3.2 Appearance

Appearance settings include the following:

3.2.1 Changing the Desktop Background

Click SystemPersonal SettingsDesktop Background.

The desktop background is the image or color that is applied to your desktop. You can customize the desktop background in the following ways:

  • Select an image for the desktop background. The image is superimposed on the desktop background color. The desktop background color is visible if you select a transparent image or if the image does not cover the entire desktop.
  • Select a color for the desktop background. You can select a solid color or create a gradient effect with two colors. A gradient effect is a visual effect where one color blends gradually into another color.

You can also change the appearance of your desktop background from within the Nautilus file manager. To use an image file as a background picture, drag it from the file manager and drop it into Desktop Wallpaper.

If you do not want any background picture, click No Wallpaper and select a desktop color instead.

The following table lists the background preferences that you can modify:

Table 6 Background Preferences

Option

Description

Desktop Wallpaper

Displays an image of your choice on thedesktop.

Style

Determines what processing steps shouldbe applied to the selected image to adapt it optimally to the currentscreen resolution. To specify how to display the image, select oneof the following options from the Style drop-downlist:

  • Centered:Displays the image in the middle of the desktop.

  • Fill Screen:Enlarges the image to cover the desktop and maintains the relativedimensions of the image.

  • Scaled:Enlarges the image until the image meets the screen edgesand maintains the relative dimensions of the image.

  • Tiled:Enlarges the image until the image meets the screen edgesand maintains the relative dimensions of the image.

Add Wallpaper

Opens a dialog where you can select animage file to use as the background picture.

Remove

Removes a Desktop Wallpaper after youselect it and then click Remove.

Desktop Colors

Lets you specify a color scheme usingthe options in the Desktop Color drop-down listand the color selector buttons. You can specify a color scheme using anyof the following options:

  • Solid Color specifiesa single color for the desktop background.

    To select a color, click Color. In thePick a Color dialog, select a color and then click OK

  • Horizontal Gradient creates agradient effect from the left screen edge to the right screen edge.

    Click Left Color to display the Pick aColor dialog, then select the color that you want to appear at theleft edge.

    Click Right Color, then select the colorthat you want to appear at the right edge.

  • Vertical Gradient creates a gradienteffect from the top screen edge to the bottom screen edge.

    Click Top Color to display the Pick a Colordialog, then select the color that you want to appear at the topedge.

    Click Bottom Color, then select the colorthat you want to appear at the bottom edge.

3.2.2 Configuring Fonts

Click SystemPersonal SettingsFonts.

Use the Font Preferences dialog to select the fonts to use in your applications, windows, terminals, and desktop.

Figure 23 Font Preferences Dialog

The upper part of the dialog shows the fonts selected for the application, desktop, window title, and terminal. Click one of the buttons to open a selection dialog where you can set the font family, style, and size.

To specify how to render fonts on your screen, select one of the following options:

  • Monochrome:Renders fonts in black and white only. The edges of characters might appear jagged in some cases because the characters are not antialiased. Antialiasing is an effect that is applied to the edges of characters to make the characters look smoother.

  • Best Shapes:Antialiases fonts where possible. Use this option for standard Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors.

  • Best Contrast:Adjusts fonts to give the sharpest possible contrast and antialiases fonts so that characters have smooth edges. This option might enhance the accessibility of the GNOME Desktop to users with visual impairments.

  • Subpixel Smoothing (LCDs):Uses techniques that exploit the shape of individual Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) pixels to render fonts smoothly. Use this option for LCD or flat-screen displays.

Click Details to specify further details of how to render fonts on your screen:

  • Resolution (Dots Per Inch):Use the spin box to specify the resolution to use when your screen renders fonts.

  • Smoothing:Select one of the options to specify how to antialias fonts.

  • Hinting:Select one of the options to specify how to apply hinting to improves the quality of fonts at small sizes and at low screen resolutions.

  • Subpixel Order:Select one of the options to specify the subpixel color order for your fonts. Use this option for LCD or flat-screen displays.

Previewing a Font

You can use the File Manager to preview a font:

  1. Open a File Manager window.

    To open a file manager in browser mode, right-click a folder then click Browse Folder. See Managing Folders and Files with File Manager for more information.

  2. Enter the following URI in the location bar:

    fonts:///

    The fonts are displayed as icons in the view pane.

  3. Double-click an icon to display a preview of the font.

Adding a TrueType Font

You can use the File Manager to add a TrueType font:

  1. Open a File Manager window, then select the TrueType font you want to add.

  2. Open another file browser window, then enter the following URI in the location bar:

    fonts:///

    The fonts are displayed as icons in the view pane.

  3. Copy the TrueType font file that you want to add to the fonts:/// location.

3.2.3 Configuring the Screen Saver

Click SystemPersonal SettingsScreensaver.

The module for configuring the screen saver is subdivided into two tabbed pages: Display Modes and Advanced. Select the screen saver on the Display Modes page; the Advanced page contains a few special options that normally do not need to be modified.

Figure 24 Screensaver Preferences Dialog

You can select from Random Screen Saver (random selection of screen savers from a custom-defined list), Only One Screen Saver, Blank Screen Only, or Disable Screen Saver.

Select one or more screen savers from the list for the either the Only One Screen Saver or Random Screen Saver operating mode. The currently selected screen saver is displayed in the small preview window. The Preview button launches a full screen preview of that screen saver, which can be closed by pressing any key. Select the previous or following screen saver for preview by clicking the corresponding triangles below the selection list.

Finally, determine after how long the screen should be made completely blank (Blank After), the screen saver module should be changed (Cycle After), or the screen should be locked (Lock Screen After). All time references are in minutes.

You can use the Advanced page to display a directory of graphics as your screen saver by selecting Choose Random Image and then selecting a directory containing images.

3.2.4 Choosing a Theme

Click SystemPersonal SettingsTheme.

A theme is a group of coordinated settings that specifies the visual appearance of a part of the desktop. You can choose themes to change the appearance of the desktop. Use the Theme Preferences tool to select from a list of preinstalled themes. The list of available themes includes several themes for users with accessibility requirements.

A theme contains settings that affect different parts of the desktop, as follows:

  • Controls

    The controls setting for a theme determines the visual appearance of windows, panels, and applets. It also determines the visual appearance of the GNOME-compliant interface items that appear on windows, panels, and applets, such as menus, icons, and buttons. Some of the controls setting options that are available are designed for special accessibility needs. You can select an option for the controls setting in the Controls tabbed page of the Theme Details tool.

  • Window frame

    The window frame setting for a theme determines the appearance of the frames around windows only. You can select an option for the window frame setting in the Window Border tabbed page of the Theme Details tool.

  • Icon

    The icon setting for a theme determines the appearance of the icons on panels and the desktop background. You can select an option for the icon setting in the Icons tabbed page of the Theme Details tool.

The color settings for the desktop and applications are controlled using themes. You can choose from a variety of preinstalled themes. Selecting a style from the list overview applies it automatically. Details opens another dialog where you can customize the style of single desktop elements, like window content, window borders, and icons. Making changes and leaving the dialog by clicking Close switches the theme to Custom Theme. Click Save Theme to save your modified theme under a custom name. The Internet and other sources provide many additional themes for GNOME as .tar.gz files. Install these with the Install theme.

Creating a Custom Theme

The themes that are listed in the Theme Preferences tool are different combinations of controls options, window frame options, and icon options. You can create a custom theme that uses different combinations of options.

  1. Click SystemPersonal SettingsTheme.

  2. Select a theme from the list of themes, then click Theme Details.

  3. Select the controls option that you want to use in the custom theme from the list in the Controls tabbed page.

  4. Click the Window Border tab, then select the window frame option that you want to use in the custom theme.

  5. Click the Icons tab, then select the icons option that you want to use in the custom theme.

  6. Click Close > Save Theme.

    A Save Theme to Disk dialog is displayed.

  7. Type a name and a short description for the custom theme in the dialog, then click Save.

    The custom theme now appears in your list of available themes.

Installing a New Theme

You can add a theme to the list of available themes. The new theme must be an archive file that is tarred and zipped (a .tar.gz file).

  1. Click SystemPersonal SettingsTheme.

  2. Click Install Theme.

  3. Specify the location of the theme archive file in the Location field, then click OK.

    You can also click Browse to browse for the file.

  4. Click Install to install the new theme.

Installing a New Theme Option

You can install new controls options, window frame options, or icons options. You can find many controls options on the Internet.

  1. Click SystemPersonal SettingsTheme.

  2. Click Theme Details, then click the tab for the type of theme you want to install.

    For example, to install an icons option, click the Icons tab.

  3. Click Install Theme.

  4. Specify the location of the theme archive file in the Location field, then click OK.

  5. Click Install to install the new theme option.

Deleting a Theme Option

You can delete controls options, window frame options, or icons options.

  1. Click SystemPersonal SettingsTheme.

  2. Click Theme Details, then click the tab for the type of option you want to delete.

  3. Click Go To Theme Folder.

    A File Manager window opens on the default option folder.

  4. Use the File Manager window to delete the option.

Previewing Themes

You can use the File Manager to preview and change themes.

  1. Open a file manager window.

    To open a File Manager in browser mode, right-click a folder and then click Browse Folder. See Managing Folders and Files with File Manager for more information.

  2. Enter the following URI in the location bar:

    themes:///

    The themes are displayed in the view pane.

  3. Double-click a theme to change it.

3.2.5 Customizing Window Behavior

Click SystemPersonal SettingsWindows.

Use the Window Preferences tool to customize window behavior for the desktop. You can determine how a window reacts to contact with the mouse pointer or to double-clicks on its titlebar, and you can define which key to hold for moving an application window.

Figure 25 Window Preferences Dialog

When several application windows populate the desktop, the active one by default is the one last clicked. Change this behavior by activating Select Windows When the Mouse Moves over Them. If desired, activate Raise Selected Window after an Interval and adjust the latency time with the slider. This raises a windows a short time after the window receives focus.

Application windows can be shaded (rolled up) by double-clicking the title bar, leaving only the title bar visible. This saves space on the desktop and is the default behavior. It is also possible to set windows to maximize when the title bar is double-clicked.

Using the radio buttons, select a modifier key to press for moving a window (Ctrl, Alt, Hyper, or the Windows logo key).