Set up the Desktop

Introduction:

This is to set up the desktop the way I like it.

Aim:

I'm after easy access to any tools I use regulary and a visual indication of what account I'm in.

Requirements:

At least base Fedora Core 4 installed.

Procedure:

When logged into the desktop of whatever account you want to set up.

• Set up the Terminal:
• -Applications-
• -System Tools-
• Right-click -Terminal-
• -Add this launcher to panel-
• The Terminal icon appears on the panel at the top of the screen.
• Click the new Terminal icon.
• -Edit-
• -Profiles...-
• -Default- [Edit]
• Set the colour:
  
• -Colors-
• Untick Use colors from system theme
• Built-in schemes: -Green on black-
  
• Set the scroll buffer:
• -Scrolling-
• Scrollback: 5000 [Close] [Close]
• If you are in as root - i.e. you're doing first-time configuration, add localhost to the xterm allowed server list. This is so that X Windows applications will run and the Oracle Universal Installer (oui), amongst others, is in that category:
• # xhost +localhost
• This comes back with: localhost being added to access control list
  
• # exit
  
• Set up the Background:
• -Desktop-
• -Preferences-
• -Desktop Background-
• Desktop Wallpaper: [No Wallpaper]
• Desktop Colors: [Vertical Gradient]
• Foreground colour - Click the [Top colour button - pale blue] just to the right of the [Vertical Gradient] button:
• I use different colours for each type of account:
• root: Red (#FF0000)
• oracle: Green (#00FF00)
• users: Blue (#0000FF)
• [OK]
  
• Background colour - Click the [Bottom colour button - grey] just to the right of the [Top colour button]
• -Black (#000000) [OK]
• [Close]
• Set the screensaver: (NOTE: You can't set this for root for security reasons. root should rarely be logged in and even then only for maintainance. You certainly shouldn't be logged in for so long as to reduce the life of your monitor because there is no screensaver on the account.)
  
• -Desktop-
• -Preferences-
• -Screensaver-
• Mode: -Only One Screen Saver-
• I use different screensavers for different accounts - well, there's enough of them? This helps me to know what account my terminal is logged into so that I don't go in and stuff something up:
• oracle: Molecule
• steve: XMatrix
  
• Untick Lock Screen After
• Close the Screensaver Preferences window.
• Wait 10min and the screensaver should start up.
• If I'm setting up root's desktop also like to enable all users to be able to mount floppies for everyone, I set up a desktop icon to run the mount command.
• Configure File Browser:
• -Applications-
• -System Tools-
• -File Browser-
• -Edit-
• -Preferences-
• -Views-
• List new folders using: -List View-
• Show hidden and backup files
  
• -Behaviour-
• Always open in browser windows
  
• [Close]