Fedora 17 - Customize Gnome

After installation, there’s a number of things I like to tweak for a comfortable working environment, as well as modify what software is installed. Please note that this is Gnome specific.

Tweak User Interface with gnome-tweak-tool

gnome-tweak-tool can be used to modify several settings. Before we can use it, we have to install it.

As root,

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yum install gnome-tweak-tool

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Open gnome-tweak-tool, found in Activities -> Applications -> Advanced Settings, and let’s start changing things!

Desktop

• Turn Have file manager handle the desktop on
• This turns the desktop back on, including Computer, Trash, and other such icons

Files

• Turn Always show location entry, instead of the pathbar on
• In the Nautilus file manager, this allows you to type in the path to display, instead of clicking.

Shell

• Turn Show date in clock on
• This displays the date on the top of the screen, along with the clock
• Change Arrangement of buttons on the titlebar to All
• This brings back the maximize and minimize buttons. 

Theme

• Turn Menus Have Icons on
• This shows icons next to menu items. I prefer them.
• Turn Buttons Have Icons on
• This shows icons next to buttons. These two options make the user interface slightly more efficient, in my humble opinion.

Windows

• Chage Action on title bar middle click to Toggle shade
• When the title bar of a window is middle clicked, it will shade the window. Shading will remove the contents from view, leaving just the menu bar. Similar to rolling up a window shade to see outside.

Fedora 17 - Customize KDE

After installation, there’s a number of things I like to tweak for a comfortable working environment, as well as modify what software is installed. Please note that this is KDE specific.

Tweak User Interface

Kickoff Menu

To show application name instead of application type (ie, display Firefox instead of Web Browser)

• Right click on the blue “F” KDE menu -> Application Launcher Settings
• Ensure “Show application by name” is checked
• Click “OK”

Double Click Mouse

Change the single-click-to-open, to double-click-to-open.

• Click the blue “F” KDE menu -> System Settings
• Select “Input Devices”
• Select “Mouse” on the left side
• Ensure the “Double click to open files and folders” button is selected
• Click “Apply”
• Close as desired

Virtual Desktops

I prefer to have multiple virtual desktops, instead of just one, as shipped.

• Click the blue “F” KDE menu -> System Settings
• Select “Workspace Behavior”
• Change “Number of desktops” as desired
• Click “Apply”
• Close as desired

As an alternative, you can simply right click on the workspace pager in the task bar (just to the right of the three-dot activity manager) and select “Add Virtual Desktop”.

Task Manager

By default, the task manager will display tasks from all virtual desktops. I prefer to show only those tasks on the current desktop.

• Right click in task manager area (open space on bottom panel)
• Select “Task Manager Settings”
• Ensure “Only shows tasks from the current desktop” is checked.
• Click “Apply”
• Close as desired.

Remove Software

kdepim

I do not care for akregator, blogilo, kmail, knode, knotes, kontact, or korganizer. So I pull them out.

As root,

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yum remove kdepim

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Update System

Updating the system is very easy. One single step does the trick.

As root,

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yum upgrade or yum -y upgrade

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Install Software

Evolution

I install this as a replacement to kdepim. It handles email and contacts just the way I need it.

As root,

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yum install evolution

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Firefox

I much prefer Firefox to Konqueror

As root

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yum install firefox

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Enjoy!