[[!meta title="Introduction to GNOME and the Tails desktop"]]

The desktop environment used in Tails is [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org),
more precisely [GNOME Classic](https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-help/stable/gnome-classic.html) version 3.14.
This page describes some important features of the desktop in the context of
Tails.

[[!toc levels=2]]

Top navigation bar
==================

In the upper left corner of the screen there are two menus:

  - the <span class="guimenu">Applications</span> menu
  - the <span class="guimenu">Places</span> menu

<a id="applications"></a>

Applications menu
-----------------

The <span class="guimenu">Applications</span> menu provides shortcuts to the
[[included software|about/features]] and to GNOME configuration utilities.

[[!img applications.png link=no alt="Applications menu"]]

<a id="help"></a>

<div class="icon">
[[!img help-browser.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
  <span class="guimenuitem">Help</span>: to access the <span class="application">GNOME Desktop Help</span> choose
  <span class="menuchoice">
    <span class="guisubmenu">Utilities</span>&nbsp;▸
    <span class="guimenuitem">Help</span></span>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img preferences-system.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
  <span class="guimenuitem">Settings</span>:
  to change various system settings such as keyboard, mouse and touchpad,
  or displays choose
  <span class="menuchoice">
    <span class="guisubmenu">System Tools</span>&nbsp;▸
    <span class="guimenuitem">Settings</span></span>
  </div>
</div>

<div class="tip">

<p>To learn about the many keyboard shortcuts in GNOME, click on
<span class="guilabel">Keyboard</span> from the <span class="guilabel">System
Settings</span> and open the <span class="guilabel">Shortcuts</span>
tab.</p>

</div>

<div class="next">

By default, any such customization is reset when shutting down Tails. Read the
documentation on [[persistence|persistence]] to learn which configuration can be
made persistent across separate working sessions.

</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img seahorse.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
  <span class="guimenuitem">Seahorse</span>:
  to manage your OpenPGP keys choose
  <span class="menuchoice">
    <span class="guisubmenu">Utilities</span>&nbsp;▸
    <span class="guimenuitem">Passwords and Keys</span></span>
  </div>
</div>

<a id="favorites"></a>

### Favorites submenu

In the <span class="guisubmenu">Favorites</span> submenu, a few
shortcuts allow you to launch the most frequently used applications:

<div class="icon">
[[!img tor-browser.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
<strong>Tor Browser</strong>: browse the World Wide Web<br/>
[[See the corresponding documentation|anonymous_internet/Tor_Browser]]
</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img doc/first_steps/persistence/icedove.png link=no]]
<div class="text"><strong>Icedove</strong>: email client<br />
[[See the corresponding documentation|anonymous_internet/icedove]]
</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img pidgin.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
<strong>Pidgin</strong>: instant messaging client<br/>
[[See the corresponding documentation|anonymous_internet/pidgin]]
</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img keepassx.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
<strong>KeePassX</strong>: password manager<br/>
[[See the corresponding documentation|encryption_and_privacy/manage_passwords]]
</div>
</div>

<a id="terminal"></a>

<div class="icon">
[[!img gnome-terminal.png link=no]]
<div class="text"><strong>GNOME Terminal</strong>: use the command line</div>
</div>

<a id="places"></a>

Places menu
-----------

The <span class="guimenu">Places</span> menu provides direct access to different
folders and storage media.

[[!img places.png link=no alt="Places menu"]]

<a id="tor-status"></a>

Tor status and circuits
-----------------------

The Tor status icon and <span class="application">Onion
Circuits</span> allow you to view the status of Tor.
[[See the corresponding documentation.|anonymous_internet/tor_status]]

[[!img tor-status.png link=no alt="Tor Status"]]

<a id="florence"></a>

Virtual keyboard
-----------------

The <span class="application">Florence</span> virtual keyboard can
protect you against a hardware keylogger when typing passwords and sensitive text.
[[See the corresponding documentation.|encryption_and_privacy/virtual_keyboard]]

[[!img florence.png link=no alt="Florence"]]

<a id="openpgp"></a>

OpenPGP applet
--------------

Using the <span class="application">OpenPGP Applet</span> you can
encrypt and decrypt the clipboard using OpenPGP.
[[See the corresponding documentation.|encryption_and_privacy/gpgapplet]]

[[!img openpgp_applet.png link=no alt="OpenPGP Applet"]]

<a id="accessibility"></a>

Universal access
----------------

The universal access menu allows you to activate the screen reader, large
text display, and other accessibility technologies.
[[See the corresponding documentation.|accessibility]]

[[!img accessibility.png link=no alt="Accessibility tools"]]

<a id="keyboard"></a>

Keyboard layouts
----------------

The keyboard layout menu allow you to change the keyboard layout and
input method for non-Latin scripts.

[[!img keyboard.png link=no alt="Keyboard layouts"]]

<a id="system"></a>

System menu
-----------

In the top-right corner of the top bar, the system menu allows you to
manage your systems settings and your computer.

[[!img system.png link=no alt="System menu"]]

<div class="next">

<p>See also the documentation on [[connecting to the network|anonymous_internet/networkmanager]].</p>

</div>

<a id="activities"></a>

Activities overview
===================

To access your windows and applications you can either:

  - Choose <span class="menuchoice">
      <span class="guisubmenu">Applications</span>&nbsp;▸
      <span class="guimenuitem">Activities Overview</span></span>.
  - Throw your mouse pointer to the top-left hot corner.
  - Press the windows key on your keyboard.

You can see your windows and applications in the overview. You can also
start typing to search your applications, files, and folders.

<a id="shortcuts"></a>

Desktop shortcuts
=================

<div class="icon">
[[!img user-home.png link=no]]
<div class="text"><strong>amnesia's Home</strong>: shortcut to the default
user's folder</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img emptytrash.png link=no]]
<div class="text"><strong>Trash</strong>: where the "deleted" files are
moved</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img system-help.png link=no]]
<div class="text"><strong>Tails documentation</strong>: open a local copy of
Tails website and documentation</div>
</div>

<div class="icon">
[[!img whisperback.png link=no]]
<div class="text">
<strong>Report an error</strong>: help you [[troubleshoot|/support]] Tails
</div>
</div>

<a id="nautilus"></a>

Managing files with Nautilus
============================

Nautilus is GNOME's file manager, FTP, SFTP client and more.

[[!img nautilus.png link=no]]

To manage local files, follow links on the desktop or from the **Places** menu
at top left corner of the screen. To move files or folders, you can drag them
from one window and drop them to another.

To connect to a remote FTP or SFTP server choose
<span class="guilabel">Connect to Server</span></span>.
