Buttons

You can add buttons to your panels to provide quick access to common actions and functions.

Force Quit Button

The Force Quit button enables you to select a window to terminate an application. This button is useful if you want to terminate an application that does not respond to your commands.

To terminate an application, click on the Force Quit button, then click on a window from the application that you want to terminate. If you do not want to terminate an application after you click on the Force Quit button, press Esc.

Lock Button

The Lock button locks your screen and activates your screensaver. To access your session again, you must enter your password. To lock your screen correctly, you must have a screensaver enabled.

To add a Lock button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Lock.

Right-click on the Lock button to open a menu of screensaver-related commands. Table 4–1 describes the commands that are available from the menu.

Table 4–1 Lock Screen Menu Items

Menu Item	Function
Activate Screensaver	Activates the screensaver immediately, but does not lock the screen.
Lock Screen	Locks the screen immediately. This command performs the same function as when you click on the Lock button.
Kill Screensaver Daemon	Terminates the screensaver process. After you terminate the screensaver process, you cannot lock your screen.
Restart Screensaver Daemon	Terminates and restarts the screensaver process. Use this command after you change your password. When you restart the screensaver process, use your new password with the screensaver.
Properties	Displays the XScreenSaver preference tool.

Log Out Button

The Log Out button begins the process to log out of a GNOME session.

To add a Log Out button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Log Out. To log out of your session or shut down your system, click on the Log Out button.

Run Button

You can use the Run button to open the Run Application dialog.

To add a Run button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Run. To open the Run Application dialog, click on the Run button.

For more information on the Run Application dialog, see Working With Menus.

Screenshot Button

You can use the Screenshot button to take a screenshot of your screen.

To add a Screenshot button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Screenshot. To take a screenshot of your screen, click on the Screenshot button.

For more information on how to take screenshots, see Working With Menus.

Search Button

You can use the Search button to open the Search Tool.

To add a Search button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Search. To open the Search Tool, click on the Search button.

For more information on the Search Tool, see the Search Tool Manual.

Minimise Windows Button

You can use the Minimise Windows button to minimize all open windows and show the desktop.

To add a Minimise Windows button to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Actions -> Minimise Windows. To minimize all windows and show the desktop, click on the Minimise Windows button.

Notification Area Applet

The Notification Area applet displays icons from various applications to indicate activity in the application. For example, when you use the CD Player application to play a CD, a CD icon is displayed in the Notification Area applet. The graphic above illustrates the CD icon in the Notification Area applet.

To add a Notification Area applet to a panel, right-click on any vacant space on the panel. Choose Add to Panel -> Utility -> Notification Area.