Guide to Parallel Operating Systems with Windows 7 and Linux Chapter 3 Using the Graphical User Interface

Guide to Parallel Operating Systems with

Windows 7 and Linux

Chapter 3 Using the Graphical User Interface

Guide to Parallel Operating Systems with Windows 7 and Linux

Objectives

• Use the Start menu and Applications menu• Tailor the desktop• Access data on your computer

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Using the Start Menu and Applications Menu

• Using the Windows 7 Start Menu and Taskbar– Use Taskbar to:

• Access useful programs and documents• Switch rapidly between open programs

– Start Menu views• Default Start menu appears when you start Windows

7 for the first time• Getting Started option displays list of useful links

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Using the Start Menu and Applications Menu (continued)

Figure 3-1 Default Start menuCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

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• Customizing the Start Menu– Start menu in Windows 7 has more customization– Division of programs on the left of the Start menu:

• Pinned items list: appears above the separator line• Most frequently used programs list: appears below

separator line– Right side of the Start menu:

• Reserved for important places on your computer– To modify the Start menu:

• Right-click the Start menu icon and click Properties

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Figure 3-4 Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog boxCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning

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• Using the Taskbar– Taskbar: narrow box across the bottom of the screen– Functions:

• Start menu• Open programs and windows• Open your favorite programs• System tray (notification area)• Show Desktop button

• Auto-hiding the Taskbar– Right-click blank spot on the taskbar, click Properties,

then check the “Auto-hide the taskbar”7



• Moving and resizing the Taskbar– To increase its size: position the mouse pointer over

the taskbar’s outer edge and drag the pointer– To move the taskbar: click an empty area in it and

drag it to the desired location• Using Toolbars on the Taskbar: possible shortcuts

– Three or four programs that you use the most– Documents you use each day– Folders that you frequently access for files

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Table 3-1 Toolbars you can add to the taskbar

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• Grouping programs on the Taskbar– Taskbar can become crowded with buttons– Grouping feature helps you manage multiple open

documents– Task button behavior:

• Always combine• Hide labels• Combine when the taskbar is full• Never combine

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Customizing Fedora 13 Panels

• Comparing the panel to the Windows 7 Taskbar:– Similarities: Start menus, Internet icons, applications– Difference: appearance of the program icons

• Applications menu:– Provides access to applications on the system

• Places menu:– Provides a list of locations that open in File Browser

windows when selected• Right side of panel includes:

– Date and time, and the name of current user11

Guide to Parallel Operating Systems with Windows 7 and Linux 12

Figure 3-10 Fedora 13 desktop showing panelsCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Customizing Fedora 13 Panels (continued)

• Bottom desktop panel:– Contains three items by default, but you can

configure it as you wish• Click the icon on the far left side of the panel to:

– Hide or show all windows on the desktop• For each application running on the desktop:

– A button appears on the currently selected Workspace

• Trash:– Drag and drop items you no longer need

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• Adding and removing panels– Right-click existing panel and click New Panel– Right-click existing panel and click Delete This Panel

• Customizing the panel– Right-click empty area, use the submenu that

appears• Customizing menu items

– To customize a menu item, right-click it

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Table 3-2 Menu item options



• Adding to the panel– Right-click the top panel, and then click Add to Panel– To add an application, use:

• Custom Application Launcher or Application Launcher– To add an applet:

• Locate the applet from the Add to Panel dialog box– To add a panel drawer that contains launcher icons:

• Select the Drawer option in the Add to Panel dialog box– To remove an item from a panel:

• Right-click it then click Remove from Panel

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Tailoring the Desktop

• The desktop is like a physical desk:– Stores your electronic work equipment– Gives you easy access to current projects

• Desktop:– Main screen in Windows 7 and Fedora 13– Allows you to put program icons on both screens

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Using the New Windows 7 Desktop Features

• Jump list:– Allows you to go directly to documents, pictures,

songs, and Web sites used daily– To open, right-click program icon on the Start menu– Can provide quick access to commands

• Snap:– Resizes open windows– Makes it easy to read, organize, and compare

windows

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Using the New Windows 7 Desktop Features (continued)

• Peek:– Gives you the power of X-ray vision

• Shake:– Lets you cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly

focus on a single window• Flip 3D:

– Displays open windows in a stack• Shake, Peek, and Flip 3D:

– Included in the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions of Windows 7

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Tailoring the Windows 7 Desktop

• Increasing the size of Windows text fonts– Consider changing fonts if screen text not readable– Click:

• Start• Control Panel• Appearance and Personalization link, • “Make text and other items larger or smaller”• Desired size

– To change font size, log off and log on again

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Tailoring the Windows 7 Desktop (continued)

• Choosing the appearance of desktop icons– Options available to keep desktop neat

• Icon size: Large, Medium, or Small• Visibility: hide icons during presentations• Align to grid: all icons jump to the invisible grid• Consolidate: sort and group icons to the invisible grid• Sort: sort by criteria such as name and date

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Figure 3-12 Appearance tab of Display Properties dialog boxCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Tailoring the Windows 7 Desktop (continued)

• Changing screen resolution– To change amount of information on the screen:

• Change the screen resolution– To view more information:

• Increase the screen resolution

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Tailoring the Fedora 13 Desktop

• To customize the Fedora 13 panel:– Right-click an empty area, then use the submenu

that appears• Desktop launchers:

– Application– Application in Terminal– Location

• To create a Folders and Documents entry:– Right-click and select from the resulting desktop

context menu

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Tailoring the Fedora 13 Desktop (continued)

• Setting appearance preferences– Appearance Preferences dialog box:

• Contains options for customizing desktop’s display theme, background, and fonts

– To change the desktop background:• Right-click the desktop• Click Change Desktop Background

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• Changing display settings– Display Settings window contains options for

customizing your display• Example: screen resolution, color depth, and monitor

type– To open the Display Settings window:

• Click System• Point to Administration• Click Display

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Figure 3-15 Display Settings windowCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Accessing Data on Your Computer

• Using Windows Explorer– Enables you to locate and open files and folders– Breadcrumbs: navigation aids used in an address

bar to keep track of your locations– Five controls in Windows Explorer:

• Organize: consolidates many of the menu commands• System properties: provides basic information• Open Control Panel: adjusts computer settings• Change view: allows you to switch the view• Share with: supports sharing a folder with other users

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Figure 3-16 Windows ExplorerCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Accessing Data on Your Computer (continued)

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Figure 3-17 Contents list to Pictures folderCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



• Using Windows Explorer (continued)– Organize menu:

• Allows you to hide or show additional information– Information that appears in the details pane:

• Music file: lists album, recording format, artist, etc.• Disk icon: lists statistics about total size, free space,

and formatting option• WordPad document: lists date created, date modified,

file type, and size

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• Using Windows Explorer (continued)– Preview pane:

• Shown on the right side of the Explorer window– Navigation pane:

• Appears on the left side of the Explorer window

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Figure 3-18 Layout menuCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



• Using the libraries– Windows 7 introduces concept of libraries– Libraries: display contents of folders – Default libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, and

Videos– To use libraries: click the name in the navigation pane– To add a new library: right-click Libraries in the

navigation pane, point to New, then click Library– To name the library: right-click New Library, click

Rename, then type the library name

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Figure 3-20 Pictures libraryCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



• Using the Recycle Bin– You can retrieve deleted files or folders– To access: click it’s icon on the desktop– Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently deletes files– Some files may be too large to delete– By default:

• Recycle Bin can only hold 10 percent of the hard drive’s capacity

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• Searching from the Start Menu– Use it when:

• You are looking for common file types• You remember all or part of a filename• You know when you last changed a file• You know a word or phrase in the file

– Type search information in the “Search programs and files” text box

– Result is limited to 15 entries– Results menu lists every file, folder, program, picture,

movie, music file, and Web bookmark37


Figure 3-23 Sample search resultsCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



• Searching from the Explorer Window– Search box: located at right of address bar– Search is limited to displayed Explorer window– Difference between Explorer and the Start menu

• Search is not limited to 15 entries• Search Builder: used to filter search results

– Search filters: depend on the folder contents or library being viewed

– Results are displayed very quickly

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Using the Fedora 13 File Browser

• File Browser:– Locates and opens files and folders– To open: click Applications, System Tools, and File

Browser– Window includes:

• Basic menus• Toolbars• Navigation pane• Tabbed preview pane

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Figure 3-24 File Browser in Fedora 13Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Figure 3-25 Location bar and side pane options in File BrowserCourtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning


Using the Fedora 13 File Browser (continued)

• File Browser (continued)– Menu bar: includes File, Edit, View, and Tabs menu– Browse button:

• Browse local and remote disks and folders– Location bar: equals address bar in Windows 7– Location bar:

• Contains options that let you change the view size– Left side of the File Browser window:

• Contains a side pane• Shows information about the current file or folder

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• Options in the side pane:– Places: displays places of particular interest– Information: displays information about current folder– Tree:

• Displays a hierarchical representation of your file system

– History: Contains list of recently visited files and folders

– Notes: add notes to your files and folders– Emblems: contains emblems that you can add to a

file or folder44



• Using the Trash– Trash gives you a second chance to retrieve deleted

files or folders– To access, click the Trash icon– As the Trash fills with deleted material:

• Older items are removed automatically– Empty trash:

• If running low on hard drive space

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Figure 3-26 Trash in Fedora 13Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



• Searching from the File Browser– Use search feature to search by file and folder

names and their contents– To begin search: click Search button on main toolbar– Search bar replaces location bar– Search results appear in view pane

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Summary

• Graphical user interface (GUI):– Has many menus that you use to work with

applications• Use the Start menu to:

– Begin applications in the Windows GUI environment• GUI desktop :

– Can be tailored in Windows 7 and Fedora Core 13• You have many options for:

– Accessing locally stored data in Windows 7 and Fedora Core 13

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