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<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.1.2//EN"
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"http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.1.2/docbookx.dtd" [
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<!ENTITY date "January 2007">
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<!ENTITY appversion "@PACKAGE_VERSION@">
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<!ENTITY app "@PACKAGE_NAME@">
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<article id="index" lang="en">
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<title>Xfce 4 Desktop Manager</title>
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<year>2008</year> <holder>Jérôme Guelfucci</holder>
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<year>2004-2007</year> <holder>Brian Tarricone</holder>
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<year>2004</year> <holder>Jasper Huijsmans</holder>
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<year>2004</year> <holder>François Le Clainche</holder>
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<!-- documentation translators: uncomment this and fill in your information.
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<year>2002</year> <holder>ME-THE-TRANSLATOR (Latin translation)</holder>
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<!-- I don;t know about this
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<legalnotice id="legalnotice">
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This document is provided under the terms of the GNU GPL, version
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2 or (at your option) any later version.
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<firstname>Brian</firstname> <surname>Tarricone</surname>
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<address><email>kelnos@xfce.org</email></address>
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<firstname>Jasper</firstname> <surname>Huijsmans</surname>
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<address><email>jasper@xfce.org</email></address>
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<firstname>François</firstname> <surname>Le Clainche</surname>
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<address><email>fleclainche@wanadoo.fr</email></address>
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<firstname>Jérôme</firstname> <surname>Guelfucci</surname>
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<address><email>jerome.guelfucci@gmail.com</email></address>
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This manual describes &app; version &appversion;.
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-intro">
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<title>Introduction</title>
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The <application>&app;</application> application manages the desktop backdrop. It sets a
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backdrop image and/or color and it can pop up an applications
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menu and a list of all running applications when you click on the desktop
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with the right or middle mouse button respectively. As of Xfce 4.4,
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<application>&app;</application> also draws icons on the desktop.
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The <application>&app;</application> package installs a settings dialog for use with
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the <emphasis>Xfce 4 Settings Manager</emphasis>. From this dialog you
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can change the backdrop image and color and change settings for the menu
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-backdrop">
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<title>Backdrop</title>
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<application>&app;</application> is responsible for drawing the desktop's backdrop (sometimes called
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"wallpaper") image. There are various options for setting a backdrop
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image. The final picture seen on the monitor is composed of a solid
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color or gradient, with an image or photo (with optional transparency)
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composited on top of the color or gradient. This allows for some
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interesting effects using semi-transparent images on top of various
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-icons">
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In addition to drawing the backdrop image, <application>&app;</application> can draw icons on the
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<sect2 id="xfdesktop-window-icons">
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<title>Minimized Window Icons</title>
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One mode of operation displays minimized applications as icons on the
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desktop, which can be rearranged, and will remember their positions
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when the window is unhidden and then later minimized again. The icons
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also provide a right-click menu similar to the window's control menu
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accessed by clicking the button in the top-left corner of the window.
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<sect2 id="xfdesktop-file-icons">
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<title>File/Launcher Icons</title>
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<application>&app;</application> can also display on the desktop the contents of the
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<filename>$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR</filename> folder, which can be set in
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the <filename>$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/user-dirs.dirs</filename> file (if you
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do not have this file, it will use <filename>$HOME/Desktop</filename>).
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Files can be arranged, copied, moved,
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and linked to and from a file manager, and opened using
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preferred applications. Application and URL launchers can
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also be created on the desktop. The file icon view is modeled
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to have a similar look and feel as the
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<ulink url="http://thunar.xfce.org/" type="http">Thunar</ulink> file
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-menu">
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<title>The Desktop Menu</title>
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A right-click on the desktop backdrop opens a menu that allows you to
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open a Thunar window in the Desktop directory, to create launchers,
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URL links, folders and files from templates. It is also possible to
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open the Desktop Settings and the Properties window of the Desktop
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directory and to start many of the applications found on your system.
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<figure id="root-menu-fig">
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<title>Desktop Menu</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/root_menu.png" format="PNG"/>
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<phrase>Shows <application>&app;</application> right-click mouse menu.</phrase>
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The menu's configuration file, <filename>xfce-applications.menu</filename>,
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can be found under the path
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<filename>$sysconfdir/xdg/menus/xfce-applications.menu</filename>.
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For binary packages, <filename>$sysconfdir</filename> is often
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<filename>/etc</filename> and for source compiles, it defaults to
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<filename>/usr/local/etc</filename>.
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The previous menu editor is not available anymore.
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However you can customize your menu by copying
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<filename>xfce-applications.menu</filename> to
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<filename>$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/menus</filename> and by modifying it
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with a text editor such as <application>mousepad</application> or
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<application>gedit</application>. Please remember that the file
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should be UTF-8 encoded. For more information on menu editing, please
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see <ulink url="http://wiki.xfce.org/howto/customize-menu" type="http">the
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Further customisation can be achived by creating
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<ulink url="http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/" type="http">desktop
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entries</ulink> in <filename>$XDG_DATA_HOME/applications</filename> to
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hide, modify or add entries in the menu.
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-window-list">
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<title>The Window List Menu</title>
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A middle-click on the desktop backdrop shows a list of all opened
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windows ordered by workspace. It also allows you to add or remove
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<figure id="root-menu2-fig">
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<title>Window List Menu</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/root_menu2.png" format="PNG"/>
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<phrase>Shows <application>&app;</application> middle-click mouse menu.</phrase>
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-settings">
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<title>Desktop Settings</title>
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<!-- Needs to be changed once xfce4-settings is documented -->
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You can start the Desktop settings dialog by clicking on the
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"Desktop" button in the
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<ulink url="xfce-mcs-manager.html#manager-dialog"
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type="http">Xfce Settings Manager</ulink>.
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<sect2 id="xfdesktop-settings-background">
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<title>Background Tab</title>
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The Background tab allows you to set various options related to
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drawing the desktop backdrop picture.
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<figure id="xfdesktop-background-fig">
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<title>Desktop Settings, Background Tab</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/xfdesktop-background-tab.png"
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Shows the Background tab of the Desktop Settings dialog
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Select the <emphasis>"None"</emphasis> option if you want
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<application>&app;</application> to ignore the backdrop image and only use the selected
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Select the <emphasis>"Single image"</emphasis> option if
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you want <application>&app;</application> to draw a backdrop image.
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Select the <emphasis>"Image List"</emphasis> option if you
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want <application>&app;</application> to randomly choose the backdrop image among a list.
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<!-- Single image stuff -->
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If you selected the <emphasis>"Single image"</emphasis> option,
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you can choose an image from the treeview. Click on an image
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to set it as the current backdrop. <application>&app;</application> will update the
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background of your desktop automatically.
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You can add images to the treeview by clicking on the "plus"
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button, which will pop a file chooser dialog up. Images can be
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removed using the "minus" button.
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<!-- Image list stuff -->
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If you selected the <emphasis>"Image list"</emphasis> option,
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you can use the "New" button displaying a blank sheet to select
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an existing list or create a new one, using a file chooser.
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You can still use the "plus" and "minus" buttons to add
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and remove images. <application>&app;</application> will then randomly choose a backdrop
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among this list every time it starts.
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<!-- Images layout options -->
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Five Style options (<emphasis>"Centered"</emphasis>,
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<emphasis>"Tiled"</emphasis>,
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<emphasis>"Stretched"</emphasis>,
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<emphasis>"Scaled"</emphasis> and
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<emphasis>"Zoomed"</emphasis>)
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are available to specify the fitting of the backdrop image
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on the screen, depending on its size. You can also select
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the <emphasis>"Auto"</emphasis> item if you want to let <application>&app;</application>
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take care of this setting.
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<!-- To be confirmed as I don't have multiscreen -->
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<application>&app;</application> supports xinerama and multiscreen modes. In
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multiscreen mode, the Background tab shows one tab per screen.
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The color style is one of four options in dropping list:
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a solid color, horizontal gradient, vertical gradient, or
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The <emphasis>"Transparent"</emphasis> option, when you use
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a colored background without backdrop image, allows you
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to see the windows that are under the transparent desktop
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window. This requires an activated compositor.
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Two colored buttons allow you to choose the colors for your
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desktop. When the solid color option is selected, only the
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first color is available. When either of the gradient
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options are selected, both the first and second colors
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are available. Both of the color buttons open a color
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<figure id="select_bg_color-fig">
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<title>Select Background Color</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/select_bg_color.png"
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<phrase>Shows the color selection dialog</phrase>
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You can use the colored ring with a triangle inside to
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select the color you want from the outer ring, then select the
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darkness or lightness of that color using the inner triangle.
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Corresponding values of brightness, deepness, and amount of red,
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green and blue light in the color appear through the entries on
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the right side of the window.
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You can click the eyedropper, then click anywhere on your
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screen to select the color.
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You can enter an HTML-style hexadecimal color value, or
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simply a color name, in the <emphasis>"Color Name"</emphasis>
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The selected colors will fill the entire root window, and will
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remain visible through a transparent backdrop image.
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<term>Adjustments</term>
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The two sliders allow you to adjust the brightness and the
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saturation of the backdrop image and or color.
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<sect2 id="xfdesktop-settings-menus">
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<title>Menus Tab</title>
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<figure id="xfdesktop-menus-tab-fig">
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<title>Desktop Settings, Menus Tab</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/xfdesktop-menus-tab.png"
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Shows the Menus tab of the Desktop Settings dialog
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<term>Desktop Menu</term>
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<emphasis>"Show applications menu on desktop right click"</emphasis>,
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the <link linkend="xfdesktop-menu">applications menu</link>
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will be shown when right clicking on the desktop.
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The <emphasis>"Show application icons in menu"</emphasis>
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allows you to show or hide icons in the menu.
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<term>Window List Menu</term>
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<emphasis>"Show window list menu on desktop middle click"</emphasis>
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<link linkend="xfdesktop-window-list">window list menu</link>
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will be shown when middle clicking on the desktop.
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The <emphasis>"Show application icons in menu"</emphasis>
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option allows you to show or hide icons in the menu. This
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option is only available when
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<emphasis>"Show window list menu on desktop middle click"</emphasis>
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<!-- Add link to xfwm4 documentation to change workspaces names -->
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<emphasis>"Show workspace names in list"</emphasis>
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option allows you to show or hide workspace names in the list.
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If checked, windows are shown under the name of their workspace.
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Else, they are all shown in the same portion of the menu.
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This option is only available when
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<emphasis>"Show window list menu on desktop middle click"</emphasis>
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<emphasis>"Show submenus for the windows in each workspace"</emphasis>
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option allows you to have the windows displayed in a submenu
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titled with the workspace name. This option is only available
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<emphasis>"Show workspace names in list"</emphasis> is checked.
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<emphasis>"Show sticky windows only in active workspace"</emphasis>
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option allows you to have sticky windows displayed only in
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the active workspace, instead of displaying their item in
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<sect2 id="xfdesktop-settings-icons">
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<title>Icons Tab</title>
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<figure id="xfdesktop-icons-tab-fig">
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<title>Desktop Settings, Icons Tab</title>
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<imagedata fileref="images/xfdesktop-icons-tab.png"
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Shows the Icons tab of the Desktop Settings dialog
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<term>Appearance</term>
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The <emphasis>"Icon type"</emphasis> dropping list allows
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you to set the behavior of the desktop icons. There are
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three options: "None", to disable desktop icons entirely;
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"Minimized" application icons, to show icons for
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minimized or hidden applications on the desktop;
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and "File/launcher" icons, to show the contents of your
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<filename>$XDG_DESKTOP_DIR</filename> directory on the
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If desktop icons are enabled, you can control the size of the icon
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itself (in pixels) with the <emphasis>"Icon size"</emphasis>
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option, and the font size used to display the icon text
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<emphasis>"Use custom font size"</emphasis> option. If you
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do not check this last option, the system defaults will be
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<term>Default Icons</term>
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The checkboxes allow you to show or hide special icons on
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the desktop, when <application>&app;</application> is set to draw icons. Double
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clicking those icons will open a Thunar window displaying
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the contents of a particular path.
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<emphasis>Home</emphasis> stands for your home folder, that
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is to say, <filename>$HOME</filename>.
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<emphasis>Filesystem</emphasis> stands for the root of your
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file system, also known as <filename>/</filename>.
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<emphasis>Trash</emphasis> stands for your trash folder,
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and <emphasis>Removable devices</emphasis> represents
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floppy drives, USB drives and keys, external hard drives, optical
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-hidden-options">
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<title>Hidden Options</title>
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There are a number of hidden options that cannot be set by the Xfce
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Settings Manager. These require use of a text editor.
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<term>Icon View Text Appearance</term>
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The colors of the icon text and the icon text background, as well
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as the opacity of the icon text background, can be customized
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by putting directives simiar to the following in your
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<filename>~/.gtkrc-2.0</filename> file:
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<![CDATA[style "xfdesktop-icon-view" {
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XfdesktopIconView::label-alpha = 75
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base[NORMAL] = "#00ff00"
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base[SELECTED] = "#5050ff"
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base[ACTIVE] = "#0000ff"
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fg[NORMAL] = "#ff0000"
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fg[SELECTED] = "#ff0000"
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fg[ACTIVE] = "#ff0000"
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widget_class "*XfdesktopIconView*" style "xfdesktop-icon-view"]]>
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The first entry sets the opacity of the rounded text background.
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The three "base" entries set the text background color, and the
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three "fg" entries set the text color.
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The "NORMAL" entries set the color for the regular, unselected
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state. The "SELECTED" entries set the color for when the icon
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is selected, and the desktop has keyboard focus. The "ACTIVE"
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entries set the color for when the icon is selected, but the
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desktop does not have keyboard focus.
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-misc">
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<title>Miscellaneous</title>
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You can open the menu or window list from the commandline as well.
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This can be useful for keyboard shortcuts. To open the menu run the
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command <application>&app;</application> <application>--menu</application>, and for the windowlist
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use <application>&app;</application> <application>--windowlist</application>. To cause the
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current running instance to quit, run <application>&app;</application>
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<application>--quit</application>.
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<sect1 id="xfdesktop-copyright">
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<title>About <application>&app;</application></title>
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<application>&app;</application> was written by
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Brian Tarricone (<email>kelnos@xfce.org</email>),
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Jasper Huijsmans (<email>jasper@xfce.org</email>), and
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Benedikt Meurer (<email>benny@xfce.org</email>).
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For more information, please visit the
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<ulink url="http://www.xfce.org" type="http">Xfce website</ulink>.
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To report a bug or make a suggestion regarding this application or
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this manual, use the bug tracking system at
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<ulink url="http://bugzilla.xfce.org/"
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type="http">http://bugzilla.xfce.org/</ulink>.
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If you have questions about the use or installation of this package,
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<ulink url="http://foo-projects.org/mailman/listinfo/xfce"
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type="http">xfce</ulink> mailing list. Development
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discussion takes place on the
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<ulink url="http://foo-projects.org/mailman/listinfo/xfce4-dev"
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type="http">xfce4-dev</ulink> mailing list.
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This program is distributed under the terms of the
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GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation;
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either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
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You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
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along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
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Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301,
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doc/manual/xfdesktop.xml
