GNOME 2.0 Desktop for the Solaris Operating Environment User Guide

Customizing the Desktop Background

The desktop background is the image or color that is applied to your desktop. You can customize the desktop background in the following ways:

You can also change the appearance of your desktop background from within the Nautilus file manager.

Figure 9–1 Desktop Background Preference Tool

Background preferences tool dialog. The context describes the graphic.

Table 9–1 lists the background settings that you can configure.

Table 9–1 Settings for Desktop Background

Element 

Function 

Select picture

Choose an image to display on the desktop. To choose an image, click on the Select picture button. An image selector dialog is displayed. Use the dialog to choose an image. When you choose an image, click OK.

Picture Options

To specify how to display the image, select one of the following options: 

  • Wallpaper: Repeats the image to cover the desktop.

  • Centered: Displays the image in the middle of the desktop.

  • Scaled: Enlarges the image until the image meets the screen edges, and maintains the relative dimensions of the image.

  • Stretched: Enlarges the image to cover the desktop, and does not maintain the relative dimensions of the image.

  • No Picture: Displays no image.

Background Style

To specify a color scheme, use the options in the Background Style drop-down list, and the color selector buttons.

You can specify a color scheme in one of the following ways: 

  • Choose Solid color from the Background Style drop-down list to specify a single color for the desktop background.

    To choose the color that you require, click on the Color button. The Pick a Color dialog is displayed. Choose a color, then click OK.

  • Choose Horizontal gradient from the Background Style drop-down list. This option creates a gradient effect from the left screen edge to the right screen edge.

    Click on the Left Color button to display the Pick a Color dialog. Choose the color that you want to appear at the left edge.

    Click on the Right Color button. Choose the color that you want to appear at the right edge.

  • Choose Vertical gradient from the Background Style drop-down list. This creates a gradient effect from the top screen edge to the bottom screen edge.

    Click on the Top Color button to display the Pick a Color dialog. Choose the color that you want to appear at the top edge.

    Click on the Bottom Color button. Choose the color that you want to appear at the bottom edge.