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><A
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>Using the Desktop</A
></H1
><P
>    Using the Desktop is as simple as dragging items you wish to use
    routinely to the desktop. The default desktop includes a
    folder of your home directory (usually <TT
CLASS="FILENAME"
>/home/[user
    name]</TT
>).  By default the GNOME File Manager window will
    also appear so you can quickly access other areas of your system.
   </P
><P
>      Once an item is on the desktop you can double-click on it to perform its
      default action or right-click on it (click on it using the mouse's right
      button) to see a menu of actions that can be performed on it.  The default
      action depends on the kind of item it is; if it's a program, that program
      will start, if it's data, the appropriate program will be started with
      that data loaded, and if it's a directory, a file manager window will be
      opened showing that directory's contents.
    </P
><P
>    To use drag and drop you need to be using either a GNOME compliant
    application or a Motif application.  GNOME is compliant with Motif drag and
    drop so you will find it works with many applications you already have
    installed.
   </P
><P
>    All items that are stored on your desktop are located in the following
    directory:
    <TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>     <TT
CLASS="PROMPT"
>$</TT
>/home/[user name]/.gnome-desktop/  
    </PRE
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
>
    This is helpful to remember when you want your desktop to contain an item
    for which you cannot use drag and drop.
   </P
><P
>    
    Once you have started GNOME you will notice that any drives you have
    connected to your system will be shown on your desktop with the appropriate
    icons. You may mount and access these drives utilizing these icons.
   </P
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>IMPORTANT</B
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>     You must have permission to mount the device shown on your desktop before
     you can use these icons. If you do not have mount permission someone
     with root access such as your system administrator can give it as
     follows. You can read more about this and other items of system knowledge
     in <A
HREF="newbies.html"
>the appendix called <I
>If you are new to Linux/UNIX</I
></A
>. 
    </P
><P
>     
      Giving mount access to ordinary users can be done quite easily if you have
      <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>linuxconf</I
></TT
> installed on
      your machine.  Just select the drive you want to access in the
      <TT
CLASS="GUILABEL"
><B
>Access local drive</B
></TT
> section.  In the
      <TT
CLASS="GUILABEL"
><B
>Options</B
></TT
> tab select the <TT
CLASS="GUILABEL"
><B
>User
      Mountable</B
></TT
> option.  Your drive will now be mountable by users.
     </P
><P
>      If <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>linuxconf</I
></TT
> is not
      available someone with root access must edit the
      <I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>/etc/fstab</I
> file to include user access. This is done
      by adding the user attribute to the drive. For example:
     </P
><P
>      If your fstab file contains a line like this:
      <TABLE
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><TR
><TD
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>       /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 exec,dev,ro,noauto 0 0
      </PRE
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
>
      Add "user" to the fourth column:
     <TABLE
BORDER="0"
BGCOLOR="#E0E0E0"
WIDTH="100%"
><TR
><TD
><PRE
CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING"
>      /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 user,exec,dev,ro,noauto 0 0
     </PRE
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
>
     </P
><P
>      Depending on your system and work environment, there could be some
      security risks in permitting users to mount disks. Please consult your
      system administrator before taking this action.
     </P
></TD
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><P
>     Once you have permission to mount a drive you may right mouse click on the
     drive icon on your desktop. This will bring up a small pop-up menu.
    </P
><P
>     You may select <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Mount device</B
> to mount it and
     <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Eject device</B
> to eject it. Once it is mounted you
     may either double-click it or choose <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Open</B
> from
     the pop-up menu to open a GNOME File Manager window viewing the contents
     of the device.
    </P
><P
>     If you are missing any drives that might have been added to your machine
     you may right mouse click on an empty space on the desktop and choose the
     <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Rescan Devices </B
> menu item from the
     <B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>pop-up</B
> menu.
    </P
><P
>      Some distributions will create desktop icons for you for things like web
      pages. If you would like to recreate those icons having removed them
      previously you may select the <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Recreate Desktop
      Icons</B
> menu item from the <B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>pop-up</B
> menu.
    </P
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