About Preference Tools

A preference tool enables you to change settings in the desktop. Each preference tool covers a particular aspect of the computer. For example, with the Mouse preference tool you can set your mouse to left-handed or right-handed use, or change the speed of the pointer on the screen. With the Windows preference tool,you can set behavior common to all windows, such as the way in which you select windows with the mouse.

To open a preference tool, choose System -> Preferences in the top panel. Choose the tool from the submenu.

With a few exceptions, the changes you make to settings in a preference tool take effect without needing to close the preference tool. You can keep the preference tool window open while you try the changes, and make further changes if you wish.

Some applications or system components might add their own preference tools to the menu.

This section describes the preferences you can set. These preferences include:

• Assistive Technologies preferences

• Keyboard shortcut preferences

• Preferred application preferences

Assistive Technologies

The Assistive Technologies preference tool enables assistive technologies in the Oracle Solaris Desktop. You can also use the Assistive Technologies preference tool to open other preference tools which contain preferences related to assistive technologies.

• Preferred Applications enables you to specify assistive technology applications to start automatically when you log in. See Preferred Applications.

• Keyboard Accessibility enables you to configure keyboard accessibility features such as sticky keys, slow keys, or bounce keys. See Keyboard Accessibility Preferences.

• Mouse Accessibility enables you to configure mouse accessibility features such as dwell clicking. See Mouse Accessibility Preferences.

Select Enable Assistive Technologies to enable assistive technologies in the desktop. After enabling this option, log out and then log in again for this option to be fully effective.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use the Keyboard Shortcuts preference tool to customize the default keyboard shortcuts.

A keyboard shortcut is a key or combination of keys that provide an alternative to standard ways of performing an action. For more about keyboard shortcuts, and a list of the default shortcuts used in the desktop, see Appendix B, Using the Keyboard.

The keyboard shortcuts are grouped as follows:

• Desktop – Shortcuts for tasks related to the whole desktop, such as logging out, locking the screen, opening the panel menubar, or launching a web browser.

• Sound – Shortcuts for controlling your music player and the system volume.

• Window Management – Shortcuts for working with windows and workspaces, such as maximizing or moving the current window, and switching to another workspace. For more information about these kinds of actions, see Working With Windows and Workspaces Overview.

• Accessibility – Shortcuts for starting assistive technologies, such as a screen reader, a magnifier, or an on-screen keyboard.

• Custom Shortcuts – Shortcuts that you have added with the Add button. This section will not be shown if there are no custom shortcuts.

How to Add a Custom Shortcut

1. Choose System -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Click the Add button in the action area.
3. Provide a name and a command for the new shortcut.

   The new custom shortcut will appear in the list of shortcuts and can be edited in the same way as the predefined shortcuts.

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   Note - To remove a custom shortcut, use the Remove button.

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How to Edit a Keyboard Shortcut

1. Choose System -> Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Click the action in the list or use the arrow keys to select the shortcut and press Return.
3. Press the new key or key combination you want to assign to the action.

   To clear a shortcut, press Backspace. The action is now marked as Disabled.

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   Note - To cancel assigning a shortcut, click elsewhere in the window or press Esc.

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Preferred Applications

Use the Preferred Applications preference tool to specify the applications that you want the Oracle Solaris Desktop to use when it starts an application. For example, you can specify a web browser application (Epiphany, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera) to start when you click a link in other applications such as email clients or document viewers.

To access this preference tool, choose System -> Preferences -> Preferred Applications.

You can customize the preferences for the Preferred Applications preference tool in the following functional areas:

• Internet (Web, Mail)

• Multimedia (Multimedia Player)

• System (Terminal)

• Accessibility (Visual, Mobility)

For each preferred application category, you can choose from a list of possible applications. The list depends on the applications installed on your computer.

In each category, the last item in the menu (Custom) enables you to customize the command used by the system when the specific launch action occurs. The following table summarizes the various options that you can choose when you select Custom.

Table 9-1 Custom Command Options