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GNOME 2.2 Desktop on Linux User Guide

Choosing Your Preferred Applications

Use the Preferred Applications preference tool to specify the applications that you want the GNOME Desktop to use when the GNOME Desktop starts an application for you. For example, you can specify Xterm as your preferred terminal application. When you open the Desktop menu then choose New Terminal, Xterm starts.

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

Web Browser Preferences

Use the Web Browser tabbed section to configure your preferred web browser. The preferred web browser opens when you click on a URL. For example, the preferred web browser opens when you select a URL in an application, or when you select a URL launcher on the desktop.

Table 10–18 lists the preferred web browser preferences that you can modify.

Table 10–18 Preferred Web Browser Preferences

Dialog Element 

Description 

Select a Web Browser

Select this option if you want to use a standard web browser. Use the drop-down combination box to select your preferred web browser. 

Custom Web Browser

Select this option if you want to use a custom web browser.  

Command

Enter the command to execute to start the custom web browser. To enable the browser to display a URL that you click on, include “%s” after the command.

Start in Terminal

Select this option to run the command in a terminal window. Select this option for a browser that does not create a window in which to run. 

Text Editor Preferences

Use the Text Editor tabbed section to configure your preferred text editor.

Table 10–19 lists the preferred text editor preferences that you can modify.

Table 10–19 Preferred Text Editor Preferences

Dialog Element 

Description 

Select an Editor

Select this option if you want to use a standard text editor. Use the drop-down combination box to specify your preferred text editor. 

Custom Editor

Select this option if you want to use a custom text editor. A Custom Editor Properties dialog is displayed.

  • Name: Type the name of the custom text editor.

  • Command: Enter the command to start the custom text editor.

  • This application can open multiple files: Select this option if the default text editor can open multiple files.

  • This application needs to be run in a shell: Select this option to run the command in a terminal window. Select this option for an editor that does not create a window in which to run.

After you specify a custom text editor, you can click on the Properties button to display the Custom Editor Properties dialog. You can use the dialog to modify the properties of the custom text editor.

Use this editor to open text files in the file manager

Select this option if you want the file manager to start the custom text editor to display text files. 

Terminal Preferences

Use the Terminal tabbed section to configure your preferred terminal.

Table 10–20 lists the preferred terminal preferences that you can modify.

Table 10–20 Preferred Terminal Preferences

Dialog Element 

Description 

Select a Terminal

Select this option if you want to use a standard terminal. Use the drop-down combination box to specify your preferred terminal. 

Custom Terminal

Select this option if you want to use a custom terminal.  

Command

Enter the command to execute to start the custom terminal. 

Exec Flag

Enter the exec option to use with the command.