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<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
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id="shell-terminology">
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<link type="guide" xref="shell-overview#desktop" />
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<desc>An overview of terms used to describe different parts of the desktop.</desc>
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<revision version="11.04" date="2011-04-06" status="outdated"/>
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<credit type="author">
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<name>GNOME Documentation Project</name>
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<email>gnome-doc-list@gnome.org</email>
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<include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
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<title>Dash, launcher, menu bar... What are they?</title>
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<!-- THIS SHOULD BE ALPHABETICALLY SORTED -->
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<title>Activities overview</title>
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<p>The <em>activities overview</em> is the screen that's displayed when you click the <gui>Activities</gui> button at the top left of the screen.</p>
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<title>Alt-Tab window switcher</title>
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<p>When you hold down the <key>Alt</key> key and then press <key>Tab</key>, a <em>window switcher</em> appears. This shows a list of the windows you have open, with a preview and the name of the currently-selected window.</p>
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<p>The <em>dash</em> is the list of your favorite applications that is shown on the left-hand side of the activities overview. Applications that are currently running are also shown here. The dash is sometimes referred to as the <em>dock</em>.</p>
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<title>Hot corner</title>
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<p>The <em>hot corner</em> is the corner at the top left of the screen. When you move the pointer there, the activities overview opens.</p>
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<title>Notifications</title>
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<p><em>Notifications</em> are messages that pop up at the bottom of the screen, telling you that something just happened. For example, when someone chatting with you sends a message, a message will pop up to tell you. If you don't want to deal with a message right now, it hides to your messaging tray. Move your mouse to the bottom-right corner to see your messaging tray.</p>
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<title>System settings</title>
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<p>The <em>System Settings</em> are where you can change preferences and so on, similar to the Control Panel in Windows or the System Preferences in Mac OS. Click your name on the top-right of the top bar and select <gui>System Settings</gui> to access them.</p>
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<title>Top bar</title>
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<p>The <em>top bar</em> is the bar that runs along the very top of the screen. The <gui>Activities</gui> button is on one end of the top bar and your user name is on the other.</p>
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<title>Workspace</title>
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<p>You can put windows on different <em>workspaces</em>. They are a convenient way of grouping and separating windows.</p>
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<title>Workspace selector</title>
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<p>The <em>workspace selector</em> is the list of workspaces that is shown on the right-hand side of the <gui>Windows</gui> view in the activities overview.</p>