Nautilus File Manager Customizing Your GNOME Desktop

Using the Desktop Background

By default, the Nautilus file manager manages your desktop background. If you do not use Nautilus to manage your desktop background, ignore this chapter. This chapter describes how to use the Nautilus desktop background.

I.8.1. Introduction to the Desktop Background

The desktop background lies behind all of the other components on your visible desktop. The desktop background is an active component of the user interface. You can perform the following tasks from your desktop background:

  • Start your applications, and open your files and folders.

    You can add desktop background objects for convenient access to files, folders, and applications that you use frequently. For example, you can create a symbolic link to a file that you use often, then add this link to your desktop background. You can also store files and folders on the desktop background.

  • Open the Desktop Background menu.

    Right-click on the desktop background to open the Desktop Background menu. You can use the Desktop Background menu to perform actions on the desktop background.

  • Work with Trash.

    You can move objects to Trash and empty your Trash.

  • Customize your desktop background.

    You can customize the pattern or color of the desktop background.

By default, your desktop background contains three objects. Figure I.8-1 shows the desktop background with the default objects.

Figure I.8-1 Desktop Background with Default Objects

Table I.8-1 describes the functions of the default objects on the desktop background.

Table I.8-1 Functions of Default Desktop Background Objects
Object Component Function
Home location Opens a Nautilus window, and displays your home location in the view pane.
Start Here Provides an access point to some of the key features of the GNOME desktop. For more information, see Section I.7.3.5 ― Using the Start Here Location.
Trash Opens a Nautilus window, and displays your Trash in the view pane.

I.8.2. Starting Your Desktop Background

If Nautilus does not currently manage your desktop background, the default objects do not appear on your desktop background. In this case, you might need to restart the desktop background. If the default objects do not appear on your desktop background, one of the following might be true:

  • Your Nautilus preferences are set so that Nautilus does not manage your desktop background. To restart the desktop background, you must set your Nautilus preferences so that Nautilus manages the desktop background.
  • You have inadvertently killed a desktop background process. To restart the desktop background, you must set your Nautilus preferences so that Nautilus manages the desktop background.
  • You have deleted the /.nautilus directory. To restart the desktop background, you must set up Nautilus so that Nautilus manages the desktop background.

To set your preferences so that Nautilus manages the desktop background perform the following steps:

  1. Choose Applications ▸ Home Folder. A Nautilus window is displayed.
  2. Choose Edit ▸ Preferences. A Preferences dialog is displayed. Choose Windows & Desktop from the Preferences dialog.
  3. Select the Use Nautilus to draw the desktop option.
  4. Click OK to close the dialog.

To set up Nautilus so that Nautilus manages the desktop background perform the following steps:

  1. Choose Applications ▸ Home Folder. A Nautilus First Time Setup dialog is displayed.
  2. The Nautilus First Time Setup dialog enables you to customize your Nautilus environment. Follow the instructions on the Nautilus First Time Setup dialog. On the GMC to Nautilus Transition screen, select the Use Nautilus to draw the desktop option.
  3. When you reach the Finished screen, click on the Finish button.

I.8.3. Desktop Background Objects

A desktop background object is an icon on your desktop background that you can use to open your files, folders, and applications. All objects on your desktop background reside in the desktop background directory. When you move objects to the desktop background, the objects are moved to this directory. By default, the desktop background directory is /.nautilus/desktop. You can also use your home directory as the desktop background directory. For more information, see Section I.7.8.1.3 ― To Set Preferences for New Windows.

By default, your desktop background contains three objects. You can also add objects to your desktop background to provide convenient access to files, folders, and applications that you use frequently. For example, you can add a symbolic link to your desktop background to enable you to open a particular folder that you use often.

Table I.8-2 describes the types of object that you can add to your desktop.

Table I.8-2 Types of Desktop Background Objects
Object Type Description
Symbolic link

A symbolic link is an object that points to another file or folder. When you choose a symbolic link from the desktop background, the file or folder that the symbolic link points to is opened. You can move or copy a symbolic link to the desktop background.

You can identify symbolic links by the default arrow emblem that appears on all symbolic links.

Nautilus link

A Nautilus link is a file that contains the following information:

  • A command to run when the object is chosen.
  • An icon that represents the object.

When you choose a Nautilus link from the desktop background, the command specified in the Nautilus link file is executed.
File You can add files to your desktop background. Files on your desktop background reside in your desktop background directory.
Folder You can move folders to your desktop background, and you can create folders on your desktop background. Folders on your desktop background reside in your desktop background directory.

You can modify desktop background objects in the following ways:

  • View the properties of the object.
  • Rename the object.
  • Change the permissions of the object.
  • Change the icon that represents the object.
  • Resize the icon that represents the object.
  • Add an emblem to the object.

For more information on how to modify desktop background objects, see Chapter I.7 ― Nautilus File Manager.

The following sections describe how to work with objects on the desktop background.

I.8.3.1. To Select Objects on the Desktop Background

To select an object on the desktop background, click on the object. To select multiple objects, press Ctrl, then click on the objects that you want to select.

You can also select an area on the desktop background to select all objects within that area. Click-and-hold on the desktop background, then drag over the area that contains the objects that you want to select. When you click-and-hold on the desktop background and drag, a grey rectangle appears to mark the area that you select.

To select multiple areas, press Ctrl, then drag over the areas that you want to select.

I.8.3.2. To Open an Object from the Desktop Background

To open an object from the desktop background, double-click on the object. Alternatively, right-click on the object, then choose Open. When you open on an object, the default action for the object executes. For example, if the object is a text file, the text file opens in a Nautilus window. The default actions for file types are specified in the File Types and Programs desktop preference tool.

To execute an action other than the default action for an object, right-click on the object, then choose Open With. Choose an action from the Open With submenu.

The items in the Open With submenu correspond to the contents of the following parts of the File Types and Programs desktop preference tool:

  • Default action drop-down list box in the Edit file type dialog
  • Viewing component drop-down list box in the Edit file type dialog

You can set your preferences in a Nautilus window so that you click once on a file to execute the default action.

I.8.3.3. To Add a Symbolic Link to the Desktop Background

You can create symbolic links on your desktop background to perform the following actions:

  • Open a particular file in a particular application.
  • Open a particular folder in a Nautilus window.
  • Run a binary file or a script.

To create a symbolic link on the desktop background, perform the following steps:

  1. Display the file or folder for which you want to create a symbolic link in a Nautilus window.

  2. Create a symbolic link to the file or folder. To create a symbolic link to a file or folder, select the file or folder to which you want to create a link. Choose File ▸ Make Link. A link to the file or folder is added to the current folder. You can identify symbolic links by the default arrow emblem that appears on all symbolic links. The following figure shows a symbolic link to a file:

  3. Drag the symbolic link to the desktop background. The icon for the object is moved to the desktop background.

I.8.3.4. To Add a Nautilus Link to the Desktop Background

When you choose a Nautilus link on the desktop background, the command in the Nautilus link file is executed. To add a Nautilus link to your desktop background, you must first create an application launcher for the object in a menu.

To add a Nautilus link to your desktop background, perform the following steps:

  1. Create an application launcher in a menu for the object that you want to add to your desktop background. The command that you enter for the launcher is the command that is executed when you use the desktop background object. The following table shows some sample commands and the actions that the commands perform.

    Sample Command Action
    gedit Starts the gedit application.
    gedit /user123/loremipsum.txt Opens the file /user123/loremipsum.txt in the gedit application.
    nautilus /user123/Personal Opens the folder /user123/Personal in a Nautilus window.

    For more information on how to add launchers to menus, see Chapter I.5 ― Working With Menus.

  2. Drag the launcher from the menu to the desktop background. An icon for the object is added to the desktop background.

    If you want, you can remove the menu item that you created in step 1.

I.8.3.5. Adding a File or Folder to the Desktop Background

The following sections describe how you can add file objects and folder objects to the desktop background.

I.8.3.5.1. To Move a File or Folder to the Desktop Background

You can move a file or folder from a Nautilus window to the desktop background. To move a file or folder to the desktop background, perform the following steps:

  1. Open a Nautilus window.

  2. In the view pane, display the file or folder that you want to move.

  3. Drag the file or folder to the desktop background. The icon for the file or folder is moved to the desktop background. The file or folder is moved to your desktop background directory.

    Alternatively, select the file or folder, then choose File ▸ Cut Files. Right-click on any desktop background object, then choose Paste Files.

What about Cut, Copy and Paste solely in reference to the desktop background. Eg, to create a copy of a file by copying it from the desktop background, then pasting it?

I.8.3.5.2. To Copy a File or Folder to the Desktop Background

You can copy a file or folder from a Nautilus window to the desktop background. To copy a file or folder to the desktop background, perform the following steps:

  1. Open a Nautilus window.

  2. In the view pane, display the file or folder that you want to move.

  3. Press Ctrl, then drag the file or folder to the desktop background. An icon for the file or folder is added to the desktop background. The file or folder is copied to your desktop background directory.

    Alternatively, select the file or folder, then choose File ▸ Copy Files. Right-click on any desktop background object, then choose Paste Files.

I.8.3.5.3. To Create a Folder Object on the Desktop Background

To create a folder object, right-click on the desktop background to open the Desktop Background menu. Choose New Folder. An untitled folder is added to the desktop background. Type the name of the new folder, then press Return. The folder is displayed with the new name. The new folder resides in your desktop background directory.

I.8.3.6. To Remove an Object from the Desktop Background

To remove an object from the desktop background right-click on the object, then choose Move to Trash. Alternatively, drag the object to Trash.

I.8.3.7. To Delete an Object from the Desktop Background

When you delete an object from the desktop background, the object is not moved to Trash, but is immediately deleted from the desktop background. The Delete menu item is only available if you select the Include a Delete command that bypasses Trash option in the Nautilus Preferences dialog. For more information on this option, see Section I.7.8.1.3 ― To Set Preferences for New Windows.

To delete an object from the desktop background right-click on the object, then choose Delete.

I.8.4. Using Trash on the Desktop Background

You can move the following items to Trash:

  • Files
  • Folders
  • Desktop background objects

When you move an item to Trash, the item is temporarily stored in your /.Trash folder. If you need to retrieve a file from Trash, you can view Trash and move the file out of Trash.

When you empty Trash, you delete the items in Trash permanently.

I.8.4.1. To Display Trash

You can display the contents of Trash in the following ways:

  • From the desktop background

    Double-click on the Trash object on the desktop background. The contents of Trash are displayed in a Nautilus window.

  • From a Nautilus window

    Choose File ▸ Show Trash. The contents of Trash are displayed in the window.

I.8.4.2. To Empty Trash

You can empty the contents of Trash in the following ways:

  • From the desktop background

    Right-click on the Trash object, then choose Empty Trash.

  • From a Nautilus window

    Choose File ▸ Empty Trash.

I.8.5. Using the Desktop Background Menu

You can open the following menus from the desktop background:

To open the Desktop Background menu, right-click on a vacant space on the desktop background. You can use the Desktop Background menu to perform actions on the desktop background.

Table I.8-3 describes the items in the Desktop Background menu.

Table I.8-3 Items on the Desktop Background Menu
Menu Item Function
New Window Opens a new Nautilus window that displays your home location.
New Folder Creates a new folder object on your desktop background. The folder is created in your desktop background directory.
New Terminal Starts a GNOME Terminal.
Clean Up By Name Arranges the objects on the desktop background alphabetically by name.
Cut Files Deletes the selected file or files from the folder or desktop background and places the file or files in buffer.
Copy Files Copies the selected file or files from the folder or desktop background and places the file or files in buffer.
Paste Files Puts the file or files in the buffer into the selected folder or the desktop background.
Disks Enables you to mount diskettes and CD-ROMs.
Use Default Background Resets the desktop background to the last pattern that you chose from the Backgrounds and Emblems dialog. You can access the Backgrounds and Emblems dialog from Nautilus windows.
Change Desktop Background Starts the Background desktop preference tool to enable you to change the desktop background.

I.8.6. Changing the Pattern or Color of the Desktop Background

You can change the pattern or color of the desktop background to suit your preferences. Nautilus includes background patterns and colors that you can use to change the look-and-feel of the desktop background.

You can change the pattern or color of the desktop background in any of the following ways:

  • Drag a pattern or color from another window or dialog to the desktop background.

    If your desktop background is a color, you can create a gradient effect from a color into the desktop background color. A gradient effect is a visual effect where one color blends gradually into another color. To create a gradient effect on your desktop background, drag a color to one of the edges of the screen. The color blends from the edge to which you drag the color, to the opposite edge of the screen.

    Before you drag a color to a screen edge, check if there is an edge panel on the screen edge. If there is an edge panel on the screen edge, you must hide the panel before you drag the color.

  • Use the Background desktop preference tool. For more information, see Section II.9.2 ― Customizing the Desktop Background.

  • Use a Nautilus window to choose a background pattern or color from the Backgrounds and Emblems dialog. To change the pattern or color of the desktop background, perform the following steps:

    1. Open a Nautilus window.
    2. Choose Edit ▸ Backgrounds and Emblems. The Backgrounds and Emblems dialog is displayed.
    3. To display a list of patterns that you can use, click on the Patterns button. To display a list of the colors that you can use, click on the Colors button.
    4. To change the desktop background to a pattern, drag the pattern to the desktop background. To change the desktop background to a color, drag the color to the desktop background.
    5. Click Done to close the dialog.
Nautilus File Manager Customizing Your GNOME Desktop