. You may have to make them executable by checking the file’s Execute check box (from the Permissions tab on the Properties dialog).

Help Resources

GNOME and KDE Help

Both the GNOME and KDE desktops feature Help systems that use a browser-like interface to display help files (Utilities ➤ Help). To start the GNOME Help browser, search for help on the Applications overview (see Figure 3-59). It opens with the GNOME desktop guide, showing links for desktop tasks and topics such as video, GNOME Settings, networking, and universal access. The Go menu’s All Documents entry lists links for manuals for different applications, such as the Archive Manager, Empathy, Gedit, and the Totem movie player. The GNOME Help browser and the KDE Help Center also incorporate browser capabilities, including bookmarks and history lists for documents you view.

Both GNOME and KDE, in addition to other applications, provide context-sensitive help. Each KDE and GNOME application features detailed manuals that are displayed using their respective Help browsers. Also, system administrative tools feature detailed explanations for each task.

Shared Network Access for Windows (Samba): Samba

Shared Windows folders and printers on any of the computers connected to your local network are automatically accessible from your Fedora desktop. Supporting Samba libraries are already installed and will let you access directly any shared Windows folders. Currently, both Linux and Windows are in the process of transitioning from the older SMBv1 protocol (Server Message Block) to the more secure SMBv3 protocol. As a result, network browsing through the Linux file manager does not work currently. You can access Windows shares directly using the Connect to Server entry on the GNOME file manager's Other Locations window. Enter the smb:// protocol and the name of the shared folder or that of the remote Windows system you want to access (see Figure 3-60). After being prompted to enter your password (see Figure 3-61), the particular shared folder or the shared folders on that host will be displayed (see Figure 3-62).

Once you have made your changes, run the testparm command to see if the entry was added correctly.

Accessing Samba shares from Windows is an issue for Windows 10. Upgrades to Windows 10 has disabled the SMBv1 network browsing capabilities of Windows, as it transitions to SMBv3 from SMBv1. You could try to manually re-enable SMBv1 browsing, but SMBv1 is being disabled due to security issues. It is not advisable to re-enable it. This means you cannot simply browse a Linux host currently, but you can still easily set up access to each Samba shared folder on that Linux host.

Once the locations for your shared folders are set up in Windows, you can access them again quickly from their shortcuts in the This PC folder.