This section describes the objects that you can add to your panels, and use from your panels.
You use the mouse buttons to interact with a panel object in the following ways:
Launches the panel object.
Enables you to grab an object, then drag the object to a new location.
Opens the panel object popup menu.
You interact with panel applications in a different way. For more information, see To Select a Panel Application.
You can add an object to a panel in several ways, as follows:
From the panel popup menu
Right-click on a vacant space on a panel to open the panel popup menu. The panel popup menu contains an Add to Panel submenu. The Add to Panel submenu enables you to add the following objects to your panels:
Panel applications in the following categories: Accessories, Amusements, Internet, Multimedia, Utility.
Buttons for quick access to common actions: Find Files button, Force Quit button, Lock button, Log Out button, Run button, Screenshot button, Show Desktop button.
Launchers
Launchers from menus
Main Menu
Menu Bar
Drawers
From any menu
When you right-click on a launcher in any menu, a popup menu for the launcher opens. You can use this popup menu to add the launcher to a panel.
You can also drag menus, launchers, and panel applications from menus to panels.
From the file manager
Each launcher corresponds to a .desktop file. You can drag the .desktop file onto your panels to add the launcher to the panel.
Some panel objects, such as launchers and drawers, have a set of associated properties. The properties are different for each type of object. The properties specify details such as the following:
The command that starts an application.
The location of the source files for a menu.
The icon that represents the object.
To modify the properties of an object, perform the following steps:
Right-click on the object to open the panel object popup menu, as shown in Figure 2–1.
Choose Properties. Use the Properties dialog to modify the properties as required. The properties in the Properties dialog depend on which object you select in step 1.
Click Close to apply the changes and close the Properties dialog.
You can move panel objects within a panel, and from one panel to another panel. You can also move objects between panels and drawers.
To move a panel object, middle-click and hold on the object and drag the object to a new location. When you release the middle mouse button, the object anchors at the new location.
Alternatively, you can use the panel object popup menu to move an object, as follows:
Right-click on the object, then choose Move.
Point to the new location for the object, then click any mouse button to anchor the object to the new location. This location can be on any panel that is currently in the Java Desktop System.
Movement of a panel object affects the position of other objects on the panel. To control how objects move on a panel, you can specify a movement mode. To specify the movement mode, press one of the following keys as you move the panel object:
Key |
Movement Mode |
Description |
---|---|---|
No key |
Switched movement |
The object swaps places with other panel objects. Switched movement is the default movement mode. |
Alt key |
Free movement |
The object jumps over other panel objects into the next vacant space on the panel. |
Shift key |
Push movement |
The object pushes other panel objects further along the panel. |
You can lock panel objects so that the objects stay in the same position on the panel. This feature is useful if you do not want some panel objects to change position when you move other panel objects.
To lock an object to the current location of the object in the panel, right-click on the object to open the panel object popup menu, then choose Lock. To unlock the object, right-click on the object, then choose Unlock.
To remove an object from a panel, right-click on the object to open the panel object popup menu, then choose Remove From Panel.