Using the Window Manager

Under Gnome, you are not necessarily locked into one way of controlling the behavior of windows. It's possible to write programs that control most aspects of the way the Gnome desktop windows behave. You can have more than one of these types of program—called a Window Manager—loaded. Each Window Manager comes with a Configuration tool that lets you control important aspects of window behavior.

The Configuration tool for your Window Manager should be used in conjunction with a desktop theme selection so that you will have Linux and Gnome the way you prefer.

To run the Configuration tool:

1.	With the Gnome Control Center open, select Window Manager from the hierarchical list in the left panel (Figure 3.10).
2.	Highlight the current Window Manager and click the Run Configuration Tool button. A Configuration Editor will open (Figure 3.11).
3.	Make the changes you want in the Configuration Editor and click OK when you are done.

Giving a Window focus

A window is said to receive the focus if keyboard commands and mouse clicks are received and processed by that window (as opposed to other windows on the desktop).

By default, a new Gnome window will not receive the focus until you've clicked in it. This is not the behavior that Microsoft Windows users are used to and can be slightly annoying.

To automatically give a new window the focus:

1.	With the Configuration Editor open, select Behavior from the list at the upper left (Figure 3.12).
2.	On the Advanced Focus tab, put a check in the box next to All New Windows that Appear Get the Keyboard Focus (Figure 3.12).
3.	Click OK.

Tooltips

Tooltips are the helpful hints that appear on your screen when you pass your mouse over an object.

To turn tooltips on (or off):

1.	With the Configuration Editor open, select Behavior from the list at the upper left.
2.	On the Miscellaneous tab, check (or uncheck) Tooltips On/Off (Figure 3.13).
3.	Click OK.

To restore the window defaults:

1.	With the Configuration Editor open, select Basic Options from the list at the upper left.
2.	Click the Reset All Settings to System Defaults and Exit button.