<HTML
><HEAD
><TITLE
>An Introduction to GNOME</TITLE
><META
NAME="GENERATOR"
CONTENT="Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.54"><LINK
REL="HOME"
TITLE="GNOME User's Guide"
HREF="index.html"><LINK
REL="PREVIOUS"
TITLE="GNOME User's Guide"
HREF="index.html"><LINK
REL="NEXT"
TITLE="About This Guide"
HREF="aboutug.html"></HEAD
><BODY
CLASS="CHAPTER"
BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"
TEXT="#000000"
LINK="#0000FF"
VLINK="#840084"
ALINK="#0000FF"
><DIV
CLASS="NAVHEADER"
><TABLE
WIDTH="100%"
BORDER="0"
CELLPADDING="0"
CELLSPACING="0"
><TR
><TH
COLSPAN="3"
ALIGN="center"
>GNOME User's Guide</TH
></TR
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="10%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="bottom"
><A
HREF="index.html"
>&#60;&#60;&#60; Previous</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="80%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="bottom"
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="10%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="bottom"
><A
HREF="aboutug.html"
>Next &#62;&#62;&#62;</A
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><HR
ALIGN="LEFT"
WIDTH="100%"></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="CHAPTER"
><H1
><A
NAME="INTRO"
>An Introduction to GNOME</A
></H1
><DIV
CLASS="SECT1"
><H1
CLASS="SECT1"
><A
NAME="WHAT-IS-GNOME"
>What is GNOME</A
></H1
><P
>    GNOME is a user-friendly desktop environment that enables users to easily
    use and configure their computers.  GNOME includes a panel (for starting
    applications and displaying status), a desktop (where data and applications
    can be placed), a set of standard desktop tools and applications, and a set
    of conventions that make it easy for applications to cooperate and be
    consistent with each other.  Users of other operating systems or
    environments should feel right at home using the powerful graphics-driven
    environment GNOME provides.
   </P
><P
> 
      GNOME is completely open source (free software), with freely available
      source code developed by hundreds of programmers around the world.  If you
      would like to learn more about the GNOME project please visit the <A
HREF="http://www.gnome.org"
TARGET="_top"
>GNOME web site</A
>.
   </P
><P
>    GNOME has a number of advantages for users.  GNOME makes it easy to use and
    configure applications using a simple yet powerful graphical interface.
   </P
><P
>    GNOME is highly configurable, enabling you to set your desktop the way you
    want it to look and feel. GNOME's session manager remembers previous
    settings, so once you've set things the way you like they'll stay that
    way. GNOME supports many human languages, and you can add more without
    changing the software.  GNOME even supports several Drag and Drop protocols
    for maximum interoperability with applications that aren't GNOME-compliant.
   </P
><P
>    GNOME also has a number of advantages for developers, which indirectly also
    help users.  Developers don't need to purchase an expensive software license
    to make their commercial application GNOME compliant.  In fact, GNOME is
    vendor neutral - no component of the interface is controlled solely by one
    company or restricted from modification and redistribution.  GNOME
    applications can be developed in a variety of computer languages, so you're
    not stuck with a single language.  GNOME uses the Common Object Request
    Broker Architecture (CORBA) to allow software components to inter-operate
    seamlessly, regardless of the computer language in which they are
    implemented, or even what machine they are running on.  Finally, GNOME runs
    on a number of Unix-like operating systems, including Linux.
   </P
><P
>    GNOME is an acronym for the GNU Network Object Model Environment, so GNOME
    is a part of the larger GNU project. The GNU Project started in 1984 to
    develop a completely free Unix-like operating system.  If you'd like to
    learn more about the GNU project you can read about it at the <A
HREF="http://www.gnu.org"
TARGET="_top"
>GNU Website</A
>.
   </P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="NAVFOOTER"
><HR
ALIGN="LEFT"
WIDTH="100%"><TABLE
WIDTH="100%"
BORDER="0"
CELLPADDING="0"
CELLSPACING="0"
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="index.html"
>&#60;&#60;&#60; Previous</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="34%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="index.html"
>Home</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="aboutug.html"
>Next &#62;&#62;&#62;</A
></TD
></TR
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="top"
>GNOME User's Guide</TD
><TD
WIDTH="34%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="top"
>&nbsp;</TD
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="top"
>About This Guide</TD
></TR
></TABLE
></DIV
></BODY
></HTML
>