Using GNOME/Differences with Windows

If you are used to Microsoft Windows, here are the differences you will find.

Taskbar

There is no taskbar. The clock is located at the top of the screen. GNOME does not provide a list of buttons to switch between each window.

Start Menu

By default, there is no start menu in GNOME. However, it is easy to enable an Applications menu that works very much like the Windows start menu. Programs in the Applications menu are listed by category (Graphics, Internet, Office, and so on) rather than in alphabetical order.

My Documents

Like modern versions of Windows, GNOME provides four different folders for your documents: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. All of these folders are contained within your “home folder.” To see your home folder, launch the Files app. A new copy of the Files app will display the contents of your home folder by default.

My Computer

External disks such as thumb drives appear in the list at the left of the Files app automatically when they are plugged in. Linux doesn’t use drive letters like A: or C:. Instead, drives are given more logical names. Viewing the contents of your hard drive is more complicated.

Control Panel

GNOME’s Control Panel is called Settings. You can find a few more options in the “Extensions” app as well.

Recycle Bin

GNOME calls this the Trash. (In some languages, it is called the Wastebasket instead.) It works just like the Recycle Bin in Windows. You can find it on the left side of a Files app window.

Windows Explorer/File Manager

In GNOME, this is called the Files app. You can find it in the Applications menu or the Activities screen.