Desktop Overview

After you have logged in, a collection of windows and icons appear on your screen by default. The screen background is called the desktop. It's a place for you to set frequently used icons so you have quick and easy access to them. In this way, the desktop is similar to an actual office desk.

Toolchest
The Toolchest is your main menu--the starting point for getting to all your system software and information. Move the cursor over a label on a toolchest, then press the left or right mouse button to pop up a menu. The Selected menu contains a menu of commands you can perform on any icon currently selected on your desktop.

Console
The Console window provides a direct view into the state of your system. Many of the error messages that the system generates appear in this window. For more details, see Meet the UNIX Shell.

Dumpster
The dumpster serves as a temporary holding place for discarded files. To permanently remove files in the dumpster, you must "empty" the dumpster. To empty, choose Desktop > Empty Dumpster, from the Toolchest.

Media Capture
If your system has a camera, a camera icon appears (the icon may differ, depending on what kind of system you are using). When you double-click the camera icon, Media Recorder launches, set to record from the system camera. When you double-click the microphone icon, Media Recorder launches, set to record from the system microphone.


Home Directory Folder
The Home Directory folder holds files you create while logged in to your own account. All files in your home directory provide you exclusive read/write permissions under your login name. Files in this directory can be modified only by you or someone who has root access to the system.


Peripheral Access
Peripheral devices, such as printers, CD-ROM, and DAT drives can be accessed by double-clicking on their corresponding icons. The appropriate software tool for each device is automatically launched.


Icon Catalog
The Icon Catalog provides access to collections of applications, tools, and demos that are available on your system.


Window Elements
Most of the windows that appear on your screen, including your home directory, have standard elements you can use to manage your desktop.



Window Menu
The Window menu button lets you access the window sizing and positioning commands. Double-clicking on this button is a shortcut for closing windows.


Title Bar
The title bar allows you to move, raise, and lower windows.


Window Size: Minimize
The Minimize button shrinks a window to the size of an icon. It does not close the window or stop any of the programs that are running. This is handy for reducing desktop clutter.


Window Size: Maximize
The Maximize button enlarges a window. Some windows become as large as the screen; others change only slightly. If a window doesn't change or becomes smaller when you click the Maximize button, the window was already at its largest size. To restore a maximized window to its original size, click the Maximize button again.


Note: To perform an action in a window, the cursor must be positioned over that window. When you have several windows open at once, you may sometimes forget where the cursor is when you start typing. In some applications, you not only have to have the cursor over the window, you also have to click down at the point you want to begin typing. This helps you avoid typing in the wrong place.


Accessing Applications, Tools and Demos
The Icon Catalog is a useful tool for accessing application icons that are not present on your desktop. Application icons are grouped into categories based on their purpose and function. You can customize your Icon Catalog by adding and removing icons. Page tabs, located along the bottom edge of the window, show the names of other pages of icons. Pages that you've created also appear here.


The Icon Catalog