By default, the desktop features three symbols: your personal folder, the start dialog for the configuration of the desktop, and the trash can. If you double-click your personal folder, Nautilus starts and displays your home directory. More information about the use of Nautilus is available in Section “File Management with Nautilus”. All files deleted with Nautilus are sent to the trash can.

Right-clicking an icon displays a menu offering file operations, like copying, cutting, or renaming. Selecting ‘Properties’ from the menu displays a configuration dialog. The title of an icon as well as the icon itself can be changed with ‘Use custom icon’. The ‘Emblems’ tab offers the possibility to add graphical descriptive symbols to the icon. The ‘Permissions’ tab provides access to the access, read, and write permission settings for this file for the user, the group, or others. The ‘Notes’ tab offers the management of comments. The menu for the trash can additionally features the ‘Empty Trashcan’ option. This deletes its contents.

To remove an icon from the desktop, simply move it into the trash can. However, be careful with this option — if you throw folder icons or file icons into the trash can, the actual data is deleted. If the icons only represent links to a file or to a directory, only the links are deleted.

To create a link on the desktop to a folder or a file, access the object in question with Nautilus. Right-click the object and select ‘Make Link’. Drag the link from the Nautilus window and drop it on the desktop.

Right-clicking a free spot on the desktop displays a menu with various options. Select ‘New Folder’ to create a new folder. Create a launcher icon for an application with ‘New Launcher’. Provide the name of the application and the command for starting it then choose an icon to represent it. It is also possible to change the desktop background or to reset it to its default setting.

The panel contains the window icons of all started applications in the taskbar. If you click the name of a window in the taskbar, it is moved to the foreground. If the program is already in the foreground, a mouse click minimizes it. Clicking a minimized application reopens the respective window.

Beside the taskbar, the ‘Workspace Switcher’ provides access to additional work areas. These virtual desktops provide extra space in which to arrange open applications and windows. For example, put an editor on one workspace, some shells on another, and your e-mail application and web browser on a third.

If you right-click an empty spot in the panel, a menu opens, offering help, information, and commands for GNOME and panels. Select ‘Properties’ to open a configuration dialog in which to change the position and background of the panel. If desired, create additional panels or add launchers, tools, and various applets to the existing panels with ‘Add to Panel’. Use drawers to organize your favorite applications or important documents. The contents are only displayed when the drawer is opened with a single click. Right-click the drawer and select ‘Properties’ to modify its size and appearance. Click the icon to change it. Remove panel elements by right-clicking the respective icons and selecting ‘Remove’.

Open the main menu by means of the icon to the far left of the panel. Apart from the applications, which are organized in categories, find default functions, such as ‘Log out’ and ‘Lock screen’. Use ‘Open Recent’ to gain quick access to recent files. Use ‘Search for Files’ to find files.

With ‘Run Program ...’, enter and run a command, for example, for starting a program instead of navigating through the various program menus. From the main menu, you can also start the ‘GNOME Control Center’ for configuring the desktop or YaST for installing additional software.

To access floppy disks, CDs, or DVDs, insert the medium in the appropriate drive. Right-click an empty spot of the desktop and select the desired medium from the ‘Drives’ list. A floppy disk or CD icon appears. Double-clicking the icon launches Nautilus, which displays the contents of the medium. Copy files to your personal home directory by dragging and dropping. Copy files to a floppy disk in the same way.

Floppy disks can also be formatted from the floppy disk menu. In the dialog box, choose the format and density of the floppy disk. ‘file system type’ offers a choice between ‘Linux native (ext2)’, the file system for Linux, and ‘DOS (FAT)’, because Windows cannot access Linux file systems. Help provides some instructions for the tool.