Chapter 3. Getting Started with the Desktop
In This Chapter
Logging in to Linux
Getting started with the desktop
Choosing KDE, GNOME or Xfce desktops
Using the GNOME desktop environment
Configuring an Online Desktop
Switching desktop environments
Using the KDE desktop environment
Enabling 3D desktop effects with AIGLX
Using the Xfce desktop environment
Getting your desktop to work
The desktop is the most personal feature of your computer. The way that icons, menus, panels, and backgrounds are arranged and displayed should make it both easy and pleasant to do your work. With Fedora and RHEL, you have an incredible amount of control over how your desktop behaves and how your desktop is arranged.
From the initial login screen to the desktop background and screensaver, the latest version of Fedora is sporting distinctive looks for GNOME, KDE, and Xfce desktops. GNOME designs feature the new Waves artwork and Nodoka desktop theme. The recently overhauled KDE 4.1 desktop included with Fedora 10 offers a classy new Plasma desktop look and feel. For machines with less horsepower, the Xfce desktop can be an excellent choice.
With each desktop environment, you can get a full set of desktop applications, features for launching applications, and tools for configuring preferences.
The basic desktop is provided by the X.Org X server. The X server provides the framework on which GNOME, KDE, and other desktop applications and window managers rely. If you have used the XFree86 X server in other Linux distributions, ...
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