KandZ – Tuts

We like to help…!

Gnome HowTo 8 🐧 Basic Navigation Part 1

8. Basic Navigation Part 1

🔧 1. How-To Launch an Application Using Activities Search

Steps:

  1. Press the Super key (usually the Windows key) or click the Activities button in the top-left corner.
  2. Start typing the name of the application you want to open (e.g., “Firefox”).
  3. As you type, a list of matching results will appear dynamically below the search bar.
  4. Click on the desired application from the list or press Enter to launch it directly.

✅ Example: To open Firefox, press Super, type “Firefox”, and then press Enter.

🔧 2. How-To Launch an Application via Dash

Steps:

  1. Click the Dash icon (usually located on the left sidebar).
  2. Browse through the list of installed applications or use the categories if enabled.
  3. Click on the application icon you wish to open.
  4. Optionally, right-click the app icon to access extra options like “Unpin” or “Properties”.

📌 Tip: Pin frequently used apps by right-clicking and selecting “Pin to Dash” for faster access.

🔧 3. How-To Open the Show Applications Grid

Steps:

  1. At the bottom of the Dash, click the “Show Applications” button.
  2. A grid view will appear showing all installed applications.
  3. Scroll through the icons or use the search bar at the top of this grid to find specific apps.
  4. Click on any app icon to launch it.

🧩 Pro Tip: Use the grid view when you’re unsure of an app’s name but know what it does.

🔧 4. How-To Minimize a Window

Steps:

  1. Locate the window you want to minimize.
  2. Right-click anywhere on the window’s top bar (the title bar).
  3. Select Minimize/Hide from the dropdown menu.
  4. Alternatively, press Super + M to minimize all windows at once.

🔄 Note: You can also minimize individual windows using keyboard shortcuts or by clicking the minimize icon in the title bar.

🔧 5. How-To Maximize a Window

Steps:

  1. Locate the window you want to minimize.
  2. Right-click anywhere on the window’s top bar (the title bar).
  3. Select Maximize from the dropdown menu.
  4. Or double-click the title bar of the window to maximize it.
  • The window will expand to fill the entire screen.

⚙️ Additional Tip: Press Super + M again to restore or unmaximize the window.

🔧 6. How-To Close a Window

Steps:

  1. Click the close button (X) in the top-right corner of the window.
    • Alternatively, press Alt + F4 while the window is focused.

🛑 Caution: Closing a window does not delete data or files—just closes the application window itself.

🔧 7. How-To Restore a Maximized Window

Steps:

  1. Double-click the title bar if the window is currently maximized.
  2. The window will return to its previous size before being maximized.

🔄 You can also drag a maximized window by its title bar to resize it manually.

🔧 8. How-To Group and Switch Between Windows of the Same App

Steps:

  1. Right-click the app icon in the Dash (the dock at the bottom)
  2. Click All Windows to see a list of all its open windows and select the one you need.

📌 Useful for multitasking across multiple documents or browser tabs.

🔧 9. How-To Drag and Resize a Window

Steps:

  1. Click and hold any edge or corner of the window.
  2. Drag it to reposition or resize the window.
  3. Release the mouse button when you’re satisfied with the new size or position.

📐 Tip: Use this method for precise control over window dimensions.

🔧 10. How-To Snap a Window to Half-Screen Size

Steps:

  1. Click and drag a window to either the left or right edge of your screen.
  2. The window will snap into place, occupying half the screen width.
  3. You can now work with two windows side-by-side.

🖥️ This is helpful for comparing documents, coding, or viewing videos while working.

🔧 11. How-To Move a Window Between Workspaces

Steps:

  1. Right-click on the title bar of the window you want to move.
  2. From the context menu, select one of the “Move to Workspace” options (e.g., “Move to Workspace 1”, etc.).
  3. The window will be moved to that workspace.

🧭 Pro Tip: Use multiple workspaces to organize different tasks or projects for better focus.

Leave a Reply