Linux Graphical User Interface

The GNOME desktop environment

The desktop environment is the graphical user interface on a Linux system. The default desktop environment in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 is provided by GNOME 3. GNOME 3 has been designed from the ground up to help you have the best possible computing experience. It provides an integrated desktop for users and a unified development platform on top of a graphical framework. Every part of GNOME 3 has been designed to make it simple and easy to use. The Activities Overview is an easy way to access all your basic tasks. A press of a button is all it takes to view your open windows, launch applications or check if you have new messages. Having everything in one place is convenient and means that you don’t have to learn your way around a maze of different technologies. The GNOME Shell provides the core user interface functions for the GNOME desktop environment. The gnome-shell application is highly customizable. By default , RHEL 7 users use the "GNOME Classic " theme for gnome-shell, which is similar to the GNOME 2 desktop environment. An other available option is the " modern " GNOME 3 theme used by t he upstream GNOME project. Either theme can be selected persistently at log in by selecting the gear icon next
to the Sign In button when entering the user's password.

The first time a new user logs in, an initial setup program runs to help them configure basic account settings. The GNOME Help application is then started on the Getting Started with GNOME screen. This screen includes videos and documentation to help orient new users to the GNOME 3 environment . GNOME Help can be quickly started by typing F1 in gnome-shell , by selecting (Applications >Documentation > Help) , or by running the help command.